By Aaron O’Neal
Written January 17, 2023
Editor’s note: Aaron wrote this article in January 2023. It remained unpublished, and we’re sharing it now as part of the conversation he and Diego envisioned for MindinMagic. We’ve lightly edited the text for clarity and readability while preserving Aaron’s voice and perspective.
Mac King, the legendary Las Vegas magician, was on television doing his cards-across routine. For most of us, this type of effect would take two or three minutes to complete. As I watched Mac spend the next six minutes doing a hilarious routine involving a cloak of invisibility and countless jokes, turning a relatively mundane card trick into a theatrical gem, it reinforced something for me: the best performers do not learn hundreds of tricks.
Many perform the same effects over and over. Even more interesting, they will give these same presentations to repeat audiences with little loss of entertainment value. I have seen Mac do this routine numerous times, and it never ceases to entertain.
As performers, we have been told to give our routines flight time with an audience so that we can develop better methods, work out jokes, discover patter lines, and understand staging and blocking. At some mythical endpoint, we will have created a wonderful piece of magic that most audience members can enjoy.
While a routine can indeed improve the more you perform it, for me that is not the most important reason to do the same tricks over and over. The greatest value of repeat performances is not simply making the effect better, but making the audience’s experience more authentic.
I know this seems counterintuitive. A fully worked-out set would appear to be anything but unique. But stay with me.
Familiar material, a particular moment
Whenever I am hired to do a corporate walk-around show, I find myself loading my coat and pants pockets with the same props I took to my last show. In fact, if I reset at the end of the night, I can literally grab my coat, walk out the door, and work a four-hour event.
But how does this create a one-of-a-kind experience for the audience?
Here is what I have learned after doing essentially the same set for the last ten years. I know where my moments are in every presentation. I know where a line will get a laugh. I have worked through the transitions. There are sections designed to elicit wonder. I understand my blocking and angles. The sleights are so ingrained that my muscle memory runs on autopilot.
This lets me stay in the moment with my audience.
I am not thinking about what to say next. I can focus on conversations, names, and events I can use throughout the routine to make the story feel relevant to this moment.
This is no longer simply a rope trick. It is a playful experience that calls back to people and conversations at this particular event. It is no longer a canned presentation where robbers steal cards or people watch the magic happen. The audience becomes part of the show.
It is no longer “my” show. It is “their” show.
The freedom to respond
My favorite part about having my routines down cold is that I can ad-lib with complete confidence. If something funny or interesting from the night can be added to the show, I am free to insert it. If the best line at that moment is a stock line I always use, I know I can rely on it. I have delivered it often enough, to enough different people, to understand the response it is likely to receive.
I equate it to a successful stand-up comedian. They have a set that most nights will destroy an audience, but because they know the material so well, they can address a heckler, go off script, or rearrange the order to make the most of the audience’s reactions.
True performance confidence doesn’t come from perfecting the magic effect alone. You can work on the mechanics in the bedroom. Learning to perform it for people is another matter.
The best magicians know every line and every move. They have added and removed countless lines, methods, and props to develop a performance and personality that resonate with an audience.
Now that is freedom!
I know I can walk into a room and absolutely destroy an audience. At the same time, I can use the surrounding environment to give them an authentic experience they will remember long after the pajamas are on and the lights are out.
Try new possibilities in familiar routines
It is understandable to want to do new tricks. We constantly see things that catch our eye and captivate our minds. We get bored doing the same effects over and over.
For those looking to perform and make money doing it, perhaps instead of new effects, try new lines. Look for ways to make your existing routines better. Perhaps there is a cleaner method. Maybe a new prop would make an existing routine more enjoyable.
Figure out what you love, then do it hundreds of times for hundreds of people. Like any sport, hobby, or passion, practice leads to better outcomes.
The more you know your material, the more you can focus on your audience. Being in that moment with them offers so much more than simply performing at them.
Try it. You won’t go back…