Kidabra Conference 2014 Speakers, Lectures and Hostss
Terry Evanswood
In his eighteenth season, Terry is the longest running headliner in the family vacation destination of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Over one million guests have been amazed by the critically acclaimed magic and Illusions of the most awarded entertainer in Town! Now starring in in the “Wonders of Magic”!
Barry Hinnant
Real-world routines that engage and captivate audiences of 9 through 12-year-old kids.
Have you ever needed to perform before audiences of exclusively upper elementary kids, but didn't know where to start? This is the place. Barry Hinnant, the Talkin' Tweens columnist for the KIDabra Journal, takes you on a journey that gives tips on basic philosophy, stage persona, disarming your audience, and the type of humor that makes them laugh out loud.
And because all of the routines are developmentally appropriate for this age group, they work!
Be there, Barry's Breakout Workshops have drawn raves in the past.
Kevin Heller
Kevin tours throughout the midwest with what has been described as a roller coaster ride of magic, comedy and illusion. Along with his wife Robin, the couple has become a magical tour de force. From the smallest banquet rooms to the largest grandstands and theaters, Kevin and Robin have presented their unforgettable style of magic for corporate and private events, schools and colleges, fairs, festivals and theaters throughout the Midwest
Tommy James
His current schedule has him performing 350-400 shows each year all over the New England area. He is also a regular performer on the award winning TV show in Rhode Island "Safe Kids & Friends" produced by Tony Lepore, The Providence Dancing Cop. Tommy uses his MAGIC to teach safety topics over the air and to the children in the studio audience. Currently the show is on Saturday mornings, statewide on Cox cable on channel 13
David Kaye
David Kaye has performed magic and comedy for children for more than twenty years. Known to the lay public as Silly Billy, he is one of the best known children’s entertainers in the United States, performing for the families of celebrities like Madonna and Bruce Springsteen, with appearances at the White House and Lincoln Center.
In New York, where he performs more than 200 shows each year, he has been recognized as New York’s top children’s entertainer by five different New York publications. In addition, he received a six-page profile in the New Yorker. His television credits include appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, as well as multiple appearances on Comedy Central. He was also in the reality magic show Celebracadabra on Vh1.
Ken Kelly
Hi I am Ken Kelly; I am a magician living in Warrington in Cheshire. I have worked as a professional magician for over 25 years having picked up my first magic trick when I was only 6 years old. I truly love what I do and this shows in the level of passion and enthusiasm in my performance.
I have been fortunate enough to perform as a magician all over the world entertaining tens of thousands of people In Africa, the US, Europe and of course the UK . I returned to my roots in 2006 to work as a magician in Cheshire, my hometown.
Jim Kleefeld
Jim is a full-time performer, presenting hundreds of school assembly programs each year in schools all over Ohio. Every summer, for many years, he has presented dozens of themed programs for Summer Reading Clubs at libraries all over the state.
In addition to performing, he has contributed articles to almost all of the major trade magazines including Apocalypse, The Australian Magic Magazine, Funny Paper, Kid Show Quarterly, LaughMakers, The Magic Menu, The Magical Arts Journal, The Minotaur, M.U.M., The New Invocation and The New Tops.
Todd McKinney
Aside from being a magician, Todd McKinney is also an educational presenter and entertainer. He offers school assemblies throughout Texas that cover important topics like: bullying, reading, self-esteem, character and healthy choices. Todd is also one of a few dynamic christian church magicians and christian illusionist.
Steve Metzger
Steve would work as an Editor of children's books for 20 years at Scholastic, and most importantly become a very popular children's author numberingover 60 books at this writing. Books that are illustrated by many of the top children's illustrators existant! (His book Detective Blue is illustrated by Tedd Arnold of Fly Guy fame!)
Barry Mitchell
Barry Mitchell is the Entertaining Encourager - that’s a motivational speaker and humorist using magic, storytelling, and lots of audience interaction to deliver encouragement. Thousands of audiences and groups have laughed and learned through Barry’s message and humor. He entertains and encourages individuals to live up to their potential
Marcela Murad
A children's’ entertainer specializing in clowning and face painting, Marcela is also an author, speaker, instructor, and former publisher of Face and Body Art International Magazine, as well as the producer of the Face and Body Art International Convention. She is nationally recognized as one of the premier face painters in the country and has been influential in revolutionizing this art form. Marcela has published many books on the subject of clowning and face painting including her aclaimed series of face painting books feauturing variations of one design per book.
Danny Orleans
In 2011, Danny began to share his performance knowledge with the magic community, creating a talk on Corporate Magic where he teaches the Do's and Don't of performing at corporate meetings and trade shows. He's lectured to groups of magicians in Orlando, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Chicago, Minneapolis and San Diego.
Paul Osborne
Spend an evening at KIDabra with one of magic’s most prolific creators, designers and producers of magic worldwide! His unique design and drawing style is instantly recognizable and iconic! With 50+ years in magic, 100s of theme park shows produced, three years as Bozo’s ringmaster, illusions designed for every major Las Vegas performer, and Genii Magazines’ longest running columnist, Paul has lots of stories to share!
He has recently returned to his roots and one of his great loves, KIDshow magic and props in a new book series called KidTrix.
John Reid
John is the President of the entertainment company Magic, Balloons and More Inc; the Owner/Operator of Epic Balloons and The Tricky Biz Magic Shop in East Meadow, NY;
John has been performing since he was 16 and has performed at the White House; appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and was recently profiled in Newsday, a prominent New York news paper. In April 2014 he used 4,302 balloons to create Poptimus Prime, a robot inspired by the Transformer Optimus Prime. Reid currently holds the world's record for the Largest Balloon Sculpture made by a single person.
Reid has been a guest lecturer at Magic Camp for more than 15 years and can be seen in the documentary Magic Camp. John is scheduled to lecture at Kidabra in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee this August.
Michael Rosander
Rosander is passionate about creating productions that incorporate magic, comedy, and unique characters with one unifying theme. Under his company, No Sleeves Magic, Rosander lets his imagination run wild in his performances. His degree in theatre has given him the structure and knowledge to mold magic in such a way that every trick and action has a purpose and every transition propels the story forward. In addition to his love for magic, Rosander enjoys a career as a working actor for film and television. He can be seen in the CBS series Under The Dome, the host for Walmart commercials, and several award-winning short films. Rosander recently finished up his first lead role in the film Adrenaline, starring John Schneider from Dukes of Hazard. Join Rosander as he makes his first Kidabra appearance
Gary Shelton The "Kernal"
Comedian and Magician Gary Shelton has been making audiences laugh and wonder since the late 70s. His humor is southern flavored and family friendly; his magic brings out the wonder in audiences of any age. From National TV to small town venues he is at home with audiences of all sizes. He is requested at Upward programs and church youth groups all over the south.
Ken Scott
Ken Scott has over 20 years of experience, performing over 350 shows a year. He has entertained over a million people with his unique cutting edge programs. Ken is a TWO time winner of the Greater Atlanta Magician of the year award. In addition, Ken was also featured on CNN Headline News, where he headlined their segment on A Day of Magic. Ken performs yearly in Hollywood California at The World Famous Magic Castle, which is home to the Academy of Magical Arts. Ken has also performed five times at the White House. Ken has also appeared on ABC's America's Funniest Home Video
The Great Zuchinni
The Great Zucchini, Washington's funniest and most magical Preschool & Kindergarten entertainer, performs a colorful magic show where every child is a star and guaranteed to laugh!
For over 15 years, The Great Zucchini has been entertaining young children as a magician and preschool teacher. He performs his hands-on, interactive magic shows for more that 400 groups a year. His experience, coupled with his gentle nature and wacky facial expressions, makes kids immediately feel comfortable and ready to laugh.