Magic Stories

The Inside Magic Magician of the Year Named

 

 

The Inside Magic Magician of the Year Crystal Trophy

The top three nominees for the 2004 Inside Magic Magician(s) of the Year were: Mark Kalin & Jinger Leigh; Lance Burton; and, Siegfried & Roy.  The judges agreed this year?s deliberation was very difficult. Ultimately, though, they made a decision.

 

The judging panel includes professional and amateur magicians from around the world and from many different disciplines within our art.  They were able to select a winner.  That, in and of itself, was a miracle.  In fact, loyal readers of Inside Magic will recall that while the contest began in 2001, the judges selected the first Inside Magic Magician of the Year in 2002.  The first recipient was FISM Champion Henry Evans of Argentina.  In 2003 (as in 2001), the judges decided they would not award the title.  The winner of this year?s contest, therefore, is only the second winner in the last four years.

 

Inside Magic?s Magician of the Year must exemplify the guiding principles of Inside Magic and its readers: originality, ethics, talent, and dedication to the art of magic.  It is not required that the magician be professional or performing to be nominated.

 

Note: the judging panel?s comments are included below and identified with quotation marks.

 

The Final Nominees from an original group of 55 are:

 

 

Mark Kalin & Jinger Leigh

…

 

 

The Inside Magic Magician of the Year Crystal Trophy

The top three nominees for the 2004 Inside Magic Magician(s) of the Year were: Mark Kalin & Jinger Leigh; Lance Burton; and, Siegfried & Roy.  The judges agreed this year?s deliberation was very difficult. Ultimately, though, they made a decision.

 

The judging panel includes professional and amateur magicians from around the world and from many different disciplines within our art.  They were able to select a winner.  That, in and of itself, was a miracle.  In fact, loyal readers of Inside Magic will recall that while the contest began in 2001, the judges selected the first Inside Magic Magician of the Year in 2002.  The first recipient was FISM Champion Henry Evans of Argentina.  In 2003 (as in 2001), the judges decided they would not award the title.  The winner of this year?s contest, therefore, is only the second winner in the last four years.

 

Inside Magic?s Magician of the Year must exemplify the guiding principles of Inside Magic and its readers: originality, ethics, talent, and dedication to the art of magic.  It is not required that the magician be professional or performing to be nominated.

 

Note: the judging panel?s comments are included below and identified with quotation marks.

 

The Final Nominees from an original group of 55 are:

 

 

Mark Kalin & Jinger Leigh

 

Mark Kalin and Jinger Leigh

This duo is one of the best-balanced teams in our art.  Both performers hold their own and yet remain fully within their characters through the show.  Mr. Kalin has a charisma not seen since Harry Blackstone, Jr., while Ms. Leigh is a full-partner in the act, and certainly one of the most beautiful performers working today. (The ?most beautiful performers working today? part was my addition and not a statement by the judges).   

 

Mr. Kalin and Ms. Leigh?s willingness to bring the classics to the stage and bring the stage to the people is commendable.  ?Their performance of the late Alan Wakeling?s Sawing a Woman illusion alone is deserving of recognition.?  No magician today performs as perfect an illusion as this.  ?The interaction between Mr. Kalin, Ms. Leigh and the audience volunteers is charming and wonderful.  It appears spontaneous and yet we know the couple has perfected and included the delightful interplay to boost the illusion?s effectiveness.?

 

Their most recent endeavor, Reno?s Magic Underground, a 200-seat theater beneath the busy sidewalks of The Biggest Little City in the World is a fantastic concept.  ?The collaborators, Joanie Spina and Jim Steinmeyer, alone make this a must see.?  ?Add the delight of watching true magic performed within a few feet of the audience and our cup runneth over.? 

 

Lance Burton

 

Lance Burton

?His performance of that which Johnny Carson once called ?The Best 12 Minutes in Magic? ? his FISM award-winning manipulation routine ? and his expert interaction with the audience at the Lance Burton Theater each night at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas make Mr. Burton a natural nominee for Inside Magic?s Magician of the Year.? 

 

?Mr. Burton brings class to the art of magic in his performance.?  His work combined with his tireless encouragement of young men and women.  ?He spends the time necessary to make his show perfect in all respects even when no one would blame him for taking it easy at this point in his career.? 

 

Perhaps more important than his talent and his efforts, Mr. Burton is on the short-list for the Magician of the Year because ?he is such a good person.?  He is good to his audiences, his fans, his colleagues, and his adopted city.  ?The Las Vegas press often features Mr. Burton for his free performances for benefits to encourage adoption or to help the homeless.? 

 

Siegfried & Roy

 

Roy Horn

?Their subtitle for so many years, SARMOTI ? Siegfried and Roy, Masters of the Impossible, fit perfectly what they have done and are doing.?  From a chance meeting on a cruise ship years ago to their current struggle during Roy?s valiant rehabilitation, ?Siegfried and Roy have promoted our art more than almost all other working magicians considered together.? 

 

Magic became a viable stand-alone show on the Las Vegas Strip thanks to these two performers.  ?They [bucked] the odds and prejudices that would have kept them from being stars; and they did so without complaint.?  ?They welcomed other magicians arriving in Las Vegas rather than work to exclude them.?  Like Mr. Burton, Siegfried and Roy have encouraged younger magicians to study and perfect their craft.  ?Their generosity is unrivaled.? 

 

There is no reason why magicians at the height of their career should have risked their political capital to sponsor Darren Romeo and make their showroom available for his most recent show in Vegas.  Actually, there probably is a reason, ?they care deeply about our art and the people who perform, study and love it.? 

 

Siegfried & Roy will likely not appear on a Las Vegas stage again but their contribution to making magic special ? even magical ? will bring dividends for almost every performer who will make Las Vegas their home. 

 

 

The Winner Is . . . 

 

 

SIEGFRIED & ROY

 

Siegfried

The popular vote on Inside Magic was decidedly in favor of the Duo.  In fact, none of the other acts came close in the public opinion survey.  The judges do not select the winner based solely on public voting, however.  In this case, though, the popular consensus matched the judges? opinion. 

 

The inscription on the Inside Magic Magicians of the Year Lead Crystal Trophy reads:

 

“The Readers, Contributors, and Editors of Inside Magic Proudly Present the 2004 Magicians of The Year Award

 

to

 

Siegfried Fishbacher and Roy Horn

 

The Masters of the Impossible”  

 

Conclusion

 

Thank you to the more than 500 people who voted or suggested nominees for Magician of the Year.  We appreciate your dedication to Inside Magic.  Thank you and congratulations to Siegfried & Roy.  Our prayers and appreciation are with you. We will send you the crystal trophy and hope you know how much we appreciate all you do.

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