629: Escaping Reality with Garry Carson

It seems that illusionists are getting fewer in today’s entertainment world and the best way to see them in while they are in residence at a casino or showroom. Garry and Janine Carson have a show, “Escape Reality” in Branson, Missouri where they take their audience on a 75 minute whirlwind journey of illusion and fun. Their theater is not one of the larger ones in Branson, but they fill out the stage Having put their show in Branson in 2020 seemed to be bad timing, but tourism continued despite the pandemic and they captured the coveted awards of “Best New Show” and “Best Dinner Show” in the 2020 Best of Branson Awards presentation.

Branson, Missouri, hosts a lot of variety shows including magic. One of the many shows in town is “Escape Reality” with Garry & Janine Carson. After I watched his late afternoon dinner show, we retired to his dressing room to talk about his career on cruise ships to Las Vegas to Branson.

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622: Michael Chaut - Monday Night Magician

Michael Chaut is one of the co-producers of Monday Night Magic in New York City. After 25 years, it is the longest running magic show in NYC. In this week’s episode, Michael shares the history of Monday Night Magic along with a brief history of some of the other magic venues and performers during the 20th century in NYC.

This week’s video of the podcast on YouTube. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the channel.

481: Jessica Jane Peterson - Right Place, Right Time

Jessica Jane Peterson (or “JJ” as I like to call her) is leading a charmed life. The dominoes have been set and are now falling perfectly one after another. That’s not to say that it has all been by design, but rather she has been at the right place at the right time. Of course this wouldn’t work unless she had the abilities to make this happen.

And her short 29 years, she has led a most interesting life having worked as an adolescent in her uncle’s magic show, then later with the circus, then as a “box jumper” to performing on her own in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and aboard cruise ships and magic lounges (like the “Magic Castle” and Nashville’s “House of Cards” among others). She also appeared on the “Penn & Teller Fool Us” television show where she did some fire eating. And this is just the beginning.

This charismatic young magician has the world at her fingertips and success is within her grasp. She is someone to watch. Mark my words. And hear her here on The Magic Word. This was a fun conversation but not the first one recorded in my car!

Watch Jessica Jane Peterson light up the stage with Magic & Fire on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. The full episode is entitled '50/50 Chance" and aired on The CW Network August 3rd 2017 and was filmed at the Penn & Teller Theater in the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.