Improv and Magic

It's our 50th episode!

My guest today on the 50th episode of Improv and Magic is one of today's most popular magicians, Ben Seidman.

He’s made multiple television appearances that include Brainchild on NETFLIX, Vanity Fair, WIRED, Vanderpump Rules on Bravo, Criss Angel Mindfreak and Penn & Teller: Fool Us.  Ben has headlined the Atlantis Resort & Casino (Bahamas), The Royalton Riviera (Cancun), and performed a record-breaking 120 shows at The Venetian, (Macau, China).  And, he was the only person in history to be named the Resident Magician at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Ben Seidman’s show is a unique and entertaining experience combining psychological magic, stand up comedy, pickpocketing, and sleight of hand.  His signature style is playful and captivating that audiences everywhere will remember for years to come. Today, Ben shares his journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way, including the importance of being unique and continuing to learn and create.

Visit Ben’s website at benseidman.com to learn about him, where to catch his shows, and how to book him for your event.

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In today's tip, I talk about the need to be respectful and why it's important. I also share a few specific examples on how we as performers can show respect towards one another. I get into things we should do and things we shouldn't do. I hope today's tip is helpful to you in some way.

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Today’s guest is Kevin Patrick Robbins.

He is the founder of the Impatient Theatre Co. in Toronto, Canada, where many of the performers he’s taught and coached have become headliners at major improv and comedy festivals throughout North America, including the Chicago Improv Festival, the Memphis Improv Festival, the Vancouver Improv Festival, and the Del Close Marathon in NYC.  Kevin has also taught intensives and master classes at those very same festivals, and also founded the Toronto Improv Festival.  He’s been labeled as one of Toronto’s best improvisers by NOW Magazine, and his classes have been described as full of fun and laughter with a unique blend of creativity, spontaneity, and a deep understanding of the art of improv.

Kevin and I had a really great conversation.  We get into a lot of great topics here, like how he empowers students, the joys and challenges of creating a festival, and even the influence of different improv methodologies.  Kevin also shares a deeply emotional story of how he discovered improv thanks to his cousin.

If you want to learn more about Kevin’s improv classes, visit his website kevinpatrickrobbins.com, where you can also find information about his photography business.

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Today’s guest is absolutely unbelievable.  He’s among the greatest magicians and mentalists of our time, he’s amazingly talented, and he’s truly one of the best.  My guest today is David Gerard.

His performances have graced Fortune 500 companies, Silicon Valley elite gatherings, and international stages, including more than 60 shows at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. David performs shows for audiences from 15 to 1,000 people.  His magic appeals to modern audiences, and he specializes in mindreading, influence, and prediction tricks.  Whether he’s standing on a stage in front of a large crowd or just walking around small groups, David Gerard will affect and astound you with his unique approach to magic.  In addition to being incredibly skilled, David also has a great ability to connect with the audience.  He knows how to get on your level, and make you feel a part of the show too.  Thousands of event planners have chosen David for their events, and he’s trusted by the world’s leading companies that include Vanity Fair, Google, eBay, Walgreens, and Facebook, just to name a few. In this conversation, you’ll definitely hear how much love and passion he has.  And you’ll also hear how important it is for him to really connect with the audience.

To learn more about David’s show and how you can book him for events, visit his website davidgerard.com. And be sure to tell him LD sent you.

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Welcome to Season 4!

I could think of no better way to kick off this season than talking to two amazing people who I’ve had the great pleasure of watching and learning from; and I am so happy to call these two my friends.  They are Kathy and Joe Rinaldi, and together they are ImpromTwo.

They create magic one word at a time.  Both Kathy and Joe bring years of experience in producing and performing theatre in New York and Canada to their improv scenes.  Together they create amazing narratives that are not only filled with organic humor, but are also performed with a beautiful use of silences, banter and passion.  Not only do they perform contemporary scenes, but ImprompTwo is also known for performing improv in the styles of American Gothic and Passion Noir.  They perform scenes that take place in America at the turn of the century, and their shows look and feel so much like a classic play; and it’s mind blowing that everything is made up on the spot.  ImprompTwo is an absolute favorite among festivals, and they’ve been seen in festivals all over the world including the Miami Improv Festival, Rise Comedy Festival in Denver, Impro Amsterdam, Robin Hood Improv Festival in England, Ottawa Improv Festival in Canada, and Improfest Sweden, just to name a few.

Look for their show, ImprompTwo performing in theaters and festivals worldwide.  To learn more about them, visit their website impromptwoimprov.com.

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It's our Season Finale Episode, and today's special guest is David Magnifico.

He's not like any other magician you've ever seen before. His show can only be described as the world's stupidest magic show.

Check out David Magnifico's performance at the 2024 Miami Improv Festival here!

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Today’s guest is a true superstar of magic. My guest today is Colin Cloud!

He’s the only magician in history to perform on London’s West End, Broadway and the Las Vegas Strip.  Colin specializes in mentalism, and he’s so good that he’s been described as a real life Sherlock Holmes.  Colin performed as “The Deductionist” in the touring magic show The Illusionists.  He was also a contestant on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and completed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012.  You may also remember Colin as a semi-finalist on Season 12 of America’s Got Talent, and also participated in the very first season of America’s Got Talent: The Champions.  Colin Cloud has continued to be one of magic’s top performers, and is currently preparing to open his brand new show this Summer at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

Colin and I had a great time talking about his beginnings as a performer, what drew him to mentalism, and his process in creating a great show.  This was an amazing interview you are sure to enjoy!

Visit Colin's website, colincloud.com, and follow Colin on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and TikTok.

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Today is the return of LD's Tips! Today's tip is about how not every scene we do in improv needs to be funny. We often feel that funny scenes are a "requirement" in order to do good improv. Making the audience laugh is great, but it's even more special to make the audience feel. This tip talks about my feelings on exactly that. You'll either agree with me or disagree with me, but either way these are my feelings on what makes an improv scene special.

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My guest today is someone who I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, he’s an excellent improv actor who hails from the great state of Nebraska.  Today’s guest is Dylan Oakes Rhode.

Dylan is a graduate of Wayne State, and has trained and performed at UCB and iO.  He now travels the country and the world teaching improv at various theaters and festivals.  In 2011, Dylan founded Backline Comedy, which originally began teaching improv classes in the basement of a small art gallery.  They recently opened their new theater, and have since become Omaha’s destination for live comedy shows. Dylan is also the founder of the Omaha Comedy Fest, which began in 2013 and has since been offering fans access to intimate shows and hilarious experiences with established and emerging comedians from across the country.

I had the opportunity to talk to Dylan just before one of his classes at Backline Comedy Theater.  In this conversation, he shares about his early beginnings in improv and the process of getting his theater started.  There’s a lot to learn in this conversation, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Learn more about the Backline Comedy Theater by visiting backlinecomedy.com where you can find out about shows and classes.  And learn all about the Omaha Comedy Fest by visiting omahacomedyfest.com.

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Today is the 1 year anniversary of the Improv and Magic podcast, and we are celebrating with a very special episode.

Today we look back at everyone's answer to the final question: What's the one piece of advice that has served you well that you'd want everyone else to hear?

A very special thank you to all of our guests who've come on the show and shared their stories, and an even bigger thank you to all of you listeners out there for tuning in!

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