For a lot of people the
last time they wanted a magician at their party was
when they were 8 years old but magicians don’t just
work for children. Adults have always been a great
audience for magic because they have defined
critical thinking. They “know” it isn’t “real magic”
but if the performer does his job right he can bring
about the childlike state of wonder in an adult. A
good magician can bring you right back to experience
the fuzzy feeling you had as a kid when your
grandfather pulled a coin out of your ear.
There are 3 styles of magic that
are most often hired for events where adults are in
the majority.
Close-up magic
(the most popular choice for people hiring
magicians)
Cabaret shows
Drawing room shows
Close-up magic is
often seen at cocktail parties where the magician
mingles amongst the guests performing miracles with
borrowed objects and simple objects he has on him.
He works without a table and uses people hands when
he needs to. This is an excellent choice if all the
guests will be standing with drinks and eating
finger food.
Another type of
close-up magic that is closely related to strolling
magic is table magic. Table magic is performed
between the courses at dinners, wedding breakfasts,
balls and banquets. You are more likely to see a
short (between 3 – 8 minutes) mini cabaret act that
has a structured feel to it. The magician may use
the table but it will be as unobtrusive as possible
because at banquets there is a premium on table real
estate.
Close-up magicians
are being hired more and more for Trade Shows to
draw people to the stand with customized magic
presentations. Presentations are designed to
showcase the features and benefits of the stand they
are representing but with amazing magic and not just
dry sales pitches.
Cabaret Shows are a
great way for a lot of people to see some great
magic in a relatively short space of time. Often a
close-up magician who has performed strolling/table
magic before hand will also do a 20 minute cabaret
act after dinner.
There are many
different styles of cabaret magician - comedy,
traditional manipulation act to music, mind reading
etc. The type of event you are organizing will
dictate the type of cabaret magician you will
require. If you would like lots of audience
participation and laughter go for a comedy magician,
if there will be lots of non-English speakers
present then go for a visual act like the
manipulator and if it is a very business orientated
environed maybe a mind reader would be more suited.
You also see cabaret
magicians at comedy clubs, cruise ships and also
occasionally at motivational events where the magic
is combined with a motivational speech.
Drawing room shows
were almost a dead art for nearly a 100 years. They
were immensely popular with the Victorians where the
gentry would all gather to watch a conjurer perform
magic. In recent years it is coming back into
fashion at private parties where a magician may
perform after dinner for 30 minutes or so. This is a
taste of days gone by and is close enough for
apparently no shenanigans to be going on yet far
enough away to use larger effects for everyone to
see. This kind of show is most related to a cabaret
show but the effects are smaller and it is more
interactive as the audience in only a few feet away.
When choosing a
professional magician it is important to choose
wisely as in any industry there are “cowboys”.
Questions you may
like to ask any prospective performer you are
engaging are...
How long have you
been a professional? Some magicians may seem great
on paper but as all know paper doesn’t refuse ink.
Experience is the key in this industry so make sure
they have cut their teeth.
Can I see you
perform? The answer depends on the type of performer
you are considering engaging. If it’s a cabaret
magician he may well work at comedy clubs where you
can go and see him perform and close-up magicians
often work at hotels, restaurants and bars as the
resident entertainer several times a week. If it’s
open to the public then go and see them work.
However if the performer works mainly at corporate
events, weddings and/or trade shows you may find it
impossible to see him work live as these are closed
events.
Have you got a
brochure/video I can see?
Most professional
performers will have promotional kits including
photographs, video and brochure. A good promo kit
doesn’t mean they are a good magician, it may just
mean they know somebody who works at a printing
press. A cheap and tatty looking promo kit doesn’t
definitely mean the performer is bad, but it does
show a lack of professionalism and that is a warning
sign. In this day and age some performers have no
hard copy for promotional use as it dates so quickly
so there website acts as the brochure. If the
website looks like it was made from cut outs of
magazines then they are not interested in making a
good first impression. Would you trust somebody who
didn’t make a good first impression at your event?
What magic tricks do you do?
You should be able to
gain a good idea of the style of the magician from
any online or hardcopy brochure but if you want to
know what kind of effects he/she performs – go ahead
and ask!
Have you got any
referees I could phone?
This may seem like a
reasonable question but a lot of magician’s work
mainly in the corporate area and are not permitted
to pass out the contact details of their bookers.
You should be able to see testimonials and letters
from clients on the websites/brochures. Of course
the best way is personal recommendation; ask friends
if they have ever hired a magician.
Have you got public
liability insurance?
This is crucial. The
magician will be in close contact to your guests and
maybe borrowing objects from them for effects. You
don’t want to end up with a magician who isn’t
covered!
We hope this helps to
give you a better idea of the different types of
magic that are available for you to hire for your
next corporate or private
event and what to look out for when hiring a
professional magician or illusionist.
