The Magic Word Podcast

Michael Finney was explicitly voted by his peers as one of the Top 10 Comedy Magicians in the World in the April 2008 edition of MAGIC magazine. You will get no argument from me on that account. Michael is funny and has spread joy and happiness worldwide. Known for his trademark overgrown blond flattop haircut, booming voice, and distinct lack of pretense, Finney masterfully walks the line between a hardened stand-up comic and a top-tier illusionist. He is a magician, comedian, philanthropist, creator, traveler, producer, entrepreneur and overall a generally nice, sensitive family man. He has appeared at nearly all of the major magic conventions and for many years he performed aboard cruise ships, where he could still be today had it not been for COVID shutting down those opportunities.

Although not mentioned in our conversation this week, it should be known that Michael is a Past International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) and the creator of “Dry Heat Hot Sauce”, two completely separate endeavors. Michael created the “Dry Heat Classic” which has raised millions of dollars for children's charities, firefighters, and wounded veterans. It was intended as a golf tournament and fund raiser where his friends would play golf then finishing the day by performing on stage. This week, Michael recounts stories about his first magic trick investment, opening and closing his own comedy club in Phoenix, working on cruise ships, his first time (failed ) experience of performing in Las Vegas, getting kidnapped at gun point, the unexpected financial success of his comedy CD, plus many, many other stories, some of which you may have heard but most you have not.

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Say his name three times and he might appear! Or you can just send him and email to book him. :) He has a very different on-stage character from his off stage personality. I think Jordan Jonas is a perfect guest to feature for this “Month of Boo” because of his unique character. At the young age of 33, he seems to be comfortably settling into his character as he continues to “tweak” the act and find performing venues for his act. This is one of those podcast episodes where I hope to inspire listeners to consider their on-stage persona and develop their character.

I spoke with Jordan in Dallas, Texas, where he was one of the featured performers at the annual Magistrorum Convention. He has a very unassuming personality and nature in real life though when he dons his make-up, eyeball lens and costume, he takes on a whole different character.

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.

Andreas Sebring, from Sweden, is quite a creative person. He developed and markets an engraving technique for the classic “Koran Medallion” that allows the magician to hand out the engraved object. This is one of the many creations that came from his mind. Andreas has recently been here in the U.S. attending a few magic conventions as a dealer and sharing his creations with the community. It was at one of these conventions that I caught up with him to discuss some fascinating things.

In the first part of our conversation, Andreas talks about the five secrets to creativity from his longer, expanded lecture. But you get a “sneak peek” at the abbreviated version here this week. The second half of our chat goes deep into “cold reading” which is the art of making observations of people you have never met. He talks about palmistry, tarot, and more with some tips on how to learn this art of “reading people.”

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.

John Cerbone is a full time hypnotist. This is the first episode on The Magic Word that has featured someone whose sole occupation and direction is as a hypnotist. There are several magicians who have transitioned to add hypnotism to their repertoire, and others who have been thinking about it. In this episode you will learn from a professional what it’s like to create and be successful at such a vocation.

This week, a professional hypnotist shares some stories about how he became a hypnotist and some “behind the scenes” stories about some of his experiences over the last 35 or so years. John has developed a way of “induction” (or putting people to “sleep”) in mere seconds. Most hypnotists I have seen take almost more time to induct their volunteers than it does to actually do the show. He developed the “speed trance” method which is why he calls himself “The Trance Master.”

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Technology is advancing faster than we could have imagined. In fact, the current fear is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is learning and growing on its own without the aid of human intervention. Recent news has reported that some of the creators are advocating a hold on further advancement until we can control this potential monster. In the meantime, there are a multitude of opportunities for AI to be used “for good” as magicians create music for their shows, voice overs, promotional materials, help in scripting, help in developing a stage character, researching show opportunities, and much, much more.

This week Tony Clark joins us to give us his perspective as a magic consultant on how AI has been used and could be used by magicians. Let me first give this disclaimer that neither Tony nor Scott Wells are experts in this field. We have some experience and our discussion reflects what we know or have seen or think. The discussion in this week’s episode are the results of our experiences and do not reflect what one should or should not do with this information.

To watch our conversation that was recorded over Zoom, please enjoy the YouTube video which includes a bit more content.

Tony Clark is a creative consultant for magicians using live experiences on stage and screen. This week, Tony advocates for live performances rather than depending upon technology and digital help. We discuss the importance and ethics of utilizing AI to build your brand and not just putting your face on the promotional material of other successful magicians. We also discuss how AI can help you as a virtual assistant to weed out and find the right performing venues for you. Tony also emphasizes how performers need to be genuine on stage and in their performances. Specifically, we need to be vulnerable and let our audiences into our lives so they don’t necessarily go home talking about our tricks, but remembering the person who is performing them. 

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.

Jack Hart  is an artist in the truest sense of the word. He has designed illusions to make them more deceptive and toured with Blackstone, Jr. for nearly five years. He worked with Copperfield, Henning, Kalin, and so many more. For many years, Jack worked designing games for the television show, “The Price is Right” plus he currently does missionary work around the world. 

We start this week’s chat by going into a bit of detail about Jack’s Christian Missionary work. We then delve into his multi-faceted  career as he tells us about working with Harry Blackstone, Jr. and later traveling with the show. He not only designed some of the artwork on the outside of boxes, but also many of the beautiful  tapestries and backdrops in Harry’s show. For long while Jack worked in Old Chicago along with Buddy Farnan (who was featured in Episode #770) then back to California where he worked for many years on “The Price is Right” with Bob Barker as he helped design some of the games that are played each week. One of the games became popular around the world, even as a “take home” game, called Plinko which is a version of Pachinko. Jack worked in a lot of different arenas and left an invisible stamp on all of his work.

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Christopher Hart has had, and continues to have, an amazing career, or should I say “careers”. Many people, not just magicians, would be satisfied with success in any one of the areas where Chris has exceeded expectations. Many listeners of The Magic Word Podcast know that it was his hand as “Thing” in “The Addams Family” movies. And yet there is a whole generation who have never seen nor heard of “The Addams Family”, the New Yorker comic strip, the TV series let alone the movies. The recent Netflix series “Wednesday” has introduced many to this genre, but Chris wasn’t in that, and I digress.

But he has performed in dinner theater with “Triple Espresso” and also singing on network TV, Plus of course he has presented his award winning act around the world with the torn and restored sheet music and the disembodied hand. You may think you know Christopher Hart, but there is so much to know about Christopher that you will be surprised what you learn in this episode.

This week’s episode was recorded in Appleton, Wisconsin, while we were at the SAM National convention. Christopher not only performed but also lectured. He had so much material to share, that he never got around to explaining some of the items on his agenda during his lecture. He resolves that by chatting on this week’s episode as he talks about his touches on the torn and restored newspaper and the zombie gimmick. But we start, of course, by chatting about his film career, then his time with dinner theater, overcoming his fear of singing in public, working and touring with David Copperfield, plus serving as President of the Board of Trustees on the Academy of Magical Arts. He shares some great “behind the scenes” stories about all of this which makes this one of my favorite episodes, and I hope yours, too.

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.

Multi international award winning escapist, Dean Gunnarson, joins us this week to talk about his dangerous career. He has been called by the media “The World’s Most Daring Escape Artist” and the title fits. Traveling from his home in Canada to lands across China, Dean has conquered it all and accepted challenges much like Harry Houdini, from rope and chain escapes to the Water Torture and Milk Can Escapes, not to mention straitjacket escapes while being suspended hundreds of feet in the air,

Dean shares with us this week about how James “The Amazing” Randi got him started with an early television special that led to Dean becoming his successor having passed the “Mantle of Escapes” on to Dean. He also shares with us some horror stories when he broke bones, lost a finger, and more. This is an unusual profession and few in the world specialize solely in this art. He does not consider himself a magician, nor does he perform magic at his appearances.

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.

One of magic’s most creative minds, Dan Harlan, joins us this week. No doubt many of you have his “Card Toon” card trick or have watched him on Penguin Live videos or perhaps on the Tarbell Course of Magic on video. Maybe you once subscribed to The Minotaur which he co-published with Marv Leventhal. His life and career hasn’t all been roses and indeed had many bumps along the way. Currently he hosts MagiCon - The Mystic Tower convention in Raleigh, North Carolina plus he continues to create and perform.

Dan Harlan is quite candid about his successes and shortcomings as he openly shares many stories in this week’s episode. We learn that Dan doesn’t like card tricks and he tells us why. He also reveals a long time secret that Majoke was co-authored by him and Scott Alexander. He talks about the time it took to create and film “Every Trick in the Book” of Tarbell. Dan also tells us about his years with Penguin and other creative projects that hold his attention.

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.

Wednesday, August 6th

 24 hours          Bicycle Lounge, St. Charles

9:00 a.m.               Information Booth, Kiosk (9:00p)

10:00 a.m.             General Sessions, Showroom, (Noon)

10:00 a.m.             Focus Sessions (11:00a)

11:00 a.m.             The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras, (2:00p)

11:15 a.m.             Focus Sessions (12:15p)

11:30 a.m.             Cafe Live!, Esplanade K/L (2:00p)

12:15 p.m.             Lunch Break (2:15p)

2:15 p.m.               General Session, Showroom (4:15p)

2:15 p.m.               Focus Sessions (3:15p)

3:30 p.m.               Focus Sessions (4:30p)

Live Tonight!

6:00, 9:00 p.m. - Live Onstage!, Showroom

10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. - Farewell Party, Mardi Gras

10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. - Souvenir Program Handout, Mardi Gras

Time stamps and guest names for this episode:

00:00:15 – Jamie Salinas and Scott give a recap of the previous day’s activities, plus a review of some Vegas shows.

00:09:53 – host of the Wednesday night General Session, Ben Barnes, talks about his experience at MAGIC Live! 2026 plus the Chicago magic scene (since he is the Entertainment Director of the Chicago Magic Lounge) plus his recent recording for Masters of Illusion television show.

00:17:03 – Griffen Barry basically grew up in Dean Dill’s barber shop. The close-up magic experience at MAGIC Live! featured a look back in history at Dean’s shop and what it was like. Griffen gives us a bit more context.

00:30:34 – Mark Doetsch, from Chicago, is a regular attendee at MAGIC Live! and we chat about the morning’s General Session.

00:40:58 – Lance Rich was the Director for the General Sessions. He tells about some of the acts and what he did to make everyone look good.

00:54:03 – We do a wrap-up of MAGIC Live! with the organizer, Stan Allen, who can finally sit down to relax and reflect.

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.