So very often we have heard and been told that as magician, our main role is supposed to be that of an entertainer.

But the question is, what qualifies as entertainment?
I noticed that almost ALL magicians (the big name pros especially) resort to comedy within their routine for the entertainment factor, (The exception cases are perhapes Blaine and Angel). Even Copperfield seems to be using A LOT more comedy in the Tornedo of Fire special than previous specials.

Yes, of course good comedy is very entertaining, but is it the ONLY way to entertain? Or is comedy just the most convenient way to be "entertaining"?

If not, what other style can be successfully adopted for an entertaining act?

Some random thoughts i'm playing with....
Looking at other performance art forms, let's say movies. Comedy is of course a very popular genre. But lotsa other genres get very good commercial responses too, action, horror, romance, si-fi....etc
Can these genre be adopted for magic too?
Now, some of you may say Blaine and Angel's style is a blend of horror and mystery. But that's camera magic, produced for tv. Can such a style be successfully adopted for real life performances?

Your thoughts please....

action, horror, drama needs build up to be strong and for the audience to connect.
Build up needs time. Like a good wrestling match's storyline buildup. 4 weeks of weekly TV storylines buildup leading to the PPV (Pay per View) grudge match. If the match just happens without any buildup, it isnt strong and doesnt have any emotional connection. If you have a 10 minute magic slot on a show, there's hardly any time for you to build up any emotional err...connection. So I suppose comedy is the best route.

Who says you can't learn anything from Pro-wrestling.

Comedy requires less buildup, therefore more convienient.

I would think Lance Burton and David Copperfield aren't doing comedy, though they occasionally say a line or two of jokes....but ppl still pay to go to their show.

There must be some comedy. Its easier to be entertained when one put in comedy into their magic.

Some build comedy in their patter which i think is great.

Pure magic effects alone leave people speechless, which may not mean they were entertained. It is just "how u did that" rather than expressing how fun it was to watch ya performance.

Actually, in his Tornado of Fire special, David Copperfield used A LOT of comedy, so much so that I was a bit taken back.

And I think what Jeff said about Comedy requiring less build up is probably true. As compared to other more complex emotions, i guess humour is almost an instantaneous reaction.

So if comedy is essential, what then for pple like me who don't have much of a funny bone? Then how? Silent act? :P

lots of scripting,... :)

what I do nowadays, is i script whatever I can think of that comes to mind, or wind (whichever you prefer) or whatever jokes or lines I can use.
It doesnt have to be in sequence.

They'll come useful someday.