Magic Stories

Murray Hatfield – The Inside Magic Interview

Murray Hatfield and Teresa

Murray Hatfield agreed to an interview with Inside Magic to discuss
his work in our wonderful art. His contributions to Magic have been endorsed by
audiences around the world; as well as the Canadian Association of Magicians.
The CAM named him Magician of the Year.
We are delighted he accepted our invitation to talk to Inside Magic
readers.

How were you introduced to magic?

When I was ten my mother hired a local kid magician for my little
brother?s birthday party.  I was bitten by the magic bug immediately and after
the show the magician actually taught me how to do a simple coin trick.  That
was it and I never looked back.  The interesting thing is that the magician was
a young guy named John Kaplan who also ended up going pro.

What intrigued you about magic at the beginning of your career?

Everything!  I loved magic and enjoyed it all.  I guess I preferred
illusions but I would watch or do or try all of it.

Did you have influences in either show-business or magic in
particular to encourage your development?

Well John was my first teacher/inspiration and there were others in
the local magic club who took the time to teach me the basics of magic.  One of
my other early inspirations was Micky Hades.  Micky ran the local magic shop and
also published magic books.  Nothing equaled a Saturday afternoon trip to
Micky’s shop with my dad to check out the latest props or routines.

There was also a magician named Dale Harney who had a television show that
filmed in Calgary when I was in my late teens.  The show was a low budget weekly
magic show but it featured many of the top magicians of the day.  It was called
the Magic Palace and I was at virtually every taping to see many of my magic
heroes perform.

About that time (late 70’s) a promoter in Canada created an annual
magic/illusion show called “ILLUSIONS…A Magic Spectacular!”   Originally
produced and hosted by renowned Illusionist – Chuck Jones, the show brought
magicians and variety artists to Canada each year to raise money for Canadian
charities.  I was in the audience for the very first show (and virtually every
subsequent one), watching in awe as Chuck and his various guests performed
things that were beyond my comprehension.  Little did I know that many years
later I’d be a part of that same show?

When did you become serious about performing magic as a
profession?

I graduated from high school (just in case magic didn’t work out…)
and went to work for Micky Hades in his shop.  I was there about 4 months and
realized that I didn’t want to sell magic, I wanted to do magic.  So I gave my
notice and Jan. 1, 1980 at the age of 18 I started full time.  I had one booking
at a mall in Jan. and nothing else.  It took me a…

Murray Hatfield and Teresa

Murray Hatfield agreed to an interview with Inside Magic to discuss
his work in our wonderful art. His contributions to Magic have been endorsed by
audiences around the world; as well as the Canadian Association of Magicians.
The CAM named him Magician of the Year.
We are delighted he accepted our invitation to talk to Inside Magic
readers.

How were you introduced to magic?

When I was ten my mother hired a local kid magician for my little
brother?s birthday party.  I was bitten by the magic bug immediately and after
the show the magician actually taught me how to do a simple coin trick.  That
was it and I never looked back.  The interesting thing is that the magician was
a young guy named John Kaplan who also ended up going pro.

What intrigued you about magic at the beginning of your career?

Everything!  I loved magic and enjoyed it all.  I guess I preferred
illusions but I would watch or do or try all of it.

Did you have influences in either show-business or magic in
particular to encourage your development?

Well John was my first teacher/inspiration and there were others in
the local magic club who took the time to teach me the basics of magic.  One of
my other early inspirations was Micky Hades.  Micky ran the local magic shop and
also published magic books.  Nothing equaled a Saturday afternoon trip to
Micky’s shop with my dad to check out the latest props or routines.

There was also a magician named Dale Harney who had a television show that
filmed in Calgary when I was in my late teens.  The show was a low budget weekly
magic show but it featured many of the top magicians of the day.  It was called
the Magic Palace and I was at virtually every taping to see many of my magic
heroes perform.

About that time (late 70’s) a promoter in Canada created an annual
magic/illusion show called “ILLUSIONS…A Magic Spectacular!”   Originally
produced and hosted by renowned Illusionist – Chuck Jones, the show brought
magicians and variety artists to Canada each year to raise money for Canadian
charities.  I was in the audience for the very first show (and virtually every
subsequent one), watching in awe as Chuck and his various guests performed
things that were beyond my comprehension.  Little did I know that many years
later I’d be a part of that same show?

When did you become serious about performing magic as a
profession?

I graduated from high school (just in case magic didn’t work out…)
and went to work for Micky Hades in his shop.  I was there about 4 months and
realized that I didn’t want to sell magic, I wanted to do magic.  So I gave my
notice and Jan. 1, 1980 at the age of 18 I started full time.  I had one booking
at a mall in Jan. and nothing else.  It took me a long time to start to figure
out the business side of things but I kept at it and have been tremendously
lucky to make a living at something I love for close to 25 years.

How did you make the decision? Why not a conventional job with magic
as an avocation?

For me there was never a question.  I was going to do whatever I had
to do to make magic my job.  I went through some lean years back then and had
months where I had to choose between buying food or paying my assistant but the
magic always won out.

Do you recall your first paid show?

My first paid show was when I was eleven-years-old.  I told the kid
next door that if he could convince his mom to hire me to perform for his
birthday party (at a fee of $2.00) I’d give him $1.00.  He did, I did, and the
rest is history…

Do you recall the first show when you felt like a professional
magician?

I’m not sure I do but I remember my first time getting big bucks. 
It was all of $20.00 but it seemed like a fortune to me.  It was also my first
time on a microphone and it must have been a horrible show.  Every time I
started to talk I’d hear the slap back of the mic and freeze up.  My thirty
minute show went more like 45 just do to my pauses.

How did you and Teresa meet?

I hired Teresa as one of my dancers for the Canadian tour in 1992. 
She was (and is) and incredible dancer with training in Jazz and Ballet as well
as gymnastics.  The next year I hired her as dance captain and choreographer and
the year after that she became my principal assistant.  Today she is my partner
on and offstage and helps in every aspect of my show.  She is really the secret
to why I got this award.

Did Teresa have a magic background in addition to her considerable
dancing skills?

Her talents had to do with music, movement and dance.  The magic
came after she began working with me.

Was it a difficult transition for Teresa to join a magic show? Are
the demands on an assistant/partner different than she expected?

I would think it would be a difficult transition for any
professional dancer to choose to play second fiddle to a magician. Assistants
are often unnoticed and/or ignored, even within the magic world.  I try to let
audiences (and magicians) know how important she is to our show and what a huge
contribution she makes.

What is your favorite kind of magic to perform?

I love magic and/or illusions that challenge me in some way.  I love
to work out ways to make my magic stronger, slicker and/or more effective for an
audience and I especially like to find ways to make it entertaining.  Lately
I’ve been attracted to close-up magic and am starting to play with it more.  We
even put some close-up in our touring show a year or so ago and it was
incredible to see the different reaction from the audience compared to the large
illusions.

Your show has obviously grown since you were ten years-old.  Do you
feel there are still common threads running through the performances at age ten
and today?

I’ve always felt that the most important aspect of any performance
is the performer himself.  Their character and their connection with an audience
so I guess that means that the common thread is me…

How many people work to put on your touring show? How long does it
take to rehearse before the first presentation?

The tour involves a great many people.  I produce and put it
together with Teresa’s help.  This includes writing the show, building props
(and having them built), hiring the cast and crew, arranging lights, sound, bus,
truck, advertising and logistics.  Once we’re on tour I have a lot more help in
making the shows happen.  We have a tour manager, lighting director, sound
technician, lighting technician, bus driver, five dancers, three guest acts and
all of the various sponsors and theatre techs who make the shows go.

Have you considered bringing your tour through the northern US in
addition to the Canadian cities on your schedule?

Actually we did.  Several years ago the promoters did a one week test run in
Michigan just prior to the start of the Canadian part of the tour.  The response
was excellent but unfortunately the hassle of getting what for the most part is
a Canadian show, into the US was too great and they didn’t do it again.

Each year you have new performers with you and Teresa on tour.  What
do you look for in acts you intend to book?

I’m always open to new ideas but generally the acts fall into the following
categories – manipulation act (silent), dove acts (silent), comedy acts (silent
or talking) and variety acts (jugglers, ventriloquists, acrobats).  I don’t
usually hire illusionists as I do illusions on the tour and also we have limited
space in the truck and in some of the venues.

Is there a difference in the types of audiences you see on the east
coast and west coast of Canada? How about Canada and the US?

I do notice that in Quebec and also in the United States, audiences
are more inclined to give a standing ovation if they really like a show.  I’m
not sure what that means.

If you were not performing magic, what do you think you would be
doing?

I suspect that I’d be involved in showbiz somehow – either as a
producer, or a builder or something.  Had I not gotten into magic way back when
I could quite conceivably ended up as a music or drama teacher.

What are your plans for the next five years?

I don’t have any set plans except to continue to strive to be a
better magician.  To keep touring and performing the magic that I love and
finally to enjoy life…

If you were advising a young person considering magic as a hobby or a
profession, what would you suggest?  What books would you suggest?

My first recommendation would be to RUN AWAY…RUN FAR FAR AWAY! 
Okay just kidding.  Magic is a great hobby and can be a great career but I think
my main recommendation would be to study, learn, and practice.  Don’t be in a
rush to be a pro and don’t be in a rush to do the “cool” stuff like doves,
illusions, etc.  Learn to be an entertainer first, and learn how to connect with
the audience.  If they like you then they’ll like whatever you do.  It doesn’t
have to be big boxes and assistants and wind blowing through your hair.

I’ve had several situations where I couldn’t do the show I planned.  The
worst being a cruise line that lost all 1700 pounds of my equipment.  The tough
part was that we still had to do a show, so I ran to a hardware store and a
drugstore and a Wal-Mart and I bought rope and envelopes and tape and glue and
newspaper, etc.  and we did a show.  It wasn’t our best ever but we still got
decent ratings (on cruise ships you get hired and fired based on the weekly
ratings) and the audience had no idea that we normally did a much larger show.

Is magic still fun for you?  How do you keep it from becoming a
business to the exclusion of an enjoyable art form.

I love my job and I still wake up every day and thank my lucky stars
that I’m fortunate enough to have a career in magic.  But there is no way to
keep it from becoming a business.  SHOW BUSINESS – two words and one of them is
bigger.  You must make it a business to make it a career but you also have to
find the balance that keeps it an artistic exercise as well.

You and Teresa have traveled the world thus giving you international
presence, but you are also considered an “institution” in Canada with your
annual cross-country tour. Is it difficult to maintain a presence both within
and without Canada?

I think it was our reputation in Canada and the success and
longevity of the tour that began to give us a name outside of Canada.  It
certainly led to number huge opportunities that ultimately added to whatever
reputation we have outside of Canada.  These include closing the IBM in
Cleveland last year, appearances at the Magic Castle (Hollywood), Wizardz
(Universal Studios), Magic Island (Houston),  tours in Australia, New Zealand,
US, etc.

Were you nominated or is it a secret process??

Nominations were held last year and then the five nominees were
voted on by the membership of the Canadian Association of Magicians.  The
results were kept secret until the C.A.M. convention a week ago in Kitchener,
Ontario.  I was thrilled to be nominated and overwhelmed to actually win.  It is
a huge honor.

Thank you so much for talking with us, Murray.  Congratulations
and best of luck to you and Teresa!

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