848: Abbott's Get Together 2024 - Day Four Report

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD 2024
9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant
10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (Requires Registration)
11:00AM LECTURE DANNY ARCHER - from Philadelphia - (Requires Registration)
11:00AM - 5:00PM COLON ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR
12:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Jania Taylor @ Granny's Place
1:00PM LECTURE JOHN REID from New York - (Requires Registration)
1:00PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott's Magic Showroom Theatre $5
2:00PM JAY BLACKWELL JUGGLING/FIRE EATING & MORE at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10
3:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Cap'n Sean @ Mirf @ Colon Library
3:00PM LECTURE LANCE BURTON from Las Vegas - (Requires Registration)
3:00PM FACE PAINTING till 6PM outside 5 Star Pizza by Award Winning Artist Carol Hendrix (Standard Fees)
3:00PM-5PM COLON HISTORICAL MUSEUM is open
4:00PM BOOK SIGNING - ILLUSIONQUESTS With David Seebach (Dealers Room)
4:30PM MAGIC SHOW at Abbott's Magic Showroom Theatre $5
5:00PM LIVE AT 5 WITH THE STERLINI'S at Sterlini Magic & Theater $10
5:30PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Just Joe Chasney @ Magic Capital Grill
6:00PM-7:45PM DINNER (on your own)
7:45PM PRESHOW LIVE ORGAN MUSIC - by John Sturk
8:00PM GET-TOGETHER STAGE SHOW - Saturday Night Gala (The Magic of Germany)
Requires Registration or Tickets (Floor / Bleachers)
Featuring Clemens Ilgner (MC), Axel Hecklau, Yann Yuro, Martin Sierp
10:00PM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM RE-OPENS (Requires Registration)
10:30PM ABBOTT'S PERFORMER AWARDS (Requires Registration)

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:18 – Trixie Bond and Ted Danger give a recap of last night’s show.

00:12:30 – Mark Holstein has been the Stage Manager for Abbott’s Get Togethers over several decades. He give credit to his back stage crew who make this show work. Mark was also one of the performers on the last Bozo show and he talks about that experience.

00:26:24 – One of the food trucks is unique to Abbott’s that sells “Rabbit Ears” (essentially funnel cakes) and run by Kay Decker. She tells us how it all got started.

00:35:42 – Gerry Costello relocated from Florida to Colon after he retired and hosts an annual party at his home on the lake. Mike Powers also joins us on this chat who talks about his many publications and his new projects.

00:43:56 – John Hebert, from Chicago, and a member of the Chicago Magic Roundtable. He talks a bit about the Chicago Magic Lounge.

00:48:47 – Michael Trixx is a Friend of the Magic Word and talks about the episode we recorded many years ago. He tells us about his memories of attending and performing at Abbott’s.

00:57:33 – Peter Thompson is directing a documentary about this convention. He talks about what he’s doing, how the idea came to be, and perhaps when it will be broadcast.

00:03:05 – in the Dealers’ Room BJ Mallen presented the Jack Gwynn Excellence in Presentation Award that went to the Evasons; the Senator Crandall Comedy Award that went to Martin Diert from Germany; the Jerry Conklin Family Award went to David Seebach; and, the Niel Foster/Bill Baird Manipulation award went to Alex Boyce. We then get to chat with some of the award winners.

01:07:17 – at the Conklin Family “after glow” party we chat with Devin who is a regular performer at the Chicago Magic Lounge and talks about some of its history.

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Memories of Johnny Thompson - The Great Tomsoni

This is an unedited, explicit recording of a few friends of Johnny Thompson who reminisced about their old friend. To watch the video of the Memorial Service, then tune in to the video at http://www.tomsoni.co

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112: T.A.O.M. 2013 Day 2

Day Two started early for me withe the Order of Willard breakfast at 7:30. I coordinate this annual breakfast meeting of those who have 25 years or mnore of membership in the T.A.O.M. This year's speaker was Arthur Emerson who spoke about his seeing and meeting with Kalanag, Klingsor and Sorcar. A fascinating history down the historical lane of magic. Following the stage contest (which only had two adults and maybe three junior competitors) was the close-up contest (with six adults and one junior) that were all strong competitors.

Chip Romero is a cruise chip magician and a noted collector of magic and magic memorabilia. Of particular note, he has a collection of Billy McComb and Doug Henning props. Today he brought along many of the props from his collection including a sub trunk, Disembodied, Shadow Box, Sands of Egypt and more. But Gene Anderson shared the stage as he told stories heretofore never heard about his close association with Doug Henning. Few people have heard what a close confidant, mentor and friend that Gene was to Doug. Fascinating stuff.

The President's Surprise after lunch was honoring Marshall Brodien, Wizzo the Wizard from the Bozo Show and maker of TV Magic Cards and over 230 magic sets. Johnny Thompson has been friends with Marshall since he was 16 and he spoke extemporaneously about his association and friendship and paid homage to Marshall getting him involved in magic and working trade shows. John Moehring, author of Marshall's biography, spoke about how he came to write the book. At the end, books were available for being signed by John and Marshall.

The afternoon concluded lectures by David Stone and David Ginn. The evening show was spectacular and billed as a Comedy Showdown featuring Fielding West, Rob Zabrecky and the Great Tomsoni and Company, all emceed by Tom Mullica. After the "competition" the Judge took the stage, Harry Anderson, costumed in his robe as Harold T. Stone from Night Court, and declared them all winners. He also gave one of the most memorable lines of the convention, "Rob Zabrecky looks like Edgar Allen Poe looking for Sudafed." Later, Tom Mullica later said, "it was Rob's dancing that kept him out of the military."

Following the show, there was a charity auction that benefited the Alzheimer's Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House. Several thousands of dollars were raised for many items that were non-magical such as a script from Blazing Saddles signed by Mel Brooks, signed boxing gloves by Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed from Rocky 3) and other movie memorabilia.

The late night lecture was on using social media as a marketing tool in magic.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:08 - I introduce Arthur Emerson who gives an interesting mini-lecture about some of his magic history and his brush with some of the greats in our history including Kalanag, Klingsor and Sorcar.

00:30:25 - T.A.O.M. President, Mark Jensen, talks about some of his challenges in putting together this convention and all the talent, plus his vision of the convention.

00:44:10 - Walter Blaney gives us a story about meeting his idol, Harry Blackstone, Sr. and Russell Bruce, who worked in the prop department with Siegfried and Roy. Russell tells us several anecdotes about the Masters of the Impossible including his perspective from back stage when Roy suffered his tragic accident on October 3, 2003.

01:04:27 - I.B.M. International President, Bill Evans, and his wife, the First Lady, Pam, talks about his convention tour of the world as part of his duties as President.

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848: Abbott's Get Together 2024 - Day Four Report

Memories of Johnny Thompson - The Great Tomsoni

112: T.A.O.M. 2013 Day 2

The Magic Word