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.

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 informa… — 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.

601 - P.A.N. on Scott Alexander

As we kick off the 601st episode of The Magic Word Podcast, we welcome not one, but three guests this week, all of whom toured and worked closely with the late magician and dealer, Denny Haney. Scott Alexander authored a new biography of Denny called, “Collected Wisdom” which not only talks about his life but also describes in detail some of the tricks that made his reputation. Also joining us the week is Malcolm “Puck” Puckering and Alain Nu both of whom have made their own unique mark in our magic community after learning so much from their mentor, Denny.

“Collected Wisdom” contains many stories from the collected lives of Scott, Puck and Alain, But in this week’s podcast, they also share a few additional recollections that were not included in the book.

You can also enjoy this podcast on YouTube where the video of our conversation was recorded. In that video you can enjoy a couple videos that were shown during the recording of this episode but deleted in this audio portion.

Click on the picture to visit the website for more information on how to purchase your copy of “Collected Wisdon”

This week’s podcast video on YouTube.

561: Chris Pilsworth - A Canadian Conjurer with a Cactus

Chris Pilsworth is not a name that is on the tip of the tongue for most magicians. He quietly performs professionally for corporations across Canada with the occasional outdoor busking, too. But he is noted for his creative ideas and consulting with magicians from Las Vegas to London and even for television in China. His approach to magic is passion and commitment with new ideas popping up all the time. If you don’t already know Chris, then you will make a new friend after hearing this week’s episode.