Christian Bischof Interview S5 E2

Piff the Magic Dragon S5 E4

These days, our friend Piff is a very busy dragon. Joined by his partner Jade Simone and Mr. Piffles the Wonder Chihuahua, he headlines his own show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, tours North America (with a completely different show!), and makes numerous television appearances.

He is also an author, with a new book recently released through Vanishing, Inc. (You can read my review at Michaelclose.com in the October 2023 Newsletter.)

Piff came to the attention of the magic world with his performance on the first season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us. He reached a wider audience with his breakout performances on America’s Got Talent in 2015.

His rise to success is a true testament to the power of perseverance and hard work; as you’ll read in his book, his path contained many ups and downs.

I spoke to Piff during a brief lull in his whirlwind schedule. I gained some new insights into this talented performer. I think you’ll enjoy our conversation.

Friedrich Roitzsch S5 E3

Friedrich Roitzsch is a full-time professional magician based in Munich, Germany. He is also the author of the excellent new book, Instructions for Miracles, which is reviewed in this month’s newsletter.

We discussed Friedrich’s background, his introduction to magic, and his influences. I’m happy to bring him to your attention. Going forward, I’m sure he will be a big influence in the world of card magic.

Christian Bischof Interview S5 E2

My guest this month on Conversations with Close is someone who may be unfamiliar to you. Christian Bischof is a Swiss corporate entertainer who has recently published an extremely valuable two-volume set of books titled Diamonds of Performance: How Magicians Fascinate Their Audience. Christian discusses important theoretical concepts as they apply to three areas of magic performance: the trick, the performer, and the performing situation. He then shows how he utilized these concepts in his own routines. You can find my review in our March Newsletter at MichaelClose.com. (Spoiler alert: I thought it was great.)

I spoke to Christian from his home in Switzerland. We discussed his early exposure to magic, his life in academia, how he shifted to full-time performing, and what his goals were when writing his book. I really enjoyed our conversation and I think you will too.

John Bannon Interview S5 E1

John Bannon is a prolific creator of high-quality magic (emphasis on card magic). His published works include Impossibilia, Smoke & Mirrors, Dear Mr. Fantasy, High Caliber, Destination Zero, and Mentalissimo. In cooperation with Big Blind Media he has produced several DVDs, including Move Zero, a four-DVD set focusing on self-working card magic. He also contributes a regular card column, “Dealing with It,” for Genii.

John’s new book, Very Hush-hush, will soon be available through Squash Publishing. You can find my review at Michaelclose.com; spoiler alert: I really liked it.

John and I have been pals for more than thirty years. We used to see each other on a regular basis when I lived in Las Vegas, and later, when he would come to Toronto for the 31 North gathering. In this interview, we talked about his start in magic, his involvement with the Chicago Session (still going strong), and how he creates his effects. I think you’ll find his comments insightful.

Steve Valentine Interview S4 E7

Steve Valentine is a world-class magician (two-time recipient of the Magic Castle’s Close-up Magician of the Year award), a magic scholar, a creator, and an actor with an impressive CV. (Just take a look at his IMDB page.) His most recent acting project is Monster High: The Movie, which airs on the Disney+ streaming service.

Recently, Steve has been performing his new, one-man show, Mr. Valentine Blows Your Mind, here in Canada; it has received rave reviews.

Steve also keeps busy curating his website, Magic on the Go. This is an astonishing repository of magical information, from performance tips, advice on tricks, and thorough examinations of classic magic routines and plots. It’s a subscription site, but there’s nothing quite like it on the Internet; Steve’s research, experience, and expertise provide information you won’t find anywhere else. (In our conversation, you’ll get a glimpse of the deep dives Steve takes in his exploration of effects when we discuss the Egg Bag.)

It had been a while since Steve and I had chatted. We talked about his background, early performing experiences, his move to the United States, and breaking into the acting scene in Los Angeles. And the Egg Bag. We talked a lot about the Egg Bag. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I think you will, too.