507: Day One - 2019 MAGIC Live! Convention

2019 Convention Schedule - Sunday August 4, 2019

24 hours Back Room Lounge (Dauphine A)

10:00 a.m. Registration (Bienville G) until 10:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. Photo Badges (Dauphine F) until 10:00 p.m.

Live Tonight!

7:30 until 11:00 p.m. - Welcome “Trick or Treat” Party (Esplanade)

7:30 until 11:00 p.m. - The Magic Shop (Mardi Gras)

11:00 p.m. - Grand Prize Giveaway (Mardi Gras)

Time Stamps for this podcast:

00:00:17 - Scott Wells prepares for take-off from Houston

00:04:53 - John McLenahan talks about the acquisition of Denny & Lee’s Magic Shop and its conversion to the Magic Hat and Wand Magic Shoppe

00:19:30 - James Dimmare at the Martinis and Magic show at the Thunderbird

00:29:04 - Stephen Sokulski (son of Stan Allen and sound director for James Dimmare’s show) talks about some of the plans for the convention

00:38:13 - Fred and Bobbi Becker talk about why they attend this convention

00:48:00 - Joey Cranford, co-proprietor of the Chicago Magic Lounge

00:57:45 - “Stance Burton” aka Stan Allen chats briefly about the evening’s actiities

00:58:00 - Craig Mitchell from South Africa talks about some of the other shows on the Strip he has visited

01:04:52 - Andy Pierson (Friend of The Magic Word) and Russ Jackson (listener from the U.K.) talk about what they like about the podcast. This is Russ’s first MAGIC Live! convention.

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441: 2018 MAGIC Live! - Day Three Update

Day Three Schedule - Tuesday, August 7, 2018

9:00 a.m. Registration until 6:30 p.m.

10:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - General Session for WHITE Lanyards

10:00 a.m. Focus Session for BLUE lanyards until 11:00 a.m.

The Card Cheat

Cardistry: It Is Magic!

The Case You Fear Most

11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - What's New (Dealers' Faire)

11:15 a.m - 12:15 p.m. - Focus Sessions for BLUE Lanyards.

2:15 - 4:30 p.m. - General Session for BLUE Lanyards

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Focus Sessions for WHITE Lanyards

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.- Focus Sessions for WHITE lanyards

Live Tonight!

5:00 - 11:00 p.m. - "Who Am I?" Art Exhibit

The Close-Up Experience: 75 minutes - various times

Parlour of Victorian Mysteries: 50 minutes - various times

MAGIC Dead!: 50 minutes - various times

Time Stamps for this podcast:

00:00:15 - Charlie Randall and Scott talk about last night's show

00:06:46 - Caroline Gayle tells us about the new marked cards available from Penguin that they are giving away at the convention

00:09:04 - Jeffrey Williamson was the representative from the U.S. Postal Service who made the presentation along with David Copperfield for the first day of issue magic stamps

00:14:40 - Master Payne has been a presenter at MAGIC Live on many occasions and talks about some of his favorite moments.

00:20:54 - Scott Alexander tells us how he prepares for the holiday special videos for Penguin

00:29:46 - Joel Fenton came over from Australia tells us why several people come to MAGIC Live!

00:33:17 - Michael Borys and Bob Self chat about 49 Boxes, one of my favorite memories of past MAGIC Live! events.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

236: FISM Italy - Day Five

Any FISM Championship is not without its controversies and problems. People will talk about one thing or another that might have gone wrong with this convention, but one thing that was made crystal clear by Juan Mayoral, one of the contestants from Spain. Basically, he stated in so many words that he would not compete until the contest was brought back to the theater and focused on the competitors and away from the "television broadcast" cameras and lights. His pronouncement brought a 15 minute standing ovation. The Reed Sisters from the U.S. had to follow in the competition and might feel that their performance was compromised; however, the curtain was brought down on them early because they did not meet the minimum standards for a FISM quality act. You can hear his statement at the beginning of this podcast and we talk with Craig Mitchell who helped clarify it a bit.

The evening show was delayed again which kept the delegates waiting in the foyer before we we allowed into for the three hour show without air conditioning. Now THAT harkened back to the olden days of theater when there was no A/C. Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee compered the show that featured Yan Yan Ma, Michael Moschen, Otto Wessley, lLee Eun Gyeol, Cyril Takayama, Henry Evans, Marco Tempest, Vito Lup and Franz Harary. Another strong line-up that would have been better appreciated had it started earlier (or at least on time) and not gone on well past midnight and into the late night session with David Berglas.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:02:11 - Curtains open, Juan Mayoral sits on a chair, removes his top hat, puts hie magic wand in the hat, then rises to speak to the audience and say that he did not feel comfortable performing in "this TV show: and he refuses to perform at FISM until :magic and FISM returns to the theater.:

00:04:46- Dal Sanders, past National President for the S.A.M.

00:11:04 - Craig Mitchell and Dal Sanders

00:18:48 - Kate Medvedeva, head judge for close-up at FISM

00:35:17 - Bruce Gold

00:52:29 - Andrew Basso, the "Escapist" from "The illusionists" touring group