685: Puck - Getting to Know You

Malcolm “Puck” Puckering traveled with Denny (Haney) & Lee for years assisting in their many college shows. Puck is one of the three who were “acolytes” of Denny, the other two being Scott Alexander and Alain Nu, both of whom have been featured in previous podcast episodes here. So, it is about time that we sit down to chat with Puck about his experience with Denny plus his many other ventures aboard cruise ships and on stages for Monday Night Magic, corporate events and so much more.

Join your podcast host as we get to know Puck along with you as we find out more about his life, his magic and his career.

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350: Hammer Time with Mike Hammer

For the past five years, Mike Hammer has been packing them in while headlining in his own theater in the Four Queens Casino and Hotel on Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. Mike has his own style, and it works for him. He is the "Don Rickles" of magic with a rather abrasive approach where he actually insults his audience...and they love him! The night I visited his show, the room was packed and afterwards I overheard some saying this was a repeat visit to enjoy his show. Two people had paid for return visits to watch his show over 30 times!

Some of you might remember seeing Mike on "Penn and Teller Fool Us" with his outrageously memorable performance using a blow up doll. If not, then you can view the video here on this blog.

In this podcast, we cover a lot of territory from how he developed his act, working in Las Vegas, routining, trick selection, getting out of bad situations when things go wrong, and keeping his performances fresh. This was a fun and funny podcast that includes a lot of sound advice with some great behind-the-scenes stories.

173: Ray Anderson - Esther's Follies

There's no doubt about it. Ray Anderson is one of my favorite magicians. And I'm not alone in that assessment. Many magicians have trekked to the capital of Texas to see Ray in action. A mainstay of Esther's Follies for over 30 years, Ray continues to deliver a high impact, hilarious and mysterious performance three nights a week, two shows a night with only a few days rest here and there.

Hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to Austin, Texas to see the hilarious, politically charged satirical songs and dances of the players. Esther's Follies doesn't promote or advertise itself in the normal way. They do it through word of mouth. And that's enough to pack sold out audiences at every show, and I mean every show.

Ray Anderson has developed various stage characters and honed them to perfection over the years. But more than just a magician, Ray also choreographs and helps stage the weekly extravaganzas that change every week.

UPDATE October 2, 2015: Click Here to read a news article of Ray Anderson's magical career path.

THE AMAZING FRANK

During this podcast, Ray chats about magic, creativity and the history of Esther's Follies. Ray doesn't get to talk much about magic as he seldom travels outside Austin (except on those rare "vacations" from Esther's) or attends magic conventions. So it was a fun chat where he talked about where he gets his ideas for new illusions, his friends in magic, illusion builders, and building a show. Although Ray is not widely known in the magic world, he is an exceptional entertainer. And anyone who has ever seen him at Esther's Follies will agree. He's the best!

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. (please note: this RSS Feed subscription system may not work with Android systems). Remember, you can download it through iTunes. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Magic & Martinis Thursday

**September 11-13, 2014. Hear Ken Scott's interview with Jay Johnson at http://gamagicclub.com/harvest2014/JayJohnson.mp3**

685: Puck - Getting to Know You

350: Hammer Time with Mike Hammer

173: Ray Anderson - Esther's Follies

Magic & Martinis Thursday

The Magic Word