Magic Castle Larsen Legacy

[Alan Bursky]

I posted on the Castle forum today. Supporting the Genii forum and Genii magazine. Let's see how long it stay s up. I don't check in for 1 day and I find Dustin and I are now BFF. LOL. In 17 months we can take our club back.

[Magic Randy]

I posted on the Castle forum today. Supporting the Genii forum and Genii magazine. Let's see how long it stay s up. I don't check in for 1 day and I find Dustin and I are now BFF. LOL. In 17 months we can take our club back.

Looks like your post is still there, but it's very strange what's going on. I bet they wish they had not confiscated Milt's menus.

[Donal Chayce]

Looks like your post is still there, but it's very strange what's going on. I bet they wish they had not confiscated Milt's menus.

...or edited, then censored, Eugene Burger's video interview.

[Terrence]

or removed Brian Glicker's post from the Forum when he complained about that.

[Dustin Stinett]

I don't check in for 1 day and I find Dustin and I are now BFF. LOL.

After all these years you didn't know that we could fart in the same Coke bottle?

[Richard Kaufman]

Dustin, that is disgusting.

[Dustin Stinett]

Yes, perhaps, but there is a certain elegancea subtle perfection if you willin the symbiosis between a disgusting fart joke and the rest of this thread.

[Richard Kaufman]

I don't want to read about farts at all on here! Or anywhere, for that matter.

[000]

How much does membership cost per annum?
I understand there are different categories, but the cost thereof is not mentioned on the Castle website (yes,I understand one must audition)

Also: how much do 'guests' pay, at the door, and to watch the shows? And how much does a half decent meal cost? ( sans liquor)

[mai-ling]

i have the brochure but its in my backed up email.
i want to say its around $350 or so?

Other than that, you don't pay any dues unless you are a
Honorary Lifetime Member. that i know for sure.

[Dustin Stinett]

How much does membership cost per annum?
I understand there are different categories, but the cost thereof is not mentioned on the Castle website (yes,I understand one must audition)

Also: how much do 'guests' pay, at the door, and to watch the shows? And how much does a half decent meal cost? ( sans liquor)

Regular (resident) membership is about $500 a year.

The door charge is $20 or $25 these days, plus guests of members (who are not with the member) must have dinner.

Dinner is an average of about $25 per person without a cocktail.

Dustin

[000]

Thanks. And for those members out of town (or state)?
And does the 'door' charge for guests cover all 'show' charges?

[John Signa]

Dues are half for Non-local members.
Cover charge includes shows except for special events.

[KirkG]

Dustin,

If you are talking about meals in the dining room, you will need to up your average. Side dishes are extra, and unless you eat only appetizers, you will be closer to double that amount.

The menu is available on the Magic Castle Website with prices.

[Richard Kaufman]

You're looking at near $50 per person without dessert, booze, tax, and tip. For two people, probably $150.

A far cry from the Festelboard for under $15! BRING IT BACK.

[Chris Aguilar]

Sounds like fine dining prices for mediocre food.

[KirkG]

The food quality is actually pretty good. A lot of changes being made since the AMA got back control of the Food and Beverage. They still have a low cost salad option, but if you are going out for a magical experience evening, I don't think many will cheap out and just get a salad.

[Max Maven]

Richard, the Festalboard was discontinued primarily for health reasons. Leaving that large salad bar in that particular location made for some rather dicey bacterial options.

As for the pricing, get your facts straight. The cost of dinner varies. Three nights a week, there's a low-priced member's special (which changes each week). On Monday and Tuesday, it's $19. On Wednesday, $15. The normal meals range from $19 to $48 (the latter being steak plus lobster), and those include a dinner salad and two sides (a starch and a vegetable, depending on the dish). Yes, extra sides are sold separately, as are drinks, appetizers, soups, specialty salads and desserts.

That said, visiting the Magic Castle for the food is like visiting a brothel for the dcor.

[Brad Henderson]

The beef wellington is worth a trip. Not a super duper long trip, but a trip.

[Seuss]

Based on that menu there must not be many vegetarians among the members.

[Richard Kaufman]

Max, I just looked at the menu and totalled up what seemed like an average for an appetizer, a main course (and not the most expensive, the Beef Wellington), and a side dish. Didn't even include desert in my calculation.

I say "Bring back the Festleboard!" Put it in a different spot if you like.

[KirkG]

RE: vegetarians

There are only a few and we have a couple of standard menu items for them and the chef will also make ups something special, if told about it.

It hasn't been much of an issue over the years. Perhaps as more become health conscious, we will adapt.

That being said, I will disagree with Max's analogy. As dinner is mandatory and at these prices, I want it to be part of a positive experience. We have had many complaints in the past and MANY raves recently.

My number was based on the average ticket price for an average guest visiting. I tell them to budget $100 per person for all costs associated with the night and if they go home with some in their pocket, so much the better.

[Dustin Stinett]

Okay: So the average is $33 (sans extras that I never bother with; there's plenty on the plate). Better now? And yes, I think the food is good. (Now I'm hungry.)

[KirkG]

I still think the average total for the average guest will be higher, but your mileage may vary. :-)

[Richard Kaufman]

No ... on average you'll drop $50 a person without dessert, tax, tip, or booze.

[Alan Bursky]

non member parking $8.00
plus door charge for non members on weekend $25.00 per person.

[Magic Randy]

I agree with Richard. Plan on spending $50/person plus tax/tip/desert/drinks.

I will also say that the food is very good.

And you can get a vegetarian food, but there should be more choices - I'm sure this will improve over time.

[houdini's ghost]

A couple of weeks ago, I think it was July 21, there was a young adult night, I went with my son and his friend, we all ate what we wanted, enjoyed it very much, added the french fries and the garlic bread to our entrees, and it was 89 bucks including a 20% tip. My kid had a coke, the girl and I had water--which was what we wanted.
A week ago, my kid, another friend and I ventured into the Castle on the last young adult night for awhile without dinner reservations. The place was mobbed. Everybody very polite, but, very long lines. The boys had burgers they ordered at the bar along with The truffle fries, the onion rings, and the garlic bread. They washed it all down with cokes. $45 with tip. And we didn't see any shows but had fun. The friend was taken by the furnishings and atmosphere--reminded him of Indiana Jones, he said.
Now, if it were the old days, and I was at the Castle with Dave Carradine or Bob Hays--even with the prices as low as they used to be at the bar--I guess those low prices were courtesy of Tom Glover because if he'd charged the rent the property was worth, booze and everything else would've cost more--if it were the old days, we could have spent as much as a million or so bucks at the bar, and had fun doing it.
If you're drinking, the bill goes up fast. My people and I, all being actors, tend to skip dessert--but that dessert can only get you once--but, if one is drinking, having fun and is confident he can get home okay, he (or she) can really run up a bill.
I think this is as it should be.
And don't talk to me wistfully of the festalboard. The food is better now. Tell you what, though, in its day, the festalboard was the best thing next to getting a free sandwich with your beer, except the bread was cheap, sliced, white bread and cheap, sliced, pretend wheat bread, so those of us who liked to assemble a Dagwood from it learned to bring our own bread--sourdough, rye.
Food's better right now. Could change.

[Joe Skilton]

I'm performing at the Castle again this week, and all of my guests (all of whom are paying just like any normal visitor) agree that prices are perfectly fine.

The food has improved greatly! Our head chef was previously at the Ritz in Pasadena, and the new menu is fantastic and worth every penny. Truffle fries = awesome! FYI: my wife had the vegetarian last week and loved it.

The valet parking at $8 is a fraction of what you'll pay on Sunset Blvd, and less than in the self-park lot next door without validation.

For members it is dirt cheap, and for less than $100 per person, your guests are seeing some of the best magicians in the world! This week we have Derek DelGaudio, Jamy Ian Swiss, Gregory Willson, Dan Sperry and many more.

For talent like this... the prices are a steal. What more could ya want?

[Richard Kaufman]

It's important to look at the Castle the way laymen do: as a very exclusive private club with a mystique. They are under the impression that it's difficult to get in.

So, for a night out, for their money they are getting entre into the exclusive club, dinner, and multiple shows. I think most laymen leave extremely satisfied.

[Steve Bryant]

You will find some interesting, and mostly quite favorable, reviews from laymen dining at the Castle here:
Yelp reviews

Meanwhile, here's an interesting New Year's Eve menu from Castle days gone by:

Salad: Kentucky Limestone Lettuce Salad with tarragon vinegar and oil dressing, proscuitto ham coronets, and sliced California mushrooms.

Breast of Pheasant, bordelaise, with fresh broccoli, hollandaise, wild Canadian rise with toasted almonds, and Belgian carrots au rum.

And fresh strawberry shortcake.

The price: $15 plus tax and tip, a recommended total of $18. The year: NYE 1971 turning into 1972.

[Maurice Newman]

Steve to put things into proper focus the price of gasoline in 1971 was about thirty cents a gallon. Now compare that to today's prices. If the food costs went up the same ten times as the gas prices went up what would the average meal cost be at the Magic Castle?

Just something to think about.

[Larry Horowitz]

Since we hired the new chef, I have never gotten gas at the castle.

[Richard Kaufman]

Larry, I guess you never noticed us sneak by and put Beano in your glass. :)

[Terrence]

TMI RK!, LOL! :D

Come to think of it, I believe one of the censors is some Irish/Spanish gentleman named Regular O'Premium.

:cry:

[Alan Bursky]

This thread is about keeping the Larsen Legacy at the Castle. Not turning it into a venue! Without the suits running the place who know nothing about magic. About the B.O.D. being the boss, not the people they hire. About free speech on the forum.

[Richard Kaufman]

How can people who've been hired prevent the Board of Directors from doing their job?

[Magic Newswire]

Good question.

[Steve Bryant]

I am curious -- is there still a low-cost dining option for magician members on given nights?

[Dave V]

That was posted by Max Maven just two days ago. It's about halfway up this page.

... Three nights a week, there's a low-priced member's special (which changes each week). On Monday and Tuesday, it's $19. On Wednesday, $15. ...