912: Diana Zimmerman - The Enchantress

Diana Zimmerman is an enchanting woman in every sense of the word: personality, charm, abilities, looks, intelligence, skill, and so much more. She has led a life of magic like few other women. And she is being recognized for her achievements by being inducted to the Los Angeles Times Global Magicians Hall of Fame on July 9th, 2025. Married at 19 to Dick Zimmerman, magician and creative genius, she performed around the world on television and stage with her one-woman performance. She traveled with a giant gramophone then later switched to a thumb tie and pick pocketing. She developed and still works with the Magic Castle Junior Program (which just celebrated their 50th year) and is the author of several books of fantasy. But she also authored the definitive collector’s edition of the Siegfried and Roy book.

Diana has so many stories that she shares with us this week including her early days working with her then-husband, Dick Zimmerman, then how Cary Grant encouraged her to form the junior program at the Magic Castle, and many stories about the late Siegfried and Roy. She was a close confidant to the illusionists and shares some “behind the scenes” stories from Little Bavaria to “the Incident” that ended their Las Vegas run.

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456: Makin' It With Mario the Magician

Mario the Magician or Mario the Maker is a most fascinating, inspirational creator. Although he has been “makin’ it” for a number of years, it wasn’t until I saw him perform at the 2018 MagiFest that I immediately became a fan. He has the “it” factor that endears him to an entire audience spanning age and audience size. He is just as engaging at a small birthday party as he is in an auditorium. And more than just a magician, he creates magic using electronics and encourages youth to get involved in science and math and learn to create their own magic.

He suggests that everyone (but youth in particular) attend Maker Faires (the worlds largest “show and tell” forum) to see what others are doing and to create things themselves. These Faires are held all over the world and somewhere near you. Other websites he suggests include tinkercat.com which allows children to design their own 3D designs. Thngerverse.com is like Google for creating 3D projects.

This is a short documentary by KAL (http://www.seekal.com) about Mario Marchese, aka Mario the Magician (http://www.mariothemagician.com) a hitchhiking wanderer turned full-time maker magician. This short film debuted at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center on December 1st, 2012 to a packed house after a live performance by Mario. Enjoy!

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:05:48 - Mario Marchese talks about Maker Faires, encouraging youth to create, travel problems with TSA with all of the electronics he carries onboard, arduino kits and how you can create a server motor, inspirational magicians like Del Ray, scripting, creating and more.

00:59:54 - Product Review: “Runaway Joker” by Peter Nardi and produced by Alakazam.co.uk. A clever card trick where the Joker and his bicycle (disappears” from the car and ends up on the back of the selected card. Recommended.

01:02:31 - Product Review: “Four King Miracle” by Henri White and produced by WorldMagicShop.co.uk. Two single Jokers turn into the four Kings. Clever idea that seems like this should have been invented many years ago. I like it and recommend it.

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Eric Citron is the “man behind the curtain” and dependable dealer who owns and operates ThePerfectTrick.com.

Order your 2019 Magic Calendar from Amazon.com and support The Magic Word Podcast.

444: Don Wiberg - Part Two: Chicago Magic Roundtable History

Don Wiberg is a Past International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Hre is the historical information on the Chicago Round able as reported on the website of the Chicago Magic Lounge:

The Chicago Magic Round Table was originally established in 1929 as an informal gathering of professional and amateur magicians, meeting daily for lunch at De Lazon’s restaurant. Luminaries like Jay and Frances Marshall, Dr. Harlan Tarbell, Harry Blackstone Sr., and Werner Dornfield, held court in the spirit of camaraderie and a shared love of the art of magic. Word quickly spread, and the Round Table came to be a headquarters for magicians.

The gatherings continued into the mid-1950s, and endured a few changes of location, eventually settling on a daily lunch at the Drake Restaurant. Eventually though, meetings tapered off, sometime in the 1960s, and the first iteration of the Round Table slowly vanished.

The Chicago Magic Round Table had a brief resurgence in the late 2000s when Dan Mindo, Tracy Atteberry, and David Parr revived the informal gatherings beginning at the Green Door Tavern under the name "Chicago Magic Round Table". However, that too, faded away as schedules and availability had their eternal clash, and schedules won...

In 2018, the Chicago Magic Round Table has been re-established with a new permanent home: the Chicago Magic Lounge. An association of practicing, amateur, and hobbyist magicians, our goal is to create a community for practitioners and lovers of magic. Be a part of the grand history of Chicago magic. Click the link below for more information.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here