062: Abbott's Get Together Day 4 - 2012

Just before the final evening show, we got an inside wrap up the 75th Get-Together with owner and organizer, Greg Bordner. The information for next year's Get-Together is already posted at: http://magicgettogether.com/ Following the show and the awards presentation at the elementary school, the group continued the reverie in the village.

I caught up with Stan Allen who talked about this Get-Together, MAGIC Live! and the Essential Magic Conference. We recorded this chat with Stan outside the Legion Hall in hopes that it would be much quieter. Indeed it was; however, the wind picked up and there is some wind noise in this part of the podcast. Please forgive the poor quality of the recording of this chat, but I decided to leave it in because of the quality of the discussion. For dates, registration and more information on MAGIC Live!, visit: http://www.magicmagazine.com/live/

Before we called it a night, I talked with Al the Only and Don Wiberg who together gave a nice wrap and overview of the entire convention. Then just before we signed off, Dana Daniels came out of the Legion Hall so we got to chat with him about him winning the Senator Clark Crandall Comedy Award for Excellence, his "No Show Show" and his future. For information on booking Dana, you can find more information at: http://danadaniels.com/Dana_Daniels.html

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058: Abbott's Get Together Day 0 - 2012

It was a bright, cheerful sunny day as I arrived in Colon, Michigan for the 75th annual Abbott's Get Together. After checking in at the motel in nearby Sturgis (there are no motels in Colon), I traveled to "Blackstone Island" where I had been invited to a little "night before" party hosted by David Seebach. Among the guests, I had a chance to visit with Adele Friel Rhindress, perhaps better known as the woman who was the "Elusive Moth" in Blackstone's famous illusion. She traveled with the Blackstone show for the last two seasons. I found it interesting that she had not returned to this idyllic spot since 1948, nearly 65 years ago.

I also had a short chat with the owner of Abbott's Magic Factory and organizer of the Get Together, Greg Bordner. And of course we talked with our host for the evening, David Seebach.

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036: Magi-Fest 2011 - Day Two from the file of "Lost Episodes"

January 28th and it's Day Two of the 80th Magi-Fest. Come along with me as we go into the Dealers' Room and enjoy an "off-the-cuff", funny and informative chat with David Williamson and Rick Merrill. The synergistic energy of these two guys is just out of this world. We then have a much more serious conversation with Joanie Spina who talks about directing and choreographing magic acts plus some of her time with David Copperfield. We also have a brief chat with one of her students, David Malachor. She has done so much for helping and improving many of the top acts today. Back in the Dealers' Room I have a chat with Greg Bordner talking about Abbott’s Get Together, the genesis of Abbotts plus Harry Blackstone and more.

We then walk over to the booth where Jim Steinmeyer is signing his new book, The Last Greatest Magician in the World, a biography about Howard Thurston. As with all of Jim's books, it is a most fascinating read. We also chat with Jim about some of his consulting with Broadway theatrical productions.

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