The Harsh Truth: Most Magic Shows Are Forgettable… and Magicians Are the Ones to Blame
- Jonathan Molo
- Nov 17
- 3 min read
There’s a sentence every magician has heard at some point in their career.
From adults.
From kids.
From people who actually love magic.
“Oh, I’ve seen this one before.”
“I know how this one is done.”
If your stomach tightened a little reading that… good.
It means you care about your craft.
Because here’s the truth most don’t want to say out loud:
If you’re hearing that sentence often, it’s not your audience’s fault…It might be your material. Or your approach.
And yes — magicians, don’t make me disappear for this opinion — but a lot of the routines being shared today are corny, predictable, and performed like… well, magic tricks.
It looks like a trick.
It feels like a trick.
It’s presented like a trick.
And when audiences watch too many of those shows back-to-back, what happens?
We get stereotyped.
“Oh, all magicians do the same thing.”
“It’s cute, but it’s for kids.”
Meanwhile…the world is evolving.
Entertainment is evolving.
But too many magic shows are still stuck in 1998.
And that’s the problem.
THE REAL ISSUE: MAGIC WITHOUT MEANING
Magic isn’t supposed to be a parade of puzzles where the message is:
“Look what I can do… and you can’t.”
That’s ego.
That’s empty.
And honestly? That’s boring.
Magic is supposed to do the opposite:
✨ Connect
✨ Empower
✨ Inspire
✨ Give people a gift
Not a trick.
A moment.
If you want to dive deeper into this idea, one of the best explanations in the history of our art form comes from Ken Weber’s Maximum Entertainment. Every serious student of magic or mentalism should read it — twice.
In Chapter 2, Weber lays out the Hierarchy of Mystery Entertainment:
Puzzle
“The spectator knows what she saw was impossible or weird. She can’t figure it out, but assumes that if she knew the secret, she could do it too.”
Trick
“A demonstration of perceived skill… overwhelmingly, professional magicians perform tricks.”
Extraordinary Moment
“An extraordinary moment leaves no room for explanation.The viewer gasps for air rather than grasps for method.”
This is the part that magicians need to hear:
Most magic shows today are stuck in the ‘puzzle’ or ‘trick’ stage.
Very few create extraordinary moments.
I’m not saying “tricks” are bad — I have a few in my show too — but a show built entirely out of tricks will always feel like a magic show.
WHAT COMEDIANS CAN TEACH MAGICIANS
Look at the entertainment landscape right now.
Comedians are exploding.
Selling out arenas.
Dominating TikTok.
Massive Netflix specials.
Why?
Because comedy is built on:
relatability
storytelling
personality
vulnerability
timing
connection
Magicians — we should be paying attention.
A card trick in the wrong hands is just…a card trick.
But in the hands of a performer who understands story, timing, intention, and connection?
That’s when a trick becomes magic.
That’s when magic becomes unforgettable.
MAGICIANS: THIS PART IS FOR YOU
If you want your show to stop feeling forgettable:
Stop thinking like a trick collector.
Start thinking like a storyteller.
Ask yourself:
Why THIS routine?
Why NOW in the show?
What does this reveal about YOU?
What emotion should the audience feel?
How does this empower THEM?
Your routines should mean something.
You should mean something.
Because when you share who you are — your heritage, your journey, your childhood memories, your humor, your heart — the magic becomes deeper than method.
The moment becomes bigger than the move.
CLIENTS: THIS PART IS FOR YOU
If you’re planning an event — corporate, private party, wedding, community program — here’s what you deserve:
Not cookie-cutter magic.
Not recycled routines.
Not another “I’ve seen this before” show.
You deserve a performance that:
connects with your guests
brings people together
creates real reactions
makes your night unforgettable
That’s what I deliver.
Because magic isn’t just the show.
Magic is the memory.
If you want extraordinary moments at your next event, reach out anytime.
I’d be honored to create them with you.
NOW LET’S TALK… MAGICIANS & CLIENTS
Magicians —
Do you agree? Disagree?
Are we relying too much on tricks… and not enough on meaning?
I genuinely want to hear your viewpoint in the comments.
Clients —Have you ever seen a magic show that felt “corny”… or one that made you feel something real?
Tell me about it.
A FINAL THOUGHT TO LEAVE YOU WITH
A good magician does tricks.
A great magician creates moments.
But a truly unforgettable magician changes how people feel — long after the show is over.
Let’s aim higher.
Let’s give people more than puzzles and tricks.
Let’s give them something extraordinary.
-Jonathan Molo
The Man in the Purple Suit
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