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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.

View fullsize Waiting for registraion desk to open
View fullsize Lance Burton, Gwyn Auger and Scott Wells
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View fullsize Jim Krenz
View fullsize David Williamson
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View fullsize Charles Greene III
View fullsize Lance Burton, Gwyn Auger, Scott Wells and Michael Noonan
View fullsize Michel Huot
View fullsize Mark James
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View fullsize Peter Turner

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

Posted in Convention Report and tagged with MagiFest, Columbus Ohio, Lance Burton, Gwyn Auger, Francois Xavier, Nancy Anderson, David Williamson, Jim Krenz, Mark James, Charles Greene III.

January 26, 2023 by Scott Wells.
  • January 26, 2023
  • Scott Wells
  • MagiFest
  • Columbus Ohio
  • Lance Burton
  • Gwyn Auger
  • Francois Xavier
  • Nancy Anderson
  • David Williamson
  • Jim Krenz
  • Mark James
  • Charles Greene III
  • Convention Report
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410 - Carisa Hendrix - Getting Uncomfortable

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Caria Hendrix is a magician who is on the rise. Oh, also, she happens to be a woman. She is one of the new breed who I believe is one of the "Stars of Tomorrow" as she pursues her dreams on stage. Most young people I see today seem to be involved in close-up and entertaining small groups of people, but few true entertainers are comfortable on stage in front of a large audience. Carisa is one of that rare breed.

She suggests that we should step out of our comfort zone and try new things that stretch our boundaries and move into new, perhaps uncomfortable, areas that will make us better performers and people. She says that artists should practice "moving towards the place of greatest discomfort and just sitting in that space." She suggests that magicians should not be afraid to fail.

On another matter, there was quite a bit of controversy about her July 2017 cover on VANISH Magazine. She addresses it quite well and succinctly on her blog. Click Here to read her comments on the controversy.

The Lady Magician, Lucy Darling plays a game of "hide and seek" with the Rone, Wednesday night at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Performed November 15th, 2017 Special. Thank you to Pop Hayden for the footage and lovely introduction. Written and performed by Carisa Hendrix Additional thanks to David Par, Joe Diamond, Tim Ellis, Jimbo Jordan, Jason Melnychu, Chris Visse, John Lovick and Bizzaro Galore for their notes and suggestions.

This is the video that Carisa talks about late in the podcast. 20 years after ruining/improving Dave Williamson's magic career, Murray returns to The 2011 International Magic convention in London to try again.

View fullsize Everybody's Doing It. :)
View fullsize Lucy Darling
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View fullsize Carisa Facebook cover.jpg
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Here is the poem that inspires Carisa that applies to all creators:

So You Want To Be A Writer - Poem by Charles Bukowski

if it doesn't come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don't do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't do it.
if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.
if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,
don't be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don't add to that.
don't do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

Charles Bukowski

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

Since this original podcast was released, Carisa has lived to her potential. So in July 2019, we give a major congratulations to Carisa Hendrix for winning the 2019 Allan Slaight Award for Canadian Rising Star!

We’re so proud of her! Carisa truly is a rising star, with many talents to boot! She’s done tons of magic shows for children at parties, schools, and other family events, but she also does stilt walking, fire eating, and is even a professional bubble blower. Make sure that your check out her Bubble act here.

And that’s just in laypeople-land, specifically for children. She’s been taking the magic world by storm with her character, Lucy Darling, playing at the Chicago Magic Lounge, the Magic Castle, and currently at the Melbourne Magic Festival in Australia.

Check out the video (above) from the Slaight Family Foundation, highlighting Carisa and her many skills.

Tagged with AmberLynn Walker, VANISH Magazine, Carisa Hendrix, David Williamson, The Magic Castle.

March 1, 2018 by Scott Wells.
  • March 1, 2018
  • Scott Wells
  • AmberLynn Walker
  • VANISH Magazine
  • Carisa Hendrix
  • David Williamson
  • The Magic Castle
  • 1 Comment
1 Comment

The Magic Word The Magic Word

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

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