Hollywood Showmanship for the Exclusive: The Magic Castle
Undoubtedly one of the most interesting and bizarre places I've been to... Hollywood's the Magic Castle. Never heard of this place until two weeks ago, when a friend included me in an e-mail saying that she could invite 7 people to this place. I looked at its website briefly and confirmed my participation, understanding that it's a club for magicians of some sort. Most people would also probably have never heard of this place because to enter the Castle, formally titled the Academy of Magical Arts, you have to be invited by someone who's part of the society (much like the Jonathan Club in downtown LA). Aside from that, all I knew was that the dinner fare was expensive and that I had to wear a full suit and tie. Fortunately for us, we were spared having to cash out on their food 'cause we were put on a VIP list.
And here begins the trip: Friday night, USC's graduation day, after work.
The drive into Hollywood, as always, was crazy (to me it's way worse than downtown LA). The place, fortunately, was not too difficult to find, despite being situated in the very busy area. It set itself apart by being on top of a steep hill, overlooking part of Hollywood.
I envisioned this place as some kind of Harry Potter land, suitable for the entire family. The moment after I left my car to the valet and saw a "21 and over" sign at the entry confirmed otherwise. From that moment on I got a better sense of the vibe: no photography inside besides the exterior and the lobby, tie-and-jacket strictly enforced. Watching three savvy-looking couples sitting by the entry, I dawned my tie, jacket, and observed the facade.The outside of the "castle" wasn't too far from the feel of Harry Potter stuff, but was much smaller than what I'd anticipated. Upon dawning my tie and jacket, I decided to go inside and see if the party had arrived. The gentlemen at the door asked to see my ID, *and* asked if he could adjust my collar for me - which I granted permission to. Then I was ready to go in. The Victorian-styled "lobby," looking more like a secret library room with shelves and portraits on the wall (has the feel of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride) was dim, very small (about 5m x 5m), and sat behind the counter two ladies. One relatively friendly looking (whom I guess is an apprentice), and the other prettier but had a cold look on her face that made me uncomfortable. I gave them the host's name to no avail, and the lady looked at me skeptically (or so I thought). And so I continued to wait outside and gave the host a call. By 7:30PM, the 7 of us were there (the host, my classmate, two of the host's friends, and the host's parents) and I entered through the castle's doors once more. This time, when the host herself asked, the ladies behind the counters granted us access and gave us instructions on how to enter the castle: "Say open sesame to the owl." There behind us, perched on the bookshelf, was the statue of an owl with electronically blinking red eyes.
"Open sesame," our host said to the owl. A few seconds later, the bookshelf slid open, and there opened a world to what could be described as... socialites aged between their forties to fifties, all looking very well-established and sharply dressed, with glasses of wine in their hands talking and laughing in a mid-sized bar lobby, also dimly lit with the same Victorian-styled decor. The party and myself felt out of place; our attire was well, but our age set us apart.
To be continued...
And here begins the trip: Friday night, USC's graduation day, after work.
The drive into Hollywood, as always, was crazy (to me it's way worse than downtown LA). The place, fortunately, was not too difficult to find, despite being situated in the very busy area. It set itself apart by being on top of a steep hill, overlooking part of Hollywood.
I envisioned this place as some kind of Harry Potter land, suitable for the entire family. The moment after I left my car to the valet and saw a "21 and over" sign at the entry confirmed otherwise. From that moment on I got a better sense of the vibe: no photography inside besides the exterior and the lobby, tie-and-jacket strictly enforced. Watching three savvy-looking couples sitting by the entry, I dawned my tie, jacket, and observed the facade.The outside of the "castle" wasn't too far from the feel of Harry Potter stuff, but was much smaller than what I'd anticipated. Upon dawning my tie and jacket, I decided to go inside and see if the party had arrived. The gentlemen at the door asked to see my ID, *and* asked if he could adjust my collar for me - which I granted permission to. Then I was ready to go in. The Victorian-styled "lobby," looking more like a secret library room with shelves and portraits on the wall (has the feel of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride) was dim, very small (about 5m x 5m), and sat behind the counter two ladies. One relatively friendly looking (whom I guess is an apprentice), and the other prettier but had a cold look on her face that made me uncomfortable. I gave them the host's name to no avail, and the lady looked at me skeptically (or so I thought). And so I continued to wait outside and gave the host a call. By 7:30PM, the 7 of us were there (the host, my classmate, two of the host's friends, and the host's parents) and I entered through the castle's doors once more. This time, when the host herself asked, the ladies behind the counters granted us access and gave us instructions on how to enter the castle: "Say open sesame to the owl." There behind us, perched on the bookshelf, was the statue of an owl with electronically blinking red eyes.
"Open sesame," our host said to the owl. A few seconds later, the bookshelf slid open, and there opened a world to what could be described as... socialites aged between their forties to fifties, all looking very well-established and sharply dressed, with glasses of wine in their hands talking and laughing in a mid-sized bar lobby, also dimly lit with the same Victorian-styled decor. The party and myself felt out of place; our attire was well, but our age set us apart.
To be continued...