Is magic less impressive/enjoyable when you know how the trick works?

To borrow and modify a favourite line of mine from Goodfellas, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a magician.” The first performance I saw was an incredibly cheesy televised special of Rudy Coby. It was unlike anything I had ever seen and I’ve been fascinated by all types of magic since then.

There are all kinds of magicians. There’s the comedic type like the Misfit of Magic, Ed Alonzo, or The Amazing Jonathan. Penn & Teller take equal parts comedic performance and traditional magic (though are notoriously not well liked by the Castle for various reasons.) Derren Brown, my personal favourite, uses manipulation of his audience to perform tricks I can rarely get my head around.

(I’ve left out some big names here. Forgive my biases, but I’m not the biggest fan of Copperfield or Criss Angel. Feel free to use them in this discussion.)

But whether any magician is simply having a go at being silly or performing a large-scale disappearing act, I always find it interesting when people respond, “Well, I already know how that’s done.” You see it on the telly, too. When a character is noted for being intelligent or observant, they proceed to “ruin” things by explaining to everyone within earshot how the trick is done.

I know how the cups and balls trick works. I’ve seen it a thousand times by children who purchased their first magic kit at Wal-Mart and by professionals who have been in the business for years. But no matter how many times I watch Penn & Teller perform their version, I am 100% enchanted.

If you know how a trick is done, does that alter your experience as an audience member? What makes magic magical? What was the best trick you have seen performed and why has it stuck with you?