Close up illusions, right up close! “And that’s with your sleeves rolled up!”
Some years back a famous magician was rather put out. He was a close-up magic performer and specialist. The acquaintance said to him, “Why don’t you do proper magic, illusions, like those stage magicians?”
His reply to this was that he did perform illusions- and he did it right up close!! And he also could have added that he did it extremely well!!
Yes, I do like stage magic. There are indeed a good number of excellent performers. However, for me, close up magic has always been the ‘purest’ and the most impressive form of magic entertainment. It is the ‘Holy Grail’. To see someone perform logic defying feats with productions, vanishes, and changes, so close up is extremely powerful. This is reflected in people’s comments, and their expressions!!
The other powerful aspect of close-up magic is that it is a highly sociable, and interactive, form of entertainment.
