632: Rick Thomas - Big Cat on the Porch

No trip to Branson, Missouri, would be complete without seeing the amazing stage show of Rick Thomas. Among the many honors presented to Rick Thomas include the coveted “Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts and Magic’s highest recognition "Illusionist of the World" by the World Magic Awards. Thomas has also been featured on numerous national television specials including the NBC series "The World’s Greatest Magic" and “Masters of Illusion” on the CW plus other appearances on MTV, FOX, TLC, Animal Planet, the History Channel plus his own special on ABC.

Rick has completed five world tours covering over 50 countries, including sold out performances at Caesars Colosseum, headlining the Sydney Opera House in Australia and performing both on Broadway and Las Vegas.

Few entertainers have succeeded in Las Vegas like Rick Thomas. His show ran consecutively for 15 years in the most magnificent theaters on the Las Vegas Strip, performing a staggering 600 shows a year. He is honored to have received the Key to the City of Las Vegas and also titled the most successful show for families in its history.

In this podcast, you will get to know the man behind the illusions and the cats. Though Rick no longer works with big cats on stage, he is still committed to helping this endangered species. He chats about working with big cats and the dangers. He also talks about his career in Las Vegas and around the world that has landed him “softly” in Branson where he may end up retiring…if there is such a thing for a world class illusionist.

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629: Escaping Reality with Garry Carson

It seems that illusionists are getting fewer in today’s entertainment world and the best way to see them in while they are in residence at a casino or showroom. Garry and Janine Carson have a show, “Escape Reality” in Branson, Missouri where they take their audience on a 75 minute whirlwind journey of illusion and fun. Their theater is not one of the larger ones in Branson, but they fill out the stage Having put their show in Branson in 2020 seemed to be bad timing, but tourism continued despite the pandemic and they captured the coveted awards of “Best New Show” and “Best Dinner Show” in the 2020 Best of Branson Awards presentation.

Branson, Missouri, hosts a lot of variety shows including magic. One of the many shows in town is “Escape Reality” with Garry & Janine Carson. After I watched his late afternoon dinner show, we retired to his dressing room to talk about his career on cruise ships to Las Vegas to Branson.

481: Jessica Jane Peterson - Right Place, Right Time

Jessica Jane Peterson (or “JJ” as I like to call her) is leading a charmed life. The dominoes have been set and are now falling perfectly one after another. That’s not to say that it has all been by design, but rather she has been at the right place at the right time. Of course this wouldn’t work unless she had the abilities to make this happen.

And her short 29 years, she has led a most interesting life having worked as an adolescent in her uncle’s magic show, then later with the circus, then as a “box jumper” to performing on her own in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and aboard cruise ships and magic lounges (like the “Magic Castle” and Nashville’s “House of Cards” among others). She also appeared on the “Penn & Teller Fool Us” television show where she did some fire eating. And this is just the beginning.

This charismatic young magician has the world at her fingertips and success is within her grasp. She is someone to watch. Mark my words. And hear her here on The Magic Word. This was a fun conversation but not the first one recorded in my car!

Watch Jessica Jane Peterson light up the stage with Magic & Fire on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. The full episode is entitled '50/50 Chance" and aired on The CW Network August 3rd 2017 and was filmed at the Penn & Teller Theater in the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.