Visiting the Castle Feb. 21 & 22

[Guest]

These days, there's only one thing that lures me from Fog City to L.A.: Alma Mater in the Rose Bowl.

But a real occasion is up-coming:

One of my life-long pals, Patrick Heitkam, is working the Castle's Close-up Room Monday, 2/19 through Sunday 2/25.
He is known to one and all as being a truly charming character.
--And his show should be good: A. Fisher and Shoot O. have been putting him through his paces for weeks in advance of this appearance.

I will be at the Castle Wednesday evening the 21st, and possibly Thursday the 22nd as well.

I realize Wednesday's a school night, but it would be fun to meet some of the "regulars" down there, in addition to visiting the old cronies.

For example: May I purchase you a beverage Wednesday the 21st Mr. Biro? --I know it is a long drive from Capistrano, but what do you say Dustin, Castle on Wednesday the 21st?

For the few of you down south that have wondered who the hell castawaydave was and wanted to take a swing at him, now's you're chance--DC's back in LA on Wednesday. :cool:

P.S. If anyone that sees this can mention to Michael Weber that a long-lost acquaintance will be at the Castle the evening of 2/21, I would owe you.

[Dustin Stinett]

Sorry Dave, but I will be at a private screening of Greg MacGillivrays new film, Hurricane on the Bayou (Greg is a family friend). Amanda Shaw will be there, and (a big) maybe Meryl Streep and Jean-Michel Cousteau will be there as well. Sorry: I cant pass up that opportunity, not even for you!

Dustin

PS: Since I owe you, we are now even.

[Guest]

Now honestly, what does Meryl Streep offer that I don't?! :D

[Guest]

I thought I knew who Castaway Dave was, but now I don't. However I'll be at the Castle on Wednesday, so I'll take Dustin Stinnett's drink if it's still available.

[Guest]

What's your poison, McCabe? ;)

[Guest]

P.P.S.:
Dustin, I TOLD you that all you "owed me" was an hearty handshake if ever our paths crossed.

If I have an heart attack as the result of you know who possibly showing up you know where the evening of the 21st, oh boy will I get you.

P.P.P.S.: Do you have an "Asparagus" matchbook, with the legendary line, "Order Tickets Before Striking"? Hee hee! You will soon. As soon as you receive it, I'm one-ahead again, sucker! :p

[Guest]

I'm partial to a tall rum and coke. How will I recognize you?

[Guest]

Damn. That is a loaded question.

[Guest]

With a squeeze of lime, or no?

--How will you recognize me?! [censored].
I'll be impeccably groomed, as always, medium height, brown hair, blue eyes, navy blazer and smart/snappy tie--a look that really sets me apart. HA.

Seriously, you won't be able to miss me: I'll be dazzling.

I will be with my youngest sister (who still has never been to the Castle before, after having heard about it her whole life...she's known Patrick Heitkam, the performer we're coming to see, since she was 4 years old...) --AND a couple of buddies from USC if the timing works out.

Dustin may blow us off for Meryl Streep that night, but we can still have fun can't we?!

[Guest]

So Pete McCabe and I are sitting at the Lobby Bar late last night talking magic theory with Bill Goodwin, and we're all pretty much ready to leave, when I say "Gee Pete - it's a pity we weren't able to find castawaydave tonight."

Voila - he practically appears right next to us!!

A pleasure to meet you DC - thanks for the cool anecdotes, and for sharing the memorabilia...
:)

[Pete Biro]

Just in from World Magic Seminar and too tired to get out tonight... but will be at Castle tomorrow for lunch. :cool:

[Guest]

I have just returned from a couple of nights at the Castle which I will never forget.

I can honestly say that after all these years this was far-and-away the best visit to the Castle I have ever had. :whack: If Dustin or Mr. Weber had been able to make it after-all, my head might have exploded.

Wednesday evening we saw a show in each room (3).

I was immensly relieved that, by pure luck, in the bar after the late show (which had been EXTRA late) I over-heard a chap say, "...it was a great night! Weber was here and everything..."

(At that point I had been shuttled from show to show all night, and after initially asking if anyone knew Pete McCabe, and asking every employee to flag me down if they found him, I had been unable to seek him out, for which I was disappointed and guilty.)

"Pardon me sir, did you say Michael Weber was here this evening?"
"Are you Castawaydave? I'm Pete McCabe!--and no, Weber didn't come, we were just going to tell you that on the Genii Forum, HA!"
--and the rest is history. (I am glad I wasn't completely smashed at that time--just a bit). I dearly regret not having had the chance to further enjoy your company gentlemen: that was the one disappointment during what ended-up being my best trip to L.A. in ages. (Topped off by a feast this morning at Canter's Deli on Fairfax, a booth-away from Jason Alexander.)

I will enter more when further energy has been recovered (they were 2--really--LATE nights).

With your indulgence I would like to review the acts I saw which were uniformly very good.
I know I am not the only one that has, at one-time or another, gotten to the Castle feeling psyched, only to see cringe-inducing acts.

Not only am I proud of my friend, Patrick Heitkam's debut there, everybody else as well was charming, entertaining, and technically very good. Every audience that I was in could not have seemed more pleased.

Tomorrow I will briefly review the acts we saw, because I believe word should get around about how good they all were.

Thanks for everything, everybody. I don't think it will be a month before I'll HAVE to get down there again--and this time we can session...

Best--CastawayDaveCox

P.S.--will now start my glass-disc research. :D

[Dustin Stinett]

Glad to hear you had a great time even without my magnificent presence. :D

[Guest]

Greetings, folks.

Well, the best laid plans, as they say. As mentioned above I'd hoped and planned on reviewing the acts I saw at the Castle last week, but have been side-tracked for a few days to say the least. NOW I do not remember all the details, but still wanted to mention the following chaps, as they were all quite good.

I attended the shows with my sister, who is mid-30s and has grown up around magicians her whole life. I was extremely pleased that she got to see good acts.

In the close-up room, saw one of 2 performers, my long-time friend Patrick Heitkam during his debut week. It is great to see a friend who has put in the work really do well. He started by making a bottle of beer appear, from which he sipped occasionally during his card work. Despite the fact that his two at-the-table helpers weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, he handled them with bon homie, and included them in virtually every effect. He did a rising card as one spectator held the cards in the case, and a highlight was a multiple selection routine (he told me he uses the Tamariz stack) including a card under beer bottle revelation and a repeat card under beer bottle with another selection. I am biased, but I believe my old pal did a great job, and my audience seemed to agree.

In the Palace of Mystery, saw a stage show where Mr. Terry Elton served as MC, and he was outstanding. His first bit was a vanishing and re-appearing salt routine that had the audience in stitches from the start. He did In-N-Outer Boxes, and routines throughout the show with that droll confidence a guy gets from having success with them hundreds of times...He was one of the best MCs I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

The first act on the bill was SFERZA: two chaps from Italy. One played acoustic guitar, while the other performed manipulations. I liked their act. It was well done. It reminded me of street performers I have seen in Europe, but with a much higher level of professionalism. The manipulator performed fans and card productions, and repeatedly scaled the cards into the audience. He also did Zombie. It was not a bad routine, but this is the world-wide magic-mecca. It was at that point my sister whispered, "Didn't you win your 8th grade talent show with that trick?"...(Yes. $25!!) But I liked their act. The guitar player was very good, and that gave the act a real atmosphere.

The Headliner for the Palace was a graduate of the Castle Juniors program named JOSEPH TRAN. He did some of the best dove steals I have ever (not) seen.
[An aside: he seemed to be a bit rough with the birds just as he was producing them--as if in one last proof of, "I could never wrench around the cloth like this if there was anything in it, could I? But of course, I knew the doves were already stolen, and I worried about the poor things.]
That said, he produced 6 doves, and put 3 each into 2 cages. The first he made vanish, the 2nd instantly turned 3 doves into a big fat rabbit. He closed with a production number where (in a nutshell) he changed a Barbi doll into a real girl.
The audience was very appreciative.

Finally (after a LONG delay, because the show in the Palace ran long--they were killing...) In the Parlour of Prestidigitation, we got to watch ALFONSO, who I was told is the current longest performing member of the Castle having debuted there in 1981.
He did a classic parlor show: linking rings, color-changing silk, 6-card repeat, and he was at times hilarious. He is a good looking, good natured guy, and he had the crowd, which by that time of night was half-lit and boisterous (including your humble correspondent) in the palm of his hand and fairly crying with laughter.

I included the couple of minor criticisms above merely because I am a bitch. Over-all it was the best evening of magic I have seen in years.

My sister was impressed and had a time she won't forget, so thankfully I won't have to go through life hearing about how over-rated it is down there, etc.

I just wish Dustin had been there! Thanks again, LA.

[Guest]

By the way, Terrence: Because of your info, I immediately registered the domain castawaydave.com

I hope to have it up in a couple weeks. Thanks again!