Thanks to shows like The X-Factor, America’s Got Talent and now CW’s Masters of Illusion which airs Friday nights on the CW Network, magic has made a big come back. One of these master magicians, Nathan Burton recently appeared on The CW Network’s Masters of Illusion. I had a chance to have an interesting email interview with Nathan. Masters of Illusion airs Friday nights on The CW.
Highlights from Nathan Burton’s Recent Appearance.
https://vimeo.com/225896286
Can you talk a little bit about your background?
I got started in magic at 4 years old. I did my first show for my kindergarten class. It was not very good, but I knew I wanted to be a magician when I grew up.
Out of all the things you could do, what was it about Magic that caught your eye?
I love the reaction you get from doing a good magic trick. If you do it well the audience will let you know! If it’s not good, they also tell you…
Can you talk a little about your experience on Masters of Illusion and how you got involved?
Gay Blackstone, one of the producers of the television show, Masters of Illusion, saw my show several years ago and asked me to be on it. It is summer time, which means it’s Master of Illusion time. Summer and Magic go hand in hand. It’s always a crazy fun time for us. We work everyday in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood. On one of our dark days we head to LA and tape Masters and then head right back so we don’t miss a Vegas show.
What kind of impact do you think a show like Masters of Illusion will have on Magic?
The idea of a child watching his first Magician on TV is amazing. One day maybe the kid will have his own show in Vegas. Dreams do come true. They did for me! I’m very lucky!
How would you describe your act?
I’m not your traditional magician. No top hats, bunnies, just Showgirls! I like to have fun with the crowd and I want everybody to have a great time at my show.
Can you describe your favorite/most popular trick?
My favorite trick is a prediction trick. I bring a child from the audience on stage and ask him/her several questions. Then a blackboard that has been suspended above stage is lowered. The child’s answers to the questions are then revealed on the blackboard. I like this trick because I never know what the child will say. There have been some very funny responses over the years!
How does someone learn to do magic and get involved?
There are lots of great books on magic at the libraries or online. Learning magic takes a lot of practice to be smooth. Then the magician needs to add his “patter” or what he will be saying while performing the tricks. Practice really does make perfect!
There aren’t many magicians featured in pop culture like movies and television, but when they are, the portrayal is rarely positive. Do you agree with this and if so why do you think this is?
There is the stereotype of Uncle Bob doing card tricks at the family reunion. But there is a trend of great young, creative magicians helping to modernize the concept of magic.
What do you think about a movie like Now You See Me that delights in giving away the secrets to some of the more popular tricks?
This does not really effect a professional magician. A good magician can still entertain and fool the audience even if the audience knows how the trick is done.