The term “magic” conjures up images of the likes of David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, David Blaine and Dynamo doing there thing in Vegas or on the small screen for the amusement of incredulous crowds. They’re all very clever, charismatic figures who use sleight of hand and word of mouth to make us think we are seeing something that our logical brain knows is impossible.
Because of my love of cruises — more on that elsewhere — I’ve seen more than my share of illusionists in the past few years. No cruise is complete without a magic show, largely because these performances engage people of all ages and they transcend language barriers.
I’ve seen more quick-change artists, ladies sawn in two, levitations, rope tricks and card conundrums to last several lifetimes, and I’m the first to admit that I have absolutely no idea of how it’s all done. Yet, at the same time, the more I see of what I don’t understand, the less it engages me.
The end result is that when I see a magic show now, I’m simultaneously astounded and nonplussed.
I guess what I really want to be is in the audience the night that things don’t quite go to plan. I don’t care if I happen to catch a glimpse of the wires and mirrors, the trap door, the fork lift or whatever it is they use to make the magic, I just want to see something new.
