Professional Stage Magic Tricks
From the Vaudeville stage to the guerrilla street magic of Criss Angel, the art of stage magic has evolved substantially over the last century. Many stage magicians, however, continue to rely on the same tried-and-true illusions that have been in use for decades. Although these tricks continue to be refined, the fundamental principles remain the same.
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The Magician's Assistant
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Most stage magic requires a magician's assistant who helps the magician prepare and execute tricks. Traditionally, the magician's assistant is an attractive, scantily clad woman who will move props and occasionally become a prop herself. In fact, many tricks used in stage magic would be impossible to execute without an assistant.
Rabbit in the Hat
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No magic trick is more more iconic than pulling a live rabbit out of an empty top hat. The magician shows the audience the inside of a seemingly empty top hat, then places the hat on a table and reaches inside, pulling out a rabbit. This trick can be done in a variety of different ways. One method utilizes a small black bag (containing the rabbit) that hooks onto the side of the table the audience can't see, and is then slipped into the empty hat via sleight of hand.
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Sawing a Woman in Half
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A large, horizontal cabinet (typically on wheels) is brought onstage with a hinged door that opens along its length. The assistant climbs in, her head protruding from a hole at one end, her feet sticking out of the other end. After closing the cabinet, the magician uses a saw to cut the cabinet in half while the assistant screams and yells dramatically, feet wiggling at the same time. The magician separates the two halves to demonstrate the assistant has indeed been sawed in half, her feet still wiggling. After joining both halves together, the magician opens the cabinet to reveal the assistant, completely intact, who climbs out of the cabinet.
Levitation
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Another commonly used trick in stage magic is levitation, which was a popular illusion for magicians during the Vaudeville era. Typically, the magician will place a board or sheet of wood, much like a tabletop, atop two chairs. After the assistant lies horizontally on the sheet, the magician covers both the assistant and the sheet with a large piece of fabric or cloth. Finally, the magician removes the chairs, one at a time, until the board with the assistant on it (both still covered by the fabric) seemingly levitate with nothing beneath providing support.
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References
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