Al the Only loved performing as a “40 miler” around the Detroit, Michigan, area for many decades. He entertained regularly as a restaurant magician and also as a trade show “infotainer.” He excelled in performing for numerous corporate clients, but his “real home” is where his heart is…Colon, Michigan, the Magic Capitol of the World. Al has been tr…

Saturday, September 14th 10:30 am - 11:30 am Lecture: Greg Gleason - Never before seen Card Magic 11:00 am - 6:00 pm Dealers Room Open Noon - 1:30 pm - LUNCH BREAK 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Lecture: Dan Sperry - Creative kid show stuff lecture. 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Lecture: Losander - Art of Levitation and more. 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm - LAST CHANCE IN DEALERS …

Friday, September 13th 9:00 am - Registration Opens, Wonders Theatre Box Office 9:00 am - Open Mic Magic Competition - One Trick, Five Minutes 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Dealers Room Open 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Lecture: Paul Stone - The Siegfried & Roy lecture 11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Lecture: Karl Hein - Original and Entertaining Routines 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm -…

Thursday, September 12th 2:00 pm - Registration Opens, Wonders Theatre Box Office 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Dealers Sneak Preview Show (ten minutes per dealer) 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm - Lecture: Dave Risley - Children's Entertainment 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - DINNER Served By Magic At The Beach at Wonders Theatre 7:00 pm - Wonders Theatre House Opens 7:30 pm - 8:30 …

Monday September 2nd, 2024 Subject to change 8:00 AM – NOON TAOM 2025 and SAM 2025 Registration Opens 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Dealers Room Open 9:30 – 10:30 AM Lecture – Laurent Piron 11:00 AM – NOON Lecture – Franz Harary 12:30 – 1:30 PM Lecture – Lance Burton 1:45 PM – Session # 7 – Virtual Tour of Magic Circle Headquarters in London 2:00 PM BUS OR SEL…

Sunday September 1st, 2024 Subject to change 6:00 - 8:00 AM Invisible Lodge 7:00 - 8:00 AM Religious Meeting/Gospel Magic 8:00 - 8:30 AM TAOM General Meeting 8:30 – 10:00 AM Combined TAOM Willard Breakfast & SAM Life Member Breakfast 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM TAOM 2025 and SAM 2025 Registration Opens 9:00 AM -7:00 PM Youth Academy 10:00 AM -5:00 PM Dealer…

Saturday August 31st, 2024 Subject to change 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM Registration Open 9:00 AM -1:00 PM Youth Academy 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Dealers Room Open 9:00 - 11:00 AM Close-up Contest 10:00 - 11:00 AM SESSION #4: Choice between; Paul Draper – Marketing Jeff Copeland – Coins 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM Lecture - Artem Shchukin 12:45 – 1:45 PM Lecture – Shawn …

Friday, August 30th, 2024 Subject to change 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM Registration Open 9:00 AM SAM National Council Meeting 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Youth Academy NOON – 1:00 PM SESSION #1 – Choice between; Kent Cummins – Marketing Magic Live, Gustavo Raley – Creativity 1:30 – 2:30 PM SESSION #2 – Choice Between; SAM Youth Protection Training, Diamond Jim Tyler …

One of the regular attendees at the annual Abbott’s Get Together, Michael Mode (from Detroit) used to be a very busy trade show magician specializing in auto shows. Now settled with another full time job outside of magic, he maintains his roots by keeping in the loop each year at Colon, Michigan. For a while, Michael used to coordinate the Amish di…

Many in our community consider themselves as “comedy magicians” but few achieve the level of David Williamson. Not only is he adept at sleight of hand (and in fact is the headmaster of Sleight School) but also he is a master of comedy as he directs children on stage to literally jump through hoops to achieve maximum laughter for all. He is the Ring…

Wednesday, August 7th (Pre Convention Activities) 24 hours Mystque Lounge, Jackson Square 9:00 a.m. Information Booth, KIosk (11:00 p.m.) 10:00 a.m. Registration, Bienville G (10:00 p.m.) 10:00 a.m. General Session for red lanyards, Showroom (Noon) 11:00 a.m. The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras (6:00p) 11:30 a.m. Out to Lunch, Esplanade (1:30p) 2:15 p.m. Fo…

Tuesday, August 6th 24 hours Mystique Lounge, Jackson Square 9:00 a.m. Information Booth, Kiosk 11:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. General Session for red lanyards, Showroom (Noon) 11:00 a.m. The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras (6:00p) 11:30 a.m. Out to Lunch, Esplanade (1:30p) 2:15 p.m. Focus Sessions for red lanyards (3:15p) Acting for Magicians, French Quarter with C…

Sunday, August 4th (Pre Convention Activities) 24 hours Mystque Lounge, Jackson Square 10:00 a.m. Registration, Bienville G (10:00 p.m.) 10:00 a.m. Photo Badges Dauphine F (10:00 p.m.) LIVE Tonight! 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. Welcome Party, Esplanade 7:30 - 11:00 p.m. The Magic Shop, Mardi Gras 11:00 - 11:30 p.m. Grand Prize Giveaway, Esplanade Monday, Augu…

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD 2024 9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant 10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (Requires Registration) 11:00AM LECTURE DANNY ARCHER - from Philadelphia - (Requires Registration) 11:00AM - 5:00PM COLON ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR 12:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Jania Taylor @ Granny's Place 1:00PM LECTURE JOHN REID from New Y…

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2ND 2024 9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant 9:30AM ABBOTT'S TALENT CONTEST at High School (Requires Registration) 10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (Requires Registration) 11:00AM - 5:00PM COLON ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR 11:30AM LECTURE TERRI COOK - Tannens Camp - (Requires Registration) 12:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - John…

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1ST 2024 9:30AM REGISTRATION OPENS at the Abbott Plant 10:00AM ABBOTT'S DEALERS ROOM OPENS (Requires Registration) 11:00AM LECTURE AXEL HECKLAU from Germany - (Requires Registration) 12:00PM FREE STREET PERFORMANCE - Gordon Russ @ Curly's 1:00PM LECTURE CHRIS CAPEHART - from Delaware - (Requires Registration) 1:00PM MAGIC SHOW at A…

TUESDAY, July 30th 2024 (Pre Get Together Events) 8:00AM THE OPEN COLON "NO FRILLS" GOLF CLASSIC (with Al The Only - The cost is $20 plus the cost of golf) 1:00PM LANCE BURTON'S MAGICIAN'S TOUR OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF MAGIC Limited Availability, $50 per person, You must self drive to the Museum, reservations are necessary. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31ST 20…

Known as the “Matador of Magic,” Joe Devlin has lived what, for most, would be several lifetimes full of magic. He has performed around the world aboard cruise ships for 37 years; he has created and performed unique, original illusions; he was one of the performers in NYC at the Magic Townhouse and Mostly Magic; he had long term engagements in Atla…

April was National Autism Acceptance Month, and although we missed posting this week’s episode during that time, it is no less important nor relevant the rest of the year. This week we chat with Cody Clark show is “on the spectrum” of autism. He is currently 31 years old and lives in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, but travels throughout the Midwes…

Dr. Richard Wiseman is a professor of public understanding in Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. He is the author of several books, many of which magicians might (or should) be familiar with including “The Luck Factor” and”Quirkology” or “Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There” among many others. Perhaps you have seen one…

Benjamin Barnes is the Director of Entertainment for the Chicago Magic Lounge. Prior to that, Ben booked the talent for Magic Chicago. He has a broad knowledge and database of talented performers from around the world. He regularly performs at the Magic Castle and has been on Masters of Illusion TV show and three times on Penn & Teller Fool Us. He …

From England, Paul Gordon, is beginning to slow down in his 60’s and ease into retirement…whatever that is. He retired from doing gigs but is still active as a creator and writer. Over the decades, Paul has specialized in performing with cards as a close-up magician for corporate events and weddings while originating some of his own material and wr…

Giovanni Livera won the I.B.M. Gold Cups close-up award in 1991. But he was a force to be reckoned with even before then. From the Florida area, Gio has worked with Tim Glancy who, between the two of them, developed the “t-shirt cannon” that is used to this day in stadiums and ball fields and concerts across the land. In recent decades, Gio has dev…

Paul Green has long been one of my favorite magicians. He knows how to entertain corporate audiences with his congenial personality and likeable style that immediately puts you at ease before he fools you. He was recently presented an Award of Recognition by the Academy of Magical Arts for his assistance over the past 10 years with their Red Cross …

I have always loved art. I began my college career as an artist before moving to journalism, but my fascination has always remained with the visual arts. I love going to museums and when something attracts my attention, I often do deep research into the subject until I have reached satisfaction. One such personal pursuit has been my longtime passio…

If you are a magic collector or you have attended one of the recent MAGIC Live! conventions, then no doubt you have seen, met or otherwise know Julie Eng. She is the executive director of Magicana, a Toronto-based organization dedicated to the exploration and advancement of magic. She is also the editor of Magicol, the “house organ” of Magicana tha…

Mark Jensen is not a name you may (yet) be familiar with, but his story of collecting is one among hundreds, if not thousands, of those of us who have found a niche where we can enjoy the history of our art by just looking at our walls or across the room to see the collectible relic. His story represents those collectors who have a passion for a pa…

Eric DeCamps is a subtle yet significant force in our magic community. The S.A.M. awarded Eric the Gold Medal of Excellence for Close-Up Magic. He is only the second magician in the 122-year history of the organization to receive this prestigious award.He was designated as the Dean of The S.A.M. Parent Assembly #1 in New York City. Next year for th…

Thursday, May 10, 2024 9:30am-11:00am Dealer Room Open 11:00am-12:30 Session #5 12:30am-2:30pm Dealer Room Open 2:30pm-4:00pm Session #6 6:30pm-10:00pm Dinner & Show View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Vi…

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 10:00am-4:00pm Registration Open 1:00pm to 4:00pm Dealers Open 4:00pm to 5:00pm Session #1 “Welcome To Long Beach” 5:00pm to 7:00pm Dinner 7:00pm to 8:30pm Session #2 8:30pm to 11:30pm Dealer Room Open Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 9:00 am to 11:00am Dealer Room Open 11:00am to 12:30pm Session #3 12:30pm-5:00pm Dealer Room Open 1:30…

From Viet Nam and Scotland, this versatile, multi-national, energetic performer, Naathan Phan, has appeared on television, cruise ships, and stages around the world. You may have seen him on Masters of Illusion or Penn & Teller Fool Us (both on the CW Network) or America’s Got Talent (sic). You may have seen him in the movies such as Superbad or Up…

Saturday April 27, 2024 10:30 a.m. One-Man Show: Paul Gertner 1:30 p.m. 6th Show Mini World (Shawn Farqhar) 3:30 p.m. ED Talks (MCs: Chrisitan and Katalina) 5:30 p.m. Banquet (ticket required) 8:00 p.m. 7th Show Closing Gala (MC: Steve Beam) View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fulls…

Friday April 26, 2024 10:30 a.m. Tricks from Books Everyone Has Forgotten (MC: Mike Powers) 1:30 p.m. 4th Show Magical Moments (MC: Meir Yedid) 3:30 p.m. Lecture #5 Jovi Benitez 7:45 p.m. Tribute to GOH Charming Choi (host: Jeki Yoo) 8:00 p.m. Korean Gala (MC: Charming Choi) View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View…

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. Trib…

From Adelaide, Australia, Raymond Crowe bills himself as the “Unusualist.” An apt title, indeed, as his act is hard to describe and one of a kind. More than a magician and mime, he is a shadow artist as well. His on-stage character can be seen and “felt” by audiences regardless of the size of the theater. He can emote feelings and emotions with a m…

More than a magician, Mike Miller, Past National President of the S.A.M., also books talent for many magic conventions including the S.A.M. convention, Abbott’s Get Together, Super Sunday, and many others. He scours the world looking for unique acts to book. He has a good eye for spotting up-and-coming performers before they “hit it big” on the int…

Past National President of the Society of American Magicians, Mark Weidhaas, is a jolly old man. Well, he may not really be “that” old, but he is jolly! A Structural Engineer by day, Mark “moonlights” as “Inspector Magic” for children at birthday parties, family gatherings, libraries and schools. But during the Christmas holidays, he dons his red c…

There are many magicians around the world who grind out a living as a magician meaning that they take any and all magic jobs and perform anywhere. Keith Leff is one of those magicians who is not one the “celebrity magicians” who is well-known in the magic world, but is one of those “everyman magicians” who is dependable, reliable, solid, and capabl…

Have you ever been captivated by the mysterious world of magic and mentalism? In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with the remarkable Ian Rowland, a man whose life is as fascinating as the subjects he writes about. From the Blackpool convention to the art of Kirigami, Ian takes us on a journey through his experiences as a magician, mentalist…

From Dublin, Ireland, Pat Fallon joins us as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little early this week. Pat is a performer of the highest rank, Member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star. He is a stage performer as well as performing close-up and his venues are weddings, corporate trade shows, children’s parties, and grand theaters across Great …

Arthur Benjamin, Smallwood Family Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a professional magician, is perhaps better known in our community as the “Mathemagician.” He truly makes math fun, entertaining, and, yes…exciting. In his stage performance, Arthur calculates the square roots of double digit and even triple digit numbers all in hi…

Ken Weber is the President of Weber Asset Management and also a mentalist, magician, consultant and author. This week we chat with Ken about these latter job descriptions. Ken has performed aboard cruise ships and as a young man in the Catskills of New York. He was an early member of the Psychic Entertainers Association (P.E.A.) and frequent attend…

Sunday 18th February 2024 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Dealers’ Hall Open 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. John Bannon Lecture (Arena) and Luca Volpe Lecture (Foyer Hall) 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Ikeda Yosuke Lecture (Spanish Hall) and Maga Gaia Lecture (Derham Lounge) 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Danny Goldsmith Lecture (Arena) and International Close-Up Show (Foyer Hal…

Saturday 17th February 2024 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Dealers’ Hall Open 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Michael O’Brien Lecture (Arena) 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Paul Richards Lecture (Spanish Hall) and Kyle Purnell Lecture (Foyer Hall) 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Family Entertainment Competition (Opera House) 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. David Regal Lecture (Arena) and …

Friday 16th February 2024 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Dealers’ Hall Open 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Paul Romhany Lecture (Spanish Hall) and Richard Griffin Lecture (Arena) 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. International Close-up Show (Foyer Hall) 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. John “Chunkie” Russell Lecture (Derham Lounge) 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Ann DeGuzman Lecture (Arena)…

Over the last two weeks, we have presented two individuals who support and encourage magic exposure. This episode features three magicians who have vested interests in keeping magic secrets secret. David Sandy is a performer, producer and collector. Bill Smith is a builder, performer and collector. Mark Holstein is an attorney, performer and collec…

Forbes magazine proclaimed Justin Flom as the “most viewed magician on the planet.” He has racked up 20 billion views since the pandemic started and was named the “No. 1 influencer” across all social platforms for Jan. 2022 according to Tubular Leaderboard, which tracks views and interactions. He launched his viral visibility with the exposure of t…

The goals and objectives of The Magic Word Podcast is not to chase current news nor necessarily get involved in controversy. That being said, magic exposure is something that’s been going on since the inception of our craft as a performing art. Attention on “how we do it” rises and fades from time to time and several times within one generation. Ma…

Saturday 27th January 2024 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Dealer’s Room Open 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. John Guastaferro's One Degree: An Afternoon of Music, Magic, and Motivation John G combines his love for music (classical guitar), motivational speaking (he runs a non-profit for a major corporation) and magic (he has developed some truly world-class card m…

Friday 26th January 2024 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Dealer’s Room Open 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Arthur Benjamin Lecture Dr. Benjamin combines his love of magic and mathematics in a way you've never seen before. He is astoundingly good. Whether or not you're mathematically inclined, this will be a fascinating foray into the intersection of magic and math…