It's Magic

tod · 04-25-2009, 09:50 AM

The Lovely Mrs. tod and I have recently renewed our membership at The Magic Castle.

As befits its name, the Castle is a magical place. You enter by approaching a bookcase and saying a secret password to a golden owl with blinking red eyes. The bookcase slides into the wall, and a passageway opens into the Castle proper.

The two major offerings of the Castle are magic shows and booze. As Little tod said on one of the young-adult nights, "There's a bar at the bottom of the stairs, a bar at the top of the stairs, and just in case you can't make it all the way there's a bar halfway up the stairs."

There are three magic performance venues: The Palace of Mystery, the large showroom with a raised proscenium stage and seating for more than 100 people; the more-intimate Parlour of Prestidigitation, where magic is presented as in a living room for a party; and my favorite, the Close-Up Gallery, a small room that seats 22 that I have described as "a small room, a padded table, and no place to hide." The Parlour and Close-Up Gallery both feature two magicians nightly, one early, one late.

The place is filled with memorabilia and curiosities. The bar halfway up the stairs was made by a company that built prefab bar units for saloons and was used as a set at NBC. The foyer at one of the performance rooms is lined with caricatures of prominent magicians, and there's a "Hall of Fame" of prominent members of the Castle including Cary Grant, Doug Henning and Siegfried and Roy. An ornate white-and-gold bar was a prop from the movie "Hello Dolly!"

Then there's Irma, the invisible pianist who plays requests. I have never seen her stumped, and she's been there since the Castle opened in 1963 so that idea I had about voice-recognition software seems to be wrong.

The Castle is a club for magicians, and the bars are usually filled with people engaged in shop talk and trying out tricks on each other. In various places around the Castle there are padded, fringed tables with adjustable lighting overhead for impromptu magic shows. One table is still reserved for master slight-of-hand artist Dai Vernon, who was in residence at the Castle the last 20 or so years of his life. There is an unspoken agreement that only the best tricks be performed at that table.

As a private club, the Castle sets its own rules, including a stringent dress code that requires elegant dress among patrons -- a rule that is as well known in L.A. as the Disneyland Cast grooming standards -- and requires that invited guests on a member-issued guest pass pay a door fee and have dinner at the Castle restaurant.

We have fun in there. It's fun to be fooled, and it's fun to watch the execution of a trick when you know how it works. It's fun to introduce people to the place. I remember one wide-eyed friend whose reaction to every trick, all night, was a whispered "How'd he do that?"

I don't think she knew she was doing it.

It's nice to have a club again.

--t

blueerica · 04-25-2009, 09:52 AM

I miss going to the Magic Castle. Happy to hear it's as enjoyable as it once was for me.

lashbear · 04-25-2009, 10:50 AM

Now THAT sounds like fun!

LSPoorEeyorick · 04-25-2009, 05:55 PM

I guess my only question, tod, is... when can we go with you?

I've wanted to go since I moved here, and haven't yet found a way in! Glad you guys had fun - and thanks for sharing the details!

Pirate Bill · 04-27-2009, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tod

...it's fun to watch the execution of a trick...

"They're illusions Michael." - GOB

Betty · 04-27-2009, 08:01 AM

This is so effin cool. The magic castle. Wow.

alphabassettgrrl · 04-27-2009, 09:49 AM

I *really* want to go to the Castle.

cirquelover · 04-27-2009, 10:09 AM

I have seen tv shows about it, it looks really cool! Thanks for sharing details, it sounds like a great place to belong to!

Ghoulish Delight · 04-27-2009, 10:28 AM

I LOVE magic shows and don't get to see enough. The one time I was fortunate enough to be invited to the magic castle was absolutely a thrill. The whole atmosphere is something I really dig. The playfulness, the showmanship, and intimate performance spaces combined with the formality of fine dining and theater going. I do hope for another opportunity to go.

innerSpaceman · 04-27-2009, 10:33 AM

I heart the Magic Castle.

That said, I've been so many times, it's had the same effect on me as too many times at Club 33.

i.e., I would gladly go again any time for a guaranteed fun evening, but I'm no longer waiting with baited breath for my next invitation.

I've been fortunate enough to receive enough invitations to both Clubs that I'm completely sated. It may just be my jadedness, but the experience at both has degraded somewhat over the years. But still a good time to be had, and I hope everyone who wishes gets a chance to visit both Club 33 -AND- The Magic Castle. Grand Old Dames of geekery private clubdom.

04-25-2009, 09:50 AM	#1
tod In the Close-Up Gallery Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 33	It's Magic The Lovely Mrs. tod and I have recently renewed our membership at The Magic Castle. As befits its name, the Castle is a magical place. You enter by approaching a bookcase and saying a secret password to a golden owl with blinking red eyes. The bookcase slides into the wall, and a passageway opens into the Castle proper. The two major offerings of the Castle are magic shows and booze. As Little tod said on one of the young-adult nights, "There's a bar at the bottom of the stairs, a bar at the top of the stairs, and just in case you can't make it all the way there's a bar halfway up the stairs." There are three magic performance venues: The Palace of Mystery, the large showroom with a raised proscenium stage and seating for more than 100 people; the more-intimate Parlour of Prestidigitation, where magic is presented as in a living room for a party; and my favorite, the Close-Up Gallery, a small room that seats 22 that I have described as "a small room, a padded table, and no place to hide." The Parlour and Close-Up Gallery both feature two magicians nightly, one early, one late. The place is filled with memorabilia and curiosities. The bar halfway up the stairs was made by a company that built prefab bar units for saloons and was used as a set at NBC. The foyer at one of the performance rooms is lined with caricatures of prominent magicians, and there's a "Hall of Fame" of prominent members of the Castle including Cary Grant, Doug Henning and Siegfried and Roy. An ornate white-and-gold bar was a prop from the movie "Hello Dolly!" Then there's Irma, the invisible pianist who plays requests. I have never seen her stumped, and she's been there since the Castle opened in 1963 so that idea I had about voice-recognition software seems to be wrong. The Castle is a club for magicians, and the bars are usually filled with people engaged in shop talk and trying out tricks on each other. In various places around the Castle there are padded, fringed tables with adjustable lighting overhead for impromptu magic shows. One table is still reserved for master slight-of-hand artist Dai Vernon, who was in residence at the Castle the last 20 or so years of his life. There is an unspoken agreement that only the best tricks be performed at that table. As a private club, the Castle sets its own rules, including a stringent dress code that requires elegant dress among patrons -- a rule that is as well known in L.A. as the Disneyland Cast grooming standards -- and requires that invited guests on a member-issued guest pass pay a door fee and have dinner at the Castle restaurant. We have fun in there. It's fun to be fooled, and it's fun to watch the execution of a trick when you know how it works. It's fun to introduce people to the place. I remember one wide-eyed friend whose reaction to every trick, all night, was a whispered "How'd he do that?" I don't think she knew she was doing it. It's nice to have a club again. --t __________________ Any world that I'm welcome to is better than the one I come from. -- Donald Fagen & Walter Becker
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04-25-2009, 09:52 AM	#2
blueerica Nueve Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 6,497	I miss going to the Magic Castle. Happy to hear it's as enjoyable as it once was for me. __________________ Tomorrow is the day for you and me
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04-25-2009, 10:50 AM	#3
lashbear SwishBuckling Bear Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In Isolation :) Posts: 6,597	Now THAT sounds like fun! __________________ *I Heart* my Husband - I can't think of anyone I'd rather be in isolation with.**
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04-25-2009, 05:55 PM	#4
LSPoorEeyorick scribblin' Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: in the moment Posts: 3,872	I guess my only question, tod, is... when can we go with you? I've wanted to go since I moved here, and haven't yet found a way in! Glad you guys had fun - and thanks for sharing the details!
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04-27-2009, 08:01 AM	#6
Betty Kicking up my heels! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Silver State Posts: 3,783	This is so effin cool. The magic castle. Wow. __________________ Nee Stell Thue
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04-27-2009, 09:49 AM	#7
alphabassettgrrl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,978	I really want to go to the Castle. __________________ Why cycling? Anything [sport] that had to do with a ball, I wasn't very good at. -Lance Armstrong
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04-27-2009, 10:09 AM	#8
cirquelover Cruising around in my automobile... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,617	I have seen tv shows about it, it looks really cool! Thanks for sharing details, it sounds like a great place to belong to!
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04-27-2009, 10:28 AM	#9
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	I LOVE magic shows and don't get to see enough. The one time I was fortunate enough to be invited to the magic castle was absolutely a thrill. The whole atmosphere is something I really dig. The playfulness, the showmanship, and intimate performance spaces combined with the formality of fine dining and theater going. I do hope for another opportunity to go. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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04-27-2009, 10:33 AM	#10
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	I heart the Magic Castle. That said, I've been so many times, it's had the same effect on me as too many times at Club 33. i.e., I would gladly go again any time for a guaranteed fun evening, but I'm no longer waiting with baited breath for my next invitation. I've been fortunate enough to receive enough invitations to both Clubs that I'm completely sated. It may just be my jadedness, but the experience at both has degraded somewhat over the years. But still a good time to be had, and I hope everyone who wishes gets a chance to visit both Club 33 -AND- The Magic Castle. Grand Old Dames of geekery private clubdom.
	Submit to Quotes