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When I walked into the Hobby store in 1973, the guy behind the magic counter was wearing a robe. With long hair and a cool robe, Eddie Goldstein was a full-blown Hippie and would become one of my best friends. Sam Kent, the owner of the magic counter also became a good friend. Between the 2 of them, I gained a respectable knowledge of magic. It was Sam who talked me into attending my first Mile High Magicians meeting. Earl Reum was the President. I had such a great time I decided to join the club. It was an important moment in my life.
I have made so many friends as a part of this club and it has been an enormous part of my life. I have been lucky enough to serve as President of the club 4 times*, Vice President twice, and as Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter editor. The club has allowed me to meet and spend some serious time with some of the greats of magic, including the late Mark Wilson. What a treat it was spending time with my childhood magic hero. It was my partner Connie, who I also met at the club, that arranged for Mark and Nani to come to Colorado and lecture our club.
My career in magic began in 1974 when I began performing magic in schools in a show sponsored by AAA Colorado. Every year for 6 years my show was seen by 200,000 children. A young Steve Spangler, Past President, and Science Guru was in the audience at one of the schools in which I performed.
In the late 1970’s I used magic to earn a bachelor’s degree, in theater, from UNC. After leaving Greeley I spent four years in radio before returning to magic as a career. Leaving radio, I worked with club member Larry Campbell aka Zeezo the Clown. I managed and then owned and operated Zeezo’s Magic Castle from 1982 to 1989.
From the mid-1980s into the mid-1990’s I was the house Magician at Denver Landmark Casa Bonita. When Zeezo’s closed, I started busking on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. This led to performances in The Downtown Denver International Buskerfest and The Colorado Performing Arts Festival.
On television my magic allowed me to become a featured extra on Diagnosis Murder with Dick Van Dyke. I also was the emcee for Kid TalentQuest for Showtime Pay TV and I was featured in a national television commercial for Big Sur Waterbeds. On Starz/Encore Love Stories Channel I romanced a girl with magic.
I am proud of what I have been a part of over the years, and that includes my long association with the Mile High Magicians. I am looking forward to the time we can get back together in person.
*Editors note: Dave is the only member who’s been elected President of the club 4 times.
Dave Elstuns Website: https://www.MagicInDenvrer.com
Unlike most magicians who started at an early age, I started much later. At the ripe old age of 39, I found myself as the den leader for my youngest son’s Cub Scout den, with no idea what I was doing. The leader manual had many ideas on how to keep boys engaged during meetings, and I stumbled upon the magic effect where a piece of drinking straw moves on its own, just by moving your finger toward it. After doing it for the guys in the den, they asked me to show their parents. When I saw the reactions of the boys and their parents, I was, as they say, “bitten.” That was my first effect.
My favorite effect is one I’ve never done. I was fortunate enough to see Penn and Teller live in Las Vegas, and Teller’s goldfish production is still the most beautiful effect I’ve ever seen. My favorite effect to perform is Henry Evans’ Rising Card. My favorite type of magic is anything that connects with my audience. To me, that connection is infinitely more important than the effect.
I performed mostly at outdoor festivals in Colorado before the pandemic. I also performed behind the bar at the Fort Collins Marriott Hotel weekly for two years. My proudest magic achievement is my 17 years coordinating Magic in the Rockies in Fort Collins. These days I am learning how to do Zoom meetings as President of IBM Ring 250.
When I started magic about three years ago, because of a tv show I watched called Road Tricks by Adam Trent. The show sparked my interest in magic because of the reactions of the people to the magic. After that I learned that my Dad used to do magic. Then I got my first magic set form a local toy store, so I started learning about magic. When my Dad saw I had enough interest in magic he told me about the Society of American Magicians. Then we went to our first meeting together about 2 years ago.
From what I remember my first magic trick was the spike through coin. Some of my favorite tricks to do now are Cups and Balls, Sponges, Ropes, and Hot Rods. I love close-up and parlor magic. My favorite magicians are Penn and Teller. This summer I was able to participate in Tannen’s Magic Camp online. In Tannen’s they had lectures, workshops, and shows. Some of my favorite magicians from it were Teller, Micheal Carbonaro, David Blane, and David Copperfield.
One of the workshops was about the business in magic, which helped me because I am starting to do kid shows. To better myself as a magician I have a YouTube channel. I practice a routine or trick, then I record and post the videos. This helps me practice performing in front of a camera. On S.A.M Facebook and iTricks Magic News some of my videos have been shown on. I am enjoying being part of the Mile High Magicians’, which includes lots of experienced magicians to help me grow as a magician.
Dr. Dave Wintermute, a retired Air Force rocket scientist, didn’t get into magic until real
late in life. In 2003, after he retired and moved back to his initial base – Colorado Springs. He
and his son James saw the restaurant magician Bruce Black (also an Elvis impersonator and
hypnotist). His son James was intrigued by the magic and was invited to the local magic club –
the Pikes Peak Prestidigitators (Society of American Magicians #170). They enjoyed the
meetings, especially the “Teach a Trick” nights where they learned some magic.
James’ interest moved to contact juggling but his dad stayed with magic. Dave got the
Tarbell series and practiced some of the tricks, but he knew he needed a venue that would drive
him to continue and perform.
He found that venue at his local church when he asked the Sunday school teachers if they
wanted to see something unusual, related to their Sunday school lesson. They said OK and he
found tricks that related to the lesson. Each 5 minute Parlor Magic presentation ended with a
candy trick related to the lesson and this helped the class to ask for more magic the following
week.
Every weekly Sunday school class since 2003 has required a new magic presentation to
illustrate the lesson. Since most Sunday school lessons follow the church’s lectionary, they
repeat every three years. Luckily, he kept all his old scripts and grew a big library of past
performances that he can reference as he writes the next new script.
Connie Elstun has held the posts of past Vice-President, Secretary and President. She is a comedy magician and a STEAM entertaining educator. She has dedicated her life as an outreach educator, bringing the performing arts to children when their school budgets cannot afford an on-staff drama teacher. Her rabbits are special individuals and ancestors of the first rabbits she raised as a 4-H project back in the 1960’s!
Connie started magic in her 30’s and truly considers Doc Eason and Jimmy Cellini as her absolute mentors. While president Connie had many moneymaking ideas, including a public close-up magic show, a sold-out stage magic show, and she officially incorporated Dr. Earl Reum’s name into the title of the club. Through conducting a DNA ancestry test she found out that she is 31% Native American from Mexico and her ancestors were members of the Yaqui tribe.
I became interested in magic in 3rd grade when one of my friends (and he’s still a great friend) Bob Koch (now a well known magic consultant and producer of high end magic stuff at KochMagic.com) taught me some basics and gave me my first routine, the Chinese Sticks, which I still have! (Side story, I dated Bob when we reconnected after college, where I was a theatre arts and communication major. He introduced me to the new single pastor at his church, Rev. Stan Jewell. Guess what happened? Since Bob, Stan & I remained close friends, when Bob got married he asked Stan to do their wedding!)
When Stan, I and our 2 kids, neither of whom had an interest in magic, moved to Colorado 30 years ago I found Fellowship of Christian Magicians which I joined. There I met others who were also members of MHMS. At that time I was also working as assistant to Ronald McDonald, so my interest in practicing magic (and I’m still PRACTICING!) was renewed, thanks to mentors, especially Dr. Earl Reum.
I’ve been a member of MHMS for many years (don’t ask how many since I’m getting senile) and have enjoyed performing my brand of Punny Silly Magic for family entertainment as a variety of characters in a variety of places. Highlights in 2019 were my first show for the Boulder Fringe Fest and magic with the Arapahoe Philharmonic’s family concert. I usually appear every Monday eve at Beau Jo’s Evergreen, when they’re open.
I have many favorite routines, none of which include cards or coins! My collection of items, costumes, and of course balloons too has taken over my daughter’s bedroom, since she got married & moved to the bay area. I might have to expand to son’s bedroom since he’s a professional scuba diver and travels the world. I’ve been a widow for 3 years now, and try to keep busy with my Balloons, Magic & More business. I thank all in MHMS who have given guidance and support as I’m still learning after all these years!
Magic has always put a smile on my face but it wasn’t until I went on a quest to create a bigger street show that I truly dove deeper into becoming a real magician. ince I was little I have been performing in plays, so the performing part of magic is the easiest part for me. And I have also been performing full time (including winters) as the Improv Poet on the Pearl Street Mall. Then Santa got word about my improv poetry and he named me his Official North Pole Poet Laureate.
Two years ago in my quest for a bigger street show I attended Jeff McBride’s “Focus on Street Magic”. I realized then that it was doable for me to actually be a magician. So last summer I spoke with Gregg Tobo about going out to Pearl Street and developing a huge magic street show and he was in. We took turns doing our magic shows, gathering crowds, succeeding, failing, astonishing people and giving each other notes. My show and magic has gotten better and better, thanks to practicing and the help of Gregg.
My favorite type of magic is illusions that tell a story. I love that surprised joyful look people get when they see a “miracle”. I also really like my audience to join in and do a type of magic call and response. But most of all I like performing a show where both myself and the audience has an amazing experience.
Since busking is surprisingly non-essential ;), lately I have been working on learning more magic. I have also done a virtual poetry-gram for a family’s Easter. And would love to do more virtual poetry-grams, as well as work on a virtual kid’s magic show.
I believe that magic can remind us in times like these that joy and astonishment are gifts of being alive.
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]Vice President – Shane Cohen
I have a video of me performing my first ever “magic show” when I was around 7 years old but the tricks were too hard to do so I gave up. Then it really started to pick up when I was 13 and it was my first time visiting the local magic shop in Tucson Arizona called Williams Magic Shop, where their motto was “the secret isn’t told until the trick is sold.” After I saw them float a dollar bill, I just “had” to spend that $60 to figure out how it was done and so I purchased my first ITR. Ever since then I was hooked and I loved to perform and have something unique that made me stand out. From age 15-18 I was already working in restaurants around town doing close up magic and staying pretty active in Tucson’s SAM and SYM clubs.
My favorite type of magic to perform is comedy magic on stage or in a parlor setting. Getting to energize an entire crowd and engage with them while bringing laughter and joy is something I live for. Some of my favorite tricks are the ones when I make the audience think I messed up but the revelation in the end is that I knew exactly what I was doing all along.
I have always been the ambitious type, trying to go above and beyond the norm, so while I am in the midst of producing a new magic show that was delayed to to the virus (coloradostarsofmagic.com), one of my biggest accomplishments (in my mind) was producing the InShane Magic show, where at the end of the show, I performed the floating rose illusion and proposed.
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I’ve been in the Mile-High Magicians Society for about two years now. I, like most, received a basic magic set when I was about eight years old. As an eight-year-old, I had many interests. Sports took up most of my time. Like anything else in life, to be good at anything, it takes a lot of practice and dedication. The magic set gathered dust.
When I turned twelve, my parents opened our family’s first retail store selling dollhouses and miniatures. The location was in Southglenn Mall, upstairs in the “Serendipity Shops”. It just so happened that there was a magic store right across the hallway. The Top Hat Magic Shop run by Mike Shannon. This perked up my magic interest again. Mike would patiently show me tricks he thought I needed (many above my skill level). I saved my earnings from the store and purchased many of the tricks he showed me. My favorites were the color-changing knives and linking rings.
Now, forty-five years later, I still enjoy watching magic. On one of my trips to Chicago for a trade show, I had the opportunity to visit Magic Inc. The salesman there was quite proficient with cards. My interest was again inspired, so I bought a few decks and books on the subject.
Many of the club members have graciously shown me and tried to teach me some of their skills. I go to Perkins nearly every Monday just to watch. I have yet to get up the nerve to perform any of the tricks. Maybe one day I will. Thank you all for your generosity and willingness to help. I do appreciate it very much!