But then there's Penn & Teller. The duo has shattered those stereotypes into a burst of confetti-sized pieces for nearly five decades. As Raymond Teller and Penn Jillette prepare to take the stage at the Buell Theatre on Wednesday, March 13, it's clear they're not your average magicians.
"Magic is a challenging form," Teller says. "Magic is an off-on switch; that is, either it's a miracle or it's crap. I love magic because it's supernatural, grand and astounding. Magic has the potential to make you shiver and laugh, or it's just the stupidest thing in the world. The fact that there's a sort of archetype of the clumsy magician proves that there's a very deep idea that magic is either amazing or it's really dumb."
These two magicians are far from dumb, though: Their act has remained a pinnacle of the magic world for nearly fifty years, thanks to a blend of awe-inspiring illusions and comedic rapport. They first got started in 1975, when they formed the Asparagus Valley Cultural Society, a trio that included their mutual friend, Wier Chrisemer, who retired in 1981. Penn and Teller stuck together, however, developing a partnership that would redefine magic.
"Magic is the perfect form for comedy," Teller explains. "Magic always involves connecting a cause and an effect that don't really work in reality, but that have a strangely humorous or frightening connection. I want a work of art to do one of two things: either make me laugh, or raise the little hairs on the back of my neck, and magic is uniquely suited to both."
A key component of the act is Teller's decision to perform mute, which supplements the comic situations on stage and creates intimacy between the performer and the audience. The decision to remain silent on stage predates Teller's work with Penn, he says.
"I worked that way silently from about the time I was eighteen or nineteen years old," he notes. "Magic patter, which is the term for scripts in magic — and you can already tell how little respect magicians have for those words by the word 'patter' — is supposed to be very fast-paced and obnoxious. ... I hated that stuff."
Teller says he wanted to see if the audience could follow a story without the barrage of words. "Being mute was essentially my rebellion against magic patter," he explains. "I wanted to show a little respect for the audience because, prior to Penn, who has a whole different take on patter from any person you've ever met on earth, your magic patter would be something like, ‘I'm holding a sleep mask.’ Well, yes, obviously, you’re holding a sleep mask. Your eyes can tell you that; you don't have to be told that by a guy.
"As I proceeded, I realized that there was really something very excitingly intimate about not talking," he adds. "There is a kind of closeness that really kind of thrills me in almost an erotic way."
"I want a work of art to do one of two things: either make me laugh or raise the little hairs on the back of my neck, and magic is uniquely suited to both," Teller says.
Courtesy of Penn & Teller
"Normally, trick development varies between two months and, in the current Vegas show, there's one piece of it that took six years," Teller reveals. "Sometimes we'll get half an idea, then years will pass, and suddenly the second half of the idea will come in."
That includes the vaudeville-era "turban trick, in which a magician would unwind his turban, then cut and restore it," Teller says. "We thought, ‘This is a very good trick, but it doesn't have enough in there. It's just a trick.'"
But the duo returned to it years later, Teller says, when the magicians were thinking: "What would be a good trick to claim to be done by the power of God?"
"The turban trick came back to mind, so it began to fall together, and then we added some sophistication to the methodology so that we could repeat it several times and do several different things with it," he explains. "Now it's the trick that we're opening with in Denver."
The upcoming Denver show includes a variety of illusions that demonstrate the pair's dedication to the craft. One popular piece, "Shadows," exemplifies Teller's distinctive approach to magic. Born from a childhood experiment with candlelight and shadows, it evolved into a gothic performance piece that blurs the line between reality and illusion. You will not believe your eyes as Teller rips a rose to pieces by tearing at its shadow and then accidentally cuts his own shadow, causing the performer to bleed.
This trick, among others, showcases the two magicians' ability to transform simple ideas into profound artistic expressions. More than just displays of magic, Penn & Teller shows offer an interactive experience. The performance involves around sixty audience members directly, emphasizing the duo's belief that magic's true wonder lies in its immediacy and tangibility.
"This is not a show where you sit back with your hands folded, because you are part of this show," Teller says. "And that's the way it should be, because what's startling about magic is that it's happening right there in the room with you. It isn't like a movie or TV show, where there's a screen between you and what you're looking at. You're really there, in the room, looking at it, hearing it and feeling it."
The pair's commitment to magic as an art form, capable of evoking laughter or goosebumps, has cemented the magicians' status as icons. Whether through a silent gesture or a grand illusion, the two continues to challenge our perceptions, inviting us into a world where anything seems possible.
"I hope Denver is ready for some magic, because we're ready for them," Teller says. "People have often asked, 'Why is it called Penn & Teller and not Teller & Penn?' We will demonstrate at our Denver show. We will teach the entire audience a trick they can do at home with a doughnut. I'll swallow a hundred needles and six feet of thread, then bring the needles up threaded, which I've done for centuries and, in fact, I did that at the Colorado Renaissance Festival ages ago. And, of course, a nice touch of fire eating in there, too. We like to think there's a little something for everyone."
Penn & Teller, 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis Street. Get tickets at pennandteller.com.
