My name is J C Sum and I am an illusionist & designer of original illusions based in Singapore. I have had the privilege of having a professional stage magician career for the past 22 years performing internationally for corporate & special events such as aboard luxury cruise liners, world class theaters, showrooms and on international television.
Learning to become a professional stage magician naturally takes practice most of all, but no matter your level of skill, there are other key factors that can bring your performance to the next level.
Because of recent and ongoing changes in economic markets in particular, today’s stage magicians need to be able to adapt and take their show out of the traditional theater setting. For most stage magicians this means adding unique elements to stage shows and one’s magical persona, but while looking for clues as to “what’s cool in magic”, remember that such trends, as in any business, are cyclical.
So while it may be useful to absorb the stylings and flairs of today’s most popular stage performers, don’t forget to consider past cycles of classical magic, as you might just happen upon something that hasn’t yet “come back into style” and be the stage magician to ride that wave.
It’s not a great secret that to become a popular stage magician it takes a combination of uniqueness, classical style, and of course skill. But how you go about finding your personal ‘mix’ of these components is a journey that is personal for each performer.
From Years Performing as an Illusionist and Stage Magician…
One thing I can tell you from my experiences reviewing performing artistes is that about 85% of the magic acts out there fall into one of two categories:
- Stage magicians who have fantastic acts but are not monetizing and maximizing their commercial potential (those who undervalue themselves)
- Stage magicians who need to improve the level or their skill and/or presentation (those who do not understand why they are undervalued)
It is these groups of professional performers I believe stand to benefit the most from my experience. As I continue my personal journey as an international performing artiste, I have a keen desire to help other artistes and stage magicians build solid careers that are resilient in today’s ever changing market because I see the differences between that 85/15 split –what it takes to become a successful stage magician. Toward these goals, I continue to share my performance experience on my websites –there are several stage magician articles which I’ve written and recommend as a good starting point.
If you’re ready to take a more assertive direction with your career, check out my book The Showbiz Master Plan which can help ANY stage magician or other performing artist get more from efforts they are already investing, or contact me for professional stage magician consultation.
Thanks for stopping by!