The Magic Castle
Encyclopedia
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is a nightclub for magicians
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts
Academy of Magical Arts
The Academy of Magical Arts is a California non profit mutual benefit corporation organized and devoted to the promotion and development of the art of magic.Although begun in 1952 as a loose association of magicians by William Larsen, Sr...
. It bills itself as "the most unusual private club in the world."
Nightclub
The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant and private club. A typical evening features several magic and sometimes variety arts performances, as well as a full service dining room and several bars in a nightclub atmosphere. A dress code of formal party attire is strictly enforced. Entry is only allowed to members and their guests, although low-cost, 30-day memberships are openly offered to the general public, with the savings in door charges often being sufficient to cover the membership fee.The lobby of the Castle has no visible doors to the interior, and visitors must say a secret phrase to a sculpture of an owl to gain access, exposing the entrance to the club. Nightly, five different magic performances are showcased in three different theaters, with additional performances added on weekends. Magicians perform in several different theaters, including the intimate Close-Up Gallery, a larger Parlor of Prestidigitation, and stage illusions in the Palace of Mystery. Informal performance areas around the five bars give magician members the space for impromptu magic for guests and other patrons. In the music room, a piano is played by invisible "Irma," the Castle's "resident ghost," who takes musical requests.
Those under 21 years of age are not permitted during evening performances. On Saturdays and Sundays, the Castle hosts a brunch and performances which are open to adults and children. During brunch, the Castle's "Junior Members" (ranging in age from 13 to 20 years old) perform in the Close-Up Gallery.
Fire in 2011
On October 31, the Magic Castle suffered damage from a fire that broke out in the attic. It has re-opened on a limited basis and all guests must be accompanied by a member.Magic Castle Junior Group
The Magic Castle is also known for its Junior Program (the Magic Castle Junior Group). The Junior Group comprises highly skilled young magicians, many of whom have gone on to professional careers in magic. One week a year, billed as "Future Stars Week," performers from the Junior Group are showcased in evening performances in the Castle's showrooms.History
The building is an authentic Chateau-style or ChateauesqueChâteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
built in 1909 by banker and real estate developer Rollin B. Lane, originally constructed as a near duplicate of the 1897 Kimberly Crest House and Gardens in Redlands, California
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...
. Ownership of the mansion remained in the Lane family until 1955 when it was sold to Thomas O. Glover, whose family still owns the property. (Contrary to some "tour guide" stories, it was never owned by actress Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor was an American actress and painter.One of the most popular actresses of the silent film era, in 1928 Gaynor became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven , Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Street Angel...
.) In September of 1961, the mansion was leased to Milt Larsen
Milt Larsen
Milt Larsen is a writer, actor, performer, lyricist, magician, entrepreneur, speaker and the creator of The Magic Castle, a private club for magicians and enthusiasts.-Early life:...
and Bill Larsen, Jr., who began converting it to its present state. The Magic Castle opened for business on January 2, 1963.
One of the Castle's most famous members was the late Dai Vernon
Dai Vernon
Dai Vernon , aka The Professor, was a Canadian magician. His expert sleight-of-hand technique and extensive knowledge garnered him respect among fellow magicians. His influence was considerable in the magic world, and he was a mentor to numerous famous magicians...
, an expert in sleight of hand
Sleight of hand
Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain, is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly....
, who often sat in the bar area entertaining and teaching. Vernon was the Magician-in-Residence at the Castle for many years, up until his death in 1992.
Other famous magicians who have been regular performers at the Magic Castle include Mark Wilson
Mark Wilson (magician)
James "Mark" Wilson is an American magician and author. He is widely credited as becoming the first major "television magician" and in the process establishing the viability of illusion shows as a television format.-Early years:...
, Jay Ose, Senator Crandall, Johnny Platt, Kuda Bux
Kuda Bux
Kuda Bux was an Indian mystic and magician. One of his most famous tricks was one in which he would cover his eyes with soft dough balls, blindfold himself, swath his entire head in strips of cloth, and yet still be able to see. He was also a fire walker...
, and Billy McComb
Billy McComb
Billy McComb was a magician and comedian. He was one of the United Kingdom's leading magicians in the 1950s and 1960s, before taking up residence in Los Angeles, California in the 1970s.-Early life:...
. Many "celebrity magic hobbyists" have also performed at the Magic Castle, including Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
, Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
, Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, and Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
.
Awards
Performing awards are given in different categories at the annual "Academy of the Magical Arts Awards" event. Nominees for the performing awards are chosen from among that year's performers at The Magic Castle.Other awards include Literary and Life Fellowships awards which go to individuals who, in the view of the Academy, have made significant contributions to the field of magic.
Each year the Academy of Magical Arts awards:
- Stage Magician of the Year
- Parlour Magician of the Year
- Close-Up Magician of the Year
- Lecturer of the Year
The Academy of Magical Arts also presents:
- Master's Fellowship
- Performing Fellowship in Close-Up Magic
- Performing Fellowship in Stage Magic
- Creative Fellowship
- Literary Fellowship
- Junior Achievement Award
Events
- TV promos were hosted at the Magic Castle on the Disney ChannelDisney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
for the premiere of the 2005 Disney Channel Original Movie, Now You See It...Now You See It...Now You See It... is a 2005 Disney Channel Original Movie. The film is told in Allyson's point of view, similar to a documentary.-Plot:...
.
See also
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood
- Hollywood Heights, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHollywood Heights, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHollywood Heights is a neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California, bounded by Highland Avenue, Outpost Drive, Franklin Avenue, and the Hollywood Bowl.-Notable places:* The Samuel Freeman House by Frank Lloyd Wright...