871: The Beckers - Choppy Waters

Fred and Bobbie Becker have enjoyed a long and successful career at sea as cruise ship magicians. In addition to performing magic with her husband, Bobbie is a talented singer who often belts out show tunes and popular music during their show. Like all other entertainers, the Beckers had to find creative outlets during the years of lockdown.

Many years ago, Fred decided to help others who want to pursue a job on the high seas so he developed Gigs On Ships. As technology and the cruise ship industry changed, so did the course. Today the Beckers are dealing with industry changes and ageism.

This week we discuss whet it is that cruise ships are looking for: youth, illusions, comedy, experience, or what? Fred tells some secrets of getting and keeping a cruise ship gig. Bobbie expresses her concern as she ages about audiences wanting to look at younger females on stage. She also talks about her current path and goals.

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617: U.K. Kid Show Magicians

Kids are kids the world over and they all love magic. But there are some subtle differences in how and where magic is presented to children in the U.S. versus how it's done in the U.K. This week we chat with family and children show entertainers from the U.K. about these differences and some of their challenges (i.e. taking the tube and/or train in London between shows) and how they brand themselves by using memorable names for their characters.

Listen this week to our chat with Martin "Mr. Biscuit" Cox, Dave "Magic Dave" Allen and Paul "Colonel Custard" Megram as we hear how it's done "across the pond."

This week’s podcast episode on YouTube.

This week, Paul Megram, Dave Allen and Martin Cox represent a small sample of the complex and multi-levels of children’s show magicians in England. Someone could easily make a podcast devoted to just the kid show industry in the U.K. by featuring a different entertainer each week, but that’s not what The Magic Word Podcast is about. So please enjoy this 35,000 foot (or 10,668 meters) overview of this lucrative industry and accept our apologies if we have left out you as a guest or topics that you think we should have discussed.

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. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

551: Coronavirus - Impact on Magicians

We are at the beginning of a “new normal” for an undetermined period. This pandemic is affecting the whole world and in particular, impacting our magic community in a serious way. Groups are postponing or canceling events where we were booked and then, almost literally overnight, many of our bookings over the next few months have dried up. Businesses and schools have closed or reduced their hours, people are asked not to congregate, and international travel has been banned.

This episode is intended to keep us connected and to let each of you know that you are not alone as we are all feeling the pain. The assortment of guests on this week was random but includes performers from various backgrounds from cruise ships to corporate and birthday parties to trade shows. It is uncertain how long this trip will be and where it will take us, make us, or break us. Hopefully, it will be short and we can all return to doing what we love…entertaining people with magic!

In this episode, Jamie Salinas discusses the cancellation of shows during this Pandemic.

A link is mentioned on the podcast that refers you to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Here is the link for all of the State Departments in the U.S.: https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/healthdepartments.html

Johns Hopkins has an excellent website with regular updates and news on the virus. Click Here to visit their website.

Recommendations from The Centers for Disease Control (the CDC) regarding the novel coronavirus:

* Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

* Clean your hands often. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

* To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places—elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.

* Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.

* Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.

* Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks, and cell phones).

* Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.

And, in addition, do NOT shake hands, hug, or kiss anyone on the cheek! Elbow bumps are the order of the day.

Timestamps for this episode:

00:13:00 - Fred and Bobbi Becker talk about how their cruise ship performances are being effected.

00:34:24 - Jessica Jane Peterson just received word that her cruise bookings have been canceled though at the time of our conversation, she had not officially had her contracts canceled by the cruise company.

00:48:38 - David Corsaro has some really great ideas on how magicians should spend this “down time”, some do’s and don’ts.

01:01:45 - Jamie Salinas suggests how he has altered his show and how he handles children in his birthday parties and school shows.

01:14:22 - From Sweden, Love Melander, talks about the effect on our overseas friends and the impact on trade show performers.

01:23:05 - Murray Sawchuck gives us a perspective of what’s happening in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the U.S.

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. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Congratulations to Michael Bochert, the winner of the recent contest hosted by our sponsor, The Magic Book Shop. He won a copy of “Daryl’s Ambitious Card Omnibus”. Check their website often to see new contests.

Plus you get a 15% discount off all of your book purchases when you use the promo code on checkout: magicword