664: Dom Chambers - Cheers

We continue our tour “down under” for a second consecutive week featuring a chat with Australian magician, Dom Chambers. Dom finished higher in the AGT competition than any previous Australian competitor. Although he didn’t win the big prize, he did receive notoriety and a slot with The Illusionists for their New York appearance. He has also produced his own one-man play, “A Boy and His Deck” with a full show between him and a deck of cards.

If you are more of a visual person, you can watch a YouTube video of our chat recorded over Zoom.

This week Dom Chambers talks about how he came all the way to America to be on the national TV show, AGT, and his journey that began on Penn & Teller Fool Us. He also tells us several stories about his time in New York with The Illusionists, his preparation for his one-man show, as well as sharing his methods for creating new material.

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618: Jeff Hobson - World Class Host

Jeff Hobson is a name that is familiar with magicians and the lay public alike. After many years as the host of “The Illusionists” world tour (the “Trickster”), Jeff has made countless fans around the globe. But before that he was the “Host of Las Vegas” where he had his own show plus worked as the host for many variety shows. Besides being comedy magician and emcee, for a short time Jeff also pioneered the online lecture service out of Las Vegas. Of late, Jeff is the owner/operator of “Marvyn’s Magic Theater” in La Quinta, California.

This week’s podcast episode on YouTube.

This week, Jeff Hobson talks about his long career that has taken him from his roots in Michigan to Las Vegas to Atlantic City then around the world. He performed with Mark Kalin and Jinger in “Carnival of Wonders” then took off with “The Illusionists” as the emcee of that show. Jeff talks about all of that plus how he has “settled down” (at least for a while) with his “Marvyn’s Magic Theater” in California.

553: Jonathan Goodwin - What Could Go Wrong?

Just before we came under the cloud of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, one of the last touring magic shows I saw was The Illusionists featuring David Williamson (The Trickster), Chris Cox (The Mentalist), Hyun Joon Kim (The Manipulator), Valentin Azema (The Elusive), and Jonathan Goodwin (The Daredevil). I did not try to sit down with the entire cast, though I suggest that you go back to hear one I did in 2015 with the cast back then (including David Williamson who was just coming in to fill in for Jeff Hobson for a few dates).. This week we limited our time and our talk with just one of the cast. We have not featured an in-depth conversation with an escape artist on this podcast. But thanks to my U.K. friend, Martin Cox, I was connected with Jonathan Goodwin who opened up this whole new world to me.

Escapes have been an integral part of magic for centuries with Harry Houdini being the foremost proponent and well-known escape artist, of course. Though many have tried to replicate Harry’s daring escapes, I found it fascinating that Jonathan goes his own direction and understands what the audience “believes” and “accepts” as far as danger and “jeopardy”. He has updated escapes and brought the are to another level that resonates with audiences around the world.

U.K. Escape Artist, Jonathan Goodwin got a new tattoo for his 40th birthday honoring a quote by Harry Houdini.

See more from Britain's Got Talent at http://itv.com/talent Jonathan Goodwin put his life on the line for our entertainment again and again. Take a look back...

Jonathan Goodwin from The Illusionists escapes...

Jonathan talks about what level of danger and harm to his body he is willing to accept, then he works backwards from that to construct the escape. He also talks about the importance of having the audience care for you and their level of empathy. His tips are a real lesson on how to develop your character when you have little little time before you get into your act.

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664: Dom Chambers - Cheers

618: Jeff Hobson - World Class Host

553: Jonathan Goodwin - What Could Go Wrong?

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