Thurs July 5, 2018

8 AM - 9:30 AM Ring Representative Meeting/TVP

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Stage Contest Rehearsal

9 AM - 12 NOON Registration Open

9 AM - 5 PM Dealer's Room Open

9:30 AM - 11 AM Big Three Events - (RED LANYARDS)Pearl Room

9:30 AM - 11 AM Big Three Events - (BLUE LANYARDS)Emerald B Room

9:30 AM - 11 AM Big Three Events - (GREEN LANYARDS)

10:00 AM Spouse Event - Meet at Registration

11 AM - 12 NOON Lance Burton Teen Scene # 1

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Stage Contest Rehearsal

11:00 AM Annual Business Meeting, Order of Merlin Inductees-Please arrive 15 minutes early

1 PM - 3 PM Stage Contest Part 2

1 PM - 5 PM Registration Open

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Lecture - David Malek

8 PM - 9:30 PM Legends of Comedy Show

10:15 PM - 11:15 PM Lecture - Kyle & Mistie Knight

11:45 PM - 12:45 AM Lecture - Amazing Johnathan

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:00:16 - Gwyn Auger is Lance Burton's assistant and talks about being a magician's assistant

00:09:28 - Michael Trixx will open the Friday night show with his high energy, rock-and-roll dove act but here he talks about marketing tips

00:16:51 - Steve Valentine talks about his recent lecture

00:22:09 - Larry Wilson tells the Sammy Davis, Jr. story

00:54:54- Apparently Gay Blackstone worked with Sammy David Jr., too

01:01:43 - Christian Rasmussen was the recipient of the new "Bill Cook" award from the Lance Burton Teen Seminar

01:08:06 - I caught up with The Amazing Jonathan while waiting for a taxi and hilarity ensued.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Tuesday July 3, 2018

9 AM - 9 PM Lance Burton Teen Seminar

9 AM - 5 PM Dealer Load In

4:30 PM - 9 PM Early Bird Registration Open

5 PM - 7 PM Dealer's Room Open

7 PM - 8 PM EDF Distinguished  Lecture - Gary Brown

9 PM - 10 PM Lecture - Rick Merrill  

Wednesday July 4, 2018

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Stage Contestants Meeting

9 AM - 10 AM Stage Contest Judges Briefing

9 AM - 12 NOON Registration Open

9:30 AM - 1 PM Lance Burton Teen Seminar

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Stage Contest Rehearsal

8 AM - 10:30 AM Dealers last minute load in

10:30 AM - 5 PM Dealer's Room Open

11:00 AM I.B.M. Board Meeting

1 PM - 3 PM Stage Contest - Part 1

1 PM - 5 PM Registration Open

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Lecture - Pop Hayden

6:15 PM Autograph Session  & Welcome Reception

7:30 PM - 9 PM Welcome Show/June Horowitz Honoree

10 PM - 11 PM Lecture - Steve Valentine

11:30 PM Eugene Burger Legacy Lecture

Nov. 19, 2015 UPDATE: Larry Wilson teamed up with Jimmy Kimmel co-host Guillermo and “YouTube sensation" Meghan Rienks to reveal the new 2017 Ford Escape. The Internet spot, filmed on Hollywood Boulevard across the street from the studio where ABCs latenight show Kimmel Live is shot, featured a vanish of the sidekick inside a “piñata of doom” and his distant reappearance. Wilson performed the trick at his Spellbinder convention on October 24 and the next day received a call from Kimmel’s people. Quick arrangements were made, the routine was rehearsed for two days, and then it was shot live on November 16.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:02:45 - I.B.M. International President Bob Patterson and First Lady, Nancy Patterson

00:05:40 - Gay Blackstone talks about the new season of "Masters of Illusion" on the CW Network.

00:12:13 - Jeff McBride talks about the youth seminar

00:19:42 - Bill Cook also talks about the youth seminar.

00:26:25 - Larry Wilson will part of the upcoming show "Legends of Comedy Magic" on Thursday July 5th with Jeff Hobson, Michael Finney and Nick Lewin

00:47:57 - Tim Stolba with Iowa Magic Shop in the Dealer's Room talks about brick and mortar shops

00:52:37 - Lance Burton talks about his youth seminar that was held over the past couple days

00:58:17 - Keith Fields talks about working at magic theaters around the U.S.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Season Five of MASTERS OF ILLUSION debuted on The CW Network Friday, June 29, 2018

Jason Ladanye is more than a pretty set of hands...well, and face. He is also an accomplished musician having played and toured on the road with blues legends like Buddy Guy and B.B. King. While on the road in his early teenage years, he had time to learn magic. And he did it with the passion that he has put into all of his efforts. The result is a game changer.

Jason is one of the foremost experts at the card table in the U.S. He has toured across the country and overseas as well. In this podcast, we learn a lot more about what makes this man tick and why he is such a "smooth operator".

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

The book that sold out on his lecture tour is avaiable here. Just click on the graphic above for more info.

Many of us have had something stolen and some of us have had magic stuff stolen. I'm not talking about intellectual property theft or someone lifting your joke or outright stealing your act, but physical thievery of props and equipment. This week we hear cautionary tales of woe from some magicians who have had their magic props stolen and we learn lessons from their losses.

This week's podcast was inspired by a friend of mine, Marien Hopman from Chatham, Canada, sent me a link to a short radio broadcast where he told his story about having his magic stolen from his car. We were unable to get together to record his story, but you can hear his short, five minute story from "Afternoon Drive with Chris dela Torre" on CBC Listen by Clicking Here.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:01:26 - Taylor Martin

00:06:46 - Lynx Kim

00:15:06 - Rudy Coby

00:23:00 - Christopher Hannibal

00:27:30 - Sebastian Tabany

00:32:21 - Michael Night

00:38:51 - Dan Garrett

00:43:35 - Russell Anderson

00:49:37 - Andrew Payne

00:54:37 - James Harrison

00:58:09 - Richard "the Magician" Ribuffo, Jr.

01:04:00 - Michael Kaminskas

01:07:29 - Mike Segal

01:12:39 - Ron Wilson

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Click on the graphic above for more information on how you can help Russell Anderson with his "Go Fund Me" campaign.

Will Fern is the life of any party. I have said it to his face and behind his back, he is my favorite close-up magician. He may not be as creative as Johnny Thompson nor have the manipulative skills of Lennart Green, but for my money, he always knows how to make people laugh in any situation. That's why he "brings it". I know this sounds like a promotional endorsement, but it's not intended to be. It's just that I love watching his audience. His enthusiasm in infectious and his quick wit is a compliment to his personality.

Will refers to himself as a "40 miler" meaning that he generally performs in a small radius from his home. That's good news for the rest of us because if others outside his New Jersey home saw him, then there would be less work for the rest of us!

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:08:41 - In this week's podcast, Will Fern talks about working at restaurants and strolling, corporate events. He has great advice on preparing to entertain and HOW to entertain by keeping the focus on the guests (volunteers) rather than on the magician's tricks.

01:16:24 - Product Review: Pierce by Jibrizy Taylor from SansMinds. A "straw-through-cap" of water bottle. Somewhat "angley" but for the street performer and someone wanting to make a good YouTube video and get good reactions, this one is recommended with reservations.

01:20:33 - Product Review: Untouched by Ryuhei Nakamura from SansMinds. Again, this one is for the street performer and could look great on YouTube videos. All in Japanese with English subtitles, this is the real work on hook-up of your ITR in full light. Recommended with reservations.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Find out more about how you can help lift the human spirit of those who cannot help themselves.

Geoff Williams is a funny guy. Many of the best comedians are "naturally" funny, or so it would seem. Geoff seems to me to have that quality. As to the title of this week's podcast it comes from the many pictures I have seen of Geoff with someone's hand waving in front of his face. But Geoff is the funny man behind the waving hands. He also posts daily puns on his Facebook page which is worth visiting each day just to start your day with a smile.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:03:48 - Geoff Williams talks about writing his daily puns and how he creates/writes comedy by using "mind mapping", and he tells about his YouTube videos called "Brain Candy" that is worth watching. Along the ways he gives some good tips on creativity.

00:57:57 - Product Review: "Signs" by Manuel Llaser from Vernet Magic. You are able to decode "doodles" on business cards that shows your prediction of selected cards. Recommended.

01:02:09 - Product Review: "Survival Kit" from SansMinds. Five tricks are taught how to make when you are otherwise unprepared to perform in an impromptu situation. Not recommended.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Spanish Close-Up Winner, Adrian Vega, has a passion for magic. His love and respect for the art of magic (and cards in particular) shows through with his performance. And his engaging and charismatic personality is the same off stage as it is on stage. At the young age of 28 years old, Adrian has accomplished a lot including touring with Criss Angel's show "The Supernaturalists". Adrian is a graduate of Juan Tamariz' school of magic in Madrid, Spain and now is a visiting "professor" there from time to time.

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:07:15 - Adrian Vega talks about Juan Tamariz' magic school in Madrid and how the classes are structured. He also chats about first meeting Criss Angel and working in his "The Supernaturalists" tour

01:13:17 - Product Review: "Imagination Box" by Olivier. In one effect, a small object (i.e. candy) is drawn on the card box then with a "magic pass", it turns into a real piece of candy. Not recommended.

01:18:05 - Product Review: "Card Clone" by Big Blind Media. An updated version of "Color Monte" using facsimiles of credit cards. Clever and recommended.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates about the current podcast, contests, tricks reviewed, upcoming conversations, and other bits and bobs.

We respect your privacy. Your email address will not be sold or given to anyone. These email newsletters will be brief summaries (only a few sentences long) and easily digestible.

Thank you for subscribing. Newsletters will go out each Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Central Standard Time (U.S.) GMT-6

Physician by day and mentalist by night, Raj Madhok is one of mentalism's true treasures. Over the last 30 years, he has contributed many ideas and routines that have found their way into the repertoires of some of the world's professional mentalists. He has lectured at the Psychic Entertainer's Association (PEA) and MAGIC Live! conference in Las Vegas plus effects published in several magic journals and was a contributor to Banachek's Psychological Subtleties. 3 and the author of "Mysteriouser and Mysteriouser", Raj has been a long time personal friend (and a supporter and Friend of The Magic Word) and I always enjoy a good chat with good friends. I think you will enjoy our conversation, too.

00:05:40 - Raj talks about attending the 50th Annual Awards Academy of Magical Arts in Los Angeles and a brief review of the banquet and "buzz" around the Castle on the evening of the dinner and who he saw performing; his performances as a "part-time" mentalism and how he incorporates his native Indian religion into his performances; advice on "how to attend" conventions (hint: take notes); and more.

00:53:47 - Product Review - "52 To 1 Deck" from Word Magic Shop and created by Wayne Fox and David Penn. It is a very clean "thought-of" card for close-up, parlor or stage. Highly recommended.

00 59:06 - Product Review - "SNITCH" by Peter Eggink from Magic From Holland. SNITCH is a super-fast, no-palming Signed Card to Envelope effect! Recommended with slight reservations.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

If you are interested in ordering a copy of this book, then click on the graphic above for more information.

Michael Vincent lost his hearing overnight. In the process, he learned to be even more attentive and listening more to his audience. He believes his magic has improved as he better relates to his audience. In this podcast, Michael inspires those who are hearing impaired with this chat. So what is Michael's identity: By self admission he says, "I'm a world traveler, I enjoy eating in the nicest restaurants, I enjoy the nicest hotels, I enjoy good fellowship, I enjoy creative conversations, I'm a raconteur, a story-teller. Put a deck of cards in my hands and they come to life. I would not look out of place if you put me in a casino or the 4F convention. This is the world I inhabit."

Time stamps for this podcast:

00:06:03 - Michael talks about visiting a WWII Concentration Camp in Cracow and the impact it had on him; his background as a photo journalist; using social media; how he became deaf and how he deals with it; his sense of loss of his friend Daryl; his testimony for Jason Ladanye; handling nerves; achieving his dreams; his education; what he's accomplished and his future plans.

00:57:00 - Murphy's Magic Product Review - "Key Prediction" by Richard Griffin. A freely selected item (one in four) is correctly predicted and engraved on the key fob. Based on Koran's Medallion and "Room Service" by Don Wayne. Nicely made prop but marginally recommended.

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

Escape from the ordinary board game. Now available after long last. Click on the graphic above to visit the Houdini-Opoly website to order your new, fun and exciting board game. You can learn more about it in our podcast #341 from January 26, 2017.

Neil McNally is a passionate man. He is most passionate about Doug Henning and he hosts a weekday blog called "The Doug Henning Project". Who could imagine that there would be that much to reveal about this iconic figure. We recently "hit a nerve" with the podcast #415 with Chip Romero as that episode was one of our most downloaded podcast. So, it was a natural thing to chat with the webmaster of "The Doug Henning Project" so those who are interested in Doug Henning could learn even more. Neil is not a performing magician though he is taking lessons at The Magic Castle. But his passion is history and collecting of Doug Henning. He is also producing a documentary on Doug Henning and will soon be crowd funding his project.

If you have any photos or stories you would like to share on the website/blog or in the documentary, then please contact Neil McNally at [email protected]

Neil has an Indigogo.com campaign going on from October 1-23, 2018 to raise money for a documentary film on Doug Henning. You can find out more at: https://bit.ly/2zqM9eY

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.. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here