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Glenn Bishop "Bish The Magish" Presents His All American Magic Show!
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I first discovered Glenn Bishop some months ago when Comedian Extraordinaire Andy Martello was my Guest here on "THE INTERVIEW". Glenn noticed Andy's appearance and quickly mentioned that Andy was a "Class Act" and one of the finest professionals he had ever had the pleasure of working with. This was no "mutual admiration club". Each of these men have paid their dues in a business that is as brutal as it is unforgiving and competitive. I sincerely appreciate it anytime anyone honors me by leaving a comment on my Blog. Many people overlook this as a "given". I don't. And even in my "Part-Time" status (begun here on September 15th), I still make it a point to answer each and every blogger who has commented and follow it up with a personal visit to their site.
Glenn Bishop Magician And Hypnotist!
Out of this habit of mine, I wound up visiting Glenn and noticed something that bothered me (and I don't believe I'm embarrassing Glenn when I say this). I noticed many of his Blogs were nicely written and very interesting...a departure from the norm. But in the Comments section I saw too many "0's". What was happening was obvious. With hundreds of thousands of new Bloggers on the scene every day worldwide, we are seeing single and double-digit Comments. Before my own Blog was built, I am told by Denny Shane that it was not uncommon to have 130 visitors posting!
That was a mind-blower to me. "THE INTERVIEW" is but one feature of my Website: www.michaelmanning.tv and I enjoy it because of my love of people! Here was a guy who was overlooked and so I began Blogging with Glenn. We had a meeting of the minds on my work as a broadcast journalist and just how difficult it is to pitch a show when Agents or Entertainment Attorneys are seemingly nowhere to be found. I'm reminded of an interview with Penelope Cruz.
She told her story of telephoning the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles. She was seeking representation. They hung up the telephone on her! This is what the world has become, unfortunately. So into this world comes Magician Glenn Bishop--a respite from dark images of war, violence, hatred, and the abusive people we're all fed up with! On that note here is our visit. I hope you'll enjoy it!
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MM: First off Glenn, I consider your Blogsite to be a "gem" that is unfortunately undiscovered (UNTIL NOW!). Perhaps this interview will lead other Bloggers to "discover" a cool new site to explore with a fresh topics on life and living. What is "Bish the Magish" all about? Describe what you do for those who might be introduced to you for the very first time here?
GB: Thanks Michael, let me start off by saying it is an honor to be interviewed by you and it is an honor to call you my friend. True friendships are rare in show business today. It is sad that a lot of show business is too much business and too much cut throat in many of the show business practices of today's show business.
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MM: Thanks, Glenn. LIkewise!
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GB:
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MM: The reward, the payoff. Fulfillment, yes?
Glenn Bishop Performing Magic And Illusions On The Burger King "Not For Kids Only Stage!"
GB: That is why I do it! Because I like the reaction of the trick that the audience gets. This is also true when doing a stage show or a comedy hypnosis show. The feeling and energy that you get when the audience is loving the show. They like the show and me and I know when I am up on that stage that they like me and are into it. That is what I like about magic, stage hypnotism and show business. But on the other hand as much as I LOVE performing I do not like the business side of show business. Because it is work and I am competing not just with other acts but often all of show business. And most of the time I do not have the budget to get the job done in the right way.
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MM: Frustration.
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GB: Exactly, Michael. I find the business side that I must do to entertain the audience often at time very frustrating. So to get to the part I LOVE doing and that is entertaining an audience I go through the frustrations of getting to that audience by putting up with, and trying to do the business within the budget and time I have to get the job done. Besides magic, I also have a family and I have the best wife in the world that puts up with the grind of shows and the odd hours I have to deal with. Plus I have three kids and I am a very active Father and take a very strong view of being a Dad and being there for my kids as much as possible.
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MM:
Billy Bishop On The Stage Of The "Famed" Palace Theater Broadway New York!
GB:
The Newspaper Billing For The RKO Palace Theater. Note Billy Bishop "Bish The Magish" Is The Second Act On The Bill. The Date Is Thursday Feb. 16, 1950!
MM: My God! We learned about that show in High School Media Class!
Billy Bishop As Billy Bounce On WITI - One Of The First Color Television Stations In Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
GB:
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MM: How unfortunate.
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GB
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MM: And your Dad was later on The Mike Douglas Show, wasn't he?
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GB:
Yes! Years later I did watch my Dad on the Mike Douglas Show several times. In fact every time my Dad and Mom performed on the "The Mike Douglas Show" because it was an afternoon show, we told our grade school principal and they had an assembly and most of the school watched it with us. My family was the talk of the school in those days. And my Dad and Mom also did the Bozo TV Show for WGN many times. I think it was twice a year every year for almost the run of the show. The show lasted about 50 years and my Dad was mentioned with a lot of the other acts on the 50 year anniversary show. So in short, growing up in our house was exciting. There was always that energy of the time before the show. The importance of "getting there to be ready to do the act at the agreed upon time".
Billy Bishop, Bozo, (Bob Bell) Cookie, (Roy Brown) On The Set Of Bozo Circus WGN Television Chicago!
MM: Those are deep roots, Glenn!
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GB:
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MM: Yeah, I'm getting that. Quite interesting! And your Dad handled his own marketing and promotion. That's incredible. You're still a young guy, but what's interesting to me is your perspective on the work ethic and standards of professionalism. And I suppose that my readers would enjoy hearing your perpective about what aspects have changed in show business from your Dad's day to the present?
Glenn Bishop Entertaining With Close Up Magic For A Client Philip Morris !
GB:
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MM: No, it doesn't sound like it. What a different world!
GB:
Glenn Bishop As "Mr. Swindle!"
MM: I'm with you on this. Totally. Believe me! It's certainly easy to understand what led you to the business. But I'm curious. What is it that keeps you in the business, Glenn?
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GB:
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MM: Yeah, and a lot of those "Public Service" dollars have been dumped in favor of a total "bottom-line" approach, which is quite a shame in broadcasting. Can you tell us about your recent efforts to get a "Pilot" placed on television?
Buddy Farnan, Glenn Bishop And Billy Bishop On The Set Of The Magic Of Magic!
GB:
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MM: Hoo-hah! I inspired that?
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GB:
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MM: I love it when others identify a reedeeming quality I possess, particularly for some of my uninformed in-laws. But please...continue! Sure! Back quite a few years ago I did a cable TV series called �The Magical World of Glenn Bishop" for Channel 6 community network in Elk Grove Village IL. I had our friend Andy Martello on the show two or three times. And a lot of my Chicago magician friends. You inspired me to take these old ideas out of the Moth Balls and start to research ideas to get something going. I would love to produce another show like that only with a big budget and have Andy Martello on the show --- that would be very cool as Andy is one of the best entertainers out there trouping a show today!
The Magical World Of Glenn Bishop, Channel 6 Community Cable Network!
GB:
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MM: Absolutely. I am an Andy Martello Fan.
GB: And so am I...But also it would benefit the station to have a show that would be positive that the whole family could watch at the same time. The family audience programming is what is missing today in today�s television networks.
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MM: Yeah, it's very thin, Glenn. You make a good point. Assuming some young guy or girl is reading this interview who has been dreaming about following your path in show business as a Magician, what would you like to say to them?
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GB:
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MM: Oh, come on now. You've had a great career so far!
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GB:
Glenn Bishop And The Former Governor of Missouri During A Fund Raising Magic Show!
MM: And I consider you one of those Class Acts, Glenn. We touched on this a bit earlier. But what would you specifically like to see changed in the business and on television?
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GB:
MM: Well put! Your late Father is a "Legend". Many children of "Legends" such as yourself, tell me that this presents an enormous challenge in carving out an individual identity. How have you accomplished this?
Billy Bishop An' Ann On The "Legendary" Stage Of Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe A Booking That Lasted Over 6 Months In New York City.
GB:
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MM: Isn't that a bit harsh, if not abusive for someone to say?
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GB:
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MM: What a wonderful moment!
Carl Ballentine And Glenn Bishop At The "World Famous Magic Castle" Hollywood CA! Just After I performed My Close Up Magic Show In Castle's Close Up Gallery!
GB:
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MM: Hmmm? You know something? I recognize a few of those names. Don't ask me why. But Jay Marshall, Jack Pyle and of course Mark Wilson are familiar.
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GB:
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MM:
Very inspiring, Glenn! I've asked this question once to our mutual friend Andy Martello (previously interviewed here) and I wanted to ask you as well. How do you strike a balance between being in such a demanding career and having a stable homelife? What a balancing act! No pun intended either!!
Glenn Bishop "The Man Called Mr. Hypnotist" Performing Comedy Stage Hypnotism, Live On Stage!
GB:
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MM: Ha! I'm laughing because Andy Martello expressed similar gratitude and amazement at his own wife's ability to understand the overall nature of the business. Remarkable ladies! Well, the floor is yours, Glenn. What would you like to share as we close our visit?
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GB:
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As I close this interview I would like to say thank you to Michael Manning for letting me talk this way. I think Michael Manning is tops and his ideas for TV programming are great and there is a real need for more good guys like Michael Manning in this cold dark show business world.
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That means a great deal, Glenn. Thank you.
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I would also like to thank Andy Martello for being such a great friend and a great guy in getting Michael Manning and I together through his fun and cool blog Andy Land. As I have said before Andy Martello is one of the best acts trouping today. The world would be a better place if it had more people like Andy who's humor and fun and talent I admire greatly. I don't know what others say what making it in show business really is but I have to be realistic about that. To me the secret of making it in show business is to KEEP making it in show business.
My thoughts drift now to the Frank Sinatra song "My Way". "Regrets? I've had a few. But then again too few to mention". When the end comes I may not have lived my life "My Way" but as with all the show business people I have been lucky to meet in my life time - I may not be a success and I may not get rich - but in the end my life will be a great story. And in show business you're never finished and never washed up as long as you have a great story and someone or an audience to tell it to! Or as the magician in me might say - never washed up as long as you have your magic act and a new audience to perform magic and illusions for. After I am gone I know my kids will continue to tell our family magic story and give the gift of magic as our small magical family circle continues into the next generation!
Thank you!
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CLOSING NOTE FROM MICHAEL:
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© 2001 Glenn Bishop Productions
ell, my friends there you have it. GLENN BISHOP! I'm heartened by this great guy. He's the "Real Deal" in a world that often discourages us by being cold, apathetic and unapologetic without manners. I am certain each of you, like myself, have faced this unpleasantness wherever you live and work and play. Thank God Glenn Bishop is clearly not part of this negativity; he is a "beacon of light". Andy Martello is quite the joker about mentioning him here so often. But Andy was gracious enough to send me an e-mail the other night where he mentioned that Glenn Bishop is sincerely "missed" in the Chicago market! Remember, that this is the market where Comics and Actors like David Schwimmer (from "FRIENDS" fame) have left Hollywood after a television series has completed its run and they hunger to go back to work in "The Windy City". In a market as brutally competitive as Chicago, Glenn is obviously highly respected. Glenn reminds me of Orson Welles' acceptance speech to the AFI (see my September 15th Blog) where he stated: "There are a few of us left in this conglomerated world of ours who still trudge stubbornly along the lonely, rocky road and this is, in fact, our contrariety. We don't move nearly as fast as our cousins on the freeway. We don't even get as much accomplished, just as the family-sized farm can't possibly raise as many crops or get as much profit as the agricultural factory of today. What we do come up with has no special right to call itself better. It's just different. No, if there's any excuse for us at all, it's that we're simply following the old American tradition of the maverick. And we are a vanishing breed. Glenn Bishop and Andy Martello are both "Mavericks"! If you want to read a truly different and refreshingly optimistic Blogsite for a change of pace, I'd recommend that you stop by and say hello to Glenn Bishop. He is awesome! And that goes without saying that if you learn of a "Live" performance of Glenn Bishop on tour, do NOT miss him! I am very proud that Glenn accepted my invitation to be my Guest. My Thanks to Glenn Bishop and to all of you who loyally come here for "THE INTERVIEW". Goodnight! And see you here soon!! Orson Wells once said if he were to do it all over again he would want to spend less time chasing money to fund the projects. He said something like he wasted so much of his life chasing the money to fund his movies and not enough time doing the projects. He said 80% chasing money and 20% making movies was no way to spend a life. I wish that I could make enough money so I would not have to worry about my income and worry if I have enough to pay the bills. Because when that day finally arrives I can do more shows to help people. My goal is to be able to do more benefits and use my magic and my stage show and any name value (If I have any name value that is) that I have to do more shows to help others in need. Right now my life is about my family responsibilities. At this time my Family and my kids needs come first! (laughing) None taken! Well it is hard to do because show business often has long lay off times and it is often a life of feast or famine. So at the busy times when there is work you have odd hours and sometimes 14 to 20 hour days. I have driven five hours to a location to do a one hour hypnosis show. Five hours there and five hours home is ten hours driving time in a car to do a one hour show. Things like that. Then there are times when you have no shows and you have to pound the pavement to get more work. And because you have no shows and with a family, often you don't have the budget to really go after it the way you want to. How my wife and I handle it? Who knows? I guess God looks after fools and drunks. And since I do not drink that often I must fit into the fool category. You bet! These people were hard "old school" show people and when they would stop and take time with me it was quite an honor. And not one of them pulled any punches when it came to telling me what they thought of my magic and my ability to entertain an audience. So when they said something positive about my work in front of my dad, I knew that I must be doing something right! Oh yeah, it was. I have also had magicians and other hard old school show people like Jack Pyle, Jim Ryan, Jay Marshall, Ben Tallman, Stan Kramien, Marshall Brodien, Roy Brown, Bev Bergeron, Frank Everheart, Don Alan, Terry Vecky - magicians and show business people that have said some very nice things about my magic and my ability to entertain an audience. Bev Bergeron was Rebo the Magic Clown on Mark Wilson's Magical land Of Alakazam on CBS. Marshall Brodien and Roy Brown were Wizo the Magic Clown and Cookie the Clown for the WGN Bozo TV Show. Don Alan was the star of the ABC Don Alan's Magic Ranch. Well, perhaps. But then there are some that say I turned out just like my Dad. About 8 years ago I asked my Mom if I was a good as my Father and she said I was better. Because my show and ability was just as entertaining and as she put it. She said I was a better business man than my Dad was. Let me tell you...That was quite a moment! My Dad left some very big foot prints. My Mom was--and is---a hard "old school" business show person in her own right. She was a professional dancer and a professional night club singer. My Mom was the one that was my teacher of show business do's and don'ts. And when it comes to show business my family took it very seriously and did not pull any punches if they did not like something and were asked an opinion. They would tell you the truth. Some in magic have told me that my dad was better and what I do doesn't come close to what he did and what he could do, as an entertainer. I would like to see the business people of television take into consideration the viewer. Today it seems that television doesn�t care about it�s viewing audience. In my opinion there is too much "Shock TV". To many hard images, too many hard edged stories both news and fiction on TV today. What I would like to see changed would be to balance the negative hard-edged shock television with some positive programming. Perhaps some TV producer could make a breakthrough with some shows that have a positive effect on the viewing audience. I have. But if they are serious about being a magician my best advice is not to follow another person�s path. Make their own path. There is an old saying, people that follow the crowd get no further than the crowd. People that follow their own path most often have the better stories and the rewards can often be greater. Learn magic and the secrets and technique, but also learn other important things. Learn business and how to make a business plan. Learn computers, and learn about people and how to build positive relationships that can help THEM and YOU at the same time. Be "A Class Act" because people with class will want to work with a class act and the class people can and will help to open many doors in and out of show business. Stay in school. Study and with luck - you won�t turn out like me!
Andy Martello In Action!
Yes! Well your partly to blame because in talking with you and through out e-mails I have just taken my old TV stuff out of Moth balls and off the shelf and started to contact some people in TV here in St. Louis and do the research to try to get something magical and positive on the air again. What keeps me in the business is that I love what I do and the fact I can do what I love as a way to earn an income. Plus it helps people in a way. People need to be entertained. We live in a high stress, high energy, rush, rush world. Magicians and entertainers do provide a public service when they do a good show. They give people a break and a moment of wonder, laughter and fun - to me that is giving the gift of magic. And in a way it is sort of a public service. Magic makes it�s big money when it is used with advertising. There are magicians that perform at trade shows. Magic is used to get attention to a trade show booth. Magic on television is used to get attention for commercial advertisements. Like any other kind of TV show. It is the advertising dollars that drive the show, entertainment business. That is, if you can call it the entertainment business today. The show and the fact that people will be entertained by a Magic Show hasn�t changed. People will always be entertained by a good magician. That has not changed at all. What has changed is the way that big business will buy magic and entertainment. In my Dads day there were more entertainment venues to do a magic show like Vaudeville and night clubs that had floor shows. Back then there were night clubs and supper clubs where a man and a woman would go out for an evenings entertainment. The man would put on a tux and the woman would dress in a gown or a cocktail dress. They would go to a night club or a supper club and dine on prime rib and see a floor show. Now almost all of those venues are gone. Today, the night clubs are a lot like in the movie "Studio 54". Loud music, young people drinking and dancing and other things and it is a totally different kind of a world. I have done a lot of close-up magic in many loud dark dance bars and night clubs when I was in Chicago and in other places in the U.S.A.. It is not easy and hardly show business the way my Dad was booked back in his day. What was strange in my kid years was the fact that my Dad took steps to get talked about in the newspapers and to book television shows. And growing up around all that was a very different experience than the way most other kids grew up. : Yeah, and for good reason. I remember we talked about our collective experiences. I can imagine my Dad telling my Mom this news and working very hard to book a magic act in the worst month to book a magic act. Because the next month was January. That's a sore point with me about the biz. What time frame are we talking about here? I was born in 1956 just four days before my Dads "Billy Bounce and WITI" TV Show (The show ran at 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and featured cartoons on film, including "Little LuLu", George Pal's "Puppetoons", and "Noveltoons", all in color). WITI-TV ran the show from May 21, through December 24, 1956 when it was cancelled. That was five days before Christmas and my Mom worked very hard to get back into shape to do the act again. You have to remember this was live TV and when it ended, it ended. From our recent telephone conversation, and through e-mailing with you, I must say. I really don't know of another Blogger with such strong ties to show business. Can you tell us a bit about growing up in the business with your Mother and Father? Well, it was strange and different than the way other kids grew up because my Dad and Mom were on TV a lot while I was growing up. I wasn't born when my Dad did the "Toast of the Town" for Ed Sullivan. The show was later called "The Ed Sullivan Show!" I will try to keep the answer down to about a million words. For those of you that never met me or my Dad we are a lot like the old time showmen. It is often said that when old time show people talk - Why answer in just 5 words when 15 or 20 words will do? Showmen have a way of saying things larger than life. It is one of the tricks of the trade that is used in advertising and promotion today. Glenn Bishop has many sides and interests. First of all I am a magician and many people in show business say that I am a lot like my Dad. I take that as the highest complement because to me my dad was tops. And the best in the business as an entertainer. The thing I like about magic is that I love entertaining people with magic. I like the reaction when they say "Wow!" or that "Ohhhh!" of the surprise and the magic effect that they experienced when they see me perform a magic trick. |
