“Magician or Illusionist? Which is the Best Title?”

Magic and Illusion at the Devonshire Residences Boston.

Magician or illusionist? I’d never given it any thought until I set my GPS for The Devonshire Residences in Boston, MA, where I’ve been hired to perform strolling magic for a Halloween Party. Driving to Boston is always a hassle, and there’s no way to arrive at the precise performance time. Leaving early is the only choice, but many things can go wrong with traffic. Despite my efforts to make good time, I’m faced with an 18-minute delay indicated by the dreaded “red” on my phone. The estimated arrival kept getting later, but fortunately, I arrived with a few minutes to spare. The stress of driving to gigs is the only downside of the job.

Luckily, I saved time by utilizing their garage, where they had a space reserved for me. Upon entering, I shared the elevator with a young woman, who was also heading up. We exchanged polite greetings, and she asked, “Are you the illusionist?” Surprised by the term, I responded, “I might just be a magician… are you coming to the party?” She confirmed her attendance before exiting her floor, leaving me to continue my ascent to the 41st floor.

Magician or Illusionist? Which would you Hire?

So, I start thinking…illusionist? Well… my repertoire is not just a bunch of tricks. In fact, it “hits pretty hard.” I make no claims of special powers, but I know some people get a little scared, scream, and swear, you’ve likely seen the reactions if you watch magicians’ promos on YouTube. Here’s mine. https://www.youtube.com/@themagicofjoeferrantibosto6476

We magicians need to promote ourselves, also known as blowing your own horn. It’s bragging, I was taught that was not a good characteristic. I don’t particularly like braggarts…so I walk a fine line. My performance character is humble, I let the material represent me, and the spectators’ reactions make my introduction to the next group easy.

It’s Not What You Do…It’s What They Think You Do.

As magicians, we constantly strive to build our credibility. There are many ways…the simplest is to lie. A small one might be referring to ourselves as a “master magician.” There are no strict requirements for using this status. It’s open to everybody. I haven’t used that one yet, but I’m kind of liking the “Illusionist.” Perhaps I’ll go with “Boston’s Foremost Close-Up Illusionist!”

Next, the “Big Lie.” for example, As seen on Penn and Teller Fool Us! That’s a lie because I’ve never appeared on P&T, in fact, I’ve never been to their show. They are coming to Boston soon. Perhaps it’s time to catch their show.

Boston Close-Up Magician Joe Ferranti