America's Got Magic?

Fresh on the heels of magician Charlie Caper's big win on television's "Sweden's Got Talent," for the past couple of weeks, magicians have been making their presence known in "America's Got Talent."

The judges have been seemingly open to magic and even complimentary, as in the case of a great performance by Jay Mattiolis and that of Drew Thomas. On the other hand, the performance (he's in the fourth segment) by Marti Brill demonstrated much of what people hate about magic. The judges and audience were brutal.

Why was Marti Brill's routine so ill-received? Many magicians discover early on the power that they have to fool audiences, but fail to realize that a performer also has to be entertaining and likable. Everyone likes to be entertained, but no one likes to be fooled. And if audiences don’t like the magician, the act is essentially over. Brill was arrogant and unlikeable, a trait that I see in far too many magicians, amateur and pro.

Brill has potential as a magician, but he's got to change the attitude and be willing to work with a director who can reform his stage persona and presentation. Some of what I saw in Brill's performance is what I'm talking about in my article, The Five Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Magicians.

Mattiolis and Thomas, on the other hand, each presented the right combination of bravado with likable personas. I liked Mattiolis' tightly choreographed routine that featured lots of polish and flair with dance moves in the transitions and excellent use of music. Thomas performed a classic with lots of panache and style. Well done.

More Reading:
The Charlie Caper Interview
Magician Wins "Sweden's Got Talent"
The Five Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Magicians