734: Magifest 2023 - Day One Report

Thursday 26th January 2023

5:00pm - 8:00pm

Dealer’s Room Open

5:30pm - 6:30pm

Charles Greene Historical Lecture.

Presenting his groundbreaking research on one of magic’s most elusive figures, Charles Greene will recount the unusual life story behind Ionia. Ionia was a pioneering figure in the world of magic—all the more difficult in her era because of great biases against female performers. She astounded the world and then…disappeared from public view. Greene has uncovered what happened, and how she lived the remainder of her life. This talk will feature many of the astounding visuals we associate with Ionia, including several newly uncovered images. 7:00pm - 7.45pm

Michel Huot Lecture

The creator of the hit trick “Socks” is making his Magifest debut with a lecture packed with unusual, non-card parlor material. Mr. Huot comes from Quebec, and he will astound people with his unique, creative brand of magic. 8:00pm - 9pm

Mark James Show

Straight from a successful tour of the UK, Mark James has a truly “parlor” magic show–a rarity in these times. You’ll be amazed and delighted by his high energy approach to the classics, and you’ll be amazed by the clever twists along the way. 9:00pm - 9:45pm

Youth Program Welcome Event

We invite all young magicians (and guardians) to attend this welcome party. You’ll meet our directors, a couple of our headline performers, and get insider tips on how to make the most of Magifest as a young person. There may even be a surprise or two… 9:30pm - 11:00pm

Peter Turner Show and Lecture

Hailing from the UK, Peter Turner is a radical, disruptive performer and thinker who has taken the mindreading community by storm. He will perform and then speak on his powerful, unique approach to mentalism.

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:18 - Early morning departure from Houston to Columbus. Thank you, Andy Lacky, for the Dunkin’ Donuts gift card! It helps keep my eyes open for the 5:30 a.m. departure.

00:04:58 - Lance Burton and Gwyn Auger chat about his old Kentucky home

00:11:45 - Francois Xavier aka FX discusses this as his second Magifest and why he returned to see some stars of magic

00:16:04 - Nancy Anderson tells why she enjoys the podcast and some of her favorite episodes plus a chat with two other Chicago magicians, Scott Levens and T.J. Tang

00:19:35 - David Williamson is from Ohio and talks about the Magifest and his childhood memories of attending this event, plus what he’s been doing during COVID. He gives lessons through an online community at https://www.sleight.school/

00:22:52 - Jim Krenz is one of the many employees with Vanishing, Inc.

00:27:38 - Mark James is one of the performers who will also be lecturing this weekend.

00:33:14 - Charles Greene III will kick off the convention with his talk about his historical book, Ionia and his journey to uncover her story.

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

675: Magic Collectors Expo 2022 - Day Three Report

Friday, April 15, 2022

9:00 – 11:00am Dealer Room

11:00am – 12:30pm Session #3: Mark and Sue Holstein “Dorny” followed by Lance Rich “A Very Special P&L Rose Bush” then Nick Lewin on “Ken Brooke”

12:30 – 2:30 Dealer Room / Lunch Break

2:30 – 4:00pm Session #4: David Charvet “The Great Jester” followed by Gabe Fajuri on “Max Malini”
7:00 – 8:30pm Evening Show: “Magic of Austin Show” with Pat Hazell as MC, Mark & Sue Holstein, Brad Henderson and Nick Lewin

Saturday, April 16, 2022

10:00am – 1:00pm Last chance in the dealer room plus “Magic Collector’s Corner Live”
1:00pm Departure!

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:16 - Gary Plants walks with us down 6th Street after enjoying a breakfast at VooDoo Doughnuts as we chat about this convention

00:11:00 - Lupe Neilsen is not a dealer at this collection but is enjoying this convention as she talks about what she is doing in keeping up with building up her inventory

00:19:08 - Editor of M.U.M., Alan Howard, is enjoying this convention as he talks about the magazine and how they compete in today’s digital world

00:26:07 -Trixie Bond’s presentation was the most talked-about session and she shares a few extra stories during our chat

00:36:22 - Mark Holstein talks about the presentation on Werner “Dorny” Dornfield that he delivered with his wife, Sue. They brought and set up a lot from their collection.

00:47:08 - Bill Smith talks about the success of this convention and when and where you can go to sign up for next year.

590: Charles Greene III - Collector, Baker, Magic Maker

This week I reconnect with an old friend who used to live and perform in Houston , Texas, before moving to our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C.. Charles Greene III was the single busiest restaurant performer in the early 1980;s in Houston with about a dozen restaurants per week. He literally wrote the book on working magic at restaurants. He then launched a successful career in trade shows which has been his “bread and butter” for many years that has taken him around the world. Along the way he got involved with collecting vintage magic posters and has become a noted baker of baguettes.

During our conversation this week, you can hear some noise in the background as Charles prepares his baguettes for the oven. He also tells us some of the steps he is going through before they are popped into the oven. During our conversation, Charles talks about his trade show work, his travels, his background in becoming an expert in magic posters, and his work on publishing a book on Ionia.