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The Magic Word The Magic Word

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912: Diana Zimmerman - The Enchantress

Diana Zimmerman is an enchanting woman in every sense of the word: personality, charm, abilities, looks, intelligence, skill, and so much more. She has led a life of magic like few other women. And she is being recognized for her achievements by being inducted to the Los Angeles Times Global Magicians Hall of Fame on July 9th, 2025. Married at 19 to Dick Zimmerman, magician and creative genius, she performed around the world on television and stage with her one-woman performance. She traveled with a giant gramophone then later switched to a thumb tie and pick pocketing. She developed and still works with the Magic Castle Junior Program (which just celebrated their 50th year) and is the author of several books of fantasy. But she also authored the definitive collector’s edition of the Siegfried and Roy book.

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Diana has so many stories that she shares with us this week including her early days working with her then-husband, Dick Zimmerman, then how Cary Grant encouraged her to form the junior program at the Magic Castle, and many stories about the late Siegfried and Roy. She was a close confidant to the illusionists and shares some “behind the scenes” stories from Little Bavaria to “the Incident” that ended their Las Vegas run.

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.

Tagged with Diana Zimmerman, Magic Castle, Magic Castle Junior Member, Doug Henning, Dai Vernon, Dick Zimmerman, Channing Pollock, pickpocketing, Matthew O'Neill, Jason Latimer, Michael Rangel, Lisa Menna, Cary Grant, Siegfried and Roy, Johnny Thompson, Gary Darwin, Michael Jackson, Little Bavaria.

July 3, 2025 by Scott Wells.
  • July 3, 2025
  • Scott Wells
  • Diana Zimmerman
  • Magic Castle
  • Magic Castle Junior Member
  • Doug Henning
  • Dai Vernon
  • Dick Zimmerman
  • Channing Pollock
  • pickpocketing
  • Matthew O'Neill
  • Jason Latimer
  • Michael Rangel
  • Lisa Menna
  • Cary Grant
  • Siegfried and Roy
  • Johnny Thompson
  • Gary Darwin
  • Michael Jackson
  • Little Bavaria
  • Post a comment
Comment

729: David Goldrake - When His World Collapsed

On October 15, 2015 during a rehearsal overseas, David Goldrake’s double levitation illusion went horribly wrong. After his (now) ex-wife, Abbey, had levitated into the air, David then “floated” up behind her then suddenly he saw the floor rapidly moving toward his face.

In this episode and seven years after this accident, David feels a bit more comfortable talking about this life-changing moment, the things that led up to it, and suggestions to illusionists on how to be prepared and take necessary precautions.

We recorded this episode while in Atlanta, Georgia and attending the I.B.M. National convention this past summer. With so much other content that has been recorded and some that were broadcast due to their timely nature, our chat is a little late getting out, but the content and stories are timeless.

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As we begin our chat, we talk about “video mapping.” David Goldrake was one of the first illusionists in Las Vegas to make use of “video mapping” which is in common use today. We chat about this before going into the story behind the tragic accident. David is quite frank and open about all the details including what happened, why it happened, the insurance for hospital bills, plus suggestions to others on why it is important to check your gear before a show and even rehearsals. David wanted to set the record straight because Joshua Jay reported Abbey’s point of view in his book, “How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters.” The story told in this podcast might be an alternate view of the accident and what followed.

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

Tagged with David Goldrake, Video mappinig, Siegfried and Roy, Las Vegas, Luxumbourg, illusion accident, illusions, levitation, synesthesia, Jonathan Goodwin, America's Got Talent, Doug Henning.

December 22, 2022 by Scott Wells.
  • December 22, 2022
  • Scott Wells
  • David Goldrake
  • Video mappinig
  • Siegfried and Roy
  • Las Vegas
  • Luxumbourg
  • illusion accident
  • illusions
  • levitation
  • synesthesia
  • Jonathan Goodwin
  • America's Got Talent
  • Doug Henning
  • Post a comment
Comment

715: Paul Stone - No Stone Unturned

Paul Stone has been a mainstay in the world of magic without gaining the true notoriety he deserves because of his work behind the scenes. Paul is the driving force behind his company, SHOWSTEALERS LLC. Paul is an experienced Producer of hundreds of Corporate Events and Shows, amongst them in the UK include shows at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Her Majesty’s Theatre and 18 shows at the world famous London Palladium Theatre, including the widely acclaimed ‘Tribute to Siegfried & Roy at the London Palladium’ in 2008. Paul has produced Shows in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace, Mirage, Harrahs, Orleans and the Suncoast Hotel & Casino.

The working pros know him and go to him when they need help producing a gala event. Not only a producer, Paul is also a trade show performer and creator of magic tricks such as “Overboard” which is a quality prop with endless possibilities and is in my personal trade show.

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In this episode, Paul tells one story after another about Ken Brooke, Paul Daniels, Fred Kaps, Hans Moretti, John Fisher, Wayne Dobson, and so many others. As a producer who works behind the scenes on big events, he has all the great stories. From a young man in Liverpool to a grown man in Las Vegas, Paul has met and worked with all of the top magic names from one side of the pond to the other.

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

Tagged with Paul Stone, Siegfried and Roy, London Palladium, Ken Brooke, Mark Mason, Harry Stanley, Las Vegas, Paul Daniels, Nick Lewin, John Fisher, Ali Bongo, Hans Moretti, Fred Kaps, Jeff Hobson, Wayne Dobson, John Calvert.

September 15, 2022 by Scott Wells.
  • September 15, 2022
  • Scott Wells
  • Paul Stone
  • Siegfried and Roy
  • London Palladium
  • Ken Brooke
  • Mark Mason
  • Harry Stanley
  • Las Vegas
  • Paul Daniels
  • Nick Lewin
  • John Fisher
  • Ali Bongo
  • Hans Moretti
  • Fred Kaps
  • Jeff Hobson
  • Wayne Dobson
  • John Calvert
  • 2 Comments
2 Comments
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The Magic Word The Magic Word

A Podcast for Magicians, About Magicians, Hosted by a Full Time Professional Magician, Scott Wells

This podcast is totally free for everyone to enjoy. This is provided to you out of love and respect for our art of magic. If you enjoy the podcasts and other material on The Magic Word, then your financial support will be greatly appreciated and help offset the monthly hosting service fee as well as the hardware and software to produce this podcast. Just click on the "Donate " button at the top of this page to make a one time donation through PayPal.

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Thanks to all of you listeners, The Magic Word Podcast and our newsletter (or “podletter” as I call it) has been recognized by FISM and received nominations in two categories. Please click on one of the graphics above and cast your vote to help push us on to victory in Turin, Italy, this summer! Thank you!

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This week's episode is in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Magic Castle Juniors group and her feature article in VANISH Magazine and precedes Diana's induction to the Los Angeles Tribune Global Magicians Hall of Fame.
 #losangelestribune
Connie Boyd was a successful stage magician in Las Vegas and now is an author and producer. But she is a strong advocate for Women in Magic. She is our guest this week on The Magic Word Podcast  https://share.google/dHcDjJ177mCTlBmnT
#magicalwomen #m
This week on The Magic Word Podcast, "The Good Liar" Brian Curry from the Washington, D.C. area. #comedy #washingtondc #magicduel
Joe Monti was one of the creative minds and producers behind the early seasons of “Mind Freak with Criss Angel” and he has also fooled Penn & Teller. Listen to this week’s podcast episode at: https://themagicwordpodcast.com/909-
This week on The Magic Word Podcast, a chat with Christian & Katalina who have been performing their Mind Tripping Show in Indianapolis for 16 years.  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/908-christian-and-katalina
#indianapolis #m
This week we feature an episode about two magicians 🎩 🎩 who share ideas on how to find your own theatre to perform in, plus learn how to work with a magic partner on stage. Visit the website for more information:  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.co
What a great, action-packed, adrenaline-laced, fast-paced movie. I recommend watching part one (Dead Reckoning) to catch up from where we left off two years ago. Best to see this on the big screen. Recommended!
Eric Leclerc joins us from Canada this week to talk about comedy and his experience being the compere (emcee) at the Blackpool convention 2025. #ericleclerc #canadianmagician #comedymagic #mikehammer https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagi
This week's episode is in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Magic Castle Juniors group and her feature article in VANISH Magazine and precedes Diana's induction to the Los Angeles Tribune Global Magicians Hall of Fame.
 #losangelestribune
Connie Boyd was a successful stage magician in Las Vegas and now is an author and producer. But she is a strong advocate for Women in Magic. She is our guest this week on The Magic Word Podcast  https://share.google/dHcDjJ177mCTlBmnT
#magicalwomen #m This week on The Magic Word Podcast, "The Good Liar" Brian Curry from the Washington, D.C. area. #comedy #washingtondc #magicduel Joe Monti was one of the creative minds and producers behind the early seasons of “Mind Freak with Criss Angel” and he has also fooled Penn & Teller. Listen to this week’s podcast episode at: https://themagicwordpodcast.com/909- This week on The Magic Word Podcast, a chat with Christian & Katalina who have been performing their Mind Tripping Show in Indianapolis for 16 years.  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/908-christian-and-katalina
#indianapolis #m This week we feature an episode about two magicians 🎩 🎩 who share ideas on how to find your own theatre to perform in, plus learn how to work with a magic partner on stage. Visit the website for more information:  https://www.themagicwordpodcast.co What a great, action-packed, adrenaline-laced, fast-paced movie. I recommend watching part one (Dead Reckoning) to catch up from where we left off two years ago. Best to see this on the big screen. Recommended! Eric Leclerc joins us from Canada this week to talk about comedy and his experience being the compere (emcee) at the Blackpool convention 2025. #ericleclerc #canadianmagician #comedymagic #mikehammer https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagi

The Magic Word Has been recognized by FeedSpot as the # 1 magician podcast in the world. Thank you all for your support and for listening throughout the years.

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