Remember the old days when all a magician had to do was practice a few cards tricks and a sponge ball routine, put on his bow tie and then show the guests a few parlor tricks as they looked on admiringly? OK, maybe those days never even existed, but being a magician these days requires more knowledge and inside information than ever. There are more types of venues, more types of audiences, and you need not only the skills of a magician, but the foresight of a business man, the creativity of a marketing expert and the social expertise of a master diplomat. And that's just for starters.