812: Magifest 2024 - Day Two Report

Friday 26th January 2024

10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Dealer’s Room Open

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Arthur Benjamin Lecture

Dr. Benjamin combines his love of magic and mathematics in a way you've never seen before. He is astoundingly good. Whether or not you're mathematically inclined, this will be a fascinating foray into the intersection of magic and math.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Blaise Serra Lecture

You may not have heard of Blaise Serra, but you won't forget his prodigious sleight-of-hand skills and innovative techniques.

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Magifest Live Hosted by Randy Shine

This our most popular programming event. Watch Jason Suran, Lance Rich, and Richard Hatch give short talks on a range of topics.

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Youth Event

Young magicians, check back in with new friends for surprises, games, and more.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Juliana Chen Lecture

A master of stagecraft and a FISM winner, Juliana will share her experience and work that she has taken all over the world.

5:30 p/m/ - 6:30 p.m.

Allan Ackerman Lecture

A legend in card magic, Allan Ackerman will be demonstrating new and unpublished material from his brand new hardbound collection. If you've never seen Allan work live, brace yourself for velvety-smooth presentations of diabolical card magic.

8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Jason Suran Show

One of New York's busiest mind-reading entertainers, Jason Suran's high energy performance is sure to be a convention hit. Think Woody Allen meets Derren Brown.

9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Richard Turner: Dealt

In the final-curtain performance of his acclaimed one-man show, the legendary Richard Turner will deliver his heartfelt, funny, and amazing show one last time, just for us. History in the making.

11:00 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.

Richard Turner: Interview

A chance to get to know a living legend. This is your time to spend time with this year's Guest of Honor.

10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Bar Magic (Blaise Serra)

Don't miss this chance to see one of the world's finest exponents with a deck of cards, up close and personal.

Time stamps for this episode: (to be posted after I’ve gotten some sleep)

00:00:18 -

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

807: Kerry Pollock - Wireless Wizard

Kerry Pollock came into magic and comedy in a very interesting way. With a background in engineering, he developed a professional act as he created so many products that are now used by top professionals. He is the “go to guy” when magicians need something different and all original. He is also the creator of the game show “Bonk.” Kerry now owns and manages his own comedy club called “Comedy Magic Cabaret” in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Wow, is this week’s episode full! Kerry tells stories from his years of working at Houston’s Magic Island in the 1980’s when he created “Kate & Edith” to creating magical effects for Warren & Annabelle’s in Lahaina, Hawaii, to other electronic creations made for private homes (like Giovanni Livera and Bruce Averbook as well as magic celebrities like Mac King) to what he’s doing in his comedy club in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

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 Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly 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

767: Randy Wakeman - I've Been Around for a Long, Long Years

Randy Wakeman has been around for many decades and was often seen lecturing and performing at magic conventions. Nonetheless, I have always seen him as an “underground” magician who appeals to the true sleight-of-hand experts. He is one of those guys who has “been there, done that, has the t-shirt” as he was one of the regular performers about the Chicago Bar Magic Scene before the turn of the last century. He has written several books on magic (card magic mostly) and is still relevant in our community as a performer, teacher and author.

While at the recent Senior Tour close-up convention in St. Louis, The Magic Word spoke with Randy as part of the convention report content. He was preparing for a workshop, so we didn’t get a chance to go in-depth as I had wanted. But we agreed to get together at the 4F convention in Buffalo a couple months later. True to his word, we sat down to complete our chat which results in this episode. The content of our chat in both places was a little disjunctive, so the editing required us to put the second conversation first then plug in the chat in St. Louis and finish with our talk while in Buffalo. This sounds more confusing that it actually is, but I know you will understand and enjoy our chat.