Conversations With Close

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 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.

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 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 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.

Amy Kimlat has written a new book (Hocus Pocus Practice Focus: The Making of a Magician) geared toward young readers who have an interest in magic. The book was based on Amy’s experiences as a young magician, and the mishaps that influenced her to abandon the hobby for many years. I spoke to Amy from her home in Orlando, Florida. We discussed her background, how she rekindled her enthusiasm for magic, and the goals she hopes to accomplish through this book.

Dani DaOrtiz is certainly one of the best-known creators and performers in the magic world. At the 2022 Quebec FISM, he won a special award for his writings on magic theory and philosophy. He continues to lecture and perform around the world.

Dani’s book, Freedom of Expression, is finally available in English. His book provides the foundation of Dani’s approach to the forcing of cards (and other objects). Dani and I talked about the book; in particular, he focused on the incorrect assumption that he is the only person who can perform these techniques. We also talked about his early days, how he met Juan Tamariz, his preferred performance situation and much more.

I'm sure you’ll find this conversation both entertaining and enlightening.

In a career spanning fifty years, Steve Spill has done it all – close-up performer, bar magician, comedy clubs, concert venues (opening for rock bands), Vegas variety shows – culminating with a twenty-year run as the owner and featured performer at Magicopolis, a theater in Santa Monica, California. Steve’s new book, Assassin, is an entertaining handbook of hows and whys of creating a sustainable career as a professional magician.

The last time Steve and I chatted for any length was back in 2009, when he featured on the cover of M-U-M, so it was great to have the opportunity to catch up with him. We talked about Steve’s career, the Magic Castle legends he hung out with when he was a kid, and, of course, his book. I'm sure you'll enjoy this interview with Steve.

Martin Lewis is one of magic’s finest performers, and one of its most ingenious creators. His effects can be found in the repertoires of magicians around the world. There has not been a big book of Martin’s magic since 1985, when Martin’s Magic (written by Eric Lewis) appeared. Soon, the long wait for a new book will be over; Making Magic, a marvellous compilation of Martin’s material will be available in May.

I’ve known Martin for many years, but because he lives in California and I never have, our paths only crossed at the occasional magic convention. (The most recent time was a few years ago at the IBM/SAM joint convention in Louisville.) I was happy to have the opportunity to catch up and learn more about his early years in England, his time in L.A. at the Magic Castle, his work at the Magic Cellar (beneath Earthquake McGoon’s jazz club in San Francisco), his entry into performing on cruise ships, and why and how Making Magic came into being.

In addition, Martin shares some great stories about Harry Anderson, Dai Vernon, Eric Lewis, and others. We had a lot of fun chatting. I think you’ll enjoy this edition of Conversations with Close.

Steve Cohen is a New York City-based magician whose show, Chamber Magic, has been running Off-Broadway for twenty years, first at the Waldorf Astoria New York, and, at present, in an exclusive salon in the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.

For decades, Steve has been researching and studying the life and magic of Max Malini. The result of that endeavour is a marvellous new book, Max Malini: King of Magicians – Magician of Kings. It is a must-buy for magic historians and close-up magic enthusiasts.

I spoke to Steve about his obsession with Malini, his search for the details of Malini’s life and magic, his association with director Guillermo Del Toro, and much more.