Improv and Magic

Today’s guest is Kevin Patrick Robbins. He is the founder of the Impatient Theatre Co. in Toronto, Canada, where many of the performers he’s taught and coached have become headliners at major improv and comedy festivals throughout North America, including the Chicago Improv Festival, the Memphis Improv Festival, the Vancouver Improv Festival, and the Del Close Marathon in NYC.  Kevin has also taught intensives and master classes at those very same festivals, and also founded the Toronto Improv Festival.  He’s been labeled as one of Toronto’s best improvisers by NOW Magazine, and his classes have been described as full of fun and laughter with a unique blend of creativity, spontaneity, and a deep understanding of the art of improv. Kevin and I had a really great conversation.  We get into a lot of great topics here, like how he empowers students, the joys and challenges of creating a festival, and even the influence of different improv methodologies.  Kevin also shares a deeply emotional story of how he discovered improv thanks to his cousin. If you want to learn more about Kevin’s improv classes, visit his website kevinpatrickrobbins.com, where you can also find information about his photography business. Don't forget to rate and review, and share with everyone!

Today’s guest is absolutely unbelievable.  He’s among the greatest magicians and mentalists of our time, he’s amazingly talented, and he’s truly one of the best.  My guest today is David Gerard. His performances have graced Fortune 500 companies, Silicon Valley elite gatherings, and international stages, including more than 60 shows at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. David performs shows for audiences from 15 to 1,000 people.  His magic appeals to modern audiences, and he specializes in mindreading, influence, and prediction tricks.  Whether he’s standing on a stage in front of a large crowd or just walking around small groups, David Gerard will affect and astound you with his unique approach to magic.  In addition to being incredibly skilled, David also has a great ability to connect with the audience.  He knows how to get on your level, and make you feel a part of the show too.  Thousands of event planners have chosen David for their events, and he’s trusted by the world’s leading companies that include Vanity Fair, Google, eBay, Walgreens, and Facebook, just to name a few. In this conversation, you’ll definitely hear how much love and passion he has.  And you’ll also hear how important it is for him to really connect with the audience. To learn more about David’s show and how you can book him for events, visit his website davidgerard.com. And be sure to tell him LD sent you. Be sure to like and review, and let everyone know about the podcast!

Welcome to Season 4! I could think of no better way to kick off this season than talking to two amazing people who I’ve had the great pleasure of watching and learning from; and I am so happy to call these two my friends.  They are Kathy and Joe Rinaldi, and together they are ImpromTwo. They create magic one word at a time.  Both Kathy and Joe bring years of experience in producing and performing theatre in New York and Canada to their improv scenes.  Together they create amazing narratives that are not only filled with organic humor, but are also performed with a beautiful use of silences, banter and passion.  Not only do they perform contemporary scenes, but ImprompTwo is also known for performing improv in the styles of American Gothic and Passion Noir.  They perform scenes that take place in America at the turn of the century, and their shows look and feel so much like a classic play; and it’s mind blowing that everything is made up on the spot.  ImprompTwo is an absolute favorite among festivals, and they’ve been seen in festivals all over the world including the Miami Improv Festival, Rise Comedy Festival in Denver, Impro Amsterdam, Robin Hood Improv Festival in England, Ottawa Improv Festival in Canada, and Improfest Sweden, just to name a few. Look for their show, ImprompTwo performing in theaters and festivals worldwide.  To learn more about them, visit their website impromptwoimprov.com. And don't forget to like and review, and let everyone know you're having a great time on Improv and Magic!

It's our Season Finale Episode, and today's special guest is David Magnifico. He's not like any other magician you've ever seen before. His show can only be described as the world's stupidest magic show. He is a unique blend of big time spectacle and small simple tricks.  Earlier this year, David finally had the opportunity to perform in his very own full length show at the 2024 Miami Improv Festival, which received rave reviews from the audience.  David and I met several years ago at Just The Funny, and he and I have been close partners ever since. Check out David Magnifico's performance at the 2024 Miami Improv Festival here! Be sure to like and review, and share the podcast with everyone you know!

Today’s guest is a true superstar of magic. My guest today is Colin Cloud! He’s the only magician in history to perform on London’s West End, Broadway and the Las Vegas Strip.  Colin specializes in mentalism, and he’s so good that he’s been described as a real life Sherlock Holmes.  Colin performed as “The Deductionist” in the touring magic show The Illusionists.  He was also a contestant on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and completed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012.  You may also remember Colin as a semi-finalist on Season 12 of America’s Got Talent, and also participated in the very first season of America’s Got Talent: The Champions.  Colin Cloud has continued to be one of magic’s top performers, and is currently preparing to open his brand new show this Summer at Harrah’s in Las Vegas. Colin and I had a great time talking about his beginnings as a performer, what drew him to mentalism, and his process in creating a great show.  This was an amazing interview you are sure to enjoy! Visit Colin's website, colincloud.com, and follow Colin on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and TikTok. And don't forget to rate and review, and share this podcast with everyone!

Today is the return of LD's Tips! Today's tip is about how not every scene we do in improv needs to be funny. We often feel that funny scenes are a "requirement" in order to do good improv. Making the audience laugh is great, but it's even more special to make the audience feel. This tip talks about my feelings on exactly that. You'll either agree with me or disagree with me, but either way these are my feelings on what makes an improv scene special. Don't forget to rate and review, and be sure to share if you enjoy this tip!

My guest today is someone who I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, he’s an excellent improv actor who hails from the great state of Nebraska.  Today’s guest is Dylan Oakes Rhode. Dylan is a graduate of Wayne State, and has trained and performed at UCB and iO.  He now travels the country and the world teaching improv at various theaters and festivals.  In 2011, Dylan founded Backline Comedy, which originally began teaching improv classes in the basement of a small art gallery.  They recently opened their new theater, and have since become Omaha’s destination for live comedy shows. Dylan is also the founder of the Omaha Comedy Fest, which began in 2013 and has since been offering fans access to intimate shows and hilarious experiences with established and emerging comedians from across the country. I had the opportunity to talk to Dylan just before one of his classes at Backline Comedy Theater.  In this conversation, he shares about his early beginnings in improv and the process of getting his theater started.  There’s a lot to learn in this conversation, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Learn more about the Backline Comedy Theater by visiting backlinecomedy.com where you can find out about shows and classes.  And learn all about the Omaha Comedy Fest by visiting omahacomedyfest.com. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and share with everyone you know!

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the Improv and Magic podcast, and we are celebrating with a very special episode. Today we look back at everyone's answer to the final question: What's the one piece of advice that has served you well that you'd want everyone else to hear? A very special thank you to all of our guests who've come on the show and shared their stories, and an even bigger thank you to all of you listeners out there for tuning in! Don't forget to rate and review, and share the podcast with everyone you know.

Today I got to talk to one of the most respected and celebrated names in magic.  He’s the most versatile magician in the world.  He is Dan Harlan. Dan has invented, performed, and taught more magic than any other magician... ever!  In fact, he even updated the entire Tarbell Course in Magic, which is an eight-volume encyclopedia containing over 1200 tricks!  Dan is one of the most innovative modern magicians, and his cutting-edge miracles have delighted audiences in over 20 countries around the world. He has been featured at Caesar's Magical Empire in Las Vegas, headlined at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, and guest-starred at Masters of Magic in Saint-Vincent, Italy.  Dan has also consulted for top professional magicians, including Kevin James, Jeff McBride, Keith Barry, and David Copperfield.  He is also co-founder of The Mystic Tower, which produces brand-new, mind blowing magic. If you love magic you’re definitely going to love what Dan Harlan has to say.  Whether you’re a magician or not, you’re going to be amazed by all of the incredible wisdom shared in this interview. Visit Dan’s website, danharlanmagic.com to learn more about him and his shows.  Be sure to also visit themystictower.com for unique, mind-blowing magic, as well as Dan’s Masterworks book project. And of course, don’t forget to rate and review the podcast and share it around!

My guest today is Patti Stiles. Patti is an actor, director, playwright and teacher who specializes in improvisational theatre. She is a former Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre in California, and a founding member of the award winning show Die Nasty – the live improvised soap opera.  She is known as the “Queen of Improvisation” by the Canadian press.  Patti has been featured on the cover of the Spanish improv magazine Status; she is a contributor to the book The Art of Making Mistakes and has been interviewed for the books Something Like A Drug and The Improv Handbook. She’s also been interviewed for numerous podcasts and University papers, and her blog has been translated into French, Italian, German and Portuguese. Patti Stiles released her first book in 2021 titled Improvise Freely, which has received an enthusiastic response from improvisors, teachers and impro companies around the globe, and was even translated into Italian in 2022.  In Improvise Freely, Patti talks about throwing away the typical improv rulebooks, and encourages performers to be free to unleash their creativity. I highly encourage you to learn more about this fantastic person by visiting her website, pattistiles.com.  And be sure to also pick up a copy of her book Improvise Freely, which is available at Barnes & Nobel, Good Reads, Book Depository, Bokus, and Amazon. Don't forget to rate and review, and share the podcast around!