286: I'm Just Sayin' - Norman Beck

Norman Beck is one of the most interesting guys you probably haven't heard of...unless you are into underground card magic...or an international bridge player. And add to that, he is a survivor of a brain tumor.

Norman Beck should be familiar to those who are regular readers of M.U.M. (the monthly journal of the S.A.M.). Or if you are a world class bridge player and rub shoulders with the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, then you might have seen Norm. You might have met Norm if you have looked for some company to underwrite some high stakes game/event like a billion dollar hole-in-one contest. Or maybe you are a follower of "underground" magicians in the U.S. and recognize the name. But more than likely, you have never met nor even know the name and the sharp mind of the person behind it. A few short years ago, Norman had a brain tumor removed that was the size of a baseball, but he is still sharp and his speech is steadily improving.

For the most part, Norman keeps a pretty low profile and doesn't attend many magic conventions nor associate very much with magicians and he rarely lectures. It was on one of those rare occasions that Norman traveled through Houston to lecture and stay as a guest in my home.

How a gambler saw the world, sought information from odd places and was able to win when everything was at stake. Norman Beck is a man who wears many hats. He is a speaker, writer, and magician when not working full time at SCA promotions in Dallas, where he is Vice President of claims and security.

Before the lecture we visited John Moehring who is in advanced stages of Parkinson's Disease. Although we didn't audio record our visit, I can say that it was delightful with lots of ideas shared as Norm showed John a couple new twists on some old classic card tricks (like Fred Kapps' "Homing Card") and I discussed posters and books. Although John's speech is greatly impaired, his mind is still sharp and we wish him the best.

If you want to drop John Moehring a message or note of encouragement, then please email him at: John@JohnMoehring.com or you can send traditional cards and letters to him at: Brookdale Shadowlake, 2835 Shadowlake Road, #2208, Houston, TX 77077

Thanks to Gary Plants, this video was made for John Moehring when he was the Guest of Honor at The 2014 Secret Session in Dallas, TX. By the way, TESS stands for "The Ed Sullivan Show".

In this podcast, Norm tells us lots of stories and he talks about some of the bizarre events that his company has underwritten; working in restaurants as a table-hopping magician and how he approached tables as well as his philosophy on taking tips; playing bridge with some of the most influential people in the world and what kind of card tricks fools bridge players...and which ones don't; his upcoming article in the June 2016 issue of MAGIC Magazine that has nothing to do with magic except how to be a successful performer as tipped to him by "Whispering" Bill Anderson, a country western singer; and along the way he delights us with lots of entertaining stories.

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Time stamps for trick reviews:

00:59:00 - "Canic" by Nicholas Lawrence - A soda can is one of the most commonly seen objects around the world. Imagine grabbing any unprepared soda can off any one and then ripping the tab off. You place the tab on your spectator's open palm, take the can, and tap it to the sitting tab in your spectator's hand. The tab instantly seals back on the can.

01:01:48 - "Blaze" by Tony and Jordan, Les French Twins - Create an amazing souvenir with the spectator's signed card.that is burned and singed.

01:06:49 - "The Magic of Suzanne" - The Castle Act , 2 DVD Set - Volume 1: Filmed live at The Magic Castle, you'll be captivated by the same show that consistently earns Suzanne standing ovations, and ultimately won her the prestigious award. Volume 2: Go behind the scenes with Suzanne and guest host, Matt Marcy, as they explain step-by-step how to perform some of the tricks from her award winning act.

Click on the image above to help support "Jump Start Becky's Heart! by Becky Blaney"

Get $50 off the registration price now through April 30, 2016. Send an email to 2016MindJam@gmail.com with the subject line The Magic Word Podcast to receive the discount. You will then receive an invoice to pay the reduced registration price. This … — Get $50 off the registration price now through April 30, 2016. Send an email to 2016MindJam@gmail.com with the subject line The Magic Word Podcast to receive the discount. You will then receive an invoice to pay the reduced registration price. This is an exclusive offer for Magic Word listeners.

285: Magic's Theater of Illusion & Museum

That is not a typo. The apostrophe is correctly placed and means the subject is possessive. In other words, it is not "Magic Theater" nor "Magics' Theater", but correctly spelled "Magic's Theater". That is because it us the brainchild of and belongs to Johnny Magic. Hence, it is called his theater, or "Magic's Theater"

John Wright, aka "Johnny Magic", opened his theater in Austin, Texas in December, 2013. Since then he has been expanding his collection and adding more talent and rooms to the theater. He now offers close-up magic in the new theater on Friday nights in addition to the weekly stage shows every Saturday.

Magical Pieces in the Museum

A replica of Harry Houdini’s famous Chinese water torture cell.
Famous American sculptor, John Rogers' original 1877, The Traveling Magician group and 1877 School Days group
A 1924 Carter the Great Vanishing the Elephant poster
World famous magician, Doug Henning's personal wardrobe, props, and photographs
Original Cardini photographs and award plaque
Original T. Nelson Downs’ photographs and coins
Photographs and posters of contemporary magicians, David Copperfield, Dean Dill, Fred Kapps, Professor Dai Vernon, Lance Burton

According to his bio in "The Magic Castle Walls of Fame" (Norm Neilsen 1988):

John Wright is an accomplished magician in the art of both stage and close-up.magic. He has performed at many nightclubs in Los Angeles, on television and in motion pictures. As technical advisor, Wright has contributed to such television shows as Gidget, Eye to Eye, Fantasy Island and Bring Them Back Alive.

John presently owns a magic studio in Los Angeles where many well-known magicians have rehearsed. At his best in each aspect of magic that he practices, John continues to contribute to the advancement of this art.

13419 Fitzhugh Road Austin, TX 78736 magicstheater.com

John Wright, aka "Johnny Magic", opened his theater in December 2013 in Austin, TX. Here you can enjoy a short tour of his museum. For more information about the theater, please visit: http://magicstheater.com/

Time stamps for magic product product reviews (check our Download Store to order):

00:57:23 - Cash Converter by Richard Griffin. Effect: A borrowed bill is folded in half lengthwise. It is then pulled through the fingers where it visually changes into a different bill. Then with a blow it visually changes back to their original bill, you can then unfold it and immediately hand it back for examination.

01:02:31 - Diception by Chris Congreave from Magic Tao. Effect: Showing that your deck is mixed and ordinary, you also show a card with a prediction written on the back. The spectator chooses a card completely at random, by rolling 1,2 or 3 dice. You deal to their number (no forces). When you reveal the prediction you have not only predicted their chosen card, but also what number they rolled on the dice.

01:06:45 - Fobulous by Steve Shufton. Effect: The spectator examines both of two key fobs and finds them to be exactly as they in fact are: common and ordinary in every way. The two fobs are of different design, so it is easy to tell them apart. The spectator retains the fobs as she examines your hands, and finds them to also be exactly as they are: empty. The fobs are now positioned, one in each of the participant's hands. She clasps her hands tightly around them - yet with a gesture and snap of your fingers, they trade places.

284: Alex Pandrea - Changing Lives with Magic

Alex Pandrea doesn't just do wonderful sleight-of-hand...he changes lives with it. On a recent lecture tour of the U.S., he stopped by The Magic Word's microphone to spend some quality time talking about his magic creations, his playing "NOC" card company, and his performing philosophy. I found it fascinating that he no longer performs magic for paid engagements but prefers to perform when he believes people need the magic in their lives.

This all came about due to a discussion related to the recent rant by Dan Sperry that was seen, heard and discussed by the magic community. Basically, Dan believes that people should be performing rather than just posting their magic on videos filmed in their room. We need to be "out there" performing for real people. You can watch and listen to his Facebook video by Clicking Here Warning: explicit language.

Alex is the Chief Executive Officer of "Blue Crown" and the "House of Playing Cards", (that creates the "NOC" cards) both which offer the finest magic products on the web and perhaps some of the most beautifully designed playing cards, too.

Time stamps for magic product product reviews (check our Download Store to order):

01:00:42 - "I.D.D." by Christopher Rawlins - Chris Rawlins is back with an offbeat and amazing solution to the classic drawing duplication. As in the classic effect, someone is invited to walk away from the group and draw any shape or thing she likes. You are able to duplicate what she drew with uncanny accuracy.

01:04:00 - "Your Card Is" by Grant Maidment - You have a card selected, signed, this then gets lost in the pack. You produce a set of four of the same cards i.e. - four Jokers. You show the backs to be all blue. One by one each joker turns face up from face down. You then place the four cards in the spectator's hand and ask them to wave their other hand over the cards. One card turns face down. You take the remaining three face up Jokers and show that they have now each turned into a different colour back with the words "YOUR CARD IS" and an arrow written on the back of the cards. When the spectator turns the card in their hand, it is their signed card.

01:05:57 - "Rubber Band Through/In Card box" by Gogo Requiem - A perfect opener for your close up-restaurant, bar or walkaround routine. Great illusion where the rubber band penetrates the card box or goes into the card box.