Why does a magician wear a tuxedo?

This wonderful question has seldom bothered magicians for decades. Should. Some possible answers might include:

• He is getting married today.
• He just got off work as a waiter.
• He goes to the prom.

Expect! The man is about to do magic. I’m sure anyone who does great magic wears a tuxedo. It follows logically that a person dressed in attractiveness that the public has not generally worn in nearly sixty years must be a well-trained and entertaining entertainer.

I get answers like:

“People won’t know we’re wizards if we don’t wear our uniform,” lament the penguin-like conjurers.

“Real magicians should wear tuxedos,” shouts the part-timer in his ill-fitting second-hand outfit.

The question of what wizards should wear has been around for over a century. The correct answer has been around for so long. Unfortunately, many wizards don’t get it.

Jean Robert-Houdin, the father of modern magic, looked around at how his fellow magicians dressed. The common uniform for a “true magician” was to dress as a full magician with a conical hat. Robert-Houdin to see magic as an art. He devised many wonderful effects. He would come out on stage naked to present the magic of himself dressed in formal evening wear. The attire was appropriate and was commonly worn for evening stage performances. Instead of dressing completely differently from his audience, Robert-Houdin dressed just like his audience.

The point being made is simple. If you want magic to be seen as a fine art, take your performance and dress seriously. Let the quality of your magical performance speak for the level of your magical artistry. If you want to be a magical clown, dress up as a penguin.

What about Lance Burton? Great question, thanks for asking. Lance’s acting personality makes wearing a tuxedo appropriate for his performance. Mr. Burton self-consciously engages with the historical roots of magic. Figuratively speaking, he wears the cloak of magic passed down through the centuries. He portrays the great wizard of our past. Lance performs classic magic effects while granting classic magic pull.

This is completely different from the approach of 99.998% of other magicians who wear tuxedos. Most part-time professional magicians wear a tuxedo regardless of their performing personality. The key to what to wear is your acting personality. Start with the assumption that a tuxedo is not an option. Examine the key elements of your performing personality that you want to communicate to your audience. Adapt your dress to consciously communicate those key elements.

Another factor to consider is whether you want to stand out or blend in with your audience. Let’s say you want to mingle with your audience. This is a common approach for the restaurant or corporate magician. What will your audience wear? Try to dress a bit above your audience.

Let’s say you want to stand out. Find ways to contrast with your audience that communicate positively with your performing personality.

For example, suppose your acting personality is that weird middle-aged guy that all kids adore but makes parents roll their eyes. You know the type, every family has one. His sense of style will be decades out of fashion, but he won’t have a clue that he’s not the hippest guy. If that’s the acting personality you’ve chosen, then the artist’s style will match the outfit. The point again is that the magician’s chosen attire should relate to the personality of the performance.

Let’s go back to the original question. Why do magicians wear tuxedos?

No one knows, including wizards. Get to know your acting personality. Select your dress to complement your place and performing personality. Treat your magical performance like the artistic performance you want it to be.

Copyright © 2005 JL Siefers, All Rights Reserved.