Level of Difficulty Points

In Olympic Sports like gymnastics and diving, part of each competitor's score is dictated by the level of difficulty. One gymnast doing a vault, for example, may have a much higher possible maximum score than another athlete doing a vault with a lower level of difficulty. As a result, spectators not familiar with the sport are often surprised when one of the most highly skilled gymnasts makes an error on a vault and yet receives a higher score than another athlete who may have performed an easier vault flawlessly. Because the level of difficulty boosted the maximum possible score so much higher, even with a mistake, the score will be higher than a near-perfect but significantly easier vault.

 

However, magicians often get themselves into trouble by applying this mindset to their performances. Forgetting that the effect and its impact on the audience are the most important factors, many prestidigitators believe that their shows will improve by incorporating incredibly difficult technique.

 

Before I go on, allow me to qualify what I am about to say: There are some performers who can do extraordinarily difficult techniques flawlessly--it seems as if nothing at all happened. And there are times when the more difficult method is, in fact, the better method. That's not what I'm talking about here; I'm referring to incorporating difficult technique for its own sake into a show with the assumption that it will automatically make the show better.

 

I recently had the privilege of performing at the Mystique Magic Dinner Theater in Boise. Sadly, the reason I was asked to perform was because the scheduled performer, Andrew Goldenhersch, was very ill. I was asked to cover his shows for a couple of days. Now, I have seen Andrew's act. He is a fabulous magician--one of those guys who can do incredibly technically difficult material flawlessly. (Joe Skilton, another excellent magician, described Andrew's act this way: "Andrew, probably more than any other magician I've ever seen, understands the moment of magic.") I informed the manager that I would be happy to help, but that I was no Andrew Goldenhersch. He said he understood that, and no one was expecting that. So, five hours later, I found myself being introduced for the first show.

 

Here is the act I performed at the shows that night and the next:

 

1. Bill Abbott's Five-Card Repeat

2. My Rope routine

3. Peanut, Butter, and Jelly (my sponge ball routine)

4. Magic Western Union (my Flying Eagles routine with a double kicker)

5. Card set, consisting of my versions of

• Red Hot Mama
  
• Triumph
  
• Signed card to Ostin Bulldog Clip (which had been hanging in full view since before I entered the room)
  

6. My linking ring routine

 

Let's analyze each of these routines from a technical standpoint and rate them on a scale from 1-5 (1 being extremely easy and 5 being extremely difficult) as regards level of difficulty.

 

1. The Five-Card Opener is essentially self-working. Level: 1

2. The rope routine certainly has some moves in it, but nothing particularly challenging. Level: 2

3. My sponge ball routine does require a few retention of vision vanishes. Other than that, it uses subtleties and a gimmick. Level: 3

4. Magic Western Union requires a thumb palm and one Han Ping Chien move. Level: 2

5. Card set: In this routine, I do have to palm a card once, but it is on the offbeat under heavy misdirection. A card is controlled, there are a couple of double lifts, and a Mercury Card Fold. Level: 3

6. Linking Rings - there is certainly some technique involved, but nothing that would qualify as difficult sleight-of-hand. Level: 2

 

The average level of difficulty for the entire act is 2 on a scale of 1-5. The other (world-class) performers at Mystique would have a rating more like 4.5. And yet the owner, the manager, some of the other magicians, and some of the repeat guests all told me my act was of the same caliber as the other acts.

 

Now imagine if I had tried to do more difficult material for its own sake in an attempt to fit in better. I would have been nervous and uncomfortable, and that would have come across in my performance. I likely would have botched a trick or two. And unlike Olympic Gymnastics, a higher level of difficulty in a magic routine does not allow for any mistakes. If you botch it, it's botched, and the audience's experience of magic is ruined.

 

Listen, if you are of that rare breed that can smoothly cruise through the most difficult technique as if you are doing nothing at all, then I say more power to you! But if you are like the vast majority of us, do not feel that you need to incorporate some near-impossible sleight where a simple coin gaff or gimmicked card will create the same (or even a better) effect. There is no shame in that. If you do relatively easy material well and sell it well, you can make a living performing magic.

 

Always remember: It is MUCH better to do easy to moderate material very well than to do very advanced material badly!