On this Independence Day in the U.S., we saw plenty of fireworks in the close-up and stage contests today. The finals were held in the evening with some solid competitors that made it difficult for the judges to decide upon a clear winner.
Also this day was the annual banquet which included the awarding of the Milbourne Christopher trophies. This year the recipients were:
Illusionist Award - Alex Ramon
Mentalist Award - Joseph Curcillo
Close-Up Award - Dani DaOrtiz
Visual Magic Art Award - Rick Heath
Masters Award - Dale Salwak
Literary Award - Jim Steinmeyer
Lifetime Achievement Award - Stan Kramien
Some of the past winners of the Milbourne Christopher Award.
Time stamps for this podcast:
00:01:48 - Eric Jones will be traveling to China and Australia to perform, plus he has a new effect that will soon be on the market.
00:10:56 - Christian Painter (one half of the Christian and Katalina mind reading duo), was one of the contestants in the FISM North American Championships. He talks about entering contests plus some of his advice and tips.
00:27:41 - Past National Presidents of the S.A.M, Mark Weidhaas and Vinny Grosso talk about this convention as it relates to registration and the contests as each chaired those respective positions for this event.
00:36:33 - Chris Hannibal, another of the contestants (close-up, in this case), tell us about his road to prepare for this competition and his creative process in developing this routine.
00:40:40 - Joe Curcillo talks about his excitement of being a recipient of the Milbourne Christopher award.
00:44:17 - Inside the banquet, I set my recorder to capture the auction for a prized photo of Joanie Spina and David Copperfield, the proceeds of which went directly to help with Joanie's medical expenses. We also hear the announcements of the recipients for the Milbourne Christopher awards.
01:18:43 - Bill Gleason tells about the history of the "Patriot and Patriotism Award" and how deserving members can apply or suggest a recipient for this prestigious award.
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featuring Christian and Katalina in Indianapolis, Indiana
