662: Jeffrey Alan - American Museum of Magic

David Copperfield’s museum is private and only open by invitation. In another part of the country, The American Museum of Magic (AMM) is open to the public. This week, Jeffrey Alan talks about the museum, its history, how it came to be, how it expanded and much more. Jeffrey is on the Board of Directors for the AMM as well as the I.B.M. He is also a full time performing magician in the Michigan area. If ever you are in the Midwestern U.S., then you owe it to yourself to visit this wonderful collection of our history’s treasures.

If you are more of a visual person, you can watch a YouTube video of our chat recorded over Zoom.

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Jeffrey shares a lot of information about the history of The American Museum of Magic that brings our history to life. For more information, directions, and to make an appointment for a private tour, please visit their website at: https://americanmuseumofmagic.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

540: 2020 S.A.M. Update Days One and Two

Schedule of Events - Friday, January 17

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM        REGISTRATION                                                         Conference Center Prefunction

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM        Magic Endowment Fund Meeting                      Martinkas Backroom

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM        LECTURE: Bruce Kalver Tech Tricks Live         Houdini Theater

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM       Youth Protection Training & Certification    Martinkas Backroom

11:00 PM – 11:30 PM      V1.1 Podcast Convention Kickoff                        Martinkas Backroom

Schedule of Events - Saturday, January 18

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM           REGISTRATION                                                  Conference Center Prefunction

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM        SAM Council Meeting                                      Thurston Lecture Hall

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM        EXHIBITORS Open                                             Kellar Exhibitor Hall

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM     New Conventioneer Orientation                    Houdini Theater

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM     Convention Grand Opening / Welcome       Houdini Theater

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM      EXHIBITORS Showcase                                      Houdini Theater

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM         Conference Conversation & Interview          Houdini Theater

Featuring: The Dean of American Magicians: George Schindler

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM        GALA SHOW                                                              Houdini Theater

“Dedicated to Johnny Thompson  Tank You Berry Much!”

Stephen Bargatze, Ice McDonald, Gustavo Raley, Paul Vigil, Yukihiro Katayama

(Open Seating)

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM           EXHIBITORS                                                          Kellar Exhibitor Hall

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM           BUSSES to the LINQ                                            Carson Tower Lobby

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM           Mat Franco – Magic Reinvented Nightly    The LINQ

(Group A Ticket)

7:00 PM – 11:00 PM           Hi Roller / Brooklyn Bowl (On Your Own) The LINQ

9:30 PM – 11:00 PM        Mat Franco – Magic Reinvented Nightly     The LINQ

(Group B Ticket)

9:30 PM – 12:00 AM     BUSSES to Golden Nugget                 Pickup at The LINQ

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Time Stamps for this Podcast:

00:00:15 - leaving Houston and flyiing my Magic Carpet (Southwest Airines) to Las Vegas.

00:03:53 - Alain Nu talks about his new (Nu) show in Las Vegas then Elliott Hitchcock joins us, too.

00:10:03 - Luke Dancy talks about living in Las Vegas and working for Murphy’s Magic Supplies

00:15:36 - Scott Land discusses his puppet workhops in Las Vegas

00:22:12 - James Dimmare in Frankies Tiki Room

00:28:51 - Daisikai with SEO Magic

00:29:11 - Lupe Nielsen talks about her woodworking, posters and Norm

00:34:34 - Guest of Honor for this year’s convention and Dean of the S.A.M. magicians, George Schindler

00:45:53 - Jon Dorenbos talks about his path since America’s Got Talent

00:51:03 - Steve Bargatze, International VP of the I.B.M., talks about the upcoming I.B.M. convention in Pittsburgh, PA

00:55:10 - Stan Allen talks about being a past Guest of Honor at the S.A.M. convention plus what’s happening in Vegas

01:00:36 - Bob Portillo talks about Alain Nu’s new show that was discussed earlier in the podcast.

01:03:19 - Dan Sclare and TOm Vorjohan talk about Life Membership in the S.A.M.

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

130: Greg Bordner - Las Vegas Comes to Mayberry

The Andy Griffith Show aired on TV in the 1960's set in the fictional rural town of Mayberry, South Carolina, a friendly, close-knit community that clung to the 1930's...a time gone by.  Colon, Michigan is not dissimilar in that it has a rich tradition where many come back to relax and to enjoy a simpler time.

With a population of 1,161 people and one flashing traffic light, Colon nearly doubles in size each year for the annual Get Together as magicians from around the world convene to enjoy each others' company and share magic. It is truly a "Brigadoon" type of event that has the entire community turning out to celebrate the craft of magic then disappears afterwards with no trace that anything ever happened.

Greg Bordner wishes everyone a Happy Holiday from the showroom of Abbott's Magic Company.

Greg Bordner gives an after hours tour of the Abbotts Magic Factory. See where the magic begins before making it to the shelf!

Magic is a big house with many rooms. We have a rich history of magic that is filled with many people contributing to give us the texture that makes up the fabric of our craft. Greg Bordner, proprietor of Abbott's Magic Company, is one of dealers who continues the tradition started 80 years ago in the small village of Colon, Michigan.

Greg Bordner joins me on this podcast to talk about the history of Abbott's Magic Company, the transition of a brick-and-mortar magic shop to a successful online store, popular tricks sold through Abbott's, how Colon, Michigan came into being starting with Harry Blackstone, Sr., the many magicians who have moved to Colon, what there is to do in and around the Get Together (i.e. garage sales, Amish dinners, Curly's close-up contest, American Museum of Magic, Colon Museum) and so much more.

This is an interesting chat with some funny stories along the way about Blackstone, Sr. and others. For more information on Abbott's Magic Company, the  annual Get Together or the Close-Up Convention, visit their website at: http://AbbottMagic.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.

As mentioned in the chat, many magicians are buried in the Colon cemetery. Thanks to Al the Only, here is an alphabetical list of those buried there (as of this writing):

Don Alan, Arthur Glen Babbs "Arturo", Bill Baird, Jack Barrows, Harry Blackstone Jr., Harry Blackstone Sr., John Nicholls Booth, Recil Bordner, Peter Bouton, Jerry Conklin, Shirley Conklin, Ted Coppin "Ted Banks", Della Coppin "Sally Banks", Ricki Dunn, Vince Fabek "Quincy the Clown", Karrell Fox, Anne Gwynne, Jack Gwynne, Kenneth Husted "Roy Huston", "Little Johnny" Jones, Skippy Lamore, Elaine Lund, Robert Lund, Fred R. Merrill, Hank Moorehouse, Jack Rench, Duke Stern, Marx Edward Straw, Jesse Thornton, Donald "Monk" Watson. You can learn more about each of these past magicians and see their grave sites by Clicking Here.

Karrell Fox gives a friendly tribute to his old friend Duke Stern in the Colon Cemetery. Also seen in this 1993 video is Bibik and Al the Only..

Magic & Martinis Thursday

Well, 'tis the season and everyone is working and partying hard. Our tree is appropriately festive with the right mix of...well, Magic & Martinis, what else? Cheers!