845: Abbott's Get Together 2024 - Day One Report

TUESDAY, July 30th 2024 (Pre Get Together Events)

8:00AM THE OPEN COLON "NO FRILLS" GOLF CLASSIC
(with Al The Only - The cost is $20 plus the cost of golf)

1:00PM LANCE BURTON'S MAGICIAN'S TOUR OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF MAGIC Limited Availability, $50 per person, You must self drive to the Museum, reservations are necessary.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31ST 2024

9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant
10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (Requires Registration)
10:30AM ABBOTT'S SLIGHTLY IRREGULAR BOOK SALE BEGINS (Requires Registration)
10:30AM ABBOTT'S SUPER SHOWROOM SPECIALS BEGINS (Requires Registration)
11:00AM ABBOTT'S NEW BOOK RELEASE - ILLUSIONQUESTS (Requires Registration)
12:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Jania Taylor @ Magic Capital Grill
1:00PM LECTURE BARRY MITCHELL from Tennessee (Requires Registration)
1:00PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott's Magic Showroom Theatre $5
2:00PM JAY BLACKWELL JUGGLING/FIRE EATING & MORE at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10
2:30PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - John Sturk @ Grannys Place
3:00PM LECTURE CLEMENS STAHMER-ILGNER from Germany - (Requires Registration)
3:00PM-5PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM is open
3:00PM FACE PAINTING till 6PM outside 5 Star Pizza by Award Winning Artist Carol Hendrix (Standard Fees)
4:30PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott's Magic Showroom Theatre $5
5:00PM LIVE AT 5 WITH THE STERLINI'S at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10
5:30PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Cap'n Sean & Mirf @ Magic Capital Grill
6:00PM-7:45PM DINNER on your own
7:45PM PRESHOW LIVE ORGAN MUSIC - by John Sturk
8:00PM GET-TOGETHER STAGE SHOW - Wednesday Night Gala
Requires Registration or Tickets (Floor / Bleachers)
Featuring BJ Mallen MC, Barry Mitchell, Danny Archer AKA Gino Mozzarella, Chris Capehart, John Measner
10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM RE-OPENS (Requires Registration)

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:17 – Join Scott as he prepares to board his magic carpet for Colon, Michigan, and Abbott’s Get Together.

00:04:30 – David Seebach, Milwaukee’s famed illusionist, and Julie Sabanski always host the opening day party as people gather from around the world in “Camp Colon”. They talk about having hosted this for over 20 years ago.

00:12:36 – Clemens Ilgner, from Berlin, Germany, is one of the lecturers/performers this year who tells us a bit about what he will be doing at the Get Together.

00:14:10 – my microphone battery died so the chat with Clemens was cut short. But we pick up on the next morning with Gerry Costello who tells us about a new painting on the wall of a building where one can take selfies.

00:18:48 – Dan Rosenburg and Mike Conklin join us to talk about memories about the Get Together. Mike has been coming since 1961.

00:27:00 – Dick Stoner has been coming for 70 years and talks about his magic shop and he still finds new magic to keep him “young” at heart.

00:31:18 – Jason Byrne, Michael Mode, and Sean Bogonia talk about how important the Get Together is for them because they got to spend time together as youth. They talk about how Bret Daniels influenced them to pursue magic. We were then joined by Gabe Fajuri joins us late in the conversation who talks about some of the pictures that have been found and are important to our history.

00:48:46 – Steve Chezaday, from Chicago, is one of the back stage helpers each year. He tells about the challenges to do that every year and how they as similar yet different.

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309: 2016 Abbott's Get Together - Day Three

DAY THREE - FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th 2016
9:00AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant
9:00AM COLON ARTS & CRAFT FAIR (more info) Until 4:00PM
9:30AM ABBOTT'S STAGE TALENT CONTEST (more info) at the High School
10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (more info) at Grade School
11:00AM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Dawn & Phils featuring John Sturk
12:00PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Village Market featuring Jonathon LaChance
1:00PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - at Craft Fair featuring Jania Taylor
1:00PM LECTURE - Lynetta Welch & Bizzaro at the High School
1:00PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM OPEN TILL 4PM (more info)
1:30PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott Plant with BJ Mallen or Gordon Miller
2:30PM ABBOTT'S CLOSEUP SHOW at the High School
Featuring Ice McDonald MC, Clemens ILgner, Scott Alexander, Martin Cox, Nick Diffatte
3:00PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott Plant with BJ Mallen or Gordon Miller
3:00PM - 6:00PM FACE PAINTING outside 5 Star Pizza by Carol Hendrix
4:30PM COLON STREET PERFORMERS - outside Five Star Pizza featuring Trino
5:00PM MAGIC AND MORE LIVE - Sterlini's Magic Shop (more info)
5:00PM MAGICIANS DINNER SPECIAL - At Lutheran Church on Burr Oak Road
5:30PM RIVER LAKE INN’S MAGIC SHOW & DINNER with Ron Carnell
8:00PM ABBOTT'S STAGE SHOW at the High School (Preshow Live Organ Music)
Featuring Denny Haney, Magic of Puck, Scott Alexander
(view seating chart)
9:45PM FIREWORK SHOW (more info) outside High School after show
10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS at Grade School after show
10:30PM TALENT CONTEST AWARDS at Grade School after show

Clemens Ilgner performs live at FFFF 2013.This Convention is called the "Original Close-Up Magic Convention" and is the most prestigious gathering of close-up magicians in the world. Paul Gertner assists him in his performance in Batavia, where this famous meeting is held annually.

00:00:13 - Clemens Ilgner from Germany was one of the featured acts on the Wednesday night opening show. He was also the first lecturer of the convention on that day and on Day Three, he was one of the featured performers in the close-up show in the high school gym. He talks today following the publication of a front page photo of his act in the Sturgis Journal newspaper touting the opening night show with "Magic Get-Together Opening Night" article.

00:22:00 - Anthony Stockton was one of the contestants in the stage contest who reminded me of a young Rob Zabrecky in his mannerisms, music and offbeat thinking...though he has never heard of Rob. :) I have a feeling that we will be hearing a lot more from this young man from Joliet, Illinois.

00:28:47 - One of the "Friends of The Magic Word", Steve Chezaday is a long-time member of Abbott's Stage Crew. He talks about some of his memories of shows over the past 20-25 years.

00:43:30 - Dave Cresey, the "King of Coils" tells us about how he got into making mouth coils, hat tears, throw streamers and more. He also talks about his long association with Abbott's Get Togethers; however, now he is retired and riding Harley's with his wife, Roseann.

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300: Day Two - 2016 I.B.M. Convention

Today began the first day of the the "Triple Treat" so named because each day the registrants are broken into three groups (by color) and attend an hour and a half of performances and lectures by three different magicians, one in each of three rooms each day: Richard Turner, Paul Vigil, and Brian Gillis. After the General Board Meeting, the second day of stage contests were held (which yielded a few finalists for Monday night's show). The afternoon lecture by Michael Ammar was another outstanding (and packed) event. The evening's "Magic Foolers Show" left something to be desired in that there were audio and visual problems. Plus the show would have been better received in a smaller venue probably back at the hotel ballroom. The final night's activity was a discussion with Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger talking about the 25 years of the Mystery School.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:13 - Dealer Chairman, Terry Richison, talks about some of the cool things in the dealers' room.

00:08:34 - Past International President, Jep Hostetler, talks about attending the Richard Turner experience as part of the "Triple Treat"

00:10:28 - Attendee Greg Lancaster gives us his take on the Paul Vigil performance/lecture in the "Triple Treat".

00:12:08 - Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger talk about the many years they have taught the youth as part of the I.B.M. youth group activities each year.

00:16:55 - Harriet Jacobson and Gay Blackstone chat about their specialized magic jewelry sold through BJW Magical Jewelers which is one of the many dealers in the dealers' room this year.

00:22:24 - Past President of the British Ring, Brian Miller, talks about the upcoming British Ring convention.

00:26:45 - S.A.M. National President, David Bowers, talks about his year as President of that organization and some stories from the road. He is later joined by The Linking Ring Editor, Sammy Patrick Smith, and together they talk about the two organizations' journals, The Linking Ring and M.U.M. and the possible future of the magazines, joint conventions, and organizations.

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