There are many magicians, but only a few make the cut for the best magicians of all time. David Copperfield is a strong contender, but there are other greats to consider as well. Lance Burton has won Magician of the Year twice, and he’s won a FISM (Federation of International Stage Magicians) award for his incredible card tricks. In addition to being one of the most accomplished stage magicians of our time, he has also performed on television shows and in film.
In addition to the big cat magic duo, the most famous modern magicians are Doug Henning and Paul Daniels. Henning has been credited with bringing back the art of theatrical magic to its former glory. In spite of having graduated from two different universities, he took a year off from school to pursue a career in magic. Henning also starred in television magic specials. However, his career was cut short when he was killed by a shark in 2003.
Houdini was another of the best magicians of all time. His enthralling escape acts made him famous. He would dare the local police to lock him up in a death-promising device and sneak into the audience. Other top tricksters in history include Apollo Robbins and David Copperfield. Robbins also incorporated pickpocketing into his act. He was credited with having limitless knowledge about magic tricks.
Copperfield is perhaps the best-known magician in the world. He has performed on Broadway and in twenty different television specials. Copperfield has become an immensely successful entertainer who has changed with the times. In the 1970s, Doug Henning was credited with bringing magic back to the stage, performing on Broadway and touring with his huge stage show. Copperfield has an estimated fortune of $800 million and is still performing over five hundred shows each year.
Lance was renowned for his dove act. His illusion show ran for several years in several hotels in Las Vegas. He was also known for his amazing bullet catch, which became one of the most famous tricks of his time. A devoted fanbase has created an entire school of magic posters dedicated to Lance. This history-making artist is also a cult classic among magicians. And there are a number of other great magicians who made the cut.
Lance Burton and Penn & Teller share the top spot on the list of best magicians of all time. Burton is a master of fast-paced sleight-of-hand. He made seemingly impossible tricks look easy. They have both been performing professionally for years and are still at the top of their game. Likewise, Penn and Teller are known for their humor and extreme skepticism of magic acts. They present their show as “just a show,” but it works!
Apollo Robbins is another great magician. Robbins’ TED Talk is titled “The Art of Misdirection,” and his magic acts largely revolve around stealing items from the audience and watching how they react when the items are returned. Robbins’ act has been embraced by many law enforcement agencies as a source of advice. But he also created the first calculator force trick! You can watch his TED talk here.
