Types of magic performance

Magic, including the arts of prestidigitation and conjuring, is the art of entertaining an audience by performing illusions that baffle and amaze, often by giving the impression that something impossible has been achieved, almost as if the performer had magic or supernatural powers. Yet, this illusion of magic is created entirely by natural means. The practitioners of this mystery art may be called magicians, conjurors, illusionists or prestidigitators. Artists in other media such as theatre, cinema, dance and the visual arts increasingly work using similar means but regard their magical techniques as of secondary importance to the goal of creating a complex cultural performance.

Types of magic performance

Magic performances fall into five broad genres:

* Close-up magic, which is performed with the audience close to the magician, possibly in physical contact. It usually makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards and coins. Ricky Jay and Lee Asher, following in the traditions of Dai Vernon and Max Malini, is considered the foremost practitioner of close-up magic today. This is also sometimes called "table magic" particularly when performed as dinner entertainment.

* Platform magic, in which the magician stands while performing and is seen by more people simultaneously than the close-up performer. Examples of platform magicians include David Abbott. * Cabaret Magic, in which the magician performs for a medium to large audience, but at or almost at floor level and much closer to many spectators than in auditorium performances. Night club magic and comedy club magic are typical examples. Cabaret performers can generally also function as stage performers. The long-obsolete term parlor magic is sometimes misused as a synonym for cabaret magic.

* Stage magic, which is performed for large audiences, typically within an auditorium. This type of magic is distinguished by elaborate, large-scale props. The most famous magicians in the world, such as David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, and Penn and Teller, are best known for their ability in stage-magic.

* Children's magic, which is performed for an audience primary of children, typically performed at a birthday party, daycare or preschool, elementary school, or library. This type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer assistants. Some magicians, such as Todd McKinney, Luis Villamonte, David Ginn, Samuel Patrick Smith, Richard Green and Barry Mitchell are best known for their ability to entertain children through their performances, books, DVDs, and CDs.

Other specialties or niches have been created:

* Street Magic, a form of street performing or busking using a hybrid of stage magic and close-up magic. Notable modern street magic performers include Jeff Sheridan, Jim Cellini, Gazzo and Sonny Holliday. 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, which 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 Raven, Tony Andruzzi, and Tony "Doc" Shiels contributed significantly to its development.

* Mentalism, which creates the impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses special powers to read thoughts, predict events, control other minds, and other similar feats. Magicians in this field include Max Maven, Luke Jermay, Criss Angel, Derren Brown and Banachek.

* Shock magic 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.

* Corporate Magic uses magic as a communication tool as opposed to just straight forward entertainment. Corporate magicians come from a business background and have typically moved in to magic later in their careers. This allows them to not only perform magic but to also understand how this can be applied to business communications. Corporate magicians typically present at meetings, conferences and product launches also they run workshops and can sometime be found at trade shows.

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