422: Magic Theaters Redux

John Sturk and Danny Archer return to talk about their respective magic theaters, the Chicago Magic Lounge and Smoke & Mirrors Magic Theater. We spoke with each of them in the past as they were getting started and time has passed and they are now open and doing quite well. In fact, the Chicago Magic Lounge was so successful, they have moved into their own venue that was designed just for them rather than sharing the stage with a burlesque group.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:03:48 - Danny Archer talks about their theater and how they market their show and sell tickets.

00:40:28 - John Sturk tells us about their new theater in Chicago and why they moved into the new venue.

01:09:32 - Product Review: "Sharpie Through Bill" by Alan Romson from Sansminds. A modern twist on the classic penetration effect where a Sharpie passes through a folded bill. Recommended but will take a little practice to make it look perfect.

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

341: Houdini-Opoly with Dick Brookz and Dorothy Dietrich

Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz own and operate the Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. They have both led extraordinary lives and worthy of talking more about their Houdini museum, the Houdini seance, and the former Magic Townhouse in New York City. They talk about all these things but the purpose of this particular podcast is to help the magic world learn more about their newest project, "Houdini-Opoly"

They have been working on this board game for over two years and with the Kickstarter campaign now being fully funded just before this podcast was released. So not it's on to meet their "stretch" goals to pay for the "enhancements". Thanks to your support, it appears that it will be in production soon this year. The Magic Word Podcast is selective in providing a platform for promoting individuals or pet projects. But this is one I support and think is of particular interest to our community. But even if you choose not to support the cause and buy a game, the rest of our chat is interesting as we talk about the old Magic Townhouse in New York City and why it closed and the museum moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania. We also discuss the Houdini seance and the museum.

Help the Kickstarter Campaign and get your "one of a kind" collectible Houdini board game. You can't escape the fun!

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. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Click on the graphic above to visit the site for more information on Houdini-Opoly

Support our sponsor and click on the graphic above to visit the online shore.

The contest is over and we congratulate Pat Darienzo who won a copy of Danny Archer's eBook. — The contest is over and we congratulate **Pat Darienzo** who won a copy of Danny Archer's eBook.

337: Danny Archer - Smoke and Mirrors

Danny Archer is making a big leap in the magic business. He is developing a new theater (called "Smoke and Mirrors") under the auspices of Magical Arts Center with a magic shop component, plus he will be offering magic lessons and eventually host seances. Essentially he has a four "S" strategy: Stage, Shop, School and Seance. In this podcast, Danny talks about the development of this new venue plus his previous work in the Colorado ski resort and his dissolution of his business partnership with Gregory Wilson.

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. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser-known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on 2016. Every year is hard when our friends' names appear here, but for some reason, it seems that this year was particularly difficult with many legendary names disappearing into the sands of time and annals of our rich history.

Some of these names may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our art. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again.

Robert George Allen

Paul R. Fried

Harry Riser

Earle J. Christenberry, Jr.

Laura J. Eisele

Kenneth (Ken) Edward Fletcher

Paul F. Osborne

Stanley (Stan) B. Adair

Carl Raymond (Ray) Eyler

Robert (Bob) W. Follmer

Abner (Abb) Pope Dickson, Jr.

Majestik Magnificent