2013-06 Is Bigger Better?

As I started thinking about this subject, my MAGIC magazine arrived in the mail and, wouldn't you know it, Editor Stan Allen already used this "Is Bigger Better?" title (OK his was titled Bigger-Better?) to his editorial. Oh well. It still fits my subject, so forgive me.

Magic is either evolving or digressing back to the days, perhaps two century's in fact, to when "parlour" magic was vogue. I read about more and more parlour magic shows happening around the country. We here, in Orlando, have three on-going "small" shows and I'm sure there are many shows of this type, across this vast land of ours that don't see print, for the weekly or monthly shows that exist. My friend, Ben Mason, said last year that he believes that more and more Parlour or Close-up "shows" will be popping up across the nation. And that is what is happening, whether the shows are in hotels, restaurants, time shares etc. Eric DeCamps and Paul Gertner, not to mention Ricky Jay all have had their shows to much success without "the big stuff". Sometimes smaller is better.

When I began performing aboard cruise ships in 1982, I did not perform illusions as my first two ships, the Stella Solaris and the Stella Oceanis, showrooms were too small to warrant any illusions. The ceiling on the Oceanis was six inches above my head and one night, as the ship was rocking and rolling, the female singer, to steady herself, held one hand up to the ceiling to steady herself and held her microphone in the other hand. My next ship was quite a bit larger with a larger showroom so naturally I took a few illusions with me, and continued to swap out illusions for many years aboard various ships depending on the size of the showroom. But I found that the smaller effects got just as much audience reaction as the illusions. In fact, many of my smaller effects, Snowstorm, Pic Pocket act, Zombie, Doves, got more reaction most of the time. I found myself using illusions as "fillers" with my stage or parlour tricks as the main ingredient to my shows. And that is quite opposite to what the grand illusionists did in their full evening show back in the "golden age" of magic with the big touring shows.

I remember calling home to my wife, while the ship was in port, and I was perplexed (and frustrated) in explaining how the audience far more enjoyed my Banana/Bandana routine, than my Butterfly Blammo Box illusion routine that I worked so hard in developing. Hmph!
While hosting a dinner table the following night I would ask my guests what tricks they liked best and invariably it was one of the smaller tricks, not the illusions. So I began cutting back on carrying all this furniture aboard ships and, I must admit, it was a godsend not having to travel in and out of countries with so many cases and trunks.

A few years ago I presented my own full evening show in a theatre in Winter Garden, Florida. With comedian-magician-juggler-banjoist Todd Charles as my opening act, and intermission, the first night show ran a whopping three hours! Backstage on a chalk board, it was only the illusions that I quickly crossed off the list in making the next evening of magic shorter. Of course, it only made the show stronger although I must admit it hurt that I had to cut a third of the show and especially cutting, "the big stuff".

My comedy-magician friend, Jeff Alan, posted on FaceBook this statement expressing his frustration: "This is ONE of the hardest decisions I've had to make relating to my shows. I felt like I had to share ALL of my
ideas in ONE show with an audience when, realistically it's a bad decision. It's taking too much time for the set up and breakdown, my body is wearing down carrying 5 LARGE pieces of equipment and I don't have to share my entire life's ideas in 90 minutes."

Of course, the length of the show might not always be the problem as I am often hired to perform 90 minute shows. And I must admit, I do believe in giving the client more than what they might expect and often after my shows I do get the comment/compliment, "Wow that was more than we expected." But it's not always the big stuff that people remember. Think Harry Blackstone and his Floating Light bulb or Vanishing Birdcage. In 1979 he came to town with his huge full evening show and it was an amazing show. Two years later he came back to another theatre and I was telling everyone how grand it was. But this time, he left out most of the illusions. But it was still a great show because he made it great, mostly because it was "Harry" and not necessarily "the props".

On the other hand, we must be careful of too much "fluff" as well. At a recent Kreskin show, after three hours, The Amazing One only presented six (out of the briefcase) effects. Of course, that is what Kreskin is
all about, lots (lots) of talk, but I doubt I'll sit through it again. After performing at Abbott's a couple of years ago one magician approached me and said, "You really know how to utilize the stage." AndI do. At any show I "use the room". I invented a play-huge card trick I call "The Human Deck of Cards" which uses 52 audience members. The whole trick takes five minutes but I can perform it in the largest of auditoriums.

A few years ago we had the national SAM mid-year meeting and banquet in Orlando. The show was held at the Radisson Hotel ballroom. I was performing my Sands of the Desert routine but, setting it for the stage
takes three people. So I asked the hotel for a separate riser and placed the Sands equipment on the riser, giving it its own staging to the side of the big stage. I received a couple of comments from the magicians
afterward how cool they thought that staging was. In reality, I just didn't want the props near anyone or anything during the rest of the show that might make the bowl of water or glasses of sand fall. But  it did make for an intriguing theatrical experience.

A few years ago I went to see illusionist David DaVinci and while it was a very nice show, I could hardly believe my ears when it was the Magic Coloring Book that received the biggest response. I thought, OK, perhaps that audience reaction was a fluke. But the next day I received a phone call from my magic friend, Chuck Smith, who said that he too saw the show but at the earlier performance and he stated that it was the
Coloring Book that his audience connected with as well.
I think it was David Copperfield who said, when asked why he does illusions, "It pays more". And he is right, but not always and not for everyone, when you think about the many legends of magic who were
superstars in their own right, who didn't perform illusions. But sometimes you might not have a choice, if you want the work. A few years ago the Entertainment Director of Carnival Cruise Lines told me, "We only hire magicians who perform "mega" illusions. We don't want "Sub Trunks!” Of course, he was saying this because of the large stages cruise ships have become. I couldn't resist, so I asked him, "So tell me, how large do your comedians or singers have to be?" Oddly, soon after that I produced a magic-cruise aboard one of the Carnival ships and the company show magician, who had been aboard that ship a year, only performed two illusions in his act, one being, the Sub Trunk! ARG!

Yes, in my show I will continue to perform an illusion or two at the request of the client, or if the show warrants a large prop. After all, laypeople still want to see girls levitated, or sawed in half. And that's fine if they want to pay the nickel to see it. But it's my daughters who are concerned also. I am 60 years old. One of my daughters recently asked me, after doing the Sub Trunk, "Dad, how long do you think you'll be able to do that trick?" HMPH!-

Dan Stapleton