Magicians and clowns are among the most
popular childrens birthday party entertainment. Both are about magic.
They draw the imaginations of children outside the day-to-day world.
Some guesses are that there are some seven magicians for every
100,000 people in the world. Membership in the International
Magicians Society numbers 41,000 world wide. This is a large
population of people. Magic is a very popular pursuit. The
International Magicians Society even offers a doctor of magic degree
which members can earn by passing a practical examination.
A magician flirts with the unknown and
illogical. These are experiences that children love. Children love
dream worlds and fairy tales about magical things outside the
possible. Stimulating that part of a child's imagination brings them
wonder. Children are first learning how things work. When they see
their common sense violated, they push their imaginations outward. It
is not enough to explain magic as illusion and distraction. Magic is
a flirtation with the unknown and impossible. As far as the audience
is concerned, this is as close to mystery as we can come. As in
dreams, mystery is best explored with humor. Children will laugh
while they wonder.
Childrens magicians are fun. The
magician likes to bring the magic really close to the audience. The
birthday child will be the star of the show. A good magician will
puzzle and bamboozle right up close. Magic is comic performance. It
is hucksterism. But no one should forget that magic derives from
mystery. We never want to admit it, but the children and the adults
in the audience always hope that the impossible really happens. The
audience helps the magician and the magician brings the audience the
wonder that they all wish for. Nobody really wants to know how it's
done.
The best magicians are raised in the
craft. It's entertainment with a bit of gypsy-ism in it. Many come
from families of magicians. Many develop an interest at a very early
age and master their craft over a lifetime. Amateurs can buy many
magic tricks in stores and master them quickly, but a true
professional can show the audience something new and will do it with
a flair that brings their audiences to their feet. Like circus
performers, magicians bring a slightly off-beat quality to their
appearances. We like to think of them as coming from a different,
maybe exotic place. Many professional magicians really do meet this
expectation. They are kind and funny and loving but they appear not
to live among us but to come from a place where they obtain secret
wisdom.
We laugh. We are told that they
distract us and toy with us. They hypnotize us. But we want them to
be so much more. And they are. They entertain us by reaching beyond
our ordinary logical experience.
