Platform magic
Encyclopedia
Platform magic is that aspect of magic
that fits conveniently between stage illusions
and close-up magic. It is more intimate than stage magic because it doesn't require expensive, large-scale stage equipment and can thus be performed closer to one's audience and while standing on the same level as them. In addition, parlor magic
ians usually perform for largish crowds without the benefit of a full-scale theatrical stage. On the other hand, many of the tricks performed by parlor magicians are sufficiently angle-sensitive as to make them impossible to perform as close as micromagic
ians.
Though it's true T.A. Waters
in his Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians referred to "parlor magic" as a pejorative that implied "an effect under discussion is not suitable for professional performance," most magicians do not have such a poor opinion of this branch of magic. In fact, most working magicians are parlor/platform magicians.
Most magicians generally prefer the term "platform magic" rather than "parlor magic." Their presentation style is usually comical.
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
that fits conveniently between stage illusions
Stage illusions
Stage illusions are large-scale magic tricks. As the name implies, stage illusions are distinct from all other types of magic in that they are performed a considerable distance away from the audience, usually on a stage, in order to maintain the illusion....
and close-up magic. It is more intimate than stage magic because it doesn't require expensive, large-scale stage equipment and can thus be performed closer to one's audience and while standing on the same level as them. In addition, parlor magic
Parlor magic
Parlor magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic and for smaller audiences than stage magic. In parlor magic, the performer is usually standing and on the same level as the audience, which may be seated on chairs or even on the floor. According to the Encyclopedia of Magic and...
ians usually perform for largish crowds without the benefit of a full-scale theatrical stage. On the other hand, many of the tricks performed by parlor magicians are sufficiently angle-sensitive as to make them impossible to perform as close as micromagic
Micromagic
Micromagic or close-up magic or table magic is magic performed in an intimate setting usually no more than ten feet from one's audience and is usually performed while sitting at a table....
ians.
Though it's true T.A. Waters
T.A. Waters
Thomas Alan Waters was an American magician, writer about magic, and science fiction author.-History:...
in his Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians referred to "parlor magic" as a pejorative that implied "an effect under discussion is not suitable for professional performance," most magicians do not have such a poor opinion of this branch of magic. In fact, most working magicians are parlor/platform magicians.
Most magicians generally prefer the term "platform magic" rather than "parlor magic." Their presentation style is usually comical.
Platform Magicians
- David AbbottDavid Abbott (magician)David Phelps Abbott was a magician, author and inventor who created such effects as the floating ball, later made famous by Okito. The best known of his books is Behind the Scenes With the Mediums , considered to be one of the best exposures of the methods used by psychics...
- Christian Farla
- Black HermanBlack HermanBenjamin Rucker was an American stage magician, better known by his stage name Black Herman. Born in Amherst, Virginia, he was the most prominent African American magician of his time....
- Darryl Hutton
- Finn Jon
- Fred KapsFred KapsFred Kaps , was a Dutch magician, famous for being the only magician to become FISM Grand Prix world champion three times. He was the creator of numerous original effects including his version of the color-changing silks. Another popular effect he often performed was the Long Pour Salt trick...
- Peter Marucci
- Jeff McBrideJeff McBrideJeff McBride is an American magician from Monticello New York. He is known for his sleight of hand skills and specializes in the manipulation of playing cards, coins, and other small objects. His stage performances blend elements of kabuki, a Japanese theater form, with traditional conjuring...
- Hank Moorehouse
- John MulhollandJohn MulhollandJohn Mulholland is the name of:*John Mulholland , president of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, 1910–1912*John Mulholland, 1st Baron Dunleath , Irish businessman and Conservative Member of Parliament*John F...
- Robert MurrayRobert MurrayRobert Murray , a prominent merchant, was born in County Armagh, Ireland, arriving with his father in Pennsylvania in 1732. Originally a Presbyterian, he became a Quaker after marrying Mary Lindley, daughter of a Quaker politician, in Pennsylvania in 1744. The couple arrived in New York City in...
- Penn & TellerPenn & TellerPenn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...
- Channing PollockChanning Pollock (magician)Channing Pollock was an American magician and film actor.-Magician:As one of the most sophisticated and charismatic practitioners of his craft; strikingly handsome with an enigmatic stage presence, he was best known for an act in which he would elegantly produce doves out of thin air and he was...
- Terry Seabrooke
- Alan ShaxonAlan ShaxonAlan Shaxon is a professional magician and a former president of The Magic Circle. He specialises in cabaret performances and is billed as one of England's foremost magicians....
- Larry WhiteLarry WhiteLarry David White was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1983 & 1984 seasons.-External links:...
See also
- List of magicians
- Illusionist
- List of magic tricks
- Card markingCard markingCard marking is the process of altering playing cards such that the suit, rank or both are only apparent to the person marking the cards , usually for the purpose of cheating at cards by card sharps. To be effective, the distinguishing mark or marks must be done on the obverse side, which are...
- Sleight of handSleight of handSleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain, is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly....
- Trick deckTrick deckA trick deck usually refers to a deck of playing cards which has been altered in some way to allow magicians to perform certain card tricks where sleight of hand would be too difficult or too impractical...
- FlourishFlourishCard flourishes is the term for visual displays of skill performed with playing cards designed to show the skill or manual dexterity of a 'Flourisher'. Card flourishes are primarily intended to be visually fascinating and to appear difficult to do....
- Tarbell CourseTarbell CourseThe Tarbell Course in Magic is the preeminent encyclopedia of magic amongst professional and amateur magicians. It has eight volumes; the first five were part of the original home-study correspondence course compiled in 1928 by Dr...
- Card throwingCard throwingCard throwing is the art of throwing standard playing cards. First popularized in the West among stage magicians, the art of throwing cards was called scaling. In 1997, a segment on MTV News:Unfiltered, featuring Jon W and the Fellas from Denver, Pennsylvania, introduced card throwing to a new...
- Si StebbinsSi StebbinsThe Si Stebbins is a card stack system which arranges the cards in a predetermined order to perform mentalism and card tricks with a gambling theme....
- Cardistry
- American Museum of MagicAmerican Museum of MagicThe American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, houses a large collection of magical paraphernalia and illusions, including an extensive collection of devices that once belonged to famed magician Harry Blackstone, Sr., .-Museum collection:...
- The Magic CircleThe Magic CircleThe Magic Circle is a British organisation, founded in London in 1905, dedicated to promoting and advancing the art of magic.- History :The Magic Circle was founded in 1905 after a meeting of 23 amateur and professional magicians at London's Pinoli's Restaurant...
- Magic Castle
- TimelineTimeline of magic-Timeline:2700 BCE - The reputed first known performance of a conjuring effect by the magician Dedi in ancient Egypt. Dedi had done other effects such as decapitating a birds head and reattach the head resurrecting it. -Timeline:2700 BCE - The reputed first known performance of a conjuring effect...
- Terms
- ManufacturersManufacturers of magic effectsManufacturers of magic effects produce magic tricks and illusions. Some are large corporations while others are small "cottage" industries operated from the manufacturer's home or small workshop.-List of manufacturers:* IllusionFX...
- AssistantMagician's assistantA magician's assistant is a performer in a magic act who is not billed as the magician or principal name in the act. The role of an assistant can include holding the props that are used by a magician, shifting props onto and off the stage, and serving as a living prop in illusions that involve...
s - ExposureExposure (magic)Exposure in magic refers to the practice of revealing the secrets of how magic tricks are performed.The practice is generally frowned upon as a type of spoiler that ruins the experience of magical performances for audiences.-Background:...
- Card magicCard manipulationCard magic is the branch of conjuring that deals with creating magical effects using a deck of playing cards. Card magic is commonplace in magical performances, especially in close up magic or parlor magic and street magic. Some of the most recognized names in this field include John Scarne, Juan...
- Gospel MagicGospel MagicGospel magic is the use of otherwise standard stage magic tricks and illusions to promote Christian messages. Gospel Magic does not claim to invoke spirits or paranormal powers....
- Torah MagicTorah MagicTorah magic is stage magic in the service of teaching the articles of the Jewish faith to youngsters, the Jewish equivalent to Gospel magic.The Jewish religious books the Tanakh and the Talmud consider conjuring as sinful.- Torah magicians :...
- MicromagicMicromagicMicromagic or close-up magic or table magic is magic performed in an intimate setting usually no more than ten feet from one's audience and is usually performed while sitting at a table....
- Parlor magicParlor magicParlor magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic and for smaller audiences than stage magic. In parlor magic, the performer is usually standing and on the same level as the audience, which may be seated on chairs or even on the floor. According to the Encyclopedia of Magic and...
- Children's magicChildren's magicChildren's magic is a specialized aspect of parlor magic and is meant to entertain children. It is typically performed at birthday parties, churches, preschools, elementary schools, Sunday Schools or libraries. It is often the only type of magic most Westerners experience other than that seen on...
- Street magicStreet magicStreet magic falls into two genres; traditional street performance and guerrilla magic.- Traditional street performance :The first definition of street magic refers to a traditional form of magic performance - that of busking. In this, the magician draws an audience from passers by and performs an...
- Theatrical SéancesTheatrical SéancesA theatrical séance is an aspect of mentalism that purports to give its audiences the feeling of contacting the spirits of the dead, as in a successful Spiritualist seance....
- Escape magicEscapologyFor the Jessica Mauboy song, see Inescapable.Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks and other perils, often in combination.-History:The art...
- Coin magicCoin magicCoin magic is a general term for magical performances employing one or more coins which are manipulated to deceive and baffle the audience. Because coins are small, much coin magic is considered close-up magic or table magic, as the audience must be close to the performer to see the effects...
- Mental magicMentalismMentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, appear to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities. Performances may appear to include telepathy, clairvoyance, divination, precognition, psychokinesis, mediumship, mind control, memory feats and rapid...
- Bizarre magicBizarre magicBizarre Magic, or Bizarre Magick, is a branch of stage magic, or conjuring, like stage illusions, sleight of hand, or children's magic. The major difference is that bizarre magic uses storytelling and word play to a much greater degree, and less emphasis is placed on the manual dexterity of the...
- Stage illusionsStage illusionsStage illusions are large-scale magic tricks. As the name implies, stage illusions are distinct from all other types of magic in that they are performed a considerable distance away from the audience, usually on a stage, in order to maintain the illusion....