Once there was a time when street magicians were nearly as prevalent on the streets of Manhattan as street musicians. It wasn’t unusual for ordinary people to be approached by a magician who would make an everyday object disappear then pull it from behind the ear of an unsuspecting passerby.
Sleight of hand illusionist Justin Style, who will give a performance at the Secaucus Public Library a week from Tuesday, was among the illusionists who got his start working the streets of New York. A lifelong professional performer, Style dabbled in acting and mime before he made the switch to magic.
“I would go out on the street and work it right there in front of people, to try to grow,” Style recalled last week. “Many lay audiences like to see fancy stuff, big props on a stage. Sleight of hand is the most difficult of all magic, but probably the least recognized by the lay public.”
There are many different styles of magic: stage illusions that rely on props; mentalism, in which the magician appears to read minds; escape artistry in the style of Harry Houdini. While some of these forms of magic primarily rely on endurance or the magician’s ability to memorize many details of a trick, sleight of hand relies heavily on concentration – and dexterous hands.
“In the beginning, you’re all fumbles. Everything – coins, cards – falls to the floor. It can take years to learn some sleight of hand tricks,” Style said.
Silver Dollar Trick
For instance, the Silver Dollar Trick, in which Style produces 10 silver dollars out of thin air one at a time, took nearly 9,000 hours of practice to master. That’s lot of work for an illusion that takes only three minutes to perform.
“It’s a skill that you have to work to develop. It takes a lot of patience and it’s a lifelong pursuit. I’m still just a student,” said Style, who has been a professional magician for 25 years. “I’m not taking anything away from stage illusions. They have their own place. But as far as skill level, it’s the crew and the assistants doing the work, not the magicians. It’s easy to buy a big box for $2,000, stick it on a stage, stand in front of it while a couple people push it around, and then a girl jumps out of it.”
It has been suggested, by the way, that some of the best sleight of hand magicians work the card tables in casinos, while petty con artists are some of the best street magicians around.
Finger flicking fun
Like many contemporary magicians, Style learned his first tricks from books before testing his skills on New York street corners and meeting fellow illusionist Flaco, who took Style under his wing and helped him develop a professional routine.
“He was a master magician, more experienced and much better than I was,” Style recalled. “We would do an act where he would do the magic tricks and I would juggle behind him. Since I have the gift of gab, I was good at attracting an audience, making people laugh. He finally told me that if I concentrated more on my magic and used my skills to attract audiences, I could develop a pretty good act….Eventually, I left the juggling behind.”
His repertoire and reputation grew. By the 1990s, Style was becoming one of the most respected sleight of hand magicians in the country.
In 1999 he was asked to participate in Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic, an annual invitation-only gathering of 150 magicians from around the world. The Frolic, started by renowned magician Eddie Fechter in 1971, is “the pinnacle if you’re a magician,” Style said. “It’s hardcore, nothing but magicians. For five days they gather, and from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. It’s nothing but lectures and shows. When you get there, you have to do your act in front of a room full of the world’s best magicians staring at you.”
That’s how magicians “size up” their peers to determine how good they really are. First-timers at the Frolic do their act and the best are invited back; those who fall short, aren’t. Style has been invited back every year since 1999 and has attended several times.
No escape
This isn’t to suggest that Style’s success has shielded him from the gritty reality of being an illusionist for hire.
“Years ago, I was hired to do a show for this motorcycle group,” Style remembered. “When they booked me, this guy told me, ‘We don’t want any BS. Just bring the real magic.’ So, I get there and I’m doing my act and these two guys keep leaning over to each other. I just know they’re planning my death. The place where we were, there was only one way in and one way out. So I know I’m not getting out alive. Anyway, when I’m done, they tell me, ‘We’ve hired a lot of magicians. And you’re the only one who’s a real artist. You’re a true magician.’ ”
“You can imagine,” Style added, “I was pretty relieved.”
Style will perform at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 12:30 p.m. The show is free.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.