talkmagic.co.uk

It seems to me, at least in the US, as if stage magic isn't as big a thing as it used to be. I feel like there aren't as many TV specials as their used to be, and I don't think so many young people would be able to name a stage magician.

Who do you think the next great stage magician will be?
Do you see any magicians that seem to be on the rise right now, and might become famous? What style of stage magic do you think will become popular? Do you think stage magic will be as popular as it was?


-Benjamin

Chris Beard will be the next great stage magician.

Lord Freddie wrote:Chris Beard will be the next great stage magician.

I agree. Chris is brave, ballsy and original enough to make this happen. He's also got great ideas, industry contacts and nerves of steel. It's a sure thing and well deserved too.

Yep, and he works hard at it too.

Oh dear ... you've been offering peeps bars of choccy again havent you Beardy !!

I must admit you have 'grown' recently, but always been ballsy... (and annoying, irritating, did I say annoying ? :p)

(one for the bingo ... go-on off you go ... so predictable)


E x

I'll go with Chris Beard too! My cards envisage a TV show on SyFy within 3 years!

Stage magicians? Morgan and West are in with a good chance, I think. The next next great one might be Beardy.

Shame neither of them got to appear in the Penn and Teller show that was broadcast.

Steve Spade form Ireland will make the breakthrough, just like Keith Barry before him. He has all the qualities.
I've given up on myself!
I remember Harry Blackstone once saying that there was room for about six superstars (as in household names) in magic, and at least four would be from the US. He was of the view that this would not change with time; as the superstars died off they would be replaced, but the number would remain around six.
Think about that: David Blaine, Penn & Teller, David Copperfield (maybe on the wane), Lance Burton (perhaps), Chris Angel, Derren Brown. That's six. But there's plenty of room for good careers a tier below that.

I think it needs to be someone with something new. There's alot of people rehashing ideas, I think the next breakthrough will have to be someone who's doing something that's not been seen before or at least not been seen in quite some time.

TonyB wrote:I remember Harry Blackstone once saying that there was room for about six superstars (as in household names) in magic, and at least four would be from the US. He was of the view that this would not change with time; as the superstars died off they would be replaced, but the number would remain around six.
Think about that: David Blaine, Penn & Teller, David Copperfield (maybe on the wane), Lance Burton (perhaps), Chris Angel, Derren Brown. That's six. But there's plenty of room for good careers a tier below that.

Well, I think Copperfield, Blaine, and Angel are on their ways out of big fame, and let's remember that Blackstone may have been wrong about that.

I wonder if stage magic will become big again.

JakeThePerformer wrote:I wonder if stage magic will become big again.

It was never big. Even in the golden age there were a few stars (Thurston and the like) and a thriving variety scene. Now we have a few stars and a thriving birthday market.

But Tony,90% of Steve Spade's magic is card tricks

Flood wrote:But Tony,90% of Steve Spade's magic is card tricks

Only on youtube. Live he does escapes, stunts, and lots of comedy stuff. He has ferocious ambition, a great work ethic, solid skills and good charisma. It's the first two that will take him to the top. He's also a nice guy.

Indeed he does have a lot of potential Tony.How old is the guy?

Back in the 80's there was a lot more magic on TV, at least in North America. There were Doug Henning specials on all the time. Then Copperfield and of course Paul Daniels. Then there was the Worlds Greatest Magicians series, I remember a series where the stars performed. The executive producers of most of these shows, (Gary Oullet) passed away and magic sort of died on TV. It also didn't hurt that Johnny Carson was a big magic buff and many magi were able to strut their stuff on the Tonight Show, but that was lost when Johnny retired. It is hard to know what takes off and why. I'm pretty sure that magic will have its day again, it tried with Chris Angel but that didn't stick around very long, mostly because Chris Angel alienated the people that were backing him.

Right now it seems that is Reality TV that rules the roost. But with shows like America (or whoever) Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, So you think you can dance, it is only a matter of time that talent shows will become popular again.

As for who is nexxt? Impossible to say, possible hasn't been invented yet.