312: Day 1 - MAGIC Live! 2016

Day One - Sunday, August 14th

24 hours - The Back Room (hang out cdenter)

10:00 a.m. - Registration and Name Badge photos

7:30 p.m. - Anniversary Party

7:30 - 11:30 - The MAGIC Shop (dealer faire)

7:45 p.m. - Grand Prize Giveaway

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:13 - we depart Houston Hobby airport via Southwest Airlines and start off the journey with a couple Dunkin' Donuts and get excited about the upcoming adventure.

00:03:44 - we finally arrived at the Orleans Hotel & Casino and get in line to pick up our registration packet and chat with a variety of people in line: Michael Perovich, Michael Trixx, Kirk DeWeese, Steve Trout, Bob Festa, R. Paul Wilson, Billy Hsueh

00:11:24 - Rory Johnston, one of Stan Allen's "right-hand-men" and co-organizer, chats about some of the organizational challenges, attendance, and the "back room" where registrants are expected to hang out. He talks about the "Art Deco" theme of this year's convention.

00:18:48 - MAGIC Live "custodian", Stan Allen, talks a little about what things he can talk about now without giving away too many "secrets".

00:24:05 - Rick Merrill and Steve Bargatze tell us about their experiences with attending past MAGIC Live! conventions,, plus Rick talks about the first MAGIC Live! inspiring his award winning magic act.

00:32:08 - Ian Rowland presented on the Focus sessions for the past three conventions and this year he will be on the general sessions on stage. He also talks a bit about his "origami cards". He also "confesses" to being the inventor of all of the effects that were in question during the recent Gregory Wilson controversy. LOL

00:42:34 - Chip Romero and Mark Jensen talk about their respective magic collections plus some tips on planning on the disposition of property after one's demise.

00:48:26 - Mark Jensen tells a story of the origination of the Marshall Brodein TV Magic Cards and how Johnny Thompson wrote the instructions.

0051:13 - Nathan Burton talks about his 4:00 p.m. daily show at Planet Hollywood.

00:53:16 - Vinny Grosso is finally able to talk about his recent win on Penn & Teller Fool Us, how he developed the act, all about his experience, when he will appear in the Penn & Teller show at the Rio. He also chats about an update to his book "Exposed and Fearless" which you can hear about in much more detail in our podcast HERE which is also available on Amazon.

00:59:18 - Shawn McMaster celebrates his birthday at MAGIC Live! and talks about his experience of working at some of the past conventions plus working on the magazine.

01:02:48 - Paul Draper has been stage manager of all of the past MAGIC Live! events, but this year he is experiencing this year just as a registrant. During our conversation, we are joined by Chad Long who talks about some of the conventions he has been working.

01:05:40 - Terry Ward talks about the many MAGIC Live! conventions he has attended and some of the memories he enjoyed from previous years.

01:09:14 - Steve Sabo (a Friend of The Magic Word) and his father, Dick Sabo, talks about getting interested in magic thanks to this convention.

01:12:05 - Erik Dobell and Chris Collins talk about how their show "Impossibilites" has been going since we did a podcast with them. HERE. This is Erik's first magic convention ever of any kind and finding it overwhelming.

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Click on the image above to learn more about Mark's fabulous magic collection.

311: 2016 PCAM Convention Report

Running concurrently with Abbott's Get Together, the PCAM convention was happening in Simi Valley, California. Although we do tricky things, being in two places at the same time is not one of our skills.

But thanks to Fred King, a Friend of The Magic Word, and attendee at this year's PCAM convention, he was able to cover part of it with a delightful interview with Shawn Farquhar and Michael Dardant plus a recording of a panel discussion Regrettably, due to personal reasons Fred was unable to record more than these two reports. Thank you, Fred, for taking the time to record this special edition of The Magic Word Podcast that gives us a little insight to the magic family that is the P.C.A.M.

Shawn Farquhar returns to "Penn & Teller Fool Us" television show where he fools P&T for the second time.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:03:20 - Fred King talks with Shawn Farquhar about some of the history of the P.C.A.M. Then after just a few minutes into the conversation, Michael Dardant joins them to enliven the conversation. They both share several fun and entertaining stories. Shawn also talks about his experience of fooling Penn & Teller a second time on "Penn & Teller Fool Us" which he could not talk about at the I.B.M. convention in San Antonio, TX.

00:42:18- Shawn Farquhar hosts a panel discussion with S.A.M. President Jeff Sikora and International I.B.M. President, Oscar Munoz as they talk about their respective organizations and goals for this year.

309: 2016 Abbott's Get Together - Day Three

DAY THREE - FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th 2016
9:00AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant
9:00AM COLON ARTS & CRAFT FAIR (more info) Until 4:00PM
9:30AM ABBOTT'S STAGE TALENT CONTEST (more info) at the High School
10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (more info) at Grade School
11:00AM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Dawn & Phils featuring John Sturk
12:00PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Village Market featuring Jonathon LaChance
1:00PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - at Craft Fair featuring Jania Taylor
1:00PM LECTURE - Lynetta Welch & Bizzaro at the High School
1:00PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM OPEN TILL 4PM (more info)
1:30PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott Plant with BJ Mallen or Gordon Miller
2:30PM ABBOTT'S CLOSEUP SHOW at the High School
Featuring Ice McDonald MC, Clemens ILgner, Scott Alexander, Martin Cox, Nick Diffatte
3:00PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott Plant with BJ Mallen or Gordon Miller
3:00PM - 6:00PM FACE PAINTING outside 5 Star Pizza by Carol Hendrix
4:30PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Five Star Pizza featuring Trino
5:00PM MAGIC AND MORE LIVE - Sterlini's Magic Shop (more info)
5:00PM MAGICIANS DINNER SPECIAL - At Lutheran Church on Burr Oak Road
5:30PM RIVER LAKE INN’S MAGIC SHOW & DINNER with Ron Carnell
8:00PM ABBOTT'S STAGE SHOW at the High School (Preshow Live Organ Music)
Featuring Denny Haney, Magic of Puck, Scott Alexander
(view seating chart)
9:45PM FIREWORK SHOW (more info) outside High School after show
10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS at Grade School after show
10:30PM TALENT CONTEST AWARDS at Grade School after show

Clemens Ilgner performs live at FFFF 2013.This Convention is called the "Original Close-Up Magic Convention" and is the most prestigious gathering of close-up magicians in the world. Paul Gertner assists him in his performance in Batavia, where this famous meeting is held annually.

00:00:13 - Clemens Ilgner from Germany was one of the featured acts on the Wednesday night opening show. He was also the first lecturer of the convention on that day and on Day Three, he was one of the featured performers in the close-up show in the high school gym. He talks today following the publication of a front page photo of his act in the Sturgis Journal newspaper touting the opening night show with "Magic Get-Together Opening Night" article.

00:22:00 - Anthony Stockton was one of the contestants in the stage contest who reminded me of a young Rob Zabrecky in his mannerisms, music and offbeat thinking...though he has never heard of Rob. :) I have a feeling that we will be hearing a lot more from this young man from Joliet, Illinois.

00:28:47 - One of the "Friends of The Magic Word", Steve Chezaday is a long-time member of Abbott's Stage Crew. He talks about some of his memories of shows over the past 20-25 years.

00:43:30 - Dave Cresey, the "King of Coils" tells us about how he got into making mouth coils, hat tears, throw streamers and more. He also talks about his long association with Abbott's Get Togethers; however, now he is retired and riding Harley's with his wife, Roseann.