Magic Castle

The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States. The Academy was started in 1952 by William Larsen Sr., who founded Genii magazine in 1936¹. The Castle was opened on January 2, 1963 by brothers Bill and Milt Larsen, sons of William Sr and Bill's wife Irene Larsen. Once a private residence, the Castle was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1989. The Castle was purchased in April 2022 by Randy Pitchford, a grandnephew of British magician Richard Valentine Pitchford. Erika Larsen, daughter of Bill Jr. runs the property with the academy as a tenant.

The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States. The Academy was started in 1952 by William Larsen Sr., who founded Genii magazine in 1936. The Castle was opened on January 2, 1963 by brothers Bill and Milt Larsen, sons of William Sr and Bill's wife Irene Larsen. Once a private residence, the Castle was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1989. The Castle was purchased in April 2022 by Randy Pitchford, a grandnephew of British magician Richard Valentine Pitchford. Erika Larsen, daughter of Bill Jr. runs the property with the academy as a tenant.

Past presidents

Bill Larsen Jr. Ron Wilson Mark Wilson Gay Blackstone Neil Patrick Harris Jim Steinmeyer

LA Times investigation

According to coverage by the Los Angeles Times, the academy was sued four times, from 2011 to 2019, by former employees "alleging violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, which protects against sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Settlements of undisclosed terms were reached in three of the cases," and the fourth case by a discharged waitstaff was not settled at the time of the LA Times’ reporting in December 2020. General manager Joseph Furlow resigned two weeks after the LA Times investigation of "allegations of sexual misconduct, racism and other issues" in December 2020. Furlow had worked for the academy since 2012. The academy's board released a statement that a law firm had conducted a months-long investigation, and that “the findings were serious and broad-spanning, covering management, culture, human resources, operational systems and processes, and the need for systemic change.” The president of the board, Randy Sinnott Jr., said that the academy was "implementing ... recommendations from the law firm's investigation" and that "all claims brought to the attention of the Board or management are treated seriously and professionally." Furlow stated that he is "confident that the facts will reveal themselves moving forward" and that "any concerns ... were thoroughly investigated ... [he] was cleared of any wrongdoing." Member Chris Hannibal quoted in the Times investigation in 2020 stated that he has witnessed women being treated as "prey or props" and also commented on the interior architecture of the ground-floor bar that is "an open secret" that because of a steep angle women wearing dresses ascending the main staircase "'it is easy to “fully see straight up a dress'". Prior to the Castle re-opening post pandemic in 2021, changes were made to the railing which obscured the view from below. Other complaints were that the board of directors and board of trustees were majority male, eleven of the thirteen members between the two groups. Magician member Kayla Drescher in her own investigation of female vs male bookings showed the Times statistics from 2016-2018 only seven percent of booked magicians were female, and that desired rooms and prime time slots were rarely given to women. Allegations of racism also were given to the Times by former employees and magician members. The board of directors responded: "'We admit our own past shortcomings in this area. We will work steadfastly for a more diverse and inclusive club in our membership, our performers, our staff, and our outreach.'” Erika Larsen, daughter of founder Bill Larsen, said that they are "deeply saddened ... 'The Academy of Magical Arts, and its clubhouse the Magic Castle, were built on a foundation of love for the art of magic and love of community. The Larsens do not condone discrimination on the basis of race or gender, sexual harassment or any form of abuse and intimidation.'” A March 2022 election for the board expanded the number of board members from seven to nine and led by Chuck Martinez who has been an academy member forty years, Martinez told the Times that there were problems at the Castle and '"taken to heart by the entire membership ... the new board has four women on it, three of whom are officers, [and] it has two gentlemen of color. It really shows a lot of openness to turn the page and create a whole new era for the Castle.” Magician Paul Draper told the Times that when he ran for the board he had "advocated for training on diversity and inclusion" and looks forward to the Magic Castle catching up to the rest of the magic world who are embracing change. The board of trustees added more depictions of female and Black magicians to the Castle decor, but controversy over artwork of magician William Ellsworth Robinson's use of yellowface and copying the act of Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo have left members divided over the correct action to take. A sign acknowledging the "ethical concerns" was added but members question the decision to continue to display any of Robinson's images.

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