We recently interviewed Rick and Susan Wilcox. They have a fantastic 500 seat theater in the Wisconsin Dells. They have performed too many to count large scale illusions. Many people think that illusions are easy. Just pay the money, push it around on stage, and boom instant applause. Katalina and I had the opportunity to perform a large illusion over the course of a week long run. We performed the illusion about 20 times. To make an illusion strong every action must be smooth and deliberate. You quickly find that this is not as easy as it looks. It is much easier to stumble, fumble, and look pedestrian than it is to look polished and smooth. It took us about 15 shows before we felt we were starting to become proficient.

Katalina and I do not perform large illusions in our show. However, it was a blast to experience that part of magic for a week. In the interview with Rick & Susan Wilcox, I learned there is soooo much more than just buying an illusion and walking through it. How many of you are interested in performing a large illusions show? I will be interested in your feedback.

Interview at:

Facebook.com/magicbusinesspodcast

Rick and Susan have a heck of a show. I saw their show two years ago and spent time with them. It is a well oiled machine.

Your points are right on about doing illusions. Rick and Susan are some of the very few who can make illusions play and seem seamless in performance with a minimum of people. John Bundy and Morgan are another duo who make it work. It is more than just the physical prop it is personality also. With out that, it just does not matter. You have to realize that the actual performance of the illusion is very small in on stage run time. You have to put the dressing around it to make it all work and get some time from it.

Good topic. There is so much more to illusions than most people or magicians realize.

A wonderful post. There is a huge difference between really proficient illusionists who can dominate the prop on stage and those that are simply furniture movers and illusion demonstrators.

I agree. There is a big difference in the manner that a working pro versus the one gig furniture mover conveys the illusion(s) presentation.

It takes some serious rehearsal time and plenty of live performances to get it to a point that makes the illusion seem flawless. I can't tell you how many times I sat in the back of the Magic Castle Palace theater with Billy McComb watching magician after magician on stage. The polished ones were the working magicians that had nightly audiences standing on their feet such as Kevin James, Jonathan Pendragon, Franz Harary and Chuck Jones. They understood how to command attention and cue the applauses. How to properly move in and roll out props to move on to other illusions. Their assistants knew were to stand and when to strike a pose. The ones hired on for one week who were part timers or newbies to the stage were fumbling repeatedly with the illusion props and sometimes flashing inadvertently. Even from the full-on front angles.

As Franz once told me, in order to make illusions a full time occupation, you better have a very rich uncle who likes magic to support you.

Newbie: " I want to get into Illusions and be and Illusionist. Tour the world and be the next David Copperfield"
Me:


Newbie: Yes but......
Me: yes but. . . .

I remember sitting on the steps in the Beverly Wiltern ballroom with Mark & Nani Wilson the year Greg was debuting as an “illusionist” for the Castle Awards Banquet. I told them they must be very proud to have him follow in their footsteps. Lol... their response... “We tried to tell him but he wouldn’t listen... that he’ll spend all his time loading trucks, trying to find dancers, repairing props... so few realize what it’s really like! “

In the Seventies, I had a three person illusion show at Tombstone Junction, my first wife and our male assistant/juggler. We did a dove act, sub trunk, zig zag, and Chu's sword suspension. My wife and Kelly didn't get along. There was constant rehearsal, and once we left the season, to come back to Los Angeles and work here, we had to haul everything around everywhere and set it up. Doves, a rabbit. Lot's of work. Too much like a real job.

After that I preferred to work alone without illusions, animals or assistants.

Here's to those with enough room to store their props, and trucks to move them, and assistants you can trust, and a workshop and...

As a a very good friend we both know always said, “No pets, plywood or pyro for me!”

Gee, that rings a familiar tune!

But over time... I did get a little plywood... but nothing thicker than 3/16"!

Lol… of course, cut with an exacto knife with perfect teeny, tiny little joints I’m sure!

No.. now I'm too old to make those tiny bits of joinery..

I just make a simple 'butt' joint and a bit of glue... and cover it all with veneer.

Seriously... have you ever seen a Brazilian Rosewood flip-over box?

If you put the same effort into solo illusionettes and writing material for them that fits you, they can be as effective and even more gratifying.

Jimmy
www.magellanlevitation.com

I always thought that the best magicians were illusionists- big props, pretty dancers, big show. At almost 80 years of age, I've changed my mind. The really good magician is the best entertainer. It doesn't matter what size the trick of illusions is. I think most people just want to be entertained.

MysteroMagic, well said. Storytelling is as old as time. That is what makes entertainment come alive. It's all in the presentation.

Rick and Susan make it all look effortless ... we all know otherwise. Most don't realize all the hard work that is involved with each of the larger illusions let alone running and maintaining your own theater! I've been good friends with them for decades and look forward to visiting with them each summer up in the Dells. If you're anywhere near the area, be sure to check out their show and see with your own eyes how magic large and small should be presented.

Steve

I agree what a great show Rick and Susan do with a minimum of people.

I forgot who it was but it was a season illusionist who said you have to perform an allusion 50 times before you get it right.

I have dabbled in Illusions, it isn't for everyone for sure.

But they are fun if you pick the ones you like tp perform.

Not easy but fun isn't always easy.

I'm even giving up illusionettes. I hate the weight, storage, trips to the car, etc. If I have add-ons for my shows, they'll be "pack small - play big".