MESMERIZE

I already moved my blogging at www.natemarx.wordpress.com

2009-01-09T04:31:00.000-08:00

I am not updating my multiply account anymore to those who are still viewing my multiply account, please go to my new blogsite at www.natemarx.wordpress.com

I just moved to www.natemarx.wordpress.com

2008-09-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

I will not update this multiply site anymore... Just go www.natemarx.wordpress.com for my blog entries!

Heads Up!

2008-06-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Reaching Distance

2008-06-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back to Koronadal City, but only for weekends. I'm having my Master's Degree there, but its not an excuse for me not to do some magic. Bringing the art of magic and mentalism there is a blast. I first did some magic on my "new" school to my "new" schoolmates. It was fun and the emotional connection with the spectators was good. I find it hard to perform pyschological illusions though due to a huge difference in dialect there but good enough that I was able to practice some NLP (neuro linguistic programming) to some folks at the coffee shop. The wonder of it is its very impromptu and the effect is hair raising, just imagine someone influencing your thoughts and making you do things that seem to be impossible. Pyschological Illusion is perhaps my best weapon in squaring off with some magicians out there. I did some escapology there too with ropes and people found it to be very intriguing. No gimmick ropes, no fake knots.

I will certainly bring more magic there. See you soon mga migo kag miga!! hehe...

Something BIG...

2008-06-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing something Big this June. Hopefully it will push through. If the offer would be great, I will do escapology (escape artistry). Watch out for details.

Point of information

2008-06-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

I just had a call a while ago from somebody who wants me to perform for a private party at Polomolok, South Cotabato. I declined the offer.

The reason for it is coz when I do shows, I want to give it a 100% performance. I usually decline emergency offer where the I have to do a show after 2 hours since not only will I wont be able to give a 100% performance it will also damage my repertoir as a performer in case things wont go they way it should since the lack of time to prepare.

Moreoever, I only do shows if it is offered to me at least four days before. Why?

1.) I need an ample time to prepare

2.) I might have prior commitments

3.) I need to know what kind of place and the kind of people I will be performing for.

Simply put, I want my shows to be great and worth it.

Note: I can only do shows up to 10 p.m. only for the next two months since I do paperworks during the evening.

Me, performing psychokinesis...

People I look up to...

2008-05-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

As a magician and mentalist, there are persons that I look up to and gain motivation from. Being what I am now is basically a dream come true. A dream that I had way back when I was a boy. At this point in time I am still in gasped seeing other magicians and mentalist perform and very much enjoy their performance.

Let's start off with Magic. Since I am into close up magic, I rarely look up to stage magicians.

1.) DAVID BLAINE

David Blaine (born David Blaine White on April 4, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American world record holding magician and endurance artist. He made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. (www.wikipedia.com)

Most of my close up card routines are from this guy. But take note, I only observed what he does and mimicked the effect. One thing that I really like about Blaine is even if he performs simple card routines still the effect that he does to his audience is surprising, He gave another word for "Close up magic" which is Street Magic which is very well known to people. One more thing about Blaine is that he is an "ENDURANCE ARTIST", putting the human mind and body to its limits which is risky at same time just plain crazy but you gotta hand it to him. He's one of the most renowned magician in contemporary.

2.) CRISS ANGEL

Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos (born December 19, 1967), better known by his stage name Criss Angel is an American magician, musician, escapologist, stunt performer, and actor. He is best known for starring in his own television show, Criss Angel Mindfreak. (www.wikipedia.com)

If you enjoyed my shows, you can find a bit of similarity in the way I present with this guy. Even the way I dress up sometimes for my shows. Though a lot of magicians and skeptics hate this guy 'coz of certain conspiracies which is related to camera tricks or stooges which I have no right to say that its true.

Criss is the biggest influence in my craft. Yeah he is. I was watching him on T.V. and I was mystified by what he does. I told myself I wanna be like this guy, and afterwhich I taught myself how to do close up magic. He is regarded as more of an illusionist and performs all sorts of bizzare magic which really freaks people. If David is an endurance artist, this guy is an escape artist. Moreover, he is my motivation to practice escapology as well which only few magicians attempt.

3.) CYRIL TAKAYAMA

Takayama was born and raised in Hollywood, California. His father is of Japanese descent from Okinawa prefecture, while his mother is Moroccan-French[citation needed], both of whom were beauticians. He was a member of the short-lived television series T.H.E.M. In 2007 he won first place in The Magic Woods Awards, Best Magician Category.

Career

Takayama became interested in magic when he was 7 years old, when he went to a magic show in Las Vegas where he saw a guest magician levitate a woman and cut himself in half. The first time Cyril ever performed magic in front of people was during his school's talent show. At the age of 12, he entered the junior program at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.Some of Cyril's signature tricks include the hamburger in the menu trick, having his head fall off his shoulders, and the card in the window trick. His most dramatic trick was above a Las Vegas hotel, where he bungee jumps into the hotel pool with a sword and spears the chosen card of his co host from a deck floating in the water. (www.wikipedia.com)

I really hate this guy...Why? because I envy the feats that he does. Unlike David Blaine, somehow I cannot mimick what Cyril does. On a certain level when it comes to close up magic, I could say Cyril is better than David Blaine. Look him up on youtube so you'd know.

MENTALISM

Now, mentalism is different...This is the art which I am into right now 'coz it creates an atmosphere where the audience are involved in whats about to happen. Basically the effect relies on the audience.

1.) KEITH BARRY

Keith Patrick Barry is an Irish illusionist, mentalist, and close-up magician.

Born in County Waterford, Ireland in 1976, Barry's interest in magic began at the age of fourteen when he purchased a book entitled Magic for the complete Klutz.

Since 2003, Barry has performed on his own television show in Europe entitled Close Encounters with Keith Barry. The show has been played in 28 countries worldwide. (www.wikipedia.com)

This is the first Mentalist I've ever watch on T.V. We both love the effect of RUSSIAN ROULETTE, coz it creates suspense, risk and mentalism principles. He was the person who gave me the interest on learning MENTALISM.

2.) DERREN BROWN

Derren Victor Brown (born 27 February 1971) is an English magician, psychological illusionist, mentalist, painter and self-professed sceptic regarding paranormal phenomena. He was born in Croydon, South London, and studied Law and German at the University of Bristol.[1] While there, he attended a show by the hypnotist Martin Taylor, which inspired him to turn to illusion and hypnosis as a career.[2] Whilst an undergraduate, he started working as a conjuror, practising the traditional skills of close-up magic. In 1996, he started performing stage hypnosis shows at the University of Bristol under his then stage name of Derren V. Brown. (www.wikipedia.com)

Talking about people I look up to... Derren is probably the cream of the pie. This guy is fu*ckin great!!! He is the best contemporary performer I have every watch by far. Just watch him on youtube so you'd know what I'm talking about.

I can only do few of the feats from him and rarely perform them on shows since what Derren does requires a lot of time to practice and learn and I do mean LEARN! I wanna be like this guy...

***These people are my inspiration when it comes to the art of magic and mentalism. I don't look up that much to filipino magicians and mentalist basically 'coz of the not so impressive presentation but there's one mentalist in particular who I look up to --- Kel Fabie (my mentor on mentalism). He's one of the Philippines' greatest mentalist. I'm looking forward to do a collaborative show with him in Gensan this year. Check out www.magikel.multiply.com to know about him.

Thanks for appreciating

2008-05-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have new calling cards!

When I do impromptu performances on the streets, on coffee shops, and other public venues I never fail to give out my self created calling card. Since I don't have any promotion on newspapers and other stuff before, I usually rely on my calling card and how people spread the word about me.

Somehow, my calling card improved a bit. Basically I have two set of calling cards, a simple one with the basic features of a calling card and the other one, a very tiny booklet just the same size as the calling card that entails the kind of show I perform.

People love the look and most of the time I ran out of calling card in my wallet. The Ace with the eye on the middle give a freaky feel to it. When you look at it from a distance it may look like a card.

Just Bloggin...

2008-05-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

MESMERIZE the SPECIAL

2008-05-22T04:36:00.001-07:00

*Watch out Gensan.. Believe, be mesmerized!*

Tomorrow me and RJ will start preparing for a video recording on our close up and mentalist feats to be performed in the streets in Gensan. Supposed to be, the shoot will begin tomorrow but I really feel tired right now to prepare my equipments coz I wasnt able to have some sleep last night.

Probably by Friday well start shooting. Too bad two of our colleagues are busy so there only two mesmerizers left here in Gensan...me and RJ, lol one has to hold the camera while the other performs. If you want to experience magic first hand, and you would love to be our camera man for two days your welcome to join us. hehehe.. (like anyone would fall for that..hehe)

Anyway, I applied at Stratford International School today, the interview went well but my acceptance as an instructor would depend on how many students will enroll..Geesh...Spread the word about Stratford so I could finally have a regular job (hehe), its a newly opened school at J. Catolico St.

MESMERIZE the SPECIAL

2008-05-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

MESMERIZE the SPECIAL

2008-05-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

Practice turned to Show

2008-05-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

This morning, I happen to had something that I want to work with on my close-up magic. I ambushed some spectators on the streets and asked them if I could show them some close-up magic they were eager to see my perform.

At first I did some rope tricks as an opener then later on proceed to my "practice". I let one of the spectators think of their phobia while she puts her hand into my cap. After fixing the picture of the phobia in her mind, a small snake appeared in my cap! She was totally freaked out and I tried not to laugh about it.

A few seconds past, people started to flock and I was forced to show some of my close-up feats and did some mentalism too (PK touches). What was an ambush practice performance turned into a street show. I had fun though and was forced to take tips from people.

Misunderstood

2008-05-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

On contemporary, there is this big misconception on the art of magic which is held not only by spectators but also by other magicians. Magic is regarded as the art of deception, art of trickery, art of lies. This simply happens because of the poor performances of so- called "magicians" or people who just had a hand on some magic equipment they bought from a local magic shop. Being a magician does not mean being able to do simple card tricks with the svengali deck or even normal decks. People who are acting like this simply put the art of magic next to what criminals do.

Magic is an art that requires appreciation, passion and respect. If people especially wanna be magicians act this way without understanding the nature of the art simply buries the art of magic way down to the ground.

I have no grudge against magic shops selling cheap magic stuff to people but the thing is, please have the decency to let people understand what magic is. Its nice to sell magic equipment to people but please put in mind that in every equipment you
sell the code is being broken.

For a time, I was happy seeing people buying magic stuff at least I won't have so much trouble
promoting my craft but in the long run I asked myself "does these people really know what
the nature of magic is?". All I wanna say is, to all the magic shops out there, if you sell magic stuff to non-magicians make sure they understand the art magic first, like give them a copy of the code or ethics regarding magic. Don't think about profit, coz without letting people understand what magic is, later on magic would just be congruent to mere trickery just like what con artists (manggaganchu) do and believe it or not, people won't buy from magic shops anymore.

Nonetheless, magic was never an art of lying and deception. It is an art that should be respected. Magic is not about the feats you do, it is about the MAGICIAN.

Categories of effect

2008-05-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Here's an article from wikipedia about magic.

The 7 Categories of effect.

Production The magician produces something from nothing—a rabbit from an empty hat, a fan of cards from thin air, a shower of coins from an empty bucket, or the magician themselves, appearing in a puff of smoke on an empty stage -- all of these effects are productions.

Vanishing The magician makes something disappear—a coin, a cage of doves, milk from a newspaper, an assistant from a cabinet, or even the Statue of Liberty. A vanish, being the reverse of a production, may use a similar technique, in reverse.

Transformation The magician transforms something from one state into another—a silk handkerchief changes colour, a lady turns into a tiger, an indifferent card changes to the spectator's chosen card. A transformation can be seen as a combination of a vanish and a production.

Restoration The magician destroys an object, then restores it back to its original state—a rope is cut, a newspaper is torn, a woman is sawn in half, a borrowed watch is smashed to pieces—then they are all restored to their original state.

Teleportation The magician causes something to move from one place to another—a borrowed ring is found inside a ball of wool, a canary inside a light bulb, an assistant from a cabinet to the back of the theatre. When two objects exchange places, it is called a transposition: a simultaneous, double teleportation.

Levitation The magician defies gravity, either by making something float in the air, or with the aid of another object (suspension)—a silver ball floats around a cloth, an assistant floats in mid-air, another is suspended from a broom, a scarf dances in a sealed bottle, the magician hovers a few inches off the floor. There are many popular ways to create this illusion of the magician himself being levitated, such as the Balducci levitation, the King Rising, Criss Angel's stool levitations, and the Andruzzi levitations.

Penetration The magician makes a solid object pass through another—a set of steel rings link and unlink, a candle penetrates an arm, swords pass through an assistant in a basket, a saltshaker penetrates the table-top, a man walks through a mirror. Sometimes referred to as 'solid-through-solid'.

Prediction The magician predicts the choice of a spectator, or the outcome of an event under seemingly impossible circumstances—a newspaper headline is predicted, the total amount of loose change in the spectator's pocket, a picture drawn on a slate. Prediction forms the basis for most 'pick-a-card' tricks, where a random card is chosen, then revealed to be known by the performer.

Many magical routines use combinations of effects. For example, in the famous 'cups and balls' a magician may use vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportations and transformations all as part of the one presentation.

On my point of view there are more than 7 categories of magic. It has been argued by magicians for some time now but my own contention there 9 categories
effect. I consider switch and sensory distortion other categories of effect.

Switch - is where a magician shows you a card and he himself has his own card. Basically both cards are different. A few shake there and as it was revealed, you switch cards in a blink of an eye without you knowing it.

Sensory distortion - this is where visual senses are distorted in a way that objects appear to be real but in reality they're not.

Gensan's Magic Shop

2008-05-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

Gensan's very first Magic Shop has just opened last Friday. They sell all sorts of magic equipments. Its temporary though so if you're interested in buying some magic stuff you better do now since they will be back to Davao this 31'st. Just look for Chona if you want to buy something and pls tell her that nate referred you.

By far here's the cheapest magic stuff you could buy:

Svengali Deck - 100.00
3 ropes to one - 100.00
Cups and Balls - 100.00
Magic Jokers - 100.00
Color Change - 100.00
Magic Ring - 300.00

These are what people usually buy from them, wheew.. at least I dont use these kind of tricks for my shows.. heheh... I'll sell magic stuff too, I'll just post in on my site. I made them by myself so basically you'll have a top of the line equipment from a top of the line magician/mentalist.

Rumors...

2008-05-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

One of my "fanS" texted me yesterday and asked if I wont be doing shows anymore. I guess many people read my post on my old blogsite. Yeah, I decided to stop doing shows 2 weeks ago but it doesnt mean that I will stop doing shows for good.

I was thinking to stop doing close-up magic shows since I wanna promote mentalism shows. Mentalism is something that few magicians do. Mentalism is much more on a very intellectual level and it composes of audience participation. Mentalism feats requires a huge factor of presentation which I really love doing.

I've been doing close-up magic shows for almost 5 months now and I wanna do something new, so I learned the craft of mentalism. It is different from close-up magic since on Mentalism I actually have someone to share ideas with. Marcel Fabie (www.magikel.multiply.com) has been my friend and mentor on the art of mentalism.

Mentalism is a dynamic craft and it gives out a very bizarre experience. More than that, I am also on hypnotism and escapology now. Hypnotism is a craft which is only few are able to perform, it requires a huge amount of time and patience. Escape artistry is one of my biggest plans to be accomplished within this year. I'm planning to do my own version of "Drowned Alive" but by far I can't find an event that would suit the feat. It requires a 12 feet pool where I will be tied up and left to drown. I have to get out of the ropes before I drown. If you are a potential top of the line client and you want to give your guests this kind of entertainment, feel free to contact me.

On my future plans, me and Marcel Fabie who is one of Philippines' most renowned top notch mentalist is planning to put on a collaborative show here in Gensan. It would be a mixture of magic, mentalism, hypnotism and escapology. No group of performer could do all these feats except us in one show.

Right now, I am polishing my skills on parlor magic (a kind of magic that is performed for kids) since I keep on having requests to perform for children's party which I declined since I am not the kind of magician that performs for children's party. I figured I'm loosing about 70% of opportunity there by declining clients for children's party.

Fortunately, this month me and my colleague (rey june) will be making a special on video on my street performances here in Gensan. It will be entitled MESMERIZE. It will look much like a special on close up magic and mentalism being performed on the streets of Gensan. Just watch out for that.

Nate at Six Blings' Party

2008-05-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last May 25, Ms. Cathy Bolodo (one of Gensan's first ever event coordinator) and the managers of Six Blings' Restaurant invited me to perform a walkaround performance for
their 2nd Anniversary.

When I got there, I was a bit stunned on how many people are to come. I saw about 50 tables
laid out. So probably there would be 200 guests. I got there 2 hours before the party so I could
prepare well enough for the feats that would go well with the place.

I happen to meet one hobbyist magician there, Kuya Joseph and we exchanged ideas on the craft prior to the party. I had a great time there and was able to meet different people. I enjoyed performing close up magic then. I wasn't able to perform mentalism though coz the sound system was a bit loud.

Ate Cath was kind enough to put me on stage and introduce me to other people after my walkaround she even put me on one of her blogs - > ( http://gensan.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/gensans-street-magician/ ).

If you are planning to have an event, she's the person to go to if you need some
planning. Here's her site ( http://eventsgensan.blogspot.com/ )

MENTALIDAD

2008-05-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last March 21 and 25, I did a pure Mentalism show on 2 different occassions. I called the show MENTALIDAD just to add an interesting feel to it. It was a free show as it was a promotionary show on mentalism feats.

Before the show, people asked me if I'm gonna do magic tricks for the show since I am known to be a magician. I just tell them to wait till the show begins.

The first show was held at coffee club 101and Agilosis Bar. It was a bit of an informal show and audience interaction was very spontaneous. Unlike Close-up magic, the audience's reactions were a bit different. On Close-up magic I usually get jaw dropping people, a myriad of applause, some scared spectators running away, and a lot of well entertained audiences saying "panu nya ginawa yun?" but on Mentalism I get a reaction of bewilderment, an array of disbelief and an audience sitting at the edge of their seats.

Mentalism is different from magic in a sense that it includes audience participation. Moreoever, it has a bit of seriousness to it especially where the mentalists needs to concentrate of what the volunteer is thinking. One of which is my "Russian Roulette" where there are four guns and one bullet. The volunteer freely puts the bullet on one of the guns without me knowing where it is. One by one just by sheer reading the volunteer's thought, I will guess the guns with no bullet by pointing the gun to my head and pulling the trigger afterwards. Scary huh?

I have different versions on this effect, refer to the photo gallery section for some of my photos from Mentalidad.

If you are interested on Mentalism you could also visit the site of my friend/mentalism consultant Kel Fabie at www.magikel.multiply.com - he is one of the Philippine's most renowned mentalist.

What is Mentalism

2008-05-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

At the middle of my shows (close-up magic shows), I always introduce the art of mentalism. Then people would ask "Mentalism ano yan? Para sa mga baliw?". I always get this statement.
I give them a very direct answer at the same time let them experience what mentalism is.

Here's an example:

"I will give you a very simple instruction, easy to understand, easy to follow. All you have to do is listen and
follow my instruction by heart and by mind. Ready?"

"Alright, here's my instruction... DONT THINK OF A BLACK CAT!"

"Now even if i told you not to think of a black cat, the picture of a black cat appears in your mind right? You can't stop of thinking of a black cat." - that's mentalism for you in its simplest form.

What is Mentalism?

It is an art that utilizes the wonders of the Human Mind. As they say, the human mind is a realm of many possibilities. In mentalism feats such as mind reading, thought transposition, telepathy, precognition, and more are being performed.

Some famous mentalists are Steve "Banachek" Shaw, Derren Brown, Theodore Annemann, Uri Geller. Mentalism started to be performed during the late 1500's. It is a rare craft unlike magic as to mentalists are rare to find.

Would you believe if a person could read the very thoughts you are thinking now? Would you believe a person could influence your thoughts without even saying a word? Would you believe
that a person could go down the very depths of your mind? Would you believe I can do these
things?

There's only one way to find out... Let me do it to you...be MESMERIZED!

Time to Ponder

2008-05-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is my email to Marcelle Fabie, my mentalism consultant and my mentor on the craft. Sad to say but I'm giving up my shows.

To one of the Philippine's greatest mentalist,

I've done some thinking lately and for now probably its good if I give myself some slack. I've started this craft for like 5 months ago and at that rate only few would have guts to do it for paid shows. I know within that 5 months I've accomplished a lot on this craft. I mean hobbyists out there on magic for more than 6 years still dont put on a show, they even got better tools whatsoever and I'm just someone who knows some sleights and presents simple tricks nicely. I fell in love with magic and mentalism.

I've been drowned into this craft so much that I could say that my rate of improvement and growth has been really fast compared to people who are doing magic /mentalism profesionally who learned this craft while they were still kids. 5 months is such a short time for this craft wouldn't you agree? I just have guts that's all.
The shows, exposures all of them came from guts even if I just do simple tricks and sleights.

I'm not saying I'm giving up on this but at this moment, I'm gonna stop doing shows. I know with all confidence, that I am a talented magician & mentalist if I'll base it to where it has brought me. Just 5 months and I knew these things, the presentation, and the constant improvement I am having especially hypnotism.

But I guess its time for me to set aside the cards, put back the clipboard into the drawer and start putting my life where it should be. Rest assured Mesmerize Magic Circle will still continue to bring about magic in Gensan with RJ and Dex but not me.

Thanks to all the advices! I hope all the ideas that I gave you will help in your up coming plans on this craft. I hope houdini's tricks which I shared to you will be of help as you reach
your goal of becoming Philippines' "Penn and Teller".

I'll stop having shows and performing magic&mentalism. But still deep inside the magician within me will still bring about magic in my life. Thanks! Take Care!

~Nate Marx

Time To Ponder

2008-05-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is my email to Marcelle Fabie, my mentalism consultant and my mentor on the craft. Sad to say but I'm giving up my shows.

To one of the Philippine's greatest mentalist,

I've done some thinking lately and for now probably its good if I give myself some slack. I've started this craft for like 5 months ago and at that rate only few would have guts to do it for paid shows. I know within that 5 months I've accomplished a lot on this craft. I mean hobbyists out there on magic for more than 6 years still dont put on a show, they even got better tools whatsoever and I'm just someone who knows some sleights and presents simple tricks nicely. I fell in love with magic and mentalism.

I've been drowned into this craft so much that I could say that my rate of improvement and growth has been really fast compared to people who are doing magic /mentalism profesionally who learned this craft while they were still kids. 5 months is such a short time for this craft wouldn't you agree? I just have guts that's all.
The shows, exposures all of them came from guts even if I just do simple tricks and sleights.

I'm not saying I'm giving up on this but at this moment, I'm gonna stop doing shows. I know with all confidence, that I am a talented magician & mentalist if I'll base it to where it has brought me. Just 5 months and I knew these things, the presentation, and the constant improvement I am having especially hypnotism.

But I guess its time for me to set aside the cards, put back the clipboard into the drawer and start putting my life where it should be. Rest assured Mesmerize Magic Circle will still continue to bring about magic in Gensan with RJ and Dex but not me.

Thanks to all the advices! I hope all the ideas that I gave you will help in your up coming plans on this craft. I hope houdini's tricks which I shared to you will be of help as you reach
your goal of becoming Philippines' "Penn and Teller".

I'll stop having shows and performing magic&mentalism. But still deep inside the magician within me will still bring about magic in my life. Thanks! Take Care!

~Nate Marx

MESMERIZED huh?

2008-04-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Believe...Be MESMERIZED!

The Mesmerize Magic Circle is a group of street magicians dedicated to the craft of magic. Performing professionally for more than 4 months now at parties, bars, seminars and conventions they have established themselves as wondrous performers of the art of Magic & Mentalism.

Equipped with versatility in dealing with different personality, Mesmerize Magic Circle can coaxed and cope up with any environment. From children's parties to private gatherings, having these performers around...your guests will never have a dull moment.

What's better THAN having street magicians doing amazing feats in your party and gatherings? Gone are the days that you hire singers to sing for your guests, and dancers to just let you guests feel that they're too old to skip even a beat...

What if you hire performers who could entertain your guests at the same time bring back the child in them? Street Magic & Mentalism is not just a show where your guests would just sit back and watch... rather MESMERIZE magicians let your guests thrive in amazement.

Would you hire a singer? a dancer? to entertain your guests? or better yet a street magician who could show your guests things that they could only see on T.V.?

How could we perform for you:

Close-up Magic - This is where we go table to table performing street magic as performed by David Blaine on T.V. It is more of a walk around, entertaining guests at each corner of the room at the same time developing rapport with them.

Stage Show - this may serve as a highlight of a program you are hosting where we go up front and perform a feat that everyone could see and participate.

Trade Show - we could perform to promote your establishment/business stand and at the same time attract customers.

Conventions/Meetings - similar to close-up performance. If ever you have a guest who you invited for a meeting, we will be there so that your guests will experience something memorable...at the same time giving you the credit for it.

MESMERIZE MAGIC CIRCLE has a vast scope of skills ranging from Street Magic to Stage Magic to MENTALISM. Things you could only see on television, but we're here so you could experience it and be MESMERIZED!

You could contact us through SMS (0921-844-2905) or through email - mesmerizemagic@yahoo.com

Available for General Santos City Only..

A Transformation...

2008-02-28T09:26:00.001-08:00

Just last week, I got invited to perform in this Children's Party at Hermosa Subdivision. But for me, it was totally different. Yah, I perform street magic at parties but not like this one.

It was more of an experimental for me, and yet a new step into a new branch of magic.
It was totally different in a sense that I have to change everything. It was hard but it was fun...

Here is what I mean, (probably magicians could understand what I mean by the word Hard)

Differences:

The Art of Magic.

Street Magic V.S. Parlor Magic

I am used to perform street magic whether on streets or on stage...even if its on stage, still the tricks that I use are those that can be seen on street magic. But what I have to do on that Children's Party is more of CLOWN/ PARLOR MAGIC.

I have to do tricks that kids could understand. It should be simple enough so that they could digest it in their minds easily thus, get amazed in the end.

It was very hard for me, to amaze them since I am used to performing on adults. Plus, the magic should be very visual, I couldnt use mindreading/mentalism which I am known for...

ADULTS V.S. KIDS

As I have said, the audience is totally different...Totally! I tried a trick which i often use in street magic wherein the spectator selects a card then after shuffling the deck it vanishes...After a few second it appears in the spectator's pocket...
After doing that, I only got a glimpse of amazement on the kids' eye for a moment then blank... like nothing happened. There's no "yawa ka" or "paano yun nangyari that I've heard" while doing that Card Transpo Trick. But on the bright side, I was able to amaze the adults watching at the back..hehehe... I have to invent some parlor tricks on that moment jst to keep the ball rolling...which is very hard for me then...

CASUAL V.S. COSTUME

I have to wear this clown costume and this make up unlike in street magic where i dress up the way i want to...hmmm.. I like lookin like a clown though, an evil clown rather..hehehe...

i'm the one on the right with the cap...the other clown is the emcee clown who is in charge of the games and

FREEDOM OF ATTITUDE V.S. FACADE

Since I dressed up like a clown, I have to act like one... which was very tiring for me... I have to dance and make myself appear jolly...Not the street magician whose so eccentric and serious while performing..

THE RESULT

It was my very first stage parlor magic, so I give myself some slack... I would say on my part it did 6/10 on that day...

It was a good experience though knowing that my first inspiration as a magician was a clown... when I was 8 years old...

Stage Magic, Street Magic, whatever it is...Us, Mesmerize Street Magicians will give it our all just to amaze...

If you are a magician and you are reading this....magic has no boundaries... dont stop exploring

Performance at TDCHSFI

2008-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Droppin by

2008-02-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

To the people who are texting me why there are no new vids on our site, we're really sorry if there are new vids... I still haven't able to transfer the vids from the camera to the pc to be uploaded... they will be available three days after I repost this.... I have been busy lately with paperwoks for our yearbook.

Anyway, I would like to thank Ate Liza (agilosis bar) and Ate Aling, for giving us an opportunity to perform at Grab a Crab restaurant a while ago...

Also to MR and MRS Leroy for letting me perform in the Bday party of their daughter, Christine... Thanks a Lot to all the people who gave me an opportunity to perform...

Performance at Agilosis Bar Gensan

Performance at Grab a Crab Gensan

Till then!

Watch out for our new homepage...its still under construction.

Nate Marx's Tactile

2008-02-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Touch, one of our most important senses...It could feel emotions like care and love. Sometimes there are things that we can't see but we can feel 'em through a tactile sensation... Here is what i mean...

Get mesmerized by watching more of our vids.

Location: Roxas Avenue, beside NDDU.

Nate Marx's Instinct

2008-02-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

First of all Sorry for the viewers of the site, if you were not able to put your comments, I forgot to set the comment status so that you can post yours. Sorry talaga...

Instict can sometimes be right and sometimes be wrong. But somehow we always trust on it... in the long run, if our instinct brought us into the right path... can we say that we're just lucky? Can our instinct really bring about luck?? questions...questions... Just watch this, lets see if the spectator's instinct is powerful enough in 50 cards...

Sorry for the noisy crowd and for the video quality. Thank you for the crowd who watched me perform. Hope you guys enjoyed the video.

Just Droppin

2008-02-01T03:33:00.000-08:00

Just bloggin by to say hello to all mesmerized. A special shout out to the L.I.F.E youth center for inviting me last Thursday to perform. Next Thursday I'll be there at L.I.F.E youth center in Pioneer Avenue. I wasn't able to put up a mesmerize street magic video for today since I've been very busy with my paper works.

Somehow, have fun watching this video by my role model when it comes to the magical arts, Criss Angel.

Tomorrow, I'll be in Pioneer Avenue getting people mesmerized... Thanks for visiting our blogsite...! ~Nate Marx

Nate Marx's Stigmata

2008-01-31T07:06:00.000-08:00

This is never before seen in one of my street performances. This is the first time I did Stigmata to public. i was reluctant to show it long ago...Guess its time to make it happen...

Hope you enjoy watching this...

sorry for the blurry camera...

Watch out for more of my performances and some from my fellow mesmerizers...

I hope you enjoyed it... Magic is for entertainment, Magic is a feeling its not hocus pocus or anything, its what you get by being amazed..

Nate Marx's card teleport

2008-01-31T06:47:00.000-08:00

You probably saw this in one of David Blaine's TV specials...

Have fun watching this, I hope you enjoy...

Location: Roxas avenue & Magsasay Park (Gensan)

Pls. leave a comment...

Nate Marx's Card Switch

2008-01-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

As promised, we will put our performance on the streets of Gensan. I hope you enjoy this one. I have no plans of performing that day, but since i saw this group of young people staring at me while I'm passing by, gave me an idea of performing to them... It was at Magsasay park in gensan where I did this... I was on my way to visit Agilosis Bar.

I usually let one of the spectators take the video.

Thanks for viewing...

Want to be a Mesmerizer?

2008-01-29T08:24:00.001-08:00

Are you a magician? Are you interested about magic? Do you love entertaining people? Do you want to be like us?

I am leaving 2 more slots open for the group... If you want to join or you know someone who knows about magic and wants to join the group, send us an email at mesmerizemagic@yahoo.com

We also, teach basic street magic to anyone interested... just contact us.

To anyone who want us to perform to any party, event, or just a group, feel free to leave a comment or just send a damn email...thanx!

A message of gratitude from nate

2008-01-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Kuya and Ate Liza, for giving me an opportunity to perform at Agilosis bar last January 26, 2008.

I started performing at 9 PM and went on and on until 1 am.
I performed table to table, from group to group each with
varieties in mood. I was a bit
nervous though since I'm performing in an environment that
is very new to me, a BAR.
The place is different, the people are different not like the ones
I am mesmerizing at
the streets. Now here is what I'm really pressured about
while I was there...
Since it was the 1st year anniversary of the
Bar, they put a streamer outside saying "experience the
thrill of street magic
(i forgot what are the exact words) but it said "ala david
blaine" OMG!
I know at my level I'm way down compared to David
nor to other street
magicians here in the
Philippines. Somehow I managed to pull it off, went from
person to person doing
card magic,
and non card magic. Somehow they were amazed
(mesmerized)
I even got tipped...haha.. Thank you also to my friends
who
were there
to support me. RJ, MON2x (mesmerize street magicians),
Yaz, Jesson, Karen,
Lucille, Dada,
Karen's gf.

Lastly, here is something different for me, since i am used
to performing on the streets
I have to give a finale' on stage where I performed the needles
trick but a little different to Criss Angel's.
It was a night I will never forget. My first ever Stage Magic.

Point of advice to other magicians, when you perform to a bar,
dont give attention to drunk guys. they are worse than what we call
"wise guys" when we perform on the streets.

Thank you to Agilosis bar...Till then...

Criss Angel's Needles

2008-01-29T07:52:00.002-08:00

We are planning to post our very own street magic performances on this site, but for now enjoy Criss Angel's Needles.

Here are some interactive magic..Have FUN!

2008-01-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

Just go to the links below.

http://magic.trendy.org/interactivemagic.html
http://www.magicandillusion.com/tric/tric01.html
http://magic.about.com/od/libraryofsimpletricks/ss/120406clock.htm

Mesmerize... who we are.

2008-01-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

Mesmerize (definition) - To give amazement.
Magic (definition) - The feeling of being amazed.

Mesmerize Street magicians - a group of Street Magicians in General Santos City who are willing to bring the art of magic up close.

Consequently, the art of magic is slowly loosing its grip unlike before. Today much of the secrets of the craft have been revealed and spectators nowadays be it in any form of magic is very skeptic about how each trick was done. Not to mention the wide spreading media, books, tv specials that dare to reveal that art of magic thus putting a shackle on each and every magician out there.

My name is Nate, I recently started this group of magic enthusiasts but at the moment I am the one who is performing on the pub. I am still training my apprentices as street magicians. I usually perform at place where a lot of people are gathering (Pioneer Ave. and at the malls) here in Gensan. And as for now, the people that I perform to have good feedbacks. Sometimes they even invite me to perform in parties and events.

Magic for us is more of a hobby, (a hobby of entertaining people). Magic is an art, it should be upheld, it should be dignified.

If you would love us or me to perform for you be it on a small group or a party, feel free to email me at mesmerizemagic@yahoo.com thanks!

Street magic

2008-01-29T05:16:00.001-08:00

Traditional street performance

The first definition of street magic refers to a traditional form of magic performance - that of busking. In this, the magician draws an audience from passers by and performs an entire act for them. In exchange, the magician seeks remuneration either by having a receptacle for tips available throughout the act or by "passing the hat" at the end of the performance.

Street magic most often consists of sleight of hand, card magic, and occasionally mentalism, though the ability to draw and hold an audience is frequently cited by practitioners as a skill of greater importance than the illusions themselves.

Anthropologists chronicle this form of street magic from approximately 3,000 years ago - and there are records of such performers across the continents,[citation needed] notably Europe, Asia/South Asia and the Middle East. While it is a very old performing style, its history is not particularly well documented in print. In his diary, Samuel Pepys mentions seeing magicians performing in this fashion and one can see street magicians in depictions by Hieronymous Bosch, William Hogarth, and Pieter Brueghel. Book XIII of Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) describes magic tricks of the type performed by buskers in the 16th century.

New York based artist and magician Jeff Sheridan is regarded as one of the pre-eminent U.S. street magicians to emerge from the surge in street performance artistry which began in the late '60s. He authored the 1977 book, Street Magic and allegedly was one of the performers who inspired and taught the young David Blaine after Blaine saw Sheridan perform in Central Park (Blaine supposedly asked Sheridan to work with him on his television special but Sheridan declined). Even more recently, Jim Cellini (aka Richard Sullivan) and Gazzo Macee (aka Gary Osborne) have garnered accolades from magicians for their contributions to the art.

The term "street magic" is often incorrectly used by beginners in magic, who think it is some new form of magic or a "paradigm shift" originated by David Blaine when he debuted in his first "Street Magic" television special. In reality, it is simply a rebranded form of busking when performed for pay or simply close-up magic performed outdoors when not done for pay. Wrote magic historian Jamy Ian Swiss, "I propose that street magic does not exist as a magic form" (in the sense of being something wholly differentiated from already existing and well-established forms of magic such as busking). [1]

[edit]
Guerilla magic

The second category is more appropriately called "guerilla magic"[citation needed]in that it is a relatively recent style of performing magic illusions where the magician performs a single trick or two in a public space (such as on a sidewalk) for an unsuspecting, unpaying audience. The desired effect of this "hit and run" style of magic is to give the audience a feeling that what they are seeing is impromptu, unrehearsed, and experimental. It is, however, highly debatable whether magic should be performed for people without asking or without being asked to do so. Eugene Burger opined to Jamy Ian Swiss "On one level it's the ultimate trivialization of magic: accosting strangers on the street."[1]

This style of "street magic" is associated with David Blaine (who popularized the term) and more recently, Criss Angel and was largely developed to play well on television beginning with the 1997 ABC television special David Blaine: Street Magic. Many magicians respect Blaine's choice of material and give him credit for creating an image of the contemporary magician distinct from other magicians in recent television history, such as David Copperfield or Doug Henning. Many magicians, such as Jamy Ian Swiss, however, dispute whether any such category as guerilla magic even exists, since it is primarily associated with only one performer.[1]

One of the main questions about the phenomenon is the performer's actual purpose. "Street magic" has not mainly appeared because of some urban trend, but simply that new magicians who perform usual tricks outdoors call it "street magic". If there are "stage magic", "parlor magic" and close-up, it is mainly because these three are highly different kinds of magic, and because magicians are getting paid to perform it.

What is Magic

2008-01-29T05:02:00.001-08:00

Magic (illusion)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Illusionist" redirects here. For the film, see The Illusionist.
Hieronymus Bosch: The Conjurer, 1475-1480

Magic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of impossible[1] or supernatural[2] feats, using purely natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects or illusions.

An artist who performs magic is called a magician. Magicians (or magi) are also referred to by names reflecting the type of magical effects they typically perform, such as prestidigitators, conjurors, illusionists, mentalists, ventriloquists, and escape artists, etc.Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Categories of effects
3 Secrecy
4 Learning magic
5 Types of magic performance
6 Misuse of magic
7 References
8 Bibliography

[edit]
History

The term "Magic" is etymologically derived from the Old Persian word Magi. Performances we would now recognize as conjuring have probably been practiced throughout history. The same level of ingenuity that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions such as the Trojan Horse would also have been used for entertainment, or at least for cheating in gambling games, since time immemorial. However, the profession of the illusionist gained strength only in eighteenth century, and has enjoyed several popular vogues. Successful magicians have become some of the most famous celebrities in popular entertainment.
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, the first modern magician.

From 1756 to 1781, Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic, sometimes under the guise of scientific exhibitions, throughout Europe and in Russia. Modern entertainment magic owes much of its origins to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871), originally a clockmaker, who opened a magic theatre in Paris in the 1840s. His speciality was the construction of mechanical automata which appeared to move and act as if they were alive. The British performer J N Maskelyne and his partner Cooke established their own theatre, the Egyptian Hall in London's Piccadilly, in 1873. They presented stage magic, exploiting the potential of the stage for hidden mechanisms and assistants, and the control it offers over the audience's point of view. The greatest celebrity magician of all time, Harry Houdini (real name Ehrich Weiss, 1874 - 1926), took his stage name from Robert-Houdin and developed a range of stage magic tricks, many of them based on escapology (though that word was not used until after Houdini's death). The son of a Hungarian rabbi, Houdini was genuinely highly skilled in techniques such as lockpicking and escaping straitjackets, but also made full use of the whole range of conjuring techniques, including fake equipment and collusion with individuals in the audience. Houdini's showbusiness savvy was as great as his performing skill. There is a Houdini Museum dedicated to him in Scranton, PA. In addition to expanding the range of magic hardware, showmanship and deceptive technique, these performers established the modern relationship between the performer and the audience.

In this relationship, there is an unspoken agreement between the performer and the audience about what is going on. Unlike in the past, almost no performers today actually claim to possess supernatural powers (although there are exceptions to this, they are regarded as charlatans). It is understood by everyone that the effects in the performance are accomplished through sleight of hand (also called prestidigitation or léger de main), misdirection, deception, collusion with a member of the audience, apparatus with secret mechanisms, mirrors, and other trickery (hence the illusions are commonly referred to as "tricks"). The performer seeks to present an effect so clever and skillful that the audience cannot believe their eyes, and cannot think of the explanation. The sense of bafflement is part of the entertainment. In turn, the audience play a role in which they agree to be entertained by something they know to be a deception. Houdini also gained the trust of his audiences by using his knowledge of illusions to debunk charlatans, a tradition continued by magicians such as James Randi, P. C. Sorcar, and Penn and Teller.

Magic has come and gone in fashion. For instance, the magic show for much of the 20th century was marginalized in North America as largely children's entertainment. A revival started with Doug Henning, who reestablished the magic show as a form of mass entertainment with his distinctive look that rejected the old stereotypes and his exuberant sense of showmanship that became popular on both stage and numerous television specials.

Today, the art is enjoying a vogue, driven by a number of highly successful performers such as David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Penn and Teller, Derren Brown, Barry and Stuart, Criss Angel, Dorothy Dietrich and many other stage and TV performers. David Blaine is sometimes included in this category, though his major performances have been more a combination of Houdini-style escape tricks and physical endurance displays than the illusion magic performed by others. The mid-twentieth century saw magic transform in many different aspects: some performers preferred to renovate the craft on stage --- such as The Mentalizer Show in Times Square which dared to mix themes of spirituality and kabbalah with the art of magic --- others successfully made the transition to TV, which opens up new opportunities for deceptions, and brings the performer to huge audiences. A widely accepted code has developed, in which TV magicians can use all the traditional forms of deception, but should not resort to camera tricks, editing the videotape, or other TV special effects --- this makes deception too "easy", in the popular mind. Most TV magicians are shown performing before a live audience, who provide the remote viewer with a (sometimes misleading) reassurance that the effects are not obtained with the help of camera tricks.

Many of the basic principles of magic are comparatively old. There is an expression, "it's all done with smoke and mirrors", used to explain something baffling, but contrary to popular belief, effects are seldom achieved using mirrors today, due to the amount of work needed to install it and difficulties in transport. For example, the famous Pepper's Ghost, a stage illusion first used in 19th century London, required a specially built theatre. Harry Houdini led the field of vanishing large objects, by making an elephant disappear on stage. Modern performers have vanished objects as big as the Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, and the Space Shuttle, using other kinds of optical deceptions.

[edit]
Categories of effects

There is much discussion among magicians as to how a given effect is to be categorized, and disagreement as to what categories actually exist -- for instance, some magicians consider "penetrations" to be a separate category, while others consider penetrations a form of restoration or teleportation. It is generally agreed that there are very few different types of effect. While many authors such as Dariel Fitzkee, Harlan Tarbell, S.H. Sharpe and others have disagreed, it has often been said that there are only seven types of illusion[citation needed] (perhaps because it is considered a magic number).
Production The magician produces something from nothing—a rabbit from an empty hat, a fan of cards from thin air, a shower of coins from an empty bucket, or the magician themselves, appearing in a puff of smoke on an empty stage -- all of these effects are productions.
Vanishing The magician makes something disappear—a coin, a cage of doves, milk from a newspaper, an assistant from a cabinet, or even the Statue of Liberty. A vanish, being the reverse of a production, may use a similar technique, in reverse.
Transformation The magician transforms something from one state into another—a silk handkerchief changes colour, a lady turns into a tiger, an indifferent card changes to the spectator's chosen card. A transformation can be seen as a combination of a vanish and a production.
Restoration The magician destroys an object, then restores it back to its original state—a rope is cut, a newspaper is torn, a woman is sawn in half, a borrowed watch is smashed to pieces—then they are all restored to their original state.
Teleportation The magician causes something to move from one place to another—a borrowed ring is found inside a ball of wool, a canary inside a light bulb, an assistant from a cabinet to the back of the theatre. When two objects exchange places, it is called a transposition: a simultaneous, double teleportation.
An edge of a coin appearing to defy the laws of gravity.
Levitation The magician defies gravity, either by making something float in the air, or with the aid of another object (suspension)—a silver ball floats around a cloth, an assistant floats in mid-air, another is suspended from a broom, a scarf dances in a sealed bottle, the magician hovers a few inches off the floor. There are many popular ways to create this illusion of the magician himself being levitated, such as the Balducci levitation, the King Rising, Criss Angel's stool levitations, and the Andruzzi levitations.
Penetration The magician makes a solid object pass through another—a set of steel rings link and unlink, a candle penetrates an arm, swords pass through an assistant in a basket, a saltshaker penetrates the table-top, a man walks through a mirror. Sometimes referred to as 'solid-through-solid'.
Prediction The magician predicts the choice of a spectator, or the outcome of an event under seemingly impossible circumstances—a newspaper headline is predicted, the total amount of loose change in the spectator's pocket, a picture drawn on a slate. Prediction forms the basis for most 'pick-a-card' tricks, where a random card is chosen, then revealed to be known by the performer.

Many magical routines use combinations of effects. For example, in the famous 'cups and balls' a magician may use vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportations and transformations all as part of the one presentation.

[edit]
Secrecy

The purpose of a magic trick is to amuse and create a feeling of wonder; the audience is generally aware that the magic is performed using trickery, and derives enjoyment from the magician's skill and cunning. Traditionally, magicians refuse to reveal the secrets to the audience. The reasons include:
Exposure is claimed to "kill" magic as an artform and transforms it into mere intellectual puzzles and riddles. It is argued that once the secret of a trick is revealed to a person, that one can no longer fully enjoy subsequent performances of that magic, as the amazement is missing. Sometimes the secret is so simple that the audience feels let down, and feels disappointed it was taken in so easily.
Keeping the secrets preserves the professional mystery of magicians who perform for money.

Membership in professional magicians' organizations often requires a solemn commitment to the "Magician's Oath" never to reveal the secrets of magic to non-magicians.
The Magician's Oath (though it may vary, 'The Oath' takes the following, or similar form):
"As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician's Oath in turn. I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic."

Once sworn to The Oath, one is considered a magician, and is expected to live up to this promise. A magician who reveals a secret, either purposely or through insufficient practice, may typically find oneself without any magicians willing to teach one any more secrets.

However, it is considered permissible to reveal secrets to individuals who are determined to learn magic and become magicians. It is typically a sequential process of increasingly valuable and lesser known secrets. The secrets of almost all magical effects are available to the public through numerous books and magazines devoted to magic, available from the specialised magic trade. There are also web sites which offer videos, DVDs and instructional materials. In this sense, there are very few classical illusions left unrevealed, however this does not appear to have diminished the appeal of performances. In addition, magic is a living art, and new illusions are devised with surprising regularity. Sometimes a 'new' illusion will be built on an illusion that is old enough to have become unfamiliar.

Some magicians have taken the controversial position that revealing the methods used in certain works of magic can enhance the appreciation of the audience for cleverness of magic. Penn and Teller frequently perform tricks using transparent props to reveal how it is done, for example, although they almost always include additional unexplained effects at the end that are made even more astonishing by the revealing props being used.

Often what seems to be a revelation of a magical secret is merely another form of misdirection. For instance, a magician may explain to an audience member that the linking rings "have a hole in them" and hand the volunteer two unlinked rings, which the volunteer finds to have become linked as soon as he handles them. At this point the magician may shove his arm through the ring ('the hole in the ring'), proclaiming: "See? Once you know that every ring has a hole, it's easy!"
See also: Intellectual rights to magic methods

[edit]
Learning magic

The teaching of performance magic was once a secretive art. Professional magicians were unwilling to share knowledge with anyone outside the profession to prevent the laity from learning their secrets. This made it difficult for an interested apprentice to learn magic beyond the basics. Some had strict rules against members discussing magic secrets with anyone but established magicians.

From the 1584 publication of Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft until the end of the 19th century, only a few books were available for budding magicians to learn the craft. Books remain extremely useful today, and are still considered the best way for a student to learn magic. Videos and DVDs are a newer medium of tuition, which many inexperienced magicians rely on as a primary source of information; in reality, many of the methods found in this format are readily found in previously published books. However, they can serve useful as a visual demonstration.

The next step up is joining a magic club or workshop. Here magicians, both seasoned and novitiate, can work together and help one another for mutual improvement, to learn new techniques, to discuss all aspects of magic, to perform for each other — sharing advice, encouragement and criticism.

The world's largest magic organization is the International Brotherhood of Magicians. It publishes a monthly journal, The Linking Ring. The oldest organization is the Society of American Magicians, of which Houdini was a member; and in London, England, there is The Magic Circle which boasts the largest magic library in Europe. The Magic Castle in Hollywood is home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

[edit]
Types of magic performance

Magic performances tend to fall into a few specialities or genres.
Stage illusions are performed for large audiences, typically within an auditorium. This type of magic is distinguished by large-scale props, the use of assistants and often, exotic animals such as elephants and tigers. Some famous stage illusionists, past and present, include Howard Thurston, Chung Ling Soo, David Copperfield, and Siegfried & Roy.
Cabaret magic, Platform magic or Stand-up magic are terms used to describe magic performed for a medium to large audience. Night club magic and comedy club magic are also examples of this form. The term parlor magic is sometimes used but is considered pejorative. This genre includes the skilled manipulation of props such as billiard balls, card fans, doves, rabbits, silks, and rope. Examples of such magicians include Jeff McBride, Penn & Teller, David Abbott, Channing Pollock, Black Herman, and Fred Kaps.
Close-up magic is performed with the audience close to the magician, sometimes even one-on-one. It usually makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards and coins (see Coin magic) and seemingly 'impromptu' effects. This is also called "table magic" particularly when performed as dinner entertainment. Ricky Jay and Lee Asher, following in the traditions of Dai Vernon, Slydini and Max Malini, are considered among the foremost practitioners of close-up magic.
Mentalism creates the impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses special powers to read thoughts, predict events, control other minds, and similar feats. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Magicians in this field include Alexander, Max Maven, Kreskin, Luke Jermay, Derren Brown, The Zancigs, and Banachek.
Children's magic is performed for an audience primarily composed of children. It is typically performed at a birthday party, daycare or preschool, elementary school, Sunday School, or library. This type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer assistants.
Corporate Magic or Trade Show Magic uses magic as a communication and sales tool, as opposed to just straightforward entertainment. Corporate magicians may come from a business background and typically present at meetings, conferences and product launches. They run workshops and can sometimes be found at trade shows, where their patter and illusions enhance an entertaining presentation of the products offered by their corporate sponsors. The pioneer performer in this arena is Eddie Tullock. [3]
Street magic is a form of street performing or busking that employs a hybrid of stage magic, platform and close-up magic, usually performed 'in the round' or surrounded. Notable modern street magic performers include Jeff Sheridan and Gazzo. The term "street magic" has recently (since the first David Blaine TV special "Street Magic" aired in 1997) come to be used to describe a style of "guerilla" performance where magicians approach and perform for unsuspecting members of the public on the street. Unlike traditional street magic, this style is almost purely designed for TV and gains its impact from the wild reactions of the public. Magicians of this type include David Blaine, Criss Angel and Cyril Takayama.
Bizarre magic uses mystical, horror, fantasy and other similar themes in performance. Bizarre magic is typically performed in a close-up venue, although some performers have effectively presented it in a stage setting. Charles Cameron has generally been credited as the "godfather of bizarre magic." Others, such as Tony Andruzzi, contributed significantly to its development.
Shock magic[citation needed] is a genre of magic that shocks the audience, hence the name. Sometimes referred to as "geek magic," it takes its roots from circus sideshows, in which "freakish" performances were shown to audiences. Common shock magic or geek magic effects include eating razor blades, needle-through-arm, string through neck and pen-through-tongue. Magicians known for performing shock magic include Criss Angel, Andrew Mayne, Sean Fields and Brian Brushwood.

[edit]
Misuse of magic

In modern conjuring, it is not considered ethical to give a performance which claims to be anything other than a clever and skillful deception.

Fraudulent psychics or mediums have long capitalised on the popular belief in ESP and other paranormal phenomena for financial gain. Controversy still surrounds the hugely successful 1970s illusionist Uri Geller and his ability to bend spoons, for instance. During the height of the vogue for spiritualism and the wave of popularity for séances from the 1840s to the 1920s, many fraudulent mediums used conjuring methods to perform illusions such as table-knocking, slate-writing, and telekinetic effects. The great escapologist and illusionist Harry Houdini devoted much of his time to exposing such fraudulent operators. Magicians James Randi, and Penn and Teller are involved in similar debunking today. Randi has, for example, shown how people have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous faith healers who, using simple sleight-of-hand, remove chicken-giblet "tumors" from the patient's abdomen. More recently, British magicians Barry and Stuart showed audiences that they were able to replicate the miracles performed by Moses and Jesus in the Bible using sleight of hand, illusion, and other magician's techniques.{cite}

Con men and grifters often use techniques of conjuring for fraudulent goals. Cheating at card games is an obvious example. Other scams continue to defraud the innocent, despite having been exposed and debunked. The card trick known as "Find the Lady" or "Three-card Monte" is an old favourite of street hustlers, who sucker the victim into betting on what seems like an easy and obvious win. Another example is the shell game, in which a pea is hidden under one of three walnut shells, then shuffled around the table (or sidewalk) so slowly as to make the pea's position seemingly obvious. Although these are well-known as frauds, people are still fooled enough to lose money on them. Indeed, many people will place a small bet, knowing they are being deceived-simply for fun.

[edit]
References
^ Henning Nelms. Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers, page 1 (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 2000).
^ Jim Steinmeyer. "A New Kind of Magic," in Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear (New York, NY: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003).
^ Bill Herz with Paul Harris. Secrets of the Astonishing Executive (New York, NY: Avon Books, 1991).

[edit]
Bibliography
Milbourne Christopher (1962). Panorama of Magic.
Dunninger, Joseph. The Complete Encyclopedia of Magic.
Randi, James (1992). Conjuring: A Definitive History. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312086342.
Randi, James (1982). Flim-Flam!. Prometheus Books. ISBN 0879751983. [hide]
v • d • e
Magic
History of magic · Timeline of magic · Magic tricks · Parlor magic · Manufacturers and Designers of Magic Effects/Illusions · Card magic · Street magic · Mentalism · Coin magic · Escapology · Exposure of magic tricks · Intellectual rights to magic methods · Professional magicians · Magician's assistants · List of conjuring terms · List of magic tricks · Magic Club

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since August 2007 | Magic organizations | Articles with unsourced statements since June 2007 | Secrecy | Circus skills | Entertainment | Illusions | Magic (illusion) | Deception
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Magic (illusion)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Illusionist" redirects here. For the film, see The Illusionist.
Hieronymus Bosch: The Conjurer, 1475-1480

Magic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of impossible[1] or supernatural[2] feats, using purely natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects or illusions.

An artist who performs magic is called a magician. Magicians (or magi) are also referred to by names reflecting the type of magical effects they typically perform, such as prestidigitators, conjurors, illusionists, mentalists, ventriloquists, and escape artists, etc.Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Categories of effects
3 Secrecy
4 Learning magic
5 Types of magic performance
6 Misuse of magic
7 References
8 Bibliography

[edit]
History

The term "Magic" is etymologically derived from the Old Persian word Magi. Performances we would now recognize as conjuring have probably been practiced throughout history. The same level of ingenuity that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions such as the Trojan Horse would also have been used for entertainment, or at least for cheating in gambling games, since time immemorial. However, the profession of the illusionist gained strength only in eighteenth century, and has enjoyed several popular vogues. Successful magicians have become some of the most famous celebrities in popular entertainment.
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, the first modern magician.

From 1756 to 1781, Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic, sometimes under the guise of scientific exhibitions, throughout Europe and in Russia. Modern entertainment magic owes much of its origins to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871), originally a clockmaker, who opened a magic theatre in Paris in the 1840s. His speciality was the construction of mechanical automata which appeared to move and act as if they were alive. The British performer J N Maskelyne and his partner Cooke established their own theatre, the Egyptian Hall in London's Piccadilly, in 1873. They presented stage magic, exploiting the potential of the stage for hidden mechanisms and assistants, and the control it offers over the audience's point of view. The greatest celebrity magician of all time, Harry Houdini (real name Ehrich Weiss, 1874 - 1926), took his stage name from Robert-Houdin and developed a range of stage magic tricks, many of them based on escapology (though that word was not used until after Houdini's death). The son of a Hungarian rabbi, Houdini was genuinely highly skilled in techniques such as lockpicking and escaping straitjackets, but also made full use of the whole range of conjuring techniques, including fake equipment and collusion with individuals in the audience. Houdini's showbusiness savvy was as great as his performing skill. There is a Houdini Museum dedicated to him in Scranton, PA. In addition to expanding the range of magic hardware, showmanship and deceptive technique, these performers established the modern relationship between the performer and the audience.

In this relationship, there is an unspoken agreement between the performer and the audience about what is going on. Unlike in the past, almost no performers today actually claim to possess supernatural powers (although there are exceptions to this, they are regarded as charlatans). It is understood by everyone that the effects in the performance are accomplished through sleight of hand (also called prestidigitation or léger de main), misdirection, deception, collusion with a member of the audience, apparatus with secret mechanisms, mirrors, and other trickery (hence the illusions are commonly referred to as "tricks"). The performer seeks to present an effect so clever and skillful that the audience cannot believe their eyes, and cannot think of the explanation. The sense of bafflement is part of the entertainment. In turn, the audience play a role in which they agree to be entertained by something they know to be a deception. Houdini also gained the trust of his audiences by using his knowledge of illusions to debunk charlatans, a tradition continued by magicians such as James Randi, P. C. Sorcar, and Penn and Teller.

Magic has come and gone in fashion. For instance, the magic show for much of the 20th century was marginalized in North America as largely children's entertainment. A revival started with Doug Henning, who reestablished the magic show as a form of mass entertainment with his distinctive look that rejected the old stereotypes and his exuberant sense of showmanship that became popular on both stage and numerous television specials.

Today, the art is enjoying a vogue, driven by a number of highly successful performers such as David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Penn and Teller, Derren Brown, Barry and Stuart, Criss Angel, Dorothy Dietrich and many other stage and TV performers. David Blaine is sometimes included in this category, though his major performances have been more a combination of Houdini-style escape tricks and physical endurance displays than the illusion magic performed by others. The mid-twentieth century saw magic transform in many different aspects: some performers preferred to renovate the craft on stage --- such as The Mentalizer Show in Times Square which dared to mix themes of spirituality and kabbalah with the art of magic --- others successfully made the transition to TV, which opens up new opportunities for deceptions, and brings the performer to huge audiences. A widely accepted code has developed, in which TV magicians can use all the traditional forms of deception, but should not resort to camera tricks, editing the videotape, or other TV special effects --- this makes deception too "easy", in the popular mind. Most TV magicians are shown performing before a live audience, who provide the remote viewer with a (sometimes misleading) reassurance that the effects are not obtained with the help of camera tricks.

Many of the basic principles of magic are comparatively old. There is an expression, "it's all done with smoke and mirrors", used to explain something baffling, but contrary to popular belief, effects are seldom achieved using mirrors today, due to the amount of work needed to install it and difficulties in transport. For example, the famous Pepper's Ghost, a stage illusion first used in 19th century London, required a specially built theatre. Harry Houdini led the field of vanishing large objects, by making an elephant disappear on stage. Modern performers have vanished objects as big as the Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, and the Space Shuttle, using other kinds of optical deceptions.

[edit]
Categories of effects

There is much discussion among magicians as to how a given effect is to be categorized, and disagreement as to what categories actually exist -- for instance, some magicians consider "penetrations" to be a separate category, while others consider penetrations a form of restoration or teleportation. It is generally agreed that there are very few different types of effect. While many authors such as Dariel Fitzkee, Harlan Tarbell, S.H. Sharpe and others have disagreed, it has often been said that there are only seven types of illusion[citation needed] (perhaps because it is considered a magic number).
Production The magician produces something from nothing—a rabbit from an empty hat, a fan of cards from thin air, a shower of coins from an empty bucket, or the magician themselves, appearing in a puff of smoke on an empty stage -- all of these effects are productions.
Vanishing The magician makes something disappear—a coin, a cage of doves, milk from a newspaper, an assistant from a cabinet, or even the Statue of Liberty. A vanish, being the reverse of a production, may use a similar technique, in reverse.
Transformation The magician transforms something from one state into another—a silk handkerchief changes colour, a lady turns into a tiger, an indifferent card changes to the spectator's chosen card. A transformation can be seen as a combination of a vanish and a production.
Restoration The magician destroys an object, then restores it back to its original state—a rope is cut, a newspaper is torn, a woman is sawn in half, a borrowed watch is smashed to pieces—then they are all restored to their original state.
Teleportation The magician causes something to move from one place to another—a borrowed ring is found inside a ball of wool, a canary inside a light bulb, an assistant from a cabinet to the back of the theatre. When two objects exchange places, it is called a transposition: a simultaneous, double teleportation.
An edge of a coin appearing to defy the laws of gravity.
Levitation The magician defies gravity, either by making something float in the air, or with the aid of another object (suspension)—a silver ball floats around a cloth, an assistant floats in mid-air, another is suspended from a broom, a scarf dances in a sealed bottle, the magician hovers a few inches off the floor. There are many popular ways to create this illusion of the magician himself being levitated, such as the Balducci levitation, the King Rising, Criss Angel's stool levitations, and the Andruzzi levitations.
Penetration The magician makes a solid object pass through another—a set of steel rings link and unlink, a candle penetrates an arm, swords pass through an assistant in a basket, a saltshaker penetrates the table-top, a man walks through a mirror. Sometimes referred to as 'solid-through-solid'.
Prediction The magician predicts the choice of a spectator, or the outcome of an event under seemingly impossible circumstances—a newspaper headline is predicted, the total amount of loose change in the spectator's pocket, a picture drawn on a slate. Prediction forms the basis for most 'pick-a-card' tricks, where a random card is chosen, then revealed to be known by the performer.

Many magical routines use combinations of effects. For example, in the famous 'cups and balls' a magician may use vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportations and transformations all as part of the one presentation.

[edit]
Secrecy

The purpose of a magic trick is to amuse and create a feeling of wonder; the audience is generally aware that the magic is performed using trickery, and derives enjoyment from the magician's skill and cunning. Traditionally, magicians refuse to reveal the secrets to the audience. The reasons include:
Exposure is claimed to "kill" magic as an artform and transforms it into mere intellectual puzzles and riddles. It is argued that once the secret of a trick is revealed to a person, that one can no longer fully enjoy subsequent performances of that magic, as the amazement is missing. Sometimes the secret is so simple that the audience feels let down, and feels disappointed it was taken in so easily.
Keeping the secrets preserves the professional mystery of magicians who perform for money.

Membership in professional magicians' organizations often requires a solemn commitment to the "Magician's Oath" never to reveal the secrets of magic to non-magicians.
The Magician's Oath (though it may vary, 'The Oath' takes the following, or similar form):
"As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician's Oath in turn. I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic."

Once sworn to The Oath, one is considered a magician, and is expected to live up to this promise. A magician who reveals a secret, either purposely or through insufficient practice, may typically find oneself without any magicians willing to teach one any more secrets.

However, it is considered permissible to reveal secrets to individuals who are determined to learn magic and become magicians. It is typically a sequential process of increasingly valuable and lesser known secrets. The secrets of almost all magical effects are available to the public through numerous books and magazines devoted to magic, available from the specialised magic trade. There are also web sites which offer videos, DVDs and instructional materials. In this sense, there are very few classical illusions left unrevealed, however this does not appear to have diminished the appeal of performances. In addition, magic is a living art, and new illusions are devised with surprising regularity. Sometimes a 'new' illusion will be built on an illusion that is old enough to have become unfamiliar.

Some magicians have taken the controversial position that revealing the methods used in certain works of magic can enhance the appreciation of the audience for cleverness of magic. Penn and Teller frequently perform tricks using transparent props to reveal how it is done, for example, although they almost always include additional unexplained effects at the end that are made even more astonishing by the revealing props being used.

Often what seems to be a revelation of a magical secret is merely another form of misdirection. For instance, a magician may explain to an audience member that the linking rings "have a hole in them" and hand the volunteer two unlinked rings, which the volunteer finds to have become linked as soon as he handles them. At this point the magician may shove his arm through the ring ('the hole in the ring'), proclaiming: "See? Once you know that every ring has a hole, it's easy!"
See also: Intellectual rights to magic methods

[edit]
Learning magic

The teaching of performance magic was once a secretive art. Professional magicians were unwilling to share knowledge with anyone outside the profession to prevent the laity from learning their secrets. This made it difficult for an interested apprentice to learn magic beyond the basics. Some had strict rules against members discussing magic secrets with anyone but established magicians.

From the 1584 publication of Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft until the end of the 19th century, only a few books were available for budding magicians to learn the craft. Books remain extremely useful today, and are still considered the best way for a student to learn magic. Videos and DVDs are a newer medium of tuition, which many inexperienced magicians rely on as a primary source of information; in reality, many of the methods found in this format are readily found in previously published books. However, they can serve useful as a visual demonstration.

The next step up is joining a magic club or workshop. Here magicians, both seasoned and novitiate, can work together and help one another for mutual improvement, to learn new techniques, to discuss all aspects of magic, to perform for each other — sharing advice, encouragement and criticism.

The world's largest magic organization is the International Brotherhood of Magicians. It publishes a monthly journal, The Linking Ring. The oldest organization is the Society of American Magicians, of which Houdini was a member; and in London, England, there is The Magic Circle which boasts the largest magic library in Europe. The Magic Castle in Hollywood is home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

[edit]
Types of magic performance

Magic performances tend to fall into a few specialities or genres.
Stage illusions are performed for large audiences, typically within an auditorium. This type of magic is distinguished by large-scale props, the use of assistants and often, exotic animals such as elephants and tigers. Some famous stage illusionists, past and present, include Howard Thurston, Chung Ling Soo, David Copperfield, and Siegfried & Roy.
Cabaret magic, Platform magic or Stand-up magic are terms used to describe magic performed for a medium to large audience. Night club magic and comedy club magic are also examples of this form. The term parlor magic is sometimes used but is considered pejorative. This genre includes the skilled manipulation of props such as billiard balls, card fans, doves, rabbits, silks, and rope. Examples of such magicians include Jeff McBride, Penn & Teller, David Abbott, Channing Pollock, Black Herman, and Fred Kaps.
Close-up magic is performed with the audience close to the magician, sometimes even one-on-one. It usually makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards and coins (see Coin magic) and seemingly 'impromptu' effects. This is also called "table magic" particularly when performed as dinner entertainment. Ricky Jay and Lee Asher, following in the traditions of Dai Vernon, Slydini and Max Malini, are considered among the foremost practitioners of close-up magic.
Mentalism creates the impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses special powers to read thoughts, predict events, control other minds, and similar feats. It can be presented on a stage, in a cabaret setting, before small close-up groups, or even for one spectator. Magicians in this field include Alexander, Max Maven, Kreskin, Luke Jermay, Derren Brown, The Zancigs, and Banachek.
Children's magic is performed for an audience primarily composed of children. It is typically performed at a birthday party, daycare or preschool, elementary school, Sunday School, or library. This type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer assistants.
Corporate Magic or Trade Show Magic uses magic as a communication and sales tool, as opposed to just straightforward entertainment. Corporate magicians may come from a business background and typically present at meetings, conferences and product launches. They run workshops and can sometimes be found at trade shows, where their patter and illusions enhance an entertaining presentation of the products offered by their corporate sponsors. The pioneer performer in this arena is Eddie Tullock. [3]
Street magic is a form of street performing or busking that employs a hybrid of stage magic, platform and close-up magic, usually performed 'in the round' or surrounded. Notable modern street magic performers include Jeff Sheridan and Gazzo. The term "street magic" has recently (since the first David Blaine TV special "Street Magic" aired in 1997) come to be used to describe a style of "guerilla" performance where magicians approach and perform for unsuspecting members of the public on the street. Unlike traditional street magic, this style is almost purely designed for TV and gains its impact from the wild reactions of the public. Magicians of this type include David Blaine, Criss Angel and Cyril Takayama.
Bizarre magic uses mystical, horror, fantasy and other similar themes in performance. Bizarre magic is typically performed in a close-up venue, although some performers have effectively presented it in a stage setting. Charles Cameron has generally been credited as the "godfather of bizarre magic." Others, such as Tony Andruzzi, contributed significantly to its development.
Shock magic[citation needed] is a genre of magic that shocks the audience, hence the name. Sometimes referred to as "geek magic," it takes its roots from circus sideshows, in which "freakish" performances were shown to audiences. Common shock magic or geek magic effects include eating razor blades, needle-through-arm, string through neck and pen-through-tongue. Magicians known for performing shock magic include Criss Angel, Andrew Mayne, Sean Fields and Brian Brushwood.

[edit]
Misuse of magic

In modern conjuring, it is not considered ethical to give a performance which claims to be anything other than a clever and skillful deception.

Fraudulent psychics or mediums have long capitalised on the popular belief in ESP and other paranormal phenomena for financial gain. Controversy still surrounds the hugely successful 1970s illusionist Uri Geller and his ability to bend spoons, for instance. During the height of the vogue for spiritualism and the wave of popularity for séances from the 1840s to the 1920s, many fraudulent mediums used conjuring methods to perform illusions such as table-knocking, slate-writing, and telekinetic effects. The great escapologist and illusionist Harry Houdini devoted much of his time to exposing such fraudulent operators. Magicians James Randi, and Penn and Teller are involved in similar debunking today. Randi has, for example, shown how people have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous faith healers who, using simple sleight-of-hand, remove chicken-giblet "tumors" from the patient's abdomen. More recently, British magicians Barry and Stuart showed audiences that they were able to replicate the miracles performed by Moses and Jesus in the Bible using sleight of hand, illusion, and other magician's techniques.{cite}

Con men and grifters often use techniques of conjuring for fraudulent goals. Cheating at card games is an obvious example. Other scams continue to defraud the innocent, despite having been exposed and debunked. The card trick known as "Find the Lady" or "Three-card Monte" is an old favourite of street hustlers, who sucker the victim into betting on what seems like an easy and obvious win. Another example is the shell game, in which a pea is hidden under one of three walnut shells, then shuffled around the table (or sidewalk) so slowly as to make the pea's position seemingly obvious. Although these are well-known as frauds, people are still fooled enough to lose money on them. Indeed, many people will place a small bet, knowing they are being deceived-simply for fun.

[edit]
References
^ Henning Nelms. Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers, page 1 (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 2000).
^ Jim Steinmeyer. "A New Kind of Magic," in Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear (New York, NY: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003).
^ Bill Herz with Paul Harris. Secrets of the Astonishing Executive (New York, NY: Avon Books, 1991).

[edit]
Bibliography
Milbourne Christopher (1962). Panorama of Magic.
Dunninger, Joseph. The Complete Encyclopedia of Magic.
Randi, James (1992). Conjuring: A Definitive History. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312086342.
Randi, James (1982). Flim-Flam!. Prometheus Books. ISBN 0879751983. [hide]
v • d • e
Magic
History of magic · Timeline of magic · Magic tricks · Parlor magic · Manufacturers and Designers of Magic Effects/Illusions · Card magic · Street magic · Mentalism · Coin magic · Escapology · Exposure of magic tricks · Intellectual rights to magic methods · Professional magicians · Magician's assistants · List of conjuring terms · List of magic tricks · Magic Club

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since August 2007 | Magic organizations | Articles with unsourced statements since June 2007 | Secrecy | Circus skills | Entertainment | Illusions | Magic (illusion) | Deception
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History of Magic

2008-01-29T04:55:00.000-08:00

A Brief History of Magic
2600 B.C. - Present

Considered the "second oldest profession", Magic has been recorded as far back as 2600 B.C. Though this is still disputed, in an Egyptian tomb there is a hieroglyphic which seems to depict the Cups and Balls trick. Some scholars interpret this painting as just a couple people playing a game.

The honor of the first "Magician" is usually bestowed upon a character dating back to the Westcar Papyrus (1700 B.C.) by the name of Dedi. He was noted for decapitating fowl and restoring them to perfect health.

Some of the first practitioners of Magic used it to sway the religious beliefs of people. The high priests of Greece rigged temple doors to open and fires to light without any apparent human intervention.

The theatrical aspects of Magic began to be formalized through the performances of a Frenchman by the name of Jean Eugène

Robert-Houdin around the 1840's. Called by many as the "Fat
her of Modern Magic", Robert-Houdin enthralled the people of his era
with many mechanical wonders he invented. He also has the distinction of stopping a revolution. In Algiers during 1856, the marabouts or religious leaders were inciting the people to break their ties with France. As an envoy of Napoleon III, Robert-Houdin created the Light and Heavy Box which terrified the strongest men the marabouts could find. Robert-Houdin could control this small roughly 8" by 12" box so that though the weakest child could pick it up, the strongest man could not. Though modern audiences would be bored by this simple display of electromagnetic principles, these concepts were totally alien to 18th century Algerians. Robert-Houdin died at 65 in 1871.

Magic in America actually started with the Indian shamans. They would "cure" disease by spitting out chicken blood and bones from their mouth after acting like they had "sucked" the diseased organs out of the sick person. They would also "float" arrows using horse hair as the secret levitating ingredient. (Amazing what you can do around the old campfire.)

Theatrical magicians were itinerants during the late nineteenth century. Among these were Alexander Herrmann and John Henry Anderson, who billed himself as "The Wizard of the North". In Colonial times, Richard Potter would travel and perform feats which fool even today magicians.

Things really started happening in the early 1900's with the emergence of Vaudeville. This launched that little known magician named Houdini and Blackstone, Thurston, and P.T. Selbit, whose claim to fame was "Sawing a Woman in Half"!

As Vaudeville declined, so to a degree did Magic. It received its next leap in the 1970's thanks to the successful television series The Magic Land of Alakazam with its Texas star, Mark Wilson.

Like the tides, Magic's popularity seems to ebb and flow. So it was in 1974, a young Canadian in jeans and tie-dyed t-shirts turned The Magic Show into a huge success on Broadway. Doug Henning went on to dominate the Magic scene on stage and television due to his "hippie" look and high tech illusions. His pinnacle of Magic was the critically panned Broadway show Merlin which brought the wrath of theatre critics, but the praise of Magic lovers. His recreation of the ancient illusion The Gypsy Moth was worth the price of admission in and of itself.

Then Magic really started to heat up with the introduction to the television screens in 1977 of a young New Jersey illusionist by the stage name of David Copperfield. It took him just a couple years to topple the reining Henning for supremacy of the Magic world. His "disco" image and illusions built around storytelling routines captured the imagination of American and then the world. Today he still is the most recognized magician, evident by the recent shows he performed in New York City during the winter holidays that broke all box office records!