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553: Jonathan Goodwin - What Could Go Wrong?

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Just before we came under the cloud of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, one of the last touring magic shows I saw was The Illusionists featuring David Williamson (The Trickster), Chris Cox (The Mentalist), Hyun Joon Kim (The Manipulator), Valentin Azema (The Elusive), and Jonathan Goodwin (The Daredevil). I did not try to sit down with the entire cast, though I suggest that you go back to hear one I did in 2015 with the cast back then (including David Williamson who was just coming in to fill in for Jeff Hobson for a few dates).. This week we limited our time and our talk with just one of the cast. We have not featured an in-depth conversation with an escape artist on this podcast. But thanks to my U.K. friend, Martin Cox, I was connected with Jonathan Goodwin who opened up this whole new world to me.

Escapes have been an integral part of magic for centuries with Harry Houdini being the foremost proponent and well-known escape artist, of course. Though many have tried to replicate Harry’s daring escapes, I found it fascinating that Jonathan goes his own direction and understands what the audience “believes” and “accepts” as far as danger and “jeopardy”. He has updated escapes and brought the are to another level that resonates with audiences around the world.

U.K. Escape Artist, Jonathan Goodwin got a new tattoo for his 40th birthday honoring a quote by Harry Houdini.
See more from Britain's Got Talent at http://itv.com/talent Jonathan Goodwin put his life on the line for our entertainment again and again. Take a look back...

Jonathan Goodwin from The Illusionists escapes...

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Jonathan talks about what level of danger and harm to his body he is willing to accept, then he works backwards from that to construct the escape. He also talks about the importance of having the audience care for you and their level of empathy. His tips are a real lesson on how to develop your character when you have little little time before you get into your act.

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

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And if you are willing to sell a collection of magic books, then contact Eric Citron for an honest quote.

Tagged with Jonathan Goodwin, escape artist, The Illusionists.

April 2, 2020 by Scott Wells.
  • April 2, 2020
  • Scott Wells
  • Jonathan Goodwin
  • escape artist
  • The Illusionists
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266: Wizard Wars Woman - Billy Kidd

Billy Kidd is a force to be reckoned with. She is a street magician (with a straight jacket escape as her signature trick), but she is best known to the general magic community as one of the Wizards on the SyFy television series "Wizard Wars" (produced by Rick Lax) in the second season. Born in Canada, she now resides in Bath Spa, England with Gazzo. So now you see her connection with street magic.

She actually came into magic later in life than most male magicians who generally get interested in their adolescent years. Billy was 21 when she first saw and was influenced by a stage magician. As a drama major in college, she was already involved with and had a passion for theatre. But she saw the potential of being her own person as a street performer and creating her own stage wherever she was. She met Gazzo who took her under his wing and mentored her in the ways of the street and, well...the dominoes fell.

Street Magician, NIck Nickolas, was the inspiration for Billy Kidd. You can get a sense of his style in this video. You can learn more about Nick at www.nicknickolas.com

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Billy traveled with Gazzo on his recent lecture tour of the U.S. and stopped by as my house guest. I talked with Gazzo on a podcast with the intent of bringing over Billy to chat, too; however, Gazzo had so much to talk about that it filled the hour. I felt that Billy would have enough to fill another hour talking about her experiences as a female magician in our male dominated art and the challenges for a woman magician on the street.

I was not wrong.

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. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Mail out magic holiday cards this year from the beautiful Taschen MAGIC Book. 100 postcards for less than $20.00. Order through the link below and help support The Magic Word through the Amazon affiliate program.

Not just a good read for the holidays, but a great read anytime with wonderful stories about magicians and Steve Spill's magical life.

Tagged with Billy Kidd, Wizard Wars, women in magic, female magicians, Gazzo, NIck Nickolas.

December 3, 2015 by Scott Wells.
  • December 3, 2015
  • Scott Wells
  • Billy Kidd
  • Wizard Wars
  • women in magic
  • female magicians
  • Gazzo
  • NIck Nickolas
  • Post a comment
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264: Street Talk from Gazzo

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With literally tens of thousands of performances over his lifetime, Gazzo is one of the world's best street performers. Don't just take my word for it. On multiple occasions he has taken top honors at street festivals as the "best" street performer. Gazzo resides in Bath Spa, England, but as a globe-trotter, he is really a citizen of the world.

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During a recent nationwide lecture tour across the U.S., Gazzo stopped by Houston and visited my home to record a chat. Gazzo talked about his philosophy of life, working the streets around the world, differences (or lack of differences) in appreciating verbal humor among other cultures and non-English speaking audiences, and much more.

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. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Support The Magic Word. Visit our Amazon Associates page and find something you'll love. Here is one example of something you'll really enjoy: Steve Spill's book about magic and magicians and no tricks: "I Lie For Money".

Tagged with Gazzo, street magic.

November 19, 2015 by Scott Wells.
  • November 19, 2015
  • Scott Wells
  • Gazzo
  • street magic
  • 3 Comments
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The Magic Word The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

This podcast is totally free for everyone to enjoy. This is provided to you out of love and respect for our art of magic. If you enjoy the podcasts and other material on The Magic Word, then your financial support will be greatly appreciated and help offset the monthly hosting service fee as well as the hardware and software to produce this podcast. Just click on the "Donate " button at the top of this page to make a one time donation through PayPal.

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In May 2024, Scott Wells had the distinguished honor of receiving a “Special Fellowship” from the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) for the Magic Word Podcast which promotes “not only personal stories of fascinating individuals, but also fellowship amongst our extended family of artists and entertainers everywhere.”

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Enjoy an audible tour through the newest venue for magicians to perform. Also, Marc’s incredible magic props, ephemera costumes, and more from a lifetime of collecting are on display here. This “walk through” is a feast for the ears Jim Cunningham - The Spirit of Eugene - Jim Cunningham is the voice on the Audible books reading the Eli Marks Mystery series. But is also interested in things that go bump in the night. So naturally, his mentor for producing scary seances was the la Tony Hassini - Merlin Maker - Creator of the Marvelous Magical Burger King, Tony Hassini is better known as the creator of the International Magicians Society (IMS) and the Merlin Award. #tonyhassini #merlinaward #ims #magicawards #merlin #burgerking Wayne Alan - The Most Famous Magician You've Never Heard Of: Spanning a career as a FISM winner to a successful trade show magician and now in his 70's owning his own theatre, Wayne Alan has led an interesting life and is someone you should know. #hi Magistrorum 2025 - Convention Report - The Magistrorum Magic & Mentalism Convention is a gathering of world-class performers, including the legendary Jeff McBride. Attendees will experience bizarre magick, and mind-blowing mentalism from internat Magic At The Beach 2025 - Convention Report - Daily reports from the Magic At The Beach convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, featuring chats with registrants, talent, organizers, dealers, and more. #myrtlebeach #magicatthebeach2025 #matb2025 # Fielding West - Every Breath He Takes - Over the past few years, magic comedian, Fielding West, has been finding it harder to breathe. After a diagnosis of Emphysema, his life and his act changed. #copd #emphysema #magiccomedy #fieldingwest #lasvegas T.A.O.M. 2025 Convention Report - No episode today, but watch and listen late Saturday night for a combined report of a day and a half of events from the Texas Association of Magicians convention in Dallas, Texas, featuring chats with registrants, ta

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