I've been an Associate Member of the Castle for over 15 years. To join you have to have a Magician Member sign your application. In my case it was my father-in-law. I'm pretty sure he became a member because he was exceptionally skilled at making money disappear. Especially mine.
Story for another day.
Anyway, I don't go to the Castle nearly as often as I'd like, but I was there last night with friends who hadn't been before. It was great to take in the place through their eyes.
There are three main show rooms: The Close Up room which, and I know this will come as a surprise, is close up magic. Cards and coins disappear and reappear while you're staring right at them. There's no way it can be happening and yet it is. This small, intimate room only seats about 20 people. Together with all the up-close interaction with the magician, the experience definitely feels even more exclusive and special than it already is.
The Parlor of Prestidigitation is upstairs, and it's a bigger version of the Close Up room. Various magicians perform all kinds of tricks from traditional magic to math puzzles to mind-reading.
The Palace, next to The Parlor, is where you'll see the Vegas-y kind of magic: white doves fluttering out of handkerchiefs, poofy sleeved magicians doing familiar tricks with rings and ropes, and the occasional ventriloquist which is going to creep me out no matter how old I get. Last night, the magician hosting the show did a bit where he was puppeteering a Liberace marionette, rhinestones and all. Yes, that Vegas-y. It's a show-bizzy room, but the magic is definitely there.
As any magician worth his weight in card decks will tell you, one of the main components to any good trick is misdirection. That's made a lot easier thanks to five bars spread throughout the 1908 Victorian house the Castle calls home. If you're in a hurry to make one of the shows, cocktail waitresses magically appear in the showrooms to bring your drinks. They're strong (the drinks, not the waitresses), so after one or two of them you start seeing magic even where there isn't any.
Performers change weekly, and there's an early and late performer in every room every night. These aren't the magicians you think of at your kid's birthday party. They're world class magician/comedian performers who've appeared at some of the most prestigious venues in Vegas and internationally. Watching them work, suddenly it becomes less of a hobby and more of a real profession.
My friends enjoyed the evening, and I enjoyed being able to bring them to the Castle. I believe the quality of the shows, the exclusivity of the club and the mystique the Castle has created for itself in the 47 years it's been around are the reason it continues to successfully perform its most essential trick.
Making guests reappear over and over.
1 comment:
I also appreciate the dress code. So many swanky places have relaxed their dress code, but not the castle. Coat and tie for gents, pretty dresses for ladies. It's time travel back to old Hollywood, which is a magic trick all it's own.
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