828: Obie's 4F 2024 Close-Up Convention - Days One and Two Report

Wednesday April 24

7:45 p.m. tribute to Guest of Honor (GOH) Christian Schenk (host: Rogr Nicot)

8:00 p.m. Lecture #1 GOH Christian Schenk

9:00 p.m. 1st Show 4F Opening Gala (MC :Keith Fields)

Thursday April 25

10:30 a.m. Lecture #2 Bernardo Sedlacek

1:30 p.m. 2nd Show Magical Moments (MC: Gary Morton)

3:30 p.m. Lecture #3 John Bannon

745 p.m. Tribute to GOH Jimmy C. (host: Darryl Rose)

8:00 p.m. Lecture #4 Jimmy C.

9:00 p.m. 3rd Show Friends Old & New (MC: Michael Dardant)

Time Stamps:

(00:00) Scott Wells recently returned from France

(01:04) Scotty heading to Buffalo for four f convention this weekend

(03:13) Scotty will receive a fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts

(04:07) So, as far as a convention, since I missed last evening, Rick,

(06:42) Gino: Okay, now it's time for lunch. We have to go to the liquor store

(09:43) Gene Gordon and Chuck Ark attended the evening gala last night

(10:37) Christian: What did you think last night? Kind of stood out

(13:30) Jimmy C. started in magic at 42 and now does 22 gigs a month

(17:54) What do you say to encourage people to get into magic at a later age

(19:13) A friend of mine does a magic trick for laymen five times a day

(20:15) So my other question has to do then with the five star reviews

(21:02) Do you have a character when you perform? I mean, like,

(22:44) One of the recent podcast episodes with Rolando Santos has received overwhelming positive feedback

(23:18) Rolando discusses the difference between evoking and provoking

(25:28) The pendulum work is all ad lib because you don't know

(26:20) Have you been enjoying this convention so far? Yeah. The magic has been terrific

(28:24) Alain Iannoni from Italy joins us from NPR

(29:21) You've been a professional magician for 30 years now

(31:54) Talk about some of the things that are in your lecture

(36:22) Scott: Henry Evans recently finished a lecture tour

(37:41) Another guy that did a lot for you was Mike Miller taking you on chinese tours

(39:34) In China, most of the people speak only Chinese, so they need interpreter

(41:51) Scott Bennett says he fooled Penn and Teller on his Las Vegas tour

(45:26) You maintain citizenship in all three nationalities because you were born in Antigua

(46:56) Dev Patel's four f routine was a hit last night

(49:31) How many conventions have you been to? This is your 11th

(53:28) Keith Fields: I have a friend who owns a theater in San Antonio

(56:22) Gino Mozzarella got a call to do a gig in Spain

(01:00:10) Renee Levan performed for John Lennon once

(01:02:57) Well, yesterday at the four f, you gave a lecture. I missed that. But I was today, actually

(01:03:09) The theme of this lecture was how to create a special moment

(01:05:53) Bernardo gave a lecture on how to create a special moment

(01:08:29) Bernardo says being a first timer in magicians is daunting

(01:10:31) Scott, as a first timer, performing magicians was daunting

(01:14:00) Bernardo: The vibe at four f is very different from other conventions

(01:17:36) Mark: I'm anxious to see what Bernard is going to show us here

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116: John Star's Birthday - Magic & Martinis Thursday - Sep. 12, 2013

This week has been about helping others and spreading some joy into the lives of some who may never get to see live magic. I was the Master of Ceremonies for the annual Grandparents' Day at Bayou Manor here in Houston. This is how we pay back the people who allow our local I.B.M. Ring #39 to meet in their facility each month. The retired people from the Manor invite their children, grand children and some great grand children to come and enjoy them for an afternoon of fun.

On Thursday, our Chairman of the Charity Shows, Stephen Shain, had arranged for some of us to do our regular visits to the hospital. Today it was at the Texas Children's Hospital.

After we finished the morning at the hospital, Steve Shain, Gene Protas and I went to a local Chinese restaurant where we met up with John Star for his birthday. Before the others arrived, John and I had a brief chat about his early years in the U.K. working with those like Terry Seabrooke, Tommy Cooper and so many others of the great U.K. magicians of yesteryear (i.e. David Nixon, Ali Bongo, Wayne Dobson, Billy McComb and others).

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After the day was over, it was time to set down the cut-and-restored magic stethoscope and have a martini. Cheers!

After performing magic at the hospital, it's time for a little R&R...well, actually, M&M (Magic and Martinis).

017: The Lost Episodes, Jan. 9, 2011 - Houston Magicians Annual Party

Gene Protas (creator of the Banachek-Protas Psi Kalc) and his wife, Betty, host a post-holiday party in their home each year with an open invitation to all local and visiting magicians. This was an episode that was destined for, but never posted on, The Magic Newswire. Hence the reason this is another of the "Lost Episodes". Although this party took place over eight months ago when the weather was much cooler, it has some interesting and rather eerie conversations.

We talk with Alex Rangel, Daniel Garcia and Banachek about their New Year's Resolutions, new projects they are working on in 2011 and "upcoming" convention and lecture appearances. There are also some voices and shout-outs from Dennis Castro, Bruce Chadwick and Cherie Kaye.

There is a rather unsettling chat with John Star with a foreboding report on the declining health of Terry Seabrooke who passed away just two days after this interview. You can read the obituary I wrote for my dear friend at: http:bit.ly/mPNNoAz I have posted a website with some of my photos I took of Terry at www.ScottWells.com/Seabrooke.htm

This is followed with an interview with Michael Satterwhite who was an integral part of our Young Magicians' Program and was named Houston's "Magician of the Year" for 2008. He also performed for many years at the Renaissance Festival in Magnolia, TX (just outside of Houston) as the magical Cardinal Wolsey. Michael unexpectedly passed away two months later in early March.

Trixie Bond wraps up the podcast with her reflections on performing for children over the years, the development of her "Mary Poppins" character and her future direction in magic. Fortunately, she is still alive and well.