831: Naathan Phan - Dangerously Gregarious

From Viet Nam and Scotland, this versatile, multi-national, energetic performer, Naathan Phan, has appeared on television, cruise ships, and stages around the world. You may have seen him on Masters of Illusion or Penn & Teller Fool Us (both on the CW Network) or America’s Got Talent (sic). You may have seen him in the movies such as Superbad or Up in Smoke, among others. Not only does he perform clever, innovative magic, but also he is a superb singer, actor, and mixologist!

Join us this week with Naathan Phan as we share a scotch and conversation. Naathan talks about his cross-country tour with his current, two-man show. He also gives some advice on how to develop a rapport with the audience, selecting volunteers, performing on television and cruise ships and more. He also gives us a recipe for a tasty cocktail!

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216: Brad Henderson, the Esoteric Escamoteur - Part Two, Tales from the Mansion

We continue our conversation with Brad Henderson telling stories about his good friend Richard Garriott, aka Lord British in Ultima and General British in Tabula Rasa, but perhaps more well known to the general public as a game developer magnate and civilian astronaut. As mentioned in the blog last week, Brad was the curator of Richard Garriott's magic collection though now Richards primary residence is in New York City following his nuptials in 2011.

We begin this second part of our chat discussing more of the practical than the theoretical side of magic. But since we are talking with Brad, it does eventually slide into a little more theory towards the end.

Brad planned elaborate parties for Richard Garriott, one of which nearly cost Brad his life due to the stress and physicality of the planning. These parties were not your typical birthday parties but elaborate, extravagant events that that attracted the glitterati and Illuminati and literally cost a small fortune. The details and behind the scenes stories are incredible and almost "fairy tale" like.

Many of you are aware of the embezzlement proceedings that involved Hank Lee and Richard Garriott. Well, Brad tells a little more about that affair now that some time has been served, literally.

174: Michael Dardant - Bitten By A Wizard

Multiple award winner, Michael Dardant, wrapped up his "Bitten By A Wizard" lecture tour in Houston where he stopped by to chat about a lot of stuff he's involved in now and in the future. Since this podcast was recorded, Michael continued to win even more magic contests. In particular, he took first place with the I.B.M. close-up category which included a $2,000 cash prize! He also secured a spot to compete in the close-up category next year in Italy at F.I.S.M.

In this podcast, Michael talks about entering magic contests (how and why he did); working the streets; performing as a emcee; mentoring others; burlesque shows; customizing your act; comedy and improv; working in movies; advice, tips and more. He has a funny story with Sylvester Stallone, too. Wow, Michael can also do great accents and impressions, too!

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.