975: S.A.M. National Convention 2026 - Days One and Two

Schedule

Tuesday June 30, 2026

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

7:00 PM - 11:00 PM OPEN FORUM SESSIONING

8:00 PM - 9:30 PM HOUDINI SÉANCE HISTORY, DISCUSSION and METHODS

Featuring Dorothy Deitrich and Bruce Kalver

Wednesday July 1, 2026

10:00 AM- 1:00 PM YOUTH ACADEMY

Youth-focused lectures, workshops and group events for SAMY members ages 7-17

12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN

10:00 AM S.A.M. LEADERSHIP TRAINING

with Past National President Joel Zaritsky

10:00 AM CLOSE-UP CONTEST BRIEFING / TECH REHEARSAL

1:00 PM LECTURE - CHRISTOPHER HART - MOVIE MAGIC

2:30 PM LECTURE - SHAWN FARQUHAR

4:00 PM HARRY AND BESS HOUDINI WELCOME PARTY

7:00 PM HER SHOW

Featuring Lyn Dillies, Tiffany Sauvage, Alyx Hilshey, Julia Dryas and Cydney Kaplan

9:30 PM SCREENING OF THE LOST HOUDINI FILM: THE GRIM GAME

Hosted by Dorothy Dietrich. Live musical accompaniment by S.A.M. Past President

I will give you the time stamps of who spoke when after I get some sleep.

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.

974: Jade - It's Her Time

Last episode we visited with Scott Pepper, the proprietor of the Magic Saloon in San Antonio, Texas. This week we chat with the featured stage entertainer who performed there: Jade. She was the winner of the I.B.M. Gold Medal for Stage in 1990, which is a distinctive honor in so many ways. The Gold Medal and Gold Cups (for close-up) are not awarded every year, but only when a performer is so outstanding and their execution is so perfect, that you cannot deny that it’s the best. Jade has gone on to perform around the world in clubs, aboard cruise ships, on television, in resorts and nightclubs, as well as the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

This week, Jade tells us her journey from a shy magic demonstrator behind the counter in San Francisco to becoming the confident, dynamic stage performer that has defined her career. She also talks about how she developed her act, trick selection, and finding venues in which to perform.

You can bid on a collector’s edition of this pinball machine at this year’s S.A.M. convention. Or you can visit the auction website at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sam-houdini-pinball-auction and place your bid there. Bidding will end on July 4, 2026.
**One-of-a-Kind Limited Edition HOUDINI 100th Anniversary Pinball.** This is one of the original 100 manufactured by American Pinball and is officially labeled # S.A.M. 001. The machine you are bidding on is brand new, boxed and ready to be delivered to your home, office or business.

This is the 100th anniversary Houdini Pinball Game. It is live now (until July 4, 2026) and bidders do not ned to be attending the convention to participate. I know that the bidding begins at $6,000.

973: Reconstructing Scott Pepper

Scott Pepper hails from England but is soon to be a Texan through and through once his citizenship papers are completed. In the meantime, he is successfully running the Magic Saloon as a magic venue in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, just across the street from the Alamo. Soon, people who have been shouting “Remember the Alamo” will be chanting “Remember the Magic Saloon!” This is a great venue that features stage magicians as the main entertainment, but also has close-up magic at it’s best at the gift shop featuring I.B.M. Gold Cups winner and Past National President of the I.B.M., Oscar Munoz.

Scott has come over from the U.K. after a successful career of performing with Oliver Tabor at “holiday camps” across England, and tons of exposure on board cruise ships as their resident magician. He opened the “Magician’s Agency” several years ago and suffered through the COVID years. He considered selling the venue and moving to Colorado, but decided to give it one more shot. Fortune and serendipity set in when one evening some hospitality entrepreneurs stopped by and loved his show and the venue. He partnered with them and hasn’t looked back. He discusses all of this and more in this week’s episode.

975: S.A.M. National Convention 2026 - Days One and Two

Schedule

974: Jade - It's Her Time

973: Reconstructing Scott Pepper

The Magic Word