767: Randy Wakeman - I've Been Around for a Long, Long Years

Randy Wakeman has been around for many decades and was often seen lecturing and performing at magic conventions. Nonetheless, I have always seen him as an “underground” magician who appeals to the true sleight-of-hand experts. He is one of those guys who has “been there, done that, has the t-shirt” as he was one of the regular performers about the Chicago Bar Magic Scene before the turn of the last century. He has written several books on magic (card magic mostly) and is still relevant in our community as a performer, teacher and author.

While at the recent Senior Tour close-up convention in St. Louis, The Magic Word spoke with Randy as part of the convention report content. He was preparing for a workshop, so we didn’t get a chance to go in-depth as I had wanted. But we agreed to get together at the 4F convention in Buffalo a couple months later. True to his word, we sat down to complete our chat which results in this episode. The content of our chat in both places was a little disjunctive, so the editing required us to put the second conversation first then plug in the chat in St. Louis and finish with our talk while in Buffalo. This sounds more confusing that it actually is, but I know you will understand and enjoy our chat.

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705: Abbott's Get Together 2022 - Day Three Report

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5TH 2022

9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant Purchase Registration/Tickets

9:30AM ABBOTT'S TALENT CONTEST (Compete Info, Event Info at High School Requires Abbott's Registration

10:00AM-12:45PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS' ROOM at Colon High School Requires Abbott's Registration

11:00AM - 5:00PM COLON ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR Craft Show/Vendor Info on Canal street next to the library

12:00PM STREET PERFORMER - BJ Mallen (Granny's Place by American Legion)

1:00PM LECTURE - Joel Hodgson, Bizzaro, Nick Diffatte at High School Requires Abbott's Registration

1:00PM OLD FASHION MAGIC SHOW with Brynn Cummings at Abbott's Magic Theatre $5

2:00 PM JAY BLACKWELL JUGGLING/FIRE EATING & MORE at Sterlini Magic & Theater

2:30PM ABBOTT'S CLOSEUP SHOW Requires Abbott's Registration
Featuring Mac King, Mike Caveney, Guy Hollingworth, Michael Carbonaro

3:00PM-5PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS' ROOM at Colon High School Requires Abbott's Registration

3:00PM-5:00PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM is open (Colon Museum Webpage)

3:00PM-6PM FACE PAINTING with Award Winning Artist Carol Hendrix

4:00PM STREET PERFORMER - John Sturk (Colon Twp Library Lawn, by Craft Show)

4:30PM OLD FASHION MAGIC SHOW with BJ Mallen at Abbott's Magic Theatre $5

5:00 PM LIVE AT 5 WITH THE STERLINI'S at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10

5:30PM STREET PERFORMER - Jania Taylor (Colon Twp Library Lawn, by Craft Show)

6:00PM-7:45PM DINNER on your own

7:45PM PRESHOW LIVE ORGAN MUSIC - by John Sturk Requires Abbott's Registration or Ticket ($30/$45)

8:00PM ABBOTT'S STAGE SHOW Requires Advance Registration or Ticket ($30/$45)
Featuring John Bundy and Morgan Ghost Show
NOTE: Tickets for the Abbott evening Stage Show must be purchased in advance at the Abbott Plant or online before 5pm that day.
You will be able to pick up tickets at a will call window at the show, but Abbotts will not be able to sell any at the door.

8:00PM GRAND MAGIC CLASSIC SHOW - 8 PM at the Laflin's Grand Magic Theater - $14.95 adult, $6.95 child

10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS at Colon High School Requires Abbott's Registration

10:15 PM CHUCK KING MAGIC & HYPNOTISM at Sterlini Magic & Theater

10:30PM ABBOTT'S TALENT CONTEST AWARDS at Colon High School Requires Abbott's Registration

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:16 - Nick Diffatte is a last minute fill-in since he was “passing through” following FISM and why he replaced.

00:04:14 - Michael Mode is another of the long time attendees at the Get Together and talks about some of the traditions of this convention.

00:13:2 - Michael Goudeau was on the Lance Burton tour bus and also one of the performers at this convention. Michael is also one of the co-hosts with Penn Jillette on “Penn’s Sunday School” and talks a bit about that plus what shows he’s currently doing.

00:20:48 - Dave Cresey, King of the Coils, talks about the history of making his coils and some of the issues of others who have ripped him off.

00:32:00 - John Bundy, aka Dr. Morbius, and his assistant, Morgan, sit down after their full evening spook show and talk about their show and traveling with a large stage show.

00:39:51 - Jania Taylor is another “regular” at the Get Together. She says it is her 39th time attending this event. She is also one of the “buskers” who entertains on the streets of Colon during the convention.

00:48:15 - BJ Mallen traditionally opens the first evening show as emcee following in the steps of Gordon Miller who did it for 45 years.

00:55:09 - We announce the names of the contest winners then chat with the Talent Chairman who talks about dealing with adversities due to passport problems with some acts who planned to be here then had to scramble to fill in with others who were going to be here as registrants.

608- Jeff Bibik - Bar Magician Extraordinaire

Jeff Bibik is a Chicago comedian and a magician. Originally from the Detroit, Michigan, area, he regularly performed magic in local restaurants and comedy clubs until 1985 when he moved to Chicago where he continued as a comedy magician in close-up and stage for the public and corporate audiences and he also performs a hypnosis act. Over the years he developed a large repertoire of jokes and gags that serves him well today as the house magician at the Chicago Magic Lounge.

Jeff Bibik pulls no punches this week in sharing the secrets behind getting work in restaurants performing magic, plus he tells lots of stories about working in bars and restaurants with a liberal sprinkling of funny gags, jokes and puns. This was recorded using StreamYard with Jeff joining us from the bar in his basement in his Chicago home. A video of our chat was also recorded and posted to YouTube. To view that video, please click on the video link below in this blog.