775: Abbott's 85th Get Together 2023 Convention - Day One Report

Tuesday, August 1st

(Pre Get Together Events)
8:00AM THE OPEN COLON "NO FRILLS" GOLF CLASSIC (more info)
(with Al The Only - The cost is $10 plus the cost of golf)

2:00PM MAGICIAN'S TOUR OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF MAGIC (This tour of the museum and archives is geared towards magicians and will include a special selection of artifacts never-before-on-display. $10 per person. Reservations not necessary.)

Wednesday, August 2nd

9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant
10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (more info) (requires registration)
10:30AM ABBOTT'S SLIGHTLY IRREGULAR BOOK SALE BEGINS (more info) (requires registration)
10:30AM ABBOTT'S SUPER SHOWROOM SPECIALS BEGINS (more info) (requires registration)
11:00AM ABBOTT'S NEW BOOK RELEASE SEANCE HOUDINI 26:26 (more info) (requires registration)
12:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE (Odd Cory & JuJu Sideshow at Curlys)
1:00PM LECTURE - 1ST JAPANESE GROUP LECTURE (requires registration)
1:00PM MAGIC SHOW featuring John Shango at Abbott's Magic Theatre $5
2:00PM JAY BLACKWELL JUGGLING/FIRE EATING & MORE at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10
2:30PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE (Jania Taylor at Grannys Place)
3:00PM LECTURE - 1ST SOUTH AMERICAN LECTURE (requires registration)
3:00PM-5PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM is open (Colon Museum Webpage)
4:30PM MAGIC SHOW featuring Joe Bennett at Abbott's Magic Theatre $5
5:00PM LIVE AT 5 WITH THE STERLINI'S at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10
5:30PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE (Captain Sean at Magic Capital Grill)
6:00PM-7:45PM DINNER on your own
7:45PM PRESHOW LIVE ORGAN MUSIC - by John Sturk
8:00PM ABBOTT'S STAGE SHOW - A ROCKING NIGHT OF MAGIC GALA
Featuring BJ Mallen (Welcome to Colon), Jeffery Jene, Steve Chezaday, Michael Trixx, Richard Hughes
10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (requires registration)

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:18 – We arrive at the airport in Houston in preparation to take my “magic carpet” on Southwest Airline to Chicago for Abbott’s Get Together.

00:04:30 – Owner of Five Start Pizza in Colon, Carl Thornton, is a major figure in the Colon community and he talks about the city and how it rallies behind Magic Week.

00:11:01 – Al the Only is the coordinator of the annual Open Colon Golf Tournament. This is the 34th annual tourney. He chats a bit about that.

00:18:18 - While at his party in the Grand Magic Theater, David Seebach, tells us about his new location for this annual party.

00:28:19 – Kurt, Carol, John and Precious talk about the Grand Magic Theater and what they have been doing with it since Dwayne and Mary Laflin left this theater.

00:35:55 – Long time Stage Director, Mark Holstein, tells us what he and his team do each year to prepare for each evening’s show.

00:50:32 – Gay Blackstone tells us the story of how Harry Blackstone, Sr. got his stage name.

00:55:20 – Mike Woodward is the official photographer for Abbott’s Get Together and talks about his experience over the years.

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539: John Sterlini and Carl Thornton - Big Time in Small Town

As we begin the convention season for 2020, we kick off with a chat with two locals from Colon, Michigan, home of several magic conventions and “conventionally” known as the “Magic Capital of the World.” John Sterlini owns and operates Sterlini Magic Manufacturing and Carl Thornton owns the local “Five Star Pizza”. They talk about life in this village and how it became known as the Magic Capital of the World and why it keeps and deserves that moniker.

It is not the intent of this podcast to promote one convention over another nor any performer wishing to promote him/herself. This episode is presented in an effort to let you know about what makes one convention and one small town unique. Each convention and every magician is unique with its own interesting story. This is one of those stories.

175: Ground Zero - Abbott's Get Together 2014

Lots of stuff to do on the day before the official opening of the 77th Get Together. Upon my afternoon arrival , we headed over to Shipshewana, Indiana for an "all you can eat" chicken dinner that as fantastic. Fifty people joined the group that was arranged by Michael Mode. After dinner we went to the farm home of Merle and Marlene Hostetler who invited many of their Amish neighbors and families to enjoy a magic show that was put on by about ten magicians. After the show they gave us buggy rides and had cake, ice cream and lots of food for us to enjoy. I was going to head over to David Seebach's party, but by the time I got back to Colon, Michigan, it was a little late in the evening plus I needed to get this podcast edited and uploaded. If it wasn't for the nice hospitality of Losander's son, Timothy Cripe, then I wouldn't have had access to wi-fi tonight. Thanks, Tim.

This podcast is a little shorter than the usual one I post. To help put you in the mood, I think you will enjoy a video I found that I recorded 30 years ago when I first attended the Get Together. I brought along my video camera and recorded some of the sights and sounds of the city. I really didn't know too many people back then so unfortunately I didn't record any interviews with the attendees; however, I did get a personal tour of Abbott's from a very young Greg Bordner.

Enjoy a trip to the past as I walk down the streets of Colon, Michigan and record all the sights and sounds on the street, at the cemetery, and the Magic Carpet restaurant plus a guided tour of Abbott's Magic Company by Greg Bordner. See some of the street vendors as well as the dealers in the gymnasium.

The end of the film is the tech rehearsal for Rick Walker, my very good friend who was an illusionist from Dallas, TX.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:02:36 - Mike Miller talks about his experience in China and working with the recent touring magicians over there. Jania Taylor, a long time attendee, tells why she never misses this week.

00:07:22 - Ken Dumm and his son Austin tell us what is most important about the Get Together...Family.

00:16:38 - Local Amish farmer, Merle Hostetler opened his home to us for a delightful evening of food and buggy rides as many of us performed magic for his family and neighbors.

00:20:50 - Michael Mode was the one who put together this Amish magic show. He talks about how it can to be.

00:23:09 - Enjoy the last few minutes of my buggy ride as you hear the "clip clop" of horses hooves along the trail.

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.