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 is multi-talented as a professional close-up and stand-up (parlor) performer.
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In this week’s episode, Benjamin tells us what he looks for when booking talent for the Chicago Magic Lounge. He has some specific needs and demands, so if you are interested in getting booked there, perhaps you should heed some of the advice he offers here. If you are not a professional performer or have no interest in getting booked there, it is still interesting to learn what a talent director is looking for and what it takes to be an act that qualifies for performing in this elite venue.
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July 24: Happy 50th Birthday to Russian-American Voice Actor and Comedian Eugene Mirman, who provides the voices of one of the main characters and middle child in the Belcher Family, only son of Bob & Linda, brother of Tina & Louise, and Former Candidate in the 2019 and 2022 in the Battle of the Week Voting Tournament as Gene Belcher on Bob’s Burgers; and minor character on the show, member of the Tunt Family, and the brother of Cheryl (only remaining living relative) as Cecil Tunt on Archer.
Because noticing connections between "Bob's Burgers" and "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" is apparently a thing I do now, I will mention that Eugene Mirman voices a butternut squash in tonight's episode.
Jamy Ian Swiss is the author of three books and co-author of two other books and consultant or contributor to at least eight other books and magazines, frequent performer at the Magic Castle, co-producer of Monday Night Magic, historian, lecturer, teacher, consultant, Senior Fellow of the James Randi Educational Foundation, skeptic, and an expert on the intersection of science, magic, and skepticism. He has frequently appeared on television talk and news shows including all the networks with occasional appearances in movies and documentaries.
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This discussion was recorded in the Magic Castle when we worked together there in March 2023. In our conversation, Jamy covers the gamut of magic from those who have influenced his life to an esoteric discussion of equivoque and the power of magic has on our audience and a deep dive into a theoretical talk about magic. Nearly everyone who is anyone in magic had their name dropped in this week’s chat by someone who intimately knew them all quite well. Jamy truly is the conjuror’s conjuror.
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 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