How long are your magic shows?
The standup, or platform, magic show lasts an hour. The strolling, close-up magic lasts typically an hour to two hours. It can even be three hours. Its length depends on how many guests you have at your affair, as well as the allotted time available.
Is there audience participation?
Although the accompanying videos don’t show it, there is plenty of audience participation. In future videos, I’ll show examples. But here are some platform tricks that I often do that do have audience participation, such as the bill in the lemon, the cards under the seat and the sword through the neck. The close-up magic that I do almost entirely involves audience participation.
How much do you charge?
The price depends on several factors, including, travel time to the show, the number of people attending and whether the show is for a private party, a corporation, or a not-for-profit. Yes, I realize that I didn’t answer the question by offering exact numbers. In truth, each magic show is unique. It would be best to contact me so that we can discuss it. Also, if I have to take a plane and stay at a hotel, the customer pays for travel and accommodations. Most entertainers, myself included, require a 50% down payment.
What are the benefits of attending a magic show?
OK, this isn’t a frequently asked question. Indeed, no one has ever asked me about magic’s benefits. But it’s an intriguing question all the same. The obvious benefit of witnessing a magic show is sheer enjoyment. Ah, but there’s more to it, though, than that.
Albert Einstein wrote, “The most beautiful thing that we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science.” Even the most phlegmatic among us craves mystery, wonder, amazement and awe. It’s the food that nourishes our soul. Without those transcendent emotions, life can either seem flat, dull, and routine, or it can be an anxious, stressful affair, full of problems and woe — “One damn thing after another,” as Mark Twain called it. A magic show certainly can’t hope to satisfy our yearning for transcendence, but it can offer us a foretaste of the mystery, wonder, and enchantment that’s possible, if we become receptive to the numinosity of the everyday. That intimation can inspire us to quest on, indeed to “assault the infinite,” as Kierkegaard recommends.
Furthermore, Socrates said, “Philosophy begins in wonder.” Since magic invites wonder, does that mean that witnessing a magic show will inspire a person to become a philosopher? Probably not, but it certainly can’t hurt.