309: 2016 Abbott's Get Together - Day Three

DAY THREE - FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th 2016
9:00AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant
9:00AM COLON ARTS & CRAFT FAIR (more info) Until 4:00PM
9:30AM ABBOTT'S STAGE TALENT CONTEST (more info) at the High School
10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (more info) at Grade School
11:00AM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Dawn & Phils featuring John Sturk
12:00PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Village Market featuring Jonathon LaChance
1:00PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - at Craft Fair featuring Jania Taylor
1:00PM LECTURE - Lynetta Welch & Bizzaro at the High School
1:00PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM OPEN TILL 4PM (more info)
1:30PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott Plant with BJ Mallen or Gordon Miller
2:30PM ABBOTT'S CLOSEUP SHOW at the High School
Featuring Ice McDonald MC, Clemens ILgner, Scott Alexander, Martin Cox, Nick Diffatte
3:00PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott Plant with BJ Mallen or Gordon Miller
3:00PM - 6:00PM FACE PAINTING outside 5 Star Pizza by Carol Hendrix
4:30PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Five Star Pizza featuring Trino
5:00PM MAGIC AND MORE LIVE - Sterlini's Magic Shop (more info)
5:00PM MAGICIANS DINNER SPECIAL - At Lutheran Church on Burr Oak Road
5:30PM RIVER LAKE INN’S MAGIC SHOW & DINNER with Ron Carnell
8:00PM ABBOTT'S STAGE SHOW at the High School (Preshow Live Organ Music)
Featuring Denny Haney, Magic of Puck, Scott Alexander
(view seating chart)
9:45PM FIREWORK SHOW (more info) outside High School after show
10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS at Grade School after show
10:30PM TALENT CONTEST AWARDS at Grade School after show

Clemens Ilgner performs live at FFFF 2013.This Convention is called the "Original Close-Up Magic Convention" and is the most prestigious gathering of close-up magicians in the world. Paul Gertner assists him in his performance in Batavia, where this famous meeting is held annually.

00:00:13 - Clemens Ilgner from Germany was one of the featured acts on the Wednesday night opening show. He was also the first lecturer of the convention on that day and on Day Three, he was one of the featured performers in the close-up show in the high school gym. He talks today following the publication of a front page photo of his act in the Sturgis Journal newspaper touting the opening night show with "Magic Get-Together Opening Night" article.

00:22:00 - Anthony Stockton was one of the contestants in the stage contest who reminded me of a young Rob Zabrecky in his mannerisms, music and offbeat thinking...though he has never heard of Rob. :) I have a feeling that we will be hearing a lot more from this young man from Joliet, Illinois.

00:28:47 - One of the "Friends of The Magic Word", Steve Chezaday is a long-time member of Abbott's Stage Crew. He talks about some of his memories of shows over the past 20-25 years.

00:43:30 - Dave Cresey, the "King of Coils" tells us about how he got into making mouth coils, hat tears, throw streamers and more. He also talks about his long association with Abbott's Get Togethers; however, now he is retired and riding Harley's with his wife, Roseann.

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257: Magic Chat at the Chateau du Magique

As an attachment to a recent podcast, I gave a link to my irregular, half hour podcast, "Meals With Magicians" which was recorded at the riverside home of Trixie Bond in the Texas Hill Country. Also sitting outside on the veranda for breakfast and joining the conversation was Jay Scott Berry, Suzanne the Magician, and Don Wiberg.

After the 30 minutes was over, I felt that we were just getting started with an intensely deep and interesting conversation. So, I turned on the microphone and recorded a second half. I know that "Meals With Magicians" is not widely heard but I felt that what we discussed warranted a larger audience. So, I have included that podcast as the first half of this longer one. If you already heard that podcast on Spreaker.com, then you might want to either hear it again to get the context of the latter half of this podcast, or you might wish to skip forward to about the halfway mark to hear the last half hour of our conversation.

Suzanne is the only woman to win the coveted "Close-Up Magician of the Year" award from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle). In this 2-DVD set, you will learn Suzanne's valuable secrets on how to properly structure a magical performance to create a standout show, as well as some fabulous magic.

Take a front row seat at Hollywood's famed Magic Castle. Known as "The Carnegie Hall of Magic", its 3 main theatres showcase the world's finest magicians. At 19, I was the youngest magician to ever perform there. Some years later I joined the very few who have presented 1000 shows in these hallowed halls. From The Close-up Gallery to The Palace of Mystery, my favourite room has always been The Parlour of Prestidigitation. With that thought, I invite you back to January 27, 2013...Enjoy.

“Suspicion and wonder cannot exist simultaneously in the mind of the audience.” – Jay Scott Berry

This is just one of the great ideas discussed in this week’s podcast that includes Preparing your lecture, dealing with hecklers on stage or at a restaurant table, the story about a heckler in Shawn Farquhar’s show many years ago who burned down his home, getting the attention of children for your kid’s show, and Suzanne recommends listening to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who looks at those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow." Trixie also talks about how to mentally prepare for performing whether it is before a birthday party or a stage show and the life-changing results it could bring (the power of the experience).

Jay Scott Berry also shares a key element from his lecture – A.C.E. which stands for Attitude, Charisma and Enthusiasm. He goes into detail about each of these areas that will help you with your show, too.

Don Wiberg talks about the importance of knowing how to give a lecture, what is the first thing you should NOT say when you come on stage, and how to structure an interesting opening line. We also talk about bringing the awe and wonder back to our performances.

MagicPad is a versatile, packs flat, plays big effect (performed at the Magic Castle) AND it's a very useful iPad case for daily use!

252: Day Two - T.A.O.M. Convention 2015

The first full day of the TAOM was chock full of activities, some of which required you to choose what to see and what to miss. For example, the Bob Fitch lecture was opposite of the close-up competition. The day kicked off with Ken Scott talking about working Library shows while in another room, Mica Calfee taught how to make a home made "Card Fountain". Keeping with the kid show theme started by Ken Scott, Oscar Munoz performed then taught some ideas for a "School Show".

Next up was Bob Fitch who gave us some practical advice on how to improve our acts. After lunch was a special tribute to our veterans complete with live music and a color guard. Five magicians gave abbreviated lectures including Doug Gorman, Oscar Munoz, Scott Wells, John Cornelius and Diamond Jim Tyler all capably compered by David Hira. The professional close-up show followed with Suzanne the Magician, Peter Samelson, John Carney, Jay Scott Berry, and Robert Baxt.

The evening gala was an all "women" show hosted by Ali Shelley and featured Margaret Steele, Amanda Eve, Rachael Dunn, Jesse Pattersson (a hula hoop expert who drew the first sustained ovation that turned into a standing ovation), Tiny Bubbles, and closing the show was Jade.

Late night activities started with Robert Baxt talking about comedy followed by another lecture named "Two Extra-Ordinary Women" lectures by Randi Rain as "Vamp-IRA" and Steve Daly aka "Tiny Bubbles". This lecture competed with the traditional "Roger Klause Midnight Madness" show hosted by Jamie Salinas. This show always featured some of Roger's friends performing their one pet effect. Jamie continues this tradition by hand picking his friends to do just one thing.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:12 - David Hira and Suzanne the Magician talk a bit about their thoughts on the previous days magic activities

00:10:19 - Diamond JIm Tyler tells about his relationship with Brian Brushwood's "Scam School" and how he became the most frequent guest.

00:17:39 - Past President of the T.A.O.M., cover boy for Genii and and former Guest of Honor for the T.A.O.M., Ramon Galindo, talks a bit about his illustrious career as a tailor and parakeet magician and how Siegfried changed his life.

00:25:12 - From Las Vegas, Nevada, Steve Daly, tells us about his Abra-CORN-dabra convention in Iowa and what it's like to work a popular, sold-out show in Las Vegas.

00:33:59 - Multi international award winner and creator, John Cornelius, tells what he's been up to the past sever years and tells us about working with Doug Henning and Roger Klause.

00:45:32 - Ray Anderson has some surprises in store for the attendees tomorrow night at Esther's Follies and he might have tipped a little of it between the lines in our chat.