826 - Mike Miller - Talent Booker

More than a magician, Mike Miller, Past National President of the S.A.M., also books talent for many magic conventions including the S.A.M. convention, Abbott’s Get Together, Super Sunday, and many others. He scours the world looking for unique acts to book. He has a good eye for spotting up-and-coming performers before they “hit it big” on the international scene. The best way to be seen by Mike is by competing and performing in other magic conventions. For several years, Mike also booked acts for a multi-city tour of China. Today he regularly performs at the Smoke & Mirrors Theater in Philadelphia while still searching for convention acts. As a result of his untiring efforts in helping magicians around the world, the Academy of Magical Arts will present a Special Fellowship to him at the awards banquet on May 17, 2024.

If you are more of a visual person, then perhaps you might enjoy watching our interaction during our Zoom conversation.

In this episode, Mike Miller talks about his career as a talent booker and how Hank Moorehouse shaped his life. He talks about how he goes about finding unique acts and how he learned to be a stage manager, too.

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419: 2018 Obie's F.F.F.F. Day Two

Thursday, April 26
10:00-5:00 Registration open (closed during lectures and shows)
10:00 Dealers’ Room opens (closed during lectures and shows)
10:00-11:00 4F Shop open
11:00 Edouard Boulanger Lecture
12:30 Lunch: on your own
1:30 2nd Show: Friends Old & New (MC: Gary Morton)
3:30 3rd Show: Magical Moments (MC: Joe M. Turner)
5:30 Supper: on your own
7:00-7:45 4F Shop is open
8:00 Pit Hartling Lecture
10:30 Hospitality Suite (Crystal Room) opens -- Free Donuts, Coffee, Soda
12:00 Dealers’ Room closes

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:17 - Friend of The Magic Word, Terry Greenwood, talks about this convention and we review yesterday's gala.

00:04:39 -Rick Wilcox and Erick Olson chat about their respective magic theaters, plus their different perspectives of this convention...this is Erick's first time here and Rick has been here 17 times.

00:13:11 - Denis Behr, from Munich Germany, talks about his recent award from the Academy of Magical Arts

00:19:20 - Glenn Brown is on the Board of Directors of Obie's 4F convention and he puts together the PDF eBook (electronic program) and acts as a registration person.

00:26:30 - Past National President of the S.A.M., Brad Jacobs, tells us about upcoming S.A>M. conventions and why he attends this one, too.

00:30:57 - Obie O'Brien, the "Head Forker", talks about some of the history of this convention.

00:49:53 - Rocco Silano, last year's Guest of Honor. talks about what makes this convention so special to him. And next year's Guest of Honor, Mike Powers, stops by for a brief chat, too.

01:00:11 - Bob Little talks about being the Guest of Honor for the recent S.A.M> Parent Assembly "Salute to Magic"

01:07:06 - Ricky Smith and Steve Himmel are a couple of the "young Turks" who talk about this convention plus Ricky talks about working with Bill Kalush.

400: David Berglas - International Man of Mystery, Part One

David Berglas has an affect on me.

Okay, that is corny. But it is true that he has influenced and inspired more magicians and mentalists in the world than can be counted. Not only has he changed how we look at magic, David Berglas has significantly changed magic on television.

The BBC called him the “Godfather of TV Magic”. Born in 1926, Berglas escaped to Britain from Nazi Germany at age 11. He first became interested in Magic in his 20’s and studied psychotherapy at university before becoming a professional magician in 1952. His groundbreaking TV show in 1986, “The Mind of David Berglas” paved the way for all others to follow up to this very day. He is the author of several books including, "The Berglas Effects" and "The Mind & Magic of David Berglas", among others. And he is an multiple award winner of several prestigious organizations and is the Past President of The Magic Circle.

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I was part of a momentous meeting organized by Spyros Melaris in 2002 when he arranged a dinner meeting with David Berglas and his wife, Ruth, with Banachek and his wife, Heidi, and me and my wife, Kathy. It was a wonderful, memorable dinner with Banachek sharing his spoon bending to David and magic talk late into the evening. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no photos of that evening exist except those in our minds.

It was at that first meeting that we all became good friends and I am glad that we could get together again for this podcast where David talks about his beginnings in magic, work both in front of and behind the cameras on television and film, plus lots of stories about celebrated names of magicians, most of whom are long since passed.

Magicians' Valhalla

Although the list below is not exhaustive nor in any particular order, it does reflect the names of many well-known (and some lesser known) magicians, spouses and assistants who passed on in 2017. Some may not be as well-known to you, but they were my personal friends (hey, it is my blog!). If you are unfamiliar with any of these names, then it would behoove you to do a little online search of what these people have contributed to our craft. If you have someone you think was overlooked, then please post the name in the comments below on this blog.

Those whose names are highlighted were featured or interviewed here on The Magic Word Podcast. You can click on their name to revisit and listen to their voices again. David Oliver put together a video of some names and dates of passing of these (and others) in a YouTube video. Click Here to see that video.

Phil Messina

Daryl Easton (Martinez)

Bob Cassidy

Jim Zachary

Ed Thomas

Jessica “Shedini” Moore

George Kovari, Jr.

"Chuck" Kirchner

John Moehring

Eugene Burger

Tom Jones

Eddie Gibson