The Magic Castle
I just finished performing at the world-famous Magic Castle this past weekend. For those of you who don't know, The Magic Castle is a very exclusive private club in Hollywood, CA. It's a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts. It's also the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts of which I've been a member for the last eighteen years.
The Magic Castle is housed in an old Victorian mansion built in 1909. It was once the family home of real estate magnate, Rollin B. Lane. The Lane family moved away in the 1940s. Thomas O Glover purchased the property in 1955, and the Glover family still owns it.
After years of neglect, brothers Bill & Milt Larsen leased the property, and after much hard work, transformed the dilapidated old building into the mecca of magic that it is today, The Magic Castle opened its doors Jan. 2 1963 and after all these years, it's still going strong with magicians traveling from all over the world to visit. Although it's still a private club, guests of members are allowed to visit and on any given night you can see celebrities enjoying the evening.
There are five showrooms housed in the Castle, and this weekend I held court in the Peller Theater along with my good friend Mark Furey. It's one of the few theaters where performers are encouraged to collaborate and create something unique for the members and guests.
There is no setting quite like the Magic Castle, and I'm honored to be a part of the history of this magical place.
Lou Serrano