Eugene Burger is a master magician--voted one of the 100 most influential magicians of the past century by MAGIC Magazine. He responded by email to the Mini-Wizard in 1998.
Mini-Wizard: What magicians have influenced you to perform the way you do today?
Burger: When I was 8 years old, I saw Jack Gwynne at the Oriental Theater in Chicago. He taught me that, if I was going to be a magician, I would then choose to look like one. When I was about 14 years old, I spent time with Don Alan who taught me that every magic effect needs a well thought out presentation. I also learned that knowing how large numbers of tricks work is rather pointless in the big picture of being an entertainer with magic. The real task is learning to master a few tricks. (Perhaps we should put the word “master” in bold face type. It’s a magic word!)
Mini-Wizard:How did you come up with your character and what influences you to perform magic the way you do?
Burger: Actually, I don’t think that I “came up with it.” I didn’t invent my character, rather, I uncovered it. I uncovered the character that was always me; it was already there. And so my “character” that you experience during one of my performances is basically me -- though a more theatrical version of me that stresses some things about me (my look, my voice) and hopefully minimizes other things (which I won’t even mention!)
Mini-Wizard:Do you have any advice for young magicians, or magicians in general?
Burger: Yes, since I have magic students when I am here in Chicago, I think a great deal about how we can best learn magic. Check out my column, “Beginner’s Corner,” in Genii magazine. I deal with some aspect of this fascinating question each month.
Best regards,
Eugene Burger
You can read his column and other essays on his website www.magicbeard.com
consider supporting Eugene Burger and magicinterviews by purchasing magic from Hank Lee's Magic Factory
The Chicago Tapes - Eugene Burger
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photo of Eugene Burger from magicbeard.com
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