Recent Stories:
Wonder Thunder

Episode #1 : Why saw a woman in half? What is the connection between a deck of cards & the calendar. Remote card location.

Episode #2: Espionage, jealousy & murder among magicians. Adam calls his arch nemesis Richard Vegas.

Episode #3:The first aircraft pilot down under was a magician and a live random number challenge via phone.

Episode #4: Bar stunts, Alice Cooper as a magician and magic used in pop concerts.

Entries by Dodd Vickers (1785)

Friday
Mar252016

BROKEN WAND :: PAUL DANIELS

Paul Daniels, arguably the best known magician in the UK was our guest on this episode of the "Spirit of Magic" podcast. Paul began performing magic when he was eleven years old. He starred in his own television series "Its Magic" for more than sixteen years and was awarded Golden Rose of Montreux Award at the International TV Festival in Switzerland in 1985. In 1983, Paul became the first magician from outside the US to be named "Magician of the Year" by the Academy of Magical Arts. Sadly, we learned that Paul was ill with an incurable brain tumor which rapidly progressed and has since resulted in his passing. At the time of this interview from 2010, Paul was still touring with his magic show, and had recently presented a intimate show focused on the ‘Magic of Max Malini’. Lets all remember Paul via this chat. You are already missed.

LISTEN TO MY CONVERSATION WITH PAUL DANIELS:




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Thursday
Feb252016

BROKEN WAND :: IRENE LARSEN

It has been a truly rough week for the magic community.

This afternoon I learned that we had lost yet another member of magic's royality, "Princess" Irene Larsen.

From Erika:

It is with the greatest sorrow imaginable, that we announce the passing of my beautiful, beloved mother, Irene Larsen. She left us suddenly, but not before touching many, many lives deeply and permanently. She was grace personified. Her love is all around us. She will be missed forever. The family is grieving, and we appreciate your kind words and we know you are hurting too. We will never stop celebrating Princess Irene.

I was incredibly lucky to have a few moments with Irene very early on in the production of this podcast. Enjoy remembering her with me. She will be truly missed by us all!

LISTEN TO MY CHAT WITH IRENE LARSEN:



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Thursday
Feb182016

BROKEN WAND :: TOM MULLICA

Image Courtesy SteveBest.com
YOU ARE ALREADY MISSED MY FRIEND

As a native Atlantan, I have very fond memories of seeing Tom Mullica perform many, many times at his private magic bar here on Peachtree Street, Tom Foolery. I am sad to report that today, we lost one of magic's great performers and a genuinely nice guy. When we recorded this, Tom had been battling leukemia, but it was in remission and Tom was preparing to renew his Red Skelton tribute show in Branson. There was recent talk about the opening of a new Tom Foolery on Las Vegas as well. I am so happy to have had the chance to share this moment with Tom and can only say that I am so sorry to not have had more time with him.



LISTEN TO MY CONVERSATION WITH TOM MULLICA:

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Monday
Feb012016

MNW342 :: CHRIS RAMSAY

Chris Ramsay is a magician. He's a photographer. He's a guy that can't be easily categorized, which is probably exactly how he likes it. Chris discovered magic as a child and honed his skills as a traditional magician while working in a restaurant, but it wasn't until he discovered cardistry and flourishing that he really came into his own.  These days, he has become one of the most popular performers posting material to social media. Listen in to learn what it is about magic that inspires him and how he thinks that new performers should begin and progress in the craft.

 LISTEN TO MY CHAT WITH CHRIS RAMSAY :

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Friday
Jan292016

TELLER: TEACHING IS LIKE MAGIC

In an article from the Atlantic, Teller discusses the similarities between magic and teaching.

It’s easy to disregard the entertainment of your students as pandering, but it’s not, Teller stressed, citing Frances Ferguson’s The Idea of a Theater: The Art of Drama in Changing Perspective. “In the art that lasts, there’s always a balance: purpose that is action, passion that is feelings, and perception that is intellectual content. In Shakespeare, for example, there is always a level that is just action, showbiz. There is always a level that's strongly passionate, and there’s always a level that’s got intellectual content.”

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE

Saturday
Jan162016

MNW341 :: ARMANDO LUCERO

A long time promise is now fulfilled for MagicNewswire Podcast listeners. Some time ago, I recorded a fantastic interview with "Magician's Magician" Armando Lucero. Unfortunately, due to a perfect storm of technical issues, I thought that it had been lost. In addition, time constraints placed upon me by my job and family have prevented me from dedicating the time needed to try and recover this gem. Fortunately, I found myself with some time on my hands and have managed to resurrect this conversation. Armando needs little introduction to magicians around the globe. He is an amazing performer and teacher who is much in demand for his lectures on magic an an art form. It was a pleasure having him with me on this episode of the "Spirit of Magic" podcast. I hope that you enjoy it!



 LISTEN TO MY CHAT WITH ARMANDO LUCERO :

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Friday
Jan152016

"HOUDINI & DOYLE" TO AIR ON FOX

There are a lot of buddy procedural shows, and you can now add to the list Fox’s upcoming Houdini & Doyle, which sees the most famous magician of all time teaming up with the creator of Sherlock Holmes. It’s set to premiere later this year, so it’s elementary that the official trailer was unveiled during the show’s TCA panel this afternoon. Watch it above.

Wednesday
Jan132016

NY TIMES - "TELLER: MAGICIAN"

Teller at age 11Teller explores his magical roots in a great article that he wrote for the NY Times which can be read in its entirety HERE.

"I wore that magic set out. We had a dusty storage room in our little house, and I would sit in the dusty storage room in the afternoon and just work the things over and over again, for my own edification. I wasn’t really performing for anybody. I was just obsessed with it. And incidentally, on my 60th birthday, my closest friend in the world found a copy of the Howdy Doody magic set on eBay, and it was advertised as “the same kind of magic set that got Teller started in his career.” My friend gave it to me, and I just sort of collapsed and couldn’t stop crying, because it was so thrilling."

Wednesday
Jan132016

DERREN BROWN WANTS YOU TO COMMIT MURDER

"Pushed to the Edge" is the latest television special from Derren Brown and aired on BBC4 last night. The premise? "Would you abduct a baby from a cafe if a stranger told you to? Or push someone off a tower block to their death on a stranger’s orders? Of course not — unless you were part of a haunting social experiment performed by the illusionist Derren Brown"

Brown did exactly that. Under Brown’s instruction, an actor playing a policeman persuaded a waiter in a cafe to steal a baby from its mother — after telling the waiter the mother was a child abductor.

READ MORE

Here is an excerpt:

Tuesday
Jan122016

RICKY JAY :: APPLE INTERVIEW

"From Apple Presents, events at the Apple Store" comes this interview with Ricky Jay recorded in April of 2016. Moderated by NYU "Join us for a conversation with Ricky Jay, the subject of a new documentary, "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay." The film is a mesmerizing journey into the world of modern magic and the small circle of eccentric geniuses who mastered it. Don’t miss this best-selling author, historian, actor, and above all— conjurer—talk about the film, his craft, and how he became a master at it."

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