 IN THEIR
WORDS
There are some of
the most talented performers in the business, combining both magic and
comedy to create moments of mirth and miracles. Now that our
Top Funniest Magic Acts have been voted onto this list by their peers, we
are led to wonder: How did they get to where they are, and what advice do
they have for those who aspire to follow in their footsteps?
STAN ALLEN asked the questions and these are the answers from Michael
Finney.
MAGIC: Do you consider yourself a
magician doing comedy or a comic doing magic?
FINNEY: I'm a magician
doing comic magic. I am lucky enough to have written stand-up comedy
to go with it, but I want to be a magician! Even more than that, I
want to be an entertainer. Comedy magic is my tool to entertain.
MAGIC: Did you start out as a
serious magician?
FINNEY: Yes, very much so. I started with
close-up first, which I think is most difficult. Back then I had a
couple hours of material. When I gat an amusement park job, I put
together a thirteen-minute dove act to go with the half hour of kids magic
I had.
MAGIC: How did you end up doing
comedy?
FINNEY: Legend
City amusement park closed, so I took the kid's show to open-mic
nights and amateur nights all over Phoenix. In the early 80s, that
was the happening thing, as were comedy clubs. My mission was to get
into comedy clubs doing comedy magic. I went to Los Angeles and
open-mic every club, came back home, and the phone started to ring.
MAGIC: Who were your biggest
influences and the inspiration for your act?
FINNEY: I am sorry to say
it was not until later on that I got to see my favorites. For me it
all happen so fast. I started doing magic when I was 24 years
old, with no prior knowledge. What you see is me; there were no
influences early on. If any, they would have to be Larry Wilson and
Ricky Jay. They were doing talk shows - Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin,
Mike Douglas. I would see them in the afternoons. To this day,
I still think are two of the best, because they were able to entertain
while doing magic.
MAGIC: Where do you draw inspiration
for your comedy?
FINNEY: From life. Watching the human race, with
a strong desire to entertain them. We are all so alike and yet so
different.
MAGIC: Is your act scripted
out?
FINNEY: For the most part I have an outline for the
night, but it is all subject to change at a moment's notice. I
cannot predict your response. I leave myself room to move if things
don't feel right. I might have to bring magic out earlier than I'd like if
need be. I like having th freedom to work through any situation.
It's my job to make it work!
MAGIC: How do you develop new
material?
FINNEY: You have to put forth a lot of effort. I
was taught that if you perfect six good tricks, you can go to the grave
happy. I have proven that, but I have just added two new tricks to
the show; I am working them onstage in front of a lice
audience. Once you learn the handling, you just have to do it.
The patter will come quicker than you think.
MAGIC: Do you feel that any trick
can be made funny? Are there criteria you use to evaluate what kinds
of effects will work for you?
FINNEY: It doesn't seem right to
make light of a really good magic trick if you don't have to. Magic
is magic; throw a good trick in once in awhile to keep your audience on
their toes.
MAGIC: How important is it in
your act to fool the audience?
FINNEY: I want to fool them.
That's very important; after all, they came in to see magic.
MAGIC: How important is it in
your cat to present original magic?
FINNEY: Only someone who is
doing someone else's act verbatim is guilty of not doing original magic.
If you are on stage and you are performing a magic trick, it is yours.
It's what you do with it that makes it original. There were many
variations of the Card on Forehead and rope routines way before I came
along. But he bits are mine now because of how I do them and what I
say while doing them.
MAGIC: Is it possible for the
magic to be so strong that it takes away from the comedy?
FINNEY:
Never! The magic is why we are there. They came to see magic.
Fool you and make you laugh; you got your money's worth and I have
done my job.
MAGIC: Have you ever consider
dropping magic and going with just comedy?
FINNEY: I thought I
could have, but I have found that stand-up comedy can be unreliable over
the long run, because of the audiences' different point of view. The
magic is always well received. My stand-up serves me well in other
venues, where the room, the lighting, or the staging is not right for
magic - for emcee, hosting, etc.
MAGIC: How did you develop
your onstage personality?
FINNEY: I developed over time, like
fine wine. It's a constant work in progress. I did not know
much about anything when I started; it all came on the fly. What you
see now has taken 28 years and there is still room for improvement.
MAGIC: How much of your
onstage persona is an extension of your offstage personality?
FINNEY:
Pretty much when I am with my friends, I am the same. Not trying to
perform but always wanting to make people laugh. My life is so much
easier than most. I try to be happy and upbeat when I am around
people in general. Except when playing golf. Then I want to
beat your ass.
MAGIC: Another item that comes
up in discussions on comedy is timing. Can someone learn
it?
FINNEY: Timing is in every facet of life. It is
important all the time. We all have it; it's in our daily lives -
like going through an intersection and making a left hand turn from the
right lane. Timing is never the same. It has to go with the
audience for that night, that show. No two shows are the same.
You have to feel it; your mind and heart have to feel the moment.
It's a constant work in progress.
MAGIC: What is the one thing
you see comedy magicians most often doing wrong?
FINNEY:
If you are a comedy magician it's hard do something wrong. It's your
act. There are so many things that dictate success and failure.
It's your persona. It takes time to develop. I know I use that
phrase a lot, but there are no shortcuts. Most often it's just
overall presentation - how you come off to the audience, your appearance.
Are you funny? I think it's in your DNA, you either have it or you
don't. I could never look as good as Lance Burton doing doves and
yet Lance has the ability to be very funny. That's not fair.
MAGIC: When asked for advice
from an aspiring comedy magician, what do you offer?
FINNEY:
Your act is like film - it takes time to develop. No one-hour
pick-up here. Everyone is funny or can be funny once in awhile.
It takes practice to be funny all the time. Don't be afraid.
Fear is excitement when entertaining. No one is going to die during
your show. No one is perfect all the time. It's not the
destination but the journey that fills the soul. |
