Tops Article



He Said, He Said - Seebach vs Harary

It was very gratifying to receive such a positive response to my "So You Want To Be An Illusionist" lecture presentation at the annual Abbott's Magic Get-Together in August, 2009. The accompanying book, written to be appropriate as a 'stand-alone' volume, was very popular. If you'd like a copy of this book that is full of tips for beginning to advanced illusionists you may order it from Abbott's or directly from me (david@davidseebach.com). I accept checks and PayPal. It's $25 for the book and $5 for Priority Mail shipping.

The question I was asked again and again after the lecture was why it seemed that Franz Harary, speaking immediately after me, seemed to contradict so much of what I'd just said.

First of all it is entirely plausible that two "experts" in any field might not agree on aspects of their area of interest. Just as I'm entitled to my opinion and my belief that every word I spoke was true, Franz is entitled to his.

I do not think Franz actually listened to my presentation so I do not think he realized how strange his contradictions sounded.

There were two notable areas of disagreement.

After I spent plenty of time explaining why the average illusionist should NOT attempt to build his (or her) own apparatus, Franz suggested that performers should construct their own gear.

"Go down in your basement and get out some cardboard and be creative," he suggested. I have nothing against creativity, but I'll make a point here that's in my book and that I did not emphasize enough during my lecture.

Whenever you add a new act to your repertoire you're taking a chance with untried material. When you add the Linking Rings to your show you can know that its concept has stood the test of time. This magical effect WORKS. When it's Bob's Rainbow Candle Transformation you do NOT have that guarantee. It might be entertaining... it might not.

With so much proven magic material out there, why take the risk?

Oh, I know your answer: I want to have something original.

Stop! You already do. I've found that lots of magicians think originality must come from their gear and the effects they perform. Wrong! Originality comes from the performer. And it's called PERSONALITY.

Get-Together audiences have thrilled to the clever antics of Michael Finney, Jeff Hobson and Stephen Bargatze. Did they feature many never-seen-before acts? No, they did not. But, they presented everything in their own original way.

Who hasn't been amazed by what Ardan James can achieve onstage? What 'prop' does he use? A Super Needled Balloon!

I often find that the performer who fills his show with all unique acts often has NO personality. It is an attempt to compensate for the fact they cannot really perform; they can only execute the required moves of a magic act.

Brett Daniels has been performing this summer in Myrtle Beach and we talk regularly. He has reported that the audience favorites, night-after-night, are Sidewalk Shuffle, Color-Changing Silks and the Linking Rings. They've all stood the test of time.

I've also maintained that audiences don't really care WHAT you do; they care HOW you do it. When you hear "Aw, I've seen that before," it usually means that they've seen it before and it was performed just the same way.

Audiences are not tired of the Egg Bag. They're also not tired of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the opera "Carmen" or the play "Arsenic and Old Lace." Just don't do them the same way they've been done before.

However, as I do point out in my book, EVERYBODY is tired of seeing Snowstorm in China when it's accompanied by a maudlin story of a kid who has never seen snow. Stop it! Come up with something original.

There is one important exception to this rule. Producers do not want to see any magician doing anything they have ever seen before. If you're trying to audition with Zombie or dove productions you're not going to get anywhere with that material. I'll point out the producers are wrong in my opinion, but they are the gatekeepers.

So, build your own original stuff if you have no onstage personality and hope to impress the crowd with just your props. It's an awful hard path to success.

Franz also gave some extremely bad advice about dealing with anyone who works for you (like your lovely onstage assistant). He said to treat them like independent contractors, ignore all tax and withholding requirements and issue a 1099 form at year's end.

This wasn't just bad; it was almost 100% wrong. And, all his experience performing on TV and around the world does not make it right. It may be possible for Harary to hire some dancers and technicians and do this, but that's only because these individuals ply their craft for others throughout the year. Think about it. His onstage assistant may be a dancer from a Las Vegas show for part of the year, appear in a TV commercial for Ford automobiles and pose for a Maybelline print ad. In that case he CAN issue a 1099 most likely.

But, your assistant likely performs ONLY for you, not multiple other magicians. If she appeared in a show at an amusement park for a few weeks it's likely her checks there included deductions for income tax, social security and Medicaid. She was their EMPLOYEE. And, she is yours, too.

So, Franz and I can have a friendly disagreement about originality and illusion construction, but this is a more black-and-white issue and he was absolutely wrong.

The 19th annual "Illusions in the Night" Halloween magic extravaganza is scheduled for October 23rd through the 31st at the Modjeska Theatre in Milwaukee. This is a big show with plenty of grand stage illusions (Buzz Saw, Burning Alive, Asrah, The Lion's Bride and many more) plus a real 'blackout' finale`. If you enjoy illusions presented in a novel, original manner I hope you'll consider joining us. Check out the show's website at www.illusionsinthenight.com.

For a little more information about my book send me an email and I'll send you a short blurb in return.

David Seebach's Wonders of Magic
www.davidseebach.com



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