907: Carl Mercurio & Jim Vines - Better Together

There seems to be an explosion of magic theatres, one-man shows, magic bars, and magic variety venues popping up across the country and indeed, around the world. I need to use two hands to count the number that have popped up since the first of the year! This week we chat with two magicians who have ventured into the high stakes world of filling seats in New York City where there is already a LOT of magic shows. Carl Mercurio and Jim Vines together have started “The Broadway Magic Hour” (really, off-Broadway to be precise) where they present weekly, family friendly magic shows. Their journey may not be unique, but it serves as an inspiration to others who might be considering finding their own venue (and perhaps partner) where you can entertain the masses with your magical skills.

Both based in New York City, Carl and Jim have similar yet dissimilar backgrounds. One is a multiple award winning magician, the other is not. One was a restaurant and bar magician, the other one was not. But their styles, personalities, and characters meld perfectly on stage. This week they talk about the “mojo” that put and keeps them together. Moreover, they talk about how they found the venue and how they market themselves in this very competitive environment. There is a lot to learn from the pro tips that they offer. But even if you don’t plan to ever pursue having your own theatre or your own show, I think you will enjoy our chat as we hear some of the trials and tribulations of a couple guys trying to make it in the Big Apple.

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 Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly 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.

863: Eric Dittelman - "L" Before "E" Except in...

As we begin on “Month of Boo'“ on The Magic Word Podcast, we gently slide into it this week featuring a mind reader, Eric Dittelman. He was the first mentalist to be a finalist on America’s Got Talent (sic) where he broke new ground. He has also appeared on Penn & Teller Fool Us (video below). Since then he has kept busy and in demand on the college circuit and as a corporate performer. Just like last week’s guest, Alex Boyce, Eric also is a regular performer at SpeakEasy Magick in New York City. Eric doesn’t regularly perform nor lecture at magic conventions, so this week’s episode is a real masterclass and maybe the closest thing you’ll hear as a lecture from him. During COVID, he and Mat Franco co-hosted a podcast called Mind Over Magic, which ran for over 100 episodes. It was one of my regular podcasts that I never missed. I think you might enjoy hearing it, too.

This week, Eric talks about his rise to become a finalist on AGT, performing on the college circuit, developing the podcast with Mat Franco, identifying his “powers” as a mentalist, and more! He reveals lost of ideas and tips for working professional and those who want to find success as a mentalist. .

This was the book that Eric Dittelman briefly talked about in this week's podcast. Please click on the graphic above to visit your Amazon account. And remember, when you do, you are helping The Magic Word Podcast through the Amazon Affiliate program when you buy this or any other product through Amazon. Thank you for your support.

849: MAGIC Live! 2024 Convention - Days One and Two Report

Sunday, August 4th

(Pre Convention Activities)
24 hours Mystque Lounge, Jackson Square
10:00 a.m. Registration, Bienville G (10:00 p.m.)

10:00 a.m. Photo Badges Dauphine F (10:00 p.m.)

LIVE Tonight!

7:30 - 11:30 p.m. Welcome Party, Esplanade

7:30 - 11:00 p.m. The Magic Shop, Mardi Gras

11:00 - 11:30 p.m. Grand Prize Giveaway, Esplanade

Monday, August 5th

24 hours Mystique Lounge, Jackson Square

9:00 a.m. Information Booth, Kiosk 11:00p

10:00 a.m. General Session for red lanyards, Showroom (Noon)

11:00 a.m. The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras (6:00p)

11:30 a.m. Out to Lunch, Esplanade (1:30p)

12:30 p.m. Close-up Experience, Bienville H (1:40p) (with show ticket or standby ticket)

2:15 p.m. Focus Sessions for red lanyards (3:15)

Carbone’s Creativity Class, French Quarter Angelo Carbone
Children Do Not Exist, St. Charles Maga Gaia
The Art of Shaping Perceptions, Bienville G Gabriel Werlen

3:30 p.m. Focus Sessions for red lanyards (4:30p) (see above) NOTE: no Children Do Not Exist session

Live Tonight!

Documentary Live: The Juniors, Dauphine 5:15, 7:50, 10:15 p.m.
The Little Big Show, Esplanade 5:35, 8:10, 10:35 p.m.
Close-up Experience, Bienville H 6:00, 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 p.m.
In Concert: Tanto, Dauphine 6:30, 9:05, 11:30p

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:18 – Scott Wells just finished attending Abbott’s Get Together and returned to nearby Chicago where he is catching his “Magic Carpet” to Las Vegas for the Sunday night party.

00:02:59 – Nancy Anderson, Nancy Gibson, and Ron Saylor are the first people I met up with at the costume party. They tell us why they attend this event each year; catching up with old friends and making new friends. We then run into Gene Anderson who tells us about why he didn’t attend Abbott’s but why he came to this convention.

00:09:53 – Chad Long, Karl Hein, and Dick Olson talk about how much they like they like this convention and MagiCuba Convention that Chad and I attended.

00:12:44 – Jason Michaels talks about the I.B.M. convention they just had in Tacoma, Washington.

00:15:13 – Michael Chaut, producer of Monday Night Magic, introduced me to James Harrison and Marina from Dubai who are scheduled to perform at Magic Texas with their two person mind reading act.

00:21:07 – Chris and Ryan Zubrick, illusionists from St. Petersburg, Florida, just left their home that luckily survived the current hurricane.

00:23:00 – Joel “Batman” Zaritsky, was here to fight crime and buy magic.

00:24:26 – Paul Gertner will be an emcee for one of the sessions but will not be lecturing nor performing here. He will be the Guest of Honor at TRICS in November.

00:28:07 – Bruce Averbook and Ron Anderson are both magic collectors and frequent attendees to MAGIC Live! Bruce talks about his expanding collection in his magic museum in Cleveland, Ohio, which rivals the David Copperfield collection.

00:33:15 – John Bannon talks about his regular magic meetings online that started in Chicago and his new book that is debuting here.

00:37:15 – Richard Trembly and Richard LeBlanc, both from Canada, have already visited the dealer room and purchased John Bannon’s book.

00:43:17 – Diamond Jim Tyler has been attending MAGIC Live! at least six times just hang out with friends and see new magic. He will be lecturing at Magic Texas.

00:47:21 – Bill Flanagan, from Houston, has enjoyed the activities and tells us some of what he has enjoyed the most so far, even though the convention has just started.

00:49:47 – Bob Gould talks about a great new printing system to individually print on cards rather than having to place a large order for multiple decks.

00:54:41 – Greg Wilson and Starr talk about this convention. Starr is a designer of many of the graphics that are used at MAGIC Live! as well as many illusions. They both come to hang out with friends. They discuss some of the things they have seen here this year.