Doing some research. Would love to hear what your all time favorite routines that you've seen are.

Lance Burton’s Masked Ball

Almost anything by Harry Blackstone Jr. (LOVE his voice and stage presence!)

Assuming that the question is for Grand Illusions seen in person. Then my top 10 would be:

1. Walter Blaney - Ladder Levitation (also have seen it excellently performed by Lance Burton)
2. Harry Blackstone Junior - Enchanted Garden
3. Doug Henning - Bump in the Night (Copperfield and Lance Burton also had wonderful versions but I give slight edge to Henning's staging)
4. Doug Henning - Floating Ball
5. David Copperfield - Flying Illusion
6. Matt Kalita - Suspended Upside Down Straight Jacket Escape
7. Losander - Floating/Vanishing Table
8. Pendragons - Metamorphosis
9. Ralph Adams - Victory Cartons (yeah, I know it is Victory Cartons, but his handling made it a masterpiece)
10. Pendragons - Sword Suspension
Bonus: Penn & Teller - Bullet Catch

If you include manipulative style routines, that would be different with Lance Burton, Fantasio, and Neil Foster being in the top 10 for sure.

Hans Moretti - The Box

It was so much better than any of the online videos of the routine. He really beefed up the finale when I saw it.

WOW, yes! I had never never Ralph Adams's presentation of the "Victory Cartons" before you mentioned it, but I went hunting on YouTube and there it is.

https://youtu.be/PTnHMC3Ga9g?t=14




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Three of my favourites that I've seen in person:

1. Greg Frewin performing his FISM Winning Bird Act
2. Murray Hatfield performing Divided in 4 (I can only find an online video of Greg Wilson performing it... still amazing) *
3. David Copperfield performing Brazilian Water Levitation

- Donald

P.S. * I've also seen Greg Wilson perform in person, but I'm not sure if I saw him perform this illusion when I saw him.

And that black and white video doesn't do it justice! He was an accomplished lapidary artist and brought that eye for shine to his props and scenery. He also was a professional photographer so he really understood lighting. His Victory Cartons had a polished trim which made the "something special" he added to the illusion imperceptible under basic stage lights. And of course, there was his legendary version of the dancing hanks. He also had an advantage of a large family as assistants so they had decades of experience in getting timing just right for the various illusions.



He is one of the major illusionists I have never seen live but would really like to. I hope to get up to Niagara Falls one of these days and catch his show.

For me that would be:

1. David Copperfield - Flying
2. Siegfried & Roy - The whole show at the Mirage
3. Christian Fechner - The whole show

Doug Henning Fountain Levitation