Inside the Magic Castle with
Rocco Silano
words by Elizabeth Johnson, photos by Robert Todd Williamson
Have you never been to the Magic Castle but longed to from afar as you drove by its wonderment on your way up to Yamashiro? We at h were curious, so when world-reknowned magician Rocco Silano invited us to check out his show, he had us at abracadabra. Recently on a breezy Spring night, dressed in our fancy clothes, we entered the Magic Castle where a sparkling array of mysterious gems including secret rooms, moving bookcases, friendly piano playing ghosts, and a host of fascinating characters were on hand to guide us through the magical lore of the world’s most
prestigious magic club.
We say the secret word and get through the first door. Open Sesame! It is like stepping back in time. Everybody is dressed to the nines and there’s a hushed tone in this magic mansion as nobody wants to break the spell that surrounds the castle which (built back in 1908) telepathcially brings Los Angeles history to its welcomed guests. As we head to the old-fashioned bar for a magic potion, we witness our first dissappearing act of the night; there are no cell phone chatting/texting junkies in sight. We ramble though the series of five rustic dining areas which hold intimate birthday parties, romantic dinners, and groups of old friends (and new) sharing in the pre-magic show feasting.
We continue through the Castle, passing an abundance of magic memorabilia. It’s a fascinating maze with all sorts of secret compartments and magicians at every turn waiting to amaze you. We grab a glass of red wine at another bar deeper in the mansion and meet the delightful president of this illustrious Castle, Milt Larsen. He is holding one card up and asks me to tell him what it is. I blurt out ‘Five of Diamonds,’ as he mischievously hands it over to me. It reads, Sorry I Don’t Do Card Tricks! We all laugh and are treated to his (one can only guess once-in-a-lifetime) tour of the entire Castle which includes a seance room with a myriad of memorable Houdini artifacts. Larsen, who wrote for NBC’s Truth or Consequences, was pivitol in turning the once privately owned mansion into The Magic Castle which first opened its doors in 1963. And he can’t speak highly enough of the mind blowing and award winning Rocco, so with that prompting, it’s showtime.
We file into the cozy theater which is filling up quickly with enthusiastic patrons of all ages and await Rocco, who is best known for his sleeving techniques. The waitress does her handy magic, and the show begins. It is nothing short of amazing. Rocco does things with pretzels you can’t even imagine. The magic up his sleeve is captivating and the audience is appropriately enthralled.
Rocco Silano has been doing his unique magic for the better part of three decades now. Hailing from Paterson, New Jersey, he started performing at the Magic Castle in 1982 in his early twenties. And he has consisently performed here ever since. His list of awards are impressive and include a total of 10 nominations by the Magic Castle’s very own Academy of Magical Arts. He won the 2000 Merlin Award for Magician of the Year, and the 2003 Merlin Award for Best Cabaret Magic. This made him the only magician to ever win two consecutive Merlin Awards in the history of the International Magician’s Society. Rocco is also the only American to win awards at two FISM (International Federation of Magic Societies) World Tournaments: in 1994 in Yokohama, Japan and in 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden. He’s performed on stages all over the world including some of the most remote parts of the planet. No stranger to television, currently he can be seen on VH1’s new celebrity magic reality series, Celebracadabra! in which lends a hand as an advisor and guide for the contestants.
We were fortunate to wind down with Rocco after his last performance of the evening. I wonder if he’s ever dreamt of any magic tricks that he was able to incorporate into his act. He responds, “That is so funny you ask that. Just the other night I dreamt of two magic tricks that worked. I think our subconscious mind is at work while we sleep and our brain translates that for us.”
He also fills us in on how he came to the world of magic: “When Elvis Presley died in 1977, I was 16-years-old. I wasn’t doing magic at that point. Anyway, I read in the newspaper he died reading the bible in his bathroom. I was like, ‘a rock and roll star died reading the bible?’ That’s what got me interested because through magic, I can show people minor miracles. My father also influenced me greatly and I studied the personalities of screen heroes like Zorro and James Bond so I could integrate them into my act.” I can’t help but wonder what his family felt about his profession in the early days anyway. “In the beginning they thought I was crazy. They wanted me to go into the family business and wanted me to be a shoe cobbler. I studied hard and started out doing parties. I’d get 100 bucks here and there. Then, in 1986, I won the Golden Lion Award for Best Stage Magician in Las Vegas (presented by Siegfried and Roy), and that’s when my family said, ‘he’s going to be alright.’”
And I wonder what one of the most interesting or unusual moments Rocco has had being a magician? “People think there’s divine intervention in magic. They think you’re spiritual and they want to touch you. In Singapore this guy came by with his baby son who was dying and asked if I can save him. People think you can read their minds too and they have actually sent me money to buy lottery tickets! My favorite part of magic is the applause and knowing I’ve touched lives.”
I wonder, if like with any other profession, there’s an occupational hazard, so I ask, ‘Do all of your friends and complete strangers ask you to perform tricks all the time?’ He laughs. “Oh yes. At first it was fun to be asked to do tricks in my personal life and I did it because I felt people expected it from me and I didn’t want to deprive them. At this point however, I won’t go to certain stores or restaurants because I know people will ask me to do a trick and my girlfriend hates it. Now, it’s only for the stage because there’s a time and a place.” As the night is coming to a close, I race to my last question. I have to know, ‘Is there any trick you haven’t done yet, that you’d like to attempt?’ Rocco smiles, “I’d like to raise my father from the dead. Other than that, I’ve done it all on stage.”
Info on The Magic Castle:
You do need to be a member (definitely worth looking into, http://www.magiccastle.com/), or have a member or magician invite you to the Magic Castle. Perhaps do a six-degrees-of-seperation. You must know somebody in L.A. who has the magic connections? Ask around and I guarantee somebody will know somebody (who will know somebody) who can invite you up. If you are an aspiring magician, this is exactly where you want to be. They have special membership programs, classes, and mentors waiting for you.
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