612 - Bill Abbott - Gimme That Mic

Magicians are “wired” to perform. We want the microphone. We love the bright lights, the sound of applause and especially laughter…at the right time and place. This week’s guest, Bill Abbott, is a comedy magician who understands comedy and knows how to perfectly blend it with magic.

Indeed it is a fine balance because in the end, we want our audiences to remember us but also to have had a good time. So there should be mystery and humor. If you are going to be a magician, then there should be mystery that fools people. If you are going to be a comedian, then you will be telling a series of jokes. But to blend the two together, you shouldn’t be a “prop comic” relying on your props for laughs, but rather, the emphasis should be on the overall experience your audience will take home with them.

This week’s podcast on YouTube.

Bill Abbott shares lots of tips and advice on how to structure your show with comedy and how to relate to your audiences with a performance that they will remember.

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

608- Jeff Bibik - Bar Magician Extraordinaire

Jeff Bibik is a Chicago comedian and a magician. Originally from the Detroit, Michigan, area, he regularly performed magic in local restaurants and comedy clubs until 1985 when he moved to Chicago where he continued as a comedy magician in close-up and stage for the public and corporate audiences and he also performs a hypnosis act. Over the years he developed a large repertoire of jokes and gags that serves him well today as the house magician at the Chicago Magic Lounge.

Jeff Bibik pulls no punches this week in sharing the secrets behind getting work in restaurants performing magic, plus he tells lots of stories about working in bars and restaurants with a liberal sprinkling of funny gags, jokes and puns. This was recorded using StreamYard with Jeff joining us from the bar in his basement in his Chicago home. A video of our chat was also recorded and posted to YouTube. To view that video, please click on the video link below in this blog.

589: Harrison Greenbaum - Taking a Shvitz

More than a magician and more than a comedian, Harrison Greenbaum is in high demand. Our industry refers to those of us who are “comedy magicians” like Mac King, for example. But for someone who stand behind a microphone without any accoutrements and makes people laugh, well…that is a true comedian. Harrison is also well versed as a magician having attended then later taught at Tannen’s Magic Cam and performing magic at magic conventions and corporate banquets. But to the general public, Harrison is best known as a stand-up comic from his many appearances at nightclubs, on television and in theaters around the world including the Sydney Opera House.

Harrison makes his late night stand-up debut with a set that goes from Russia to Mars.

In this week’s episode, Harrison talks about his work in stand-up comedy, his improvisational skills, plus he gives us a little peek into what is in his magic lecture called “You Are All Terrible” that he gives at magic conventions and online.

612 - Bill Abbott - Gimme That Mic

608- Jeff Bibik - Bar Magician Extraordinaire

589: Harrison Greenbaum - Taking a Shvitz

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