358: Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly

Winner of Season 9 of "America's Got Talent [sic]" (AGT). Mat Franco has a successful show on the Las Vegas Strip for the past year and a half in the newly remodeled Linq Casino and Hotel, which was the former Imperial Palace. His show is unlike any other on the Strip and pulls from many of the popular tricks he performed on AGT. The name of his show "Magic Reinvented Nightly" is the perfect title because, without giving away any surprises, every show is different but...oh, darn it, I really can't say any more. But I do recommend the show. It is done with pure skill and personality. The focus is not on the props, dancers or music but focused on the performer himself. And he is riding high on the success of his TV appearances. I know that his show will have "legs" and should remain popular for many years to come.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:04:50 - Mat Franco talks a lot about his experience on America's Got Talent [sic] television show. He obviously had a completely different experience than all the other magicians who preceded him. We also chat about his new show at the Linq Hotel and Casino (which is owned by Caesar's). He also tells about his years performing on the college circuit, his early inspirations, trick selection, timing, nervousness, developing his character, bad decisions along the way, creating his vision of the show, and more.

01:12:46 - Product review of "Matrix Pad Reloaded" by Richard Griffin. Effect: a Post-It notepad is shown. Four spots are drawn in each corner of the pad with a Sharpie. One by one with a rub of the finger, the spots visibly assemble to one corner. The top sheet can be peeled off and given to a spectator. Highly recommended.

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357: Timo Marc - An Unexpected Visitor

Timo Marc is an award winning magician from a small town near Stuttgart, Germany. He happened to be in Las Vegas overlapping my visit there. We tried all week to get together and due to conflicting schedules and his short bout with the flu, we nearly missed each other. But on the last night of my stay, we met up at the Orleans hotel and recorded this delightful chat.

Timo is a winner of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix plus recipient of the Siegfried and Roy "SARMOTI" Award, too. He travels the world with his "shadow act" but often stays in Germany where he is a frequent performer in a the local city theatre.

In this podcast, Timo Marc talks about the German equivalent of "America's Got Talent [sic]" TV show and why it isn't good for professional nor amateur in Germany. He also talks about developing his stage act, performing in FISM contests, working in Macau with Franz Harary, meeting his "heroes" like Rudy Coby, and his long-standing friendship with Christian and Katalina Painter.

356: Richard Faverty - LIghts, Camera, Hold

Some of the best cover photos ever published on MAGIC Magazine, Genii, The Linking Ring, and M.U.M. were the product of Richard Faverty at Beckett Studio in Las Vegas. But before he was the "go to guy" for creative promo shots, he was "Professor Bubbles" who toured the world with a bubble act and a world record holder, too.

Richard Faverty a.k.a. Professor Bubbles attempts to break his world record and fit 5 people (children) inside a giant bubble or bubblesphere at West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada. 1999/2000 Filmed for Lindford's Record Breakers, and re-edited as late night filler for the Dave channel.

Tune stamps for this podcast:

00:04:21 - Richard talks about his early career with a bubble act then goes into a discussion of getting the right shot for the perfect promo shot. Sometimes the performer finds their "real selves" during the photo session. He talks about the process of creating something different every time, the differences between using traditional film versus digital, stock photos, setting up the shots, getting his photos on the covers of magazines, and stories about shooting some of the "guerilla" shots without being caught (it's always best to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission)..

01:09:17 - Product Review - "Flat Pack" by Andrew Mayne - a very commercial trick that can be carried in your wallet. Highly recommended.

01:11:52 - Product Review - "Bring It!" a three DVD set by Will Fern with his close-up Magic Castle act and his roving magic show explained. A very entertaining guy with wonderful routines and excellent thinking behind why he does what he does. Recommended.

Available here: http://bit.ly/flatpackeffect Flatpack takes one of the most powerful effects in magic and squeezes it inside your wallet. It's a credit-card sized effect with a huge impact. Tossed Out Deck: You produce a small card with every playing card printed on it and ask several people to glance at one.

358: Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly

357: Timo Marc - An Unexpected Visitor

356: Richard Faverty - LIghts, Camera, Hold

The Magic Word