Legendary magician, sleight-of-hand master and actor Ricky Jay (who’s aligned himself with the prestigious likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, David Mamet, Steve Martin, Bob Dylan, and David Milch, among many others) doesn’t perform much magic these days. But fortunately, NYC residents will get a chance to catch him later this year, as its recently been announced that he will be performing 3 NYC shows, his first appearances in the city in over a decade.
Image Credit: Hashir Milhan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons..
Of all the performing arts, very few people actively dislike stage magic.
It’s the principle reason I remain gainfully employed.
That, and my incredible humility.
You’ll regularly find people who are bored with opera and flummoxed by modern dance, but what kind of misanthrope doesn’t like a good card trick? Who doesn’t want to see a bunny pulled out of a hat? Who doesn’t gape at magicians, or magiciennes, who flagrantly disregard the very laws of physics and stunningly do the impossible?
But what about if you’re already a magician, or magicienne, and are already privy to all of the arcane secrets of legerdemain? How can magic be entertaining? There are only so many ways to produce a bunny out of a hat. (There are exactly 32.)
Being a professional stage magician, I can assure everyone that it’s exceedingly difficult to create magic tricks and still more difficult to find ones that confound other stage performers.
What do you do when you’ve already witnessed and figured out all the regular magicians’ acts?
You seek out a Magician’s Magician…..
A Magician’s Magician is a magus so skillful that his legerdemain remains a mystery even to the otherwise most experienced of stage performers. These people regularly amaze even the most jaded magician hoi polloi who’ve already “seen it all.” It’s the highest honor the magic community can bestow on one of its own.After all, even we need to entertained.When magicians are asked as to who qualifies as a Magician’s Magician, the first name that comes up is Br. Hamman.
Stan Allen announced today that MAGIC Magazine will not be publishing the final 25 issues known as MAGIC Legacy. Unfortunately, the response was not strong enough to produce the magazines at a level befitting the end of an era. Stan thanked all of those who took the leap of faith with him, and assured them that they will receive a 100% refund, as well as their complimentary copy of Square One.
MAGIC Magazine
With Legacy cancelled, does that mean that MAGIC Magazine is over? Not exactly. Stan and his editorial team will produce one more issue — #301. If you are a current print subscriber, you will receive this final issue as part of your subscription, then a pro-rated refund for the balance of your subscription.
MAGIC Live!
It was also announced today that there will be a MAGIC Live next summer — August 13–16, 2017. And yes, that’s a year earlier than originally planned. It will be held once again at The Orleans in Las Vegas, with Alumni Registration opening November 30 and General Registration available on December 6, 2016.
