646: Johnny Kats - Man About Town

More than a reporter, Johnny “Kats” Katsilometes chronicles history in the making with his regular newspaper and online columns covering entertainment in Las Vegas. His many insightful observations has made him an integral part of that entertainment scene. And since magic is part of that world, Johnny covers it all from the small bars to the mega-casino shows where conjurors congregate. He loves magic and magicians. Some of you may remember that he was one of the guest “roasters” at the Mac King Roast at the S.A.M. Magic Convention in Las Vegas in January 2020. You can read his daily columns in the Las Vegas Review-Journal or catch him online with their digital edition, too. As he says, “I’m on page 3-A everyday and online all the time.” If you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas and want to know what’s happening, be sure to check out his column before you go.

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Recording our conversation was delayed by a day because of a scheduling conflict with another guest for his column. I was bumped by famed guitarist, Carlos Santana (see picture above.) But when we finally got together in the home of Murray Sawchuck, Johnny talked about some of what has been happening in Las Vegas as the ever-evolving scene changes and the baton seems to be passing from Cirque du Soliel shows to AGT (America’s Got Talent) stars on the Strip. He also gave some advice on what shows he recommends seeing when you travel to Vegas.

If you have current magic news that might be of interest to our listeners, then please send it to Scott Wells at scott@themagicwordpodcast.com

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..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

National Magic week is traditionally the last 7 days of October (October 25th-31st). The purpose of National Magic Week is to celebrate the charitable work done by the S.A.M, S.A.M. Assemblies and S.A.M. members throughout the year. For more information on promoting yourself and/or your magic club, please visit the S.A.M. website by Clicking Here.

463: Michael Campion - Fuller House

“Full House” was a popular television show in the U.S. in the 1980’s and has been recently revived on Netflix as “Fuller House” and co-stars young magician, Michael Campion. You can find a lot of information online about Michael telling you about his acting career, but in this podcast, we explore an inside look into his passion for magic. Michael loves close-up magic and hopes to incorporate his magic into some of his future acting roles.

In this podcast, Michael talks frankly about his acting career, “going to school” during his shooting schedule, the difficulties of being a young celebrity, magic on TV, current state of magic, and more. For a very special look at his stage performance of the Sub Trunk, enjoy this video on Dropbox by following this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5v5f30gfa5i1m19/IMG_1943.mp4?dl=0

The Tanner-Fuller clan returns December 14 for a brand-new season of love, laughs, and (of course) HUGS! Come on in, the door is always open. A Netflix Original Series.

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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..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

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130: Greg Bordner - Las Vegas Comes to Mayberry

The Andy Griffith Show aired on TV in the 1960's set in the fictional rural town of Mayberry, South Carolina, a friendly, close-knit community that clung to the 1930's...a time gone by.  Colon, Michigan is not dissimilar in that it has a rich tradition where many come back to relax and to enjoy a simpler time.

With a population of 1,161 people and one flashing traffic light, Colon nearly doubles in size each year for the annual Get Together as magicians from around the world convene to enjoy each others' company and share magic. It is truly a "Brigadoon" type of event that has the entire community turning out to celebrate the craft of magic then disappears afterwards with no trace that anything ever happened.

Greg Bordner wishes everyone a Happy Holiday from the showroom of Abbott's Magic Company.

Greg Bordner gives an after hours tour of the Abbotts Magic Factory. See where the magic begins before making it to the shelf!

Magic is a big house with many rooms. We have a rich history of magic that is filled with many people contributing to give us the texture that makes up the fabric of our craft. Greg Bordner, proprietor of Abbott's Magic Company, is one of dealers who continues the tradition started 80 years ago in the small village of Colon, Michigan.

Greg Bordner joins me on this podcast to talk about the history of Abbott's Magic Company, the transition of a brick-and-mortar magic shop to a successful online store, popular tricks sold through Abbott's, how Colon, Michigan came into being starting with Harry Blackstone, Sr., the many magicians who have moved to Colon, what there is to do in and around the Get Together (i.e. garage sales, Amish dinners, Curly's close-up contest, American Museum of Magic, Colon Museum) and so much more.

This is an interesting chat with some funny stories along the way about Blackstone, Sr. and others. For more information on Abbott's Magic Company, the  annual Get Together or the Close-Up Convention, visit their website at: http://AbbottMagic.com/

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.

As mentioned in the chat, many magicians are buried in the Colon cemetery. Thanks to Al the Only, here is an alphabetical list of those buried there (as of this writing):

Don Alan, Arthur Glen Babbs "Arturo", Bill Baird, Jack Barrows, Harry Blackstone Jr., Harry Blackstone Sr., John Nicholls Booth, Recil Bordner, Peter Bouton, Jerry Conklin, Shirley Conklin, Ted Coppin "Ted Banks", Della Coppin "Sally Banks", Ricki Dunn, Vince Fabek "Quincy the Clown", Karrell Fox, Anne Gwynne, Jack Gwynne, Kenneth Husted "Roy Huston", "Little Johnny" Jones, Skippy Lamore, Elaine Lund, Robert Lund, Fred R. Merrill, Hank Moorehouse, Jack Rench, Duke Stern, Marx Edward Straw, Jesse Thornton, Donald "Monk" Watson. You can learn more about each of these past magicians and see their grave sites by Clicking Here.

Karrell Fox gives a friendly tribute to his old friend Duke Stern in the Colon Cemetery. Also seen in this 1993 video is Bibik and Al the Only..

Magic & Martinis Thursday

Well, 'tis the season and everyone is working and partying hard. Our tree is appropriately festive with the right mix of...well, Magic & Martinis, what else? Cheers!