Twins Seek ‘Open Sesame’ for Sharpening Magic Career

Megan and Susan Murphy are identical twins with a shared goal: They want to become top professional magicians. They approached the world’s leading conjurer--David Copperfield--for advice.

Unlike Copperfield, who’s gained worldwide acclaim for his grand illusions (such as making the Statue of Liberty disappear), the Murphys, 22, specialize in “parlor” and “close-up” magic, which is performed for smaller audiences.

During their comedic routines, the Murphys make dollars vanish and reappear inside pickles; cause ropes to mysteriously break and reattach; do card tricks; and saw audience volunteers in half.

The twins became interested in magic 14 years ago after watching Copperfield perform. They practiced with a Fisher-Price magic set. Eventually, after studying magic more seriously, they became skilled enough to be accepted into the Magic Castle Junior Group.

“We’re kind of like risk-takers,” Susan said. “We put ourselves out there. There aren’t a lot of females in this, which I’m sad about, because there weren’t many role models for us.”

Added Megan: “[Performing well] is about making a show into an experience, and we’re just starting to achieve that.”

Copperfield met backstage with the Murphys between his shows at the Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. The twins, who have been performing professionally since they were 16, hoped that by learning how Copperfield shaped his early career they might develop strategies for their “Twin Magic” act.

They asked Copperfield if he had crafted a business plan for his career, once he knew he wanted to be a full-time magician. Copperfield said he hadn’t. For him, he said, his most important early step was doggedly adhering to a vision of what he hoped to achieve. Once he’d committed himself to the vision, he said, he channeled all his efforts toward it.

“At the time, I was really working on finding a unique way of communicating the magic to others,” Copperfield said. “I wanted to educate people, to get people to change the way they thought of magic. The business elements came afterward. There are a lot of people with business plans who fail because they don’t have a vision.”

The Murphys also asked him if he had adhered to a rigid 9-to-5 workday schedule as he honed his craft. Copperfield again said no. He worked organically, the way an artist might, diligently fine-tuning each element of his act.

Such a flexible schedule allowed him to be more creative. This was crucial because he planned to eschew the magician’s well-worn routine and, instead, present to the public a totally original, much more exciting, act.

“I didn’t structure my days,” he said. “I spent a lot of time in my little apartment listening to music and dreaming up routines. I’d edit music to fit the routines, work on making the routines unique. Then I’d bang on doors and I’d show [bookers] everything I had.”

Copperfield said he had one regret. If he could restart his career, he would ask experienced professionals, such as art directors, for guidance “in the areas where I wasn’t strong or focused.”

He also cautioned the twins not to believe that success is all glitz and glamour.

“It’s full of stress,” Copperfield said. “And it never gets easier. The rewards make you forget about the stress temporarily, but then you have to go through the stress again.

“It always starts with a blank page, and it’s usually a never-ending battle to come up with new things. The people who make it in this business are not the people who say, ‘Oh, I really want to be famous.’ It’s the people who want to make an impact.”

Tony Wilson, general manager of the Magic Castle in Hollywood (which is considered one of the nation’s top venues for magicians) has seen the Murphys perform numerous times at his establishment. He believes that, with additional practice and professional guidance, they can become a premier act.

“They have a charisma and stage persona that’s going to help them with their career,” he said. “Timing is crucial to magic, and these two are in the process of getting it down.”

Other successful magicians also offered the Murphys advice. Most agreed that the most important move an up-and-coming act such as the Murphys can make is to develop a memorable stage personality.

Beginning magicians often commit the error of focusing on their sleight-of-hand, hoping to enrapture audiences, said Paul Nathan, a San Francisco-based magician, producer and booking agent.

“No one cares about the neat new tricks you’re learning,” Nathan said. “What they care about is who you are.”

Instead of attempting to master trunkloads of tricks, the Murphys should try to perfect between six and 12 routines (a series of related tricks), said Robert Ian of Monroe, Wis., a magician who’s performed more than 2,000 shows since 1983.

“You’ll need to know them inside and out and be able to perform them under virtually all circumstances, because what changes all the time is your working environment,” he said. “That is what can really throw a performer off.”

The twins’ act must be fluid. Their routines should flow together through a unifying story line or theme. Currently, the twins are honing an act in which they lightheartedly battle over boyfriends and muse about the temptations of wealth as they perform magic.

Their act’s first few minutes are critical. First, they must be sure that their introduction is compelling, for this will pique audiences’ curiosity. Their entrance must be attention-grabbing too. To achieve this, many magicians open with flashy tricks or enchanting stories, Ian said.

And audience members shouldn’t be made to feel clueless or ignorant, Ian said.

“The kind of magic that doesn’t play well is the type where the magician is [implying] ‘I’m smarter than you are. I know more than you do,’ ” he said.

Rather, the Murphys should encourage audiences to feel as though they’re magical co-conspirators.

To refine their act, the Murphys can consider doing what Copperfield suggested--hiring a director, choreographer, joke writer, art director or dance instructor. They also should consider selecting background music for their routines.

“An act with no music is like a film without a soundtrack,” Nathan said.

Each musical selection should reflect the essence of the illusion that the Murphys are performing. The pieces should have different tempos and styles to keep audiences interested, noted Joanie Spina, who was an artistic consultant and principal performer with David Copperfield for 11 years.

Though the Murphys said they’d like gigs in Las Vegas eventually, they may find opportunities there somewhat limited. Hotels such as Harrah’s and the MGM Grand tend to book only grand illusion acts, Wilson said.

Cruise ships, too, which often pay magicians well, mostly book flamboyant illusion acts for their large stages, said Peter Samelson, creative director of Invision Media Communications in Verona, N.J., who’s worked with Penn & Teller and appeared on PBS’ “The Art of Magic.”

The best venues for the Murphys’ parlor and close-up magic acts are private engagements such as birthday parties and weddings (which pay from $200 to $1,000); corporate bookings, such as trade shows and after-dinner gigs (which pay from $2,500 to $5,000); and magic clubs and theaters such as the Magic Castle, Wizards in Universal City, Magicopolis in Santa Monica, and the Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, said George Tovar, a professional magician for 20 years who performs regularly at Caesars Palace and the Magic Castle.

Once the twins finesse their act, they should begin soliciting work from booking agents, event-planning organizations and private individuals.

They can do so only after they’ve compiled a slick promotional package about themselves.

It should include a compelling 5- to 10-minute video of “Twin Magic” (which can cost $1,500 and up to produce), color photos ($3,000 to $5,000), glossy brochures and testimonials, Nathan said.

They also should secure liability insurance, which can be purchased through the World Clown Assn., International Brotherhood of Magicians or the Society of American Magicians, according to Bryan Dean, About.com’s magic guide. Some venues won’t book magicians without it.

Becoming a well-known magic act will take extraordinary time and effort, but the twins, who share an apartment in Manhattan Beach, say they are committed to the goal. They’ve hired Diana Zimmerman, a former magician known as “Diana the Enchantress,” to manage them, and have enlisted the help of professional comedy writers to punch up their act’s dialogue. They’re practicing their routines daily.

“Nothing will stand in the way because it’s something we really love,” Megan said.

“You simply can’t have a Plan B,” Susan said.

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Time for a Change

NAMES: Megan and Susan Murphy

OCCUPATION: Magicians

DESIRED OCCUPATION: Internationally famous magicians

QUOTES: “I would like to see us performing at Las Vegas hotels, [developing] our business, getting into theater and film, and using our skills to help new talents in magic.” -- Megan Murphy “I want us to be superstars.” -- Susan Murphy

MEET THE COACH

David Copperfield is considered the world’s greatest illusionist. This year, he was named a “living legend” by the U.S. Library of Congress. His “Magic of David Copperfield” TV specials have aired in 40 countries and have been seen by an estimated 3 billion people. At age 12, he was the youngest person ever admitted to the Society of American Magicians. He performs his magic feats more than 500 times a year.

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