885: Blackpool 2025 - Day Three Report

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:17 – Dom Chambers ran into me in the hallway on his way to rehearsal for his show. But he agreed to chat for a bit and tell us about his experience performing here and a quick recap of what he’s up to lately. Dom was the focus of a chat on The Magic Word Podcast on Episode #664 where you can learn more about him.

00:06:12 : Nigel Quinn just arrived for the final day and gives us his perspective of why he came for the day and what he hopes to see and enjoy.

00:12:02 - Ger Godley, from Ireland, talks about this year’s convention compared with last year. He definitely thinks this year’s event is better organized.

00:21:14 - Jamie Allen, formerly known as the iMagician, has an all new show, one of which was directed by Jonathan Goodwin. Jamie was the focus Episode #584 where you can learn more about him.

00:33:48 - Javid with Pelican Stagewear talks about his efforts to take his wares to the U.S., but time and customs prevents his efforts from being profitable.

00:42:35 - Ron Spangler enjoys coming to Blackpool each year. He was one of the organizers of the Magifest before it was turned over to Vanishing, Inc.

00:48:28 - Eric Leclerq was the emcee (compere) of the Friday night gala. His insult comic type of humor is much like that of Mike Hammer, and that is to say that it wasn’t for everyone. He talks a bit about his choices and how he came about to get this engagement and why he chose to stick with what he does best.

00:57:08 - Ian Kendall is another magician who came in for the day from Scotland and watched a lot of lectures and shows. He was the subject of Episode #796 where you can learn more about him.

01:11:15 - we give a quick wrap-up of the convention as I give a quick review of Rick Thomas’ gala finale show. He was the subject of Episode #632 where you can hear a more personal side of him.

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232: FISM Italy - Day One

Well, here we go, day one of the six day (and night) congress. After arriving a week early flying into Milan and traveling to Stresa for a couple nights, to Padova for a couple more then ending in Padova, we traveled to Rimini to check in for the International Championships.

Day one was filled with stage and close-up contests and plenty of lectures from dawn to, well, almost dawn the next day. My favorite so far for stage illusion was Mag Edgar from Spain and for manipulation (and maybe the Grand Prix) Lee Chang Min from the Republic of Korea.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:02:54 - karl 'Coppertop" Hein, Enrico Dela Vega and Ian Rowland

00:10:28 - Armando Lucera

00:15:17 - Christian SCHENK, owner of "Card Shark" and maker of the Phoenix deck

00:25:41 - Bruce Trigg

00:30:03 - Trish Alaskey and Joe Furlow from the Academy of Magical Arts

00:34:12 - Jussi Saari, Congress Producer, and Henri Honkaluoma, Technical Producer both from Finland

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222: My Week at the Magic Castle 2015 - Part Three

Join Scott and Lisa Land for a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard as we return to the Nirvana Apartment from breakfast at Mel's Diner. Scott Land is a puppeteer who was performing in the Palace theater at the Magic Castle during the same week I was in the Close-Up Gallery. We talk about many things and people including Scott's friend, Carl Ballentine. We stop along the way for Scott to point out some of the tourist landmarks on Hollywood Boulevard such as the El Capitan theater, "Walk of Stars" like Robin Williams, Julie Andrews, John Travolta, Milt and Bill Larsen, and Mann's Chinese Theatre.

After we return to the Nirvana Apartments (which is where many of the Castle performers are lodged during their/our week), I took a walk across the street and up the hill to the Academy of Magical Arts where I spoke with its General Manager, Joe Furlow. I happened to have been in the epicenter of the timeline when an agreement had just been reached between the Milt Larsen, the Magic Castle and the Academy of Magical Arts. Many of the agreed terms were discussed during our conversation.

00:02:52 - Join Lisa and Scott Land as we depart from Mel's Diner and walk along Hollywood Boulevard back to our apartment near the Magic Castle. Enjoy the sights and sounds and stories along the way. As we get back in front of the Nirvana Apartments, Scott talked extensively about Carl Ballentine, the development of his act, an entertaining story about Carl's' belief of Steve Martin "lifting" his act, and the puppet of Carl that Scott created.

00:20:18 - Joe Furlow, General Manager of the Academy of Magical Arts, talks about the resurrection of the Magic Castle and how they are now thriving as a financially successful enterprise.