Zauberer Bortini

Zauberer Bortini is a magician from Kriens, near Lucerne, who describes himself as a table magician and party magician for weddings, birthdays, company events and family celebrations. His homepage says: "Seit über 25 Jahren sorge ich für Lachen und Staunen an Hochzeiten, Firmenanlässen und Geburtstagen in der ganzen Zentralschweiz" (for over 25 years I have brought laughter and amazement to weddings, company events and birthdays across central Switzerland). The core idea is spelled out in the next line: "Ohne grosse Bühne, ohne viel Technik - dafür mitten unter Ihren Gästen" (no big stage, not much technology, but right among your guests). The site is in German.

What he offers

The homepage lists four formats, each for a different moment of a celebration.

• Tischzauberei & Apérozauberei (table magic and apéro magic): close up among the guests, which the site calls "Ideal für Hochzeiten und Familienfeste" (ideal for weddings and family celebrations).
• Zaubershow & Showeinlage (magic show and show segment): magic for the whole party to watch together.
• Hütchenspieler "Don Alfonso": a shell-game act, which the site calls an unusual, interactive highlight "das nur wenige Zauberer im Repertoire haben" (that few magicians have in their repertoire).
• Kinderzauberei (children's magic): for family parties and children's birthdays.

For a wedding, the natural fit is table and apéro magic during the drinks reception or dinner, when guests are mingling or seated, with the option of a short show segment for everyone. The children's magic is worth mentioning to couples expecting many young guests, since it is a separate program rather than an afterthought. The homepage frames the act in an old tradition: in earlier times, it says, traveling entertainers went from place to place and brought cheer to weddings, birthdays and feast days, letting people forget their everyday lives for a while. That is the spirit of a roaming table magician at a reception: entertainment that comes to the guests rather than asking them to sit in rows. The site's taglines describe the style as "hautnah, interaktiv, verblüffend" (up close, interactive, astonishing) and "modern-zeitgemäss und verblüffend" (modern and astonishing).

Track record

The references page opens with "Zauberunterhaltung und Magie an über tausend Anlässen, eine kleine Auswahl untenstehend" (magic entertainment at over a thousand events, a small selection below), and then gives a long, unordered list. It includes the towns of Kriens and Lucerne, SUVA Luzern, Migros and Coop staff parties, the Stadtkeller Luzern, Golfpark Holzhäusern, Hotel Sternen Horw, the Seehotel Hergiswil, the Hotel des Balances in Lucerne, trade fairs in Basel and Zurich, the Giardino Ascona, the Tierpark Goldau, the Glasi Hergiswil and many women's associations, schools, churches and clubs across central Switzerland.

Several entries are weddings: a "Hochzeit Ascona," a "golden Hochzeit" (golden wedding anniversary) and "Hochzeitszauberer in Zürich." The list also shows how the formats are used elsewhere: magic and the shell game at trade fair stands, children's shows for mothers' groups and a children's magic show at Knies Zauberhut in Rapperswil, an event for over-60s, apéro entertainment for the Zunft zur Emme, school graduations and many annual concerts and open days. The prices page adds galas and general assemblies to the occasions he plays. The list gives names, not dates or reviews, and there are no client testimonials on the pages.

Where he performs

The homepage is specific about his area: "Zauberer Bortini zaubert in Zentralschweiz (Luzern, Zug, Schwyz, Uri, Nid-/Obwalden) Zürich & die gesamte Deutschschweiz sowie Tessin" (in central Switzerland, Zurich and all of German-speaking Switzerland as well as Ticino). The references back that up with entries from Ascona and Tenero in Ticino, Langenthal, Aarau, Basel and Bern. French-speaking Switzerland is not in the list. The address is Südstrasse 32, 6010 Kriens.

Booking and prices

The prices and contact page does not give prices: "Meine Preise: Bitte verlangen Sie eine Offerte. Danke" (my prices: please request a quote). It does describe the pricing in general terms, as "Die preisswerte magische Unterhaltung mit professionellem Service" (good-value magic entertainment with professional service) and "starke, professionelle Unterhaltung zum erschwinglichen Preis" (strong, professional entertainment at an affordable price). He writes that thanks to his years of experience and many performances, he can find "die optimale und professionelle Lösung" (the best, professional solution) for each event together with the client.

Contact is by phone on +41 79 779 50 58, by email at bortis-juerg@bluewin.ch, or by a contact form on the prices page asking for name, company, phone, email and a message. The homepage has a "Termin Anfrage" (date request) link.

Language

The site is in German only and does not say whether he performs in English, French or Italian. Table magic relies partly on visuals, but also on patter at close quarters, so a couple with English-speaking guests should ask how he handles a mixed-language table. An inquiry can go by email, which suits a couple writing from abroad.

What the site does not settle

The site gives no prices, no durations for the table magic or the show, and no minimum booking. It does not say how travel is charged for venues outside central Switzerland. There are no reviews or testimonials, only the references list. It does not state deposit or cancellation terms, or how far in advance to book. Couples should ask how long a typical wedding apéro set runs, how many guests he can reach in that time, and whether the show segment needs any space or sound.

Who it suits

Zauberer Bortini suits couples marrying in central Switzerland, or elsewhere in German-speaking Switzerland or Ticino, who want a relaxed, sociable kind of magic at the apéro or dinner rather than a stage production. The shell-game act and the children's program give some variety, and the site presents the pricing as affordable, which may suit a couple watching the entertainment budget.

The caveats are the German-only site, the absence of reviews and the lack of any published price or duration. A couple planning from abroad will need a short email exchange to settle language, length and cost. For a family wedding around Lucerne, Zug or Schwyz with guests of all ages, it is a practical local choice.