The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a historical fiction novel written by Elizabeth George Speare. It was first published in 1958 and is set in the 17th century in the Puritan New England colony of Connecticut. The story revolves around the protagonist, Katherine "Kit" Tyler, a young girl who is forced to leave her home in Barbados after her grandfather's death. Upon arriving in Connecticut, Kit finds it difficult to adjust to the strict and rigid lifestyle of the Puritans. She is seen as different by the townspeople due to her free-spirited nature and aversion to hard work. Kit finds solace in the company of an older woman named Hannah Tupper, who is believed to be a witch by the community due to her unconventional ways.

Magic castle los angeles dress code

A couple of years ago, two of our friends told us about their amazing visit to The Magic Castle in Los Angeles. At the the time, their mention of the Castle was like a record screeching: the Magic what!?

I had never heard of the Castle, but they explained that it's the private clubhouse for over 5,000 magicians who are a part of the Academy of Magical Arts. It's where they take master classes to learn new effects, practice their magic informally in front of guests at the bar, and attend lectures. There was only one problem: it's invitation only.

This, obviously, only made me very determined to get in.

I added a visit to The Magic Castle to my 30 Before 30 bucket list earlier this year and spent the following months trying to score an invite. I'm sure if you live in LA and know people who know people, it's infinitely easier, but for me, getting into The Magic Castle required some work. I followed everyone who hashtagged or geotagged the Castle on Twitter and Instagram, in hopes that they would share their methods. I followed dozens of magicians who lived in LA. And then I started getting smarter about my strategies.

The Magic Castle posts their roster of magicians six weeks out. Each of those performers are allotted guest passes, so I started to reach out to various magicians on Twitter and mention that I'd love to see them perform.

When it turned out that magicians aren't necessarily super into their social media accounts. I decided that I needed to take it a step further. I started watching videos of magicians that were on the upcoming schedule and when I found one that I was really wowed by, I sent them an email mentioning specific things about their performance that I was impressed with. And then I played dumb and asked them where I could buy tickets to their upcoming show at the Magic Castle. When one of them finally responded, he emailed me a guest pass that was good for me and five guests, and sent me his set times as well. We were in!

Once you get a guest invite to the Magic Castle, you have to book your dinner reservations (unless the magician has waived that requirement for you, but I don't think this happens often). Dinner reservations are mandatory to get in and there's no way around getting out of them. You have to book the reservations with a credit card. If you cancel, you'll be charged per head. If you go to the Castle and no-show to your dinner, you'll be charged per head. The good news is that the food is delicious. But more on that later.

Reservations for Friday and Saturday night book up really far in advance (4-6 weeks), so book as soon as you can to get the time slot you want. I had originally been aiming for the earliest dinner seating so that we wouldn't have to scramble to make it into some of the bigger shows at night, but by the time I reserved a table the only seating for four people was at 9:45pm.

Once we had our night at the Castle booked, I went about planning a whole Hollywood weekend around it. First, I looked high and low for an AirBnB in Hollywood and eventually stumbled onto the perfect one. It was a beautiful building called The Fontenoy and was so incredibly central to everything we had planned that weekend. Supposedly actors like Johnny Depp and Nicholas Cage are among some of the former tenants. And most importantly, it had a parking spot.

We made the long 4-hour drive up to Los Angeles on a Friday afternoon, checked into our AirBnB, got glammed up (The Magic Castle has a strict formal dress code!), and headed down to the street for a drink. A bar called Royal was around the corner and we kicked off our night with a brew and a frozen mango margarita before taking an Uber over to the Castle.

Had I known just how close we were to the Castle, I would have suggested we skip the Uber and walk over. Others had mentioned that the Castle was on top of a steep hill, but really it was only a steepish driveway that led to the entrance. The Castle itself is a giant mansion in plain sight, totally visible from the street. Our Uber pulled up into the dropoff zone where we met our friends Bonnie and Jason who were relaxing on the smoking patio near that entrance.

Because there is a strict "no photos allowed" rule inside the Castle, we took a few pictures all fancied up outside in front, then headed into the club's entrance.

Once inside, we were in a small room that was decorated like a library. We checked in with the hostess and paid our entrance fee ($30pp on weekend nights), grabbed our programs for the night and then said the not-so-secret password "Open Sesame!" to the owl on the wall so that a door disguised as a bookshelf could slide open for us.

The hallway from the front lobby led us to The Grand Salon, an open area with a bar, restrooms, a stairwell, a sitting area where a close-up magician was practicing his magic on guests, and an area to line up for the Close Up Gallery, where our first show of the evening was. Luckily, there was no line, so we grabbed drinks at the bar and managed to grab the last four seats in the 18-person theater. The Close Up Gallery is awesome and the seats are so, so comfortable.

There we saw Rich Crowley, a magician who originally hailed from Philly, perform some pretty solid card tricks over the course of a brief, 15-minute show. Rich was very entertaining, and I would later realize that pretty much every magician at the Castle is a fantastic comedian as well.

After the show, I asked the bartender how I could get someone to give us a tour of the Castle. I'd read that this was an option that wasn't often mentioned, and I definitely wanted to take advantage of it. The bartender found a Castle Knight, Carlo Panno, for us and we set off on an awesome tour of the Castle with him. He pointed out the piano-playing ghost, Irma, who plays almost any song requested out loud near her, showed us the Museum room where some of Houdini's magic props were housed in glass (though the magicians don't know or don't say which ones are his), and pointed out one of Johnny Carson's old backdrops that sits behind The Owl Bar.

He told us that Neil Patrick Harris had been a member of the Castle since his Dougie Howser days before he became President of the Academy for two years in 2013. He also showed us a letter from Cary Grant lauding the Castle for the great time he'd had there and requesting tickets well in advance for an upcoming event. We went downstairs to the W.C. Fields bar inside the Inner Circle Ballroom and saw the Library, which has one of the most extensive collections of magic tricks in the world.

Overall, it was a fantastic tour, and we got some great insider tips on the lineup from our Knight. For one, he insisted we not miss Brian Gillis, a close up magician and mentalist who was about to perform at the W.C. Fields bar in a few minutes. So we sidled into four seats around the performance mat and ordered drinks, including a round of NPH's, Manhattans named after Dougie himself.

Then my mind got blown.

I mean just. blown. Brian performed for just the four of us at first and was essentially no more than one foot away the whole time. This is important because we had NO idea how he was making these tricks happen. I don't want to give away his set because it's my hope that this will encourage you to see himself yourself, but let's just say I cried and dropped a lot of F-bombs because I was just so, so shocked and awed by all of his tricks. It's no wonder that he's known as Johnny Carson's favorite magician.

After Brian's performance we went to see two acts perform back-to-back in the Peller Theater, a ventriloquist named Rob Watkins with his dummy Eucalyptus, and a banjo-playing magician named El Ropo who performed a series of rope tricks. Then we went upstairs to grab a seat at the table of another magician recommended by our Knight, a card magician named Bill Joslin who was performing informally right next to The Upstairs Bar for tables of about 8 guests at a time. Again. mind blown.

Without realizing where the past 3.5 hours had gone, it was time for dinner. I'd read mixed Yelp reviews about the food at the Castle, mostly from bitter people who felt overcharged. But our meals were absolutely delicious, as was the wine Jason selected. I ordered the Garden Risotto and Ryan got the Jidori Chicken and we were both very happy with our selections. Ordering entrees also got us guaranteed entry into the biggest show of the night, the Palace of Mystery.

When we were done with our meals, we headed down there to get a good seat and ordered our drinks for the show from a cocktail waitress. To be honest, by this point, I was getting a bit tired and hazy so I don't remember too much from the show, but we watched a fantastic mime and juggler, Lindsay Benner, perform her one-woman show before two illusionists took the stage.

Finally, it was time for the very last show of the night, the magician we were invited by, Johnny Ace Palmer, performing in the Parlour of Prestidigitation. Johnny is a fantastic magician and he closed the evening for us by pulling an actual rabbit out of a hat. the perfect way to end a night at the Castle. I made sure to rush up to him after and thank him for inviting us and managed to get a rare picture inside the Castle with him!

Spilling out into the night with the rest of the crowd from the Parlour we decided to ham it up a bit more in front of the Step-And-Repeat screen outside of the entrance. as you can see we had dissolved into a giggly mess after seven hours of non-stop magic and drinks.

My first time at The Magic Castle was nothing short of perfection. maybe one of my favorite nights ever. I had an amazing time and am just still so in awe of the magicians we saw, the food, and the building itself. Even though it is an expensive night out, you definitely get your money's worth if you do it right. Don't miss out on getting a tour from a Knight, because aside from all of the performances that was a major highlight for me!

So if you haven't already, make The Magic Castle a must-do on your Los Angeles bucket list, suspend your disbelief for a night and settle in for some libations, glamour and of course. magic.

Next to the best attractions in Hollywood.

Arrive as gates open, the hotel is approximately 7 minutes away. Thrill the family with rides, breathtaking shows, some of Los Angeles' best shops and restaurants –you might even see a star or two? Let our staff help you find the best transportation so you can get the whole family there and enjoy the attractions as soon as possible.

• Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Walking Dead Attraction, Waterworld, Universal's Animal Actors.
• Go behind the scenes on the World-Famous Studio Tour
• Shops, restaurants, and rides.
• 19-screen Universal Cinema at CityWalk.

Chinese Theater

You are a 4-minute walk from the historic Chinese Theater (originally Grauman's Chinese Theatre) in Hollywood. It is the most famous location for blockbuster premieres since 1927. Walk down and see the latest IMAX movie in a historical setting or dive into the history of the theater with a VIP tour. Ask our staff for help in making arrangements.

• See the Forecourt of the Stars, hand, and footprints in the cement.
• Take the VIP Theater Tour, discover the theater history.
• Watch a movie in the recently updated 932-seat IMAX custom theater.
• See film premieres with the biggest stars.
• A short walk from the Magic Castle Hotel ® .

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Walk a block down Orange drive, and the first star you'll see is Ethel Barrymore, queen of the American theater and great aunt to Drew Barrymore. Magic Castle Hotel ® is a 4-minute walk from one of Hollywood's most famous sites since 1960. These sidewalk embedded brass and terrazzo-pink stars are Hollywood's tradition of honoring those who contribute to the film and recording arts. 10 million people a year, walk these sidewalks with their head down and stars in their eyes.

• 55 years of Hollywood memories.
• 2,600 stars honoring contributions to film, television, music, and theatrical arts.
• Star ceremonies are free to the public. No tickets required.
• For upcoming ceremonies, visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame website.

Madame Toussauds Hollywood

For over 250 years Madame Toussauds has given curious fans a chance to rub shoulders with the famous. Walk down the street from your suite and share a selfie with your favorite "Old-Hollywood" icons and "Insta"-famous celebrities. Though it's open nearly every day, ask our staff about ordering advanced tickets or tips on group rate deals.

• 125+ celebrity figures and 13 interactive theme rooms.
• New Virtual Reality group experience room.
• Private events are available.

Magic Castle Club

One of the hardest places to get in to in all of Los Angeles. This historic Victorian Mansion has been home to the private club, Magic Castle since 1965. Guests who have booked directly with our hotel, or with a live travel agent (no 3rd party booking sites) are granted access to this one of a kind experience.

Enjoy dinner in their beautiful dining room 7 nights a week, and watch some of the greatest magicians perform in one of many showrooms throughout the mansion. There are 5 bars throughout the club and drinks can be brought in to all showrooms. all guests must be at least 21 years old and adhere to their strict dress code, which includes jacket and tie for men.

Bring the kids to the weekend brunch. Dress code is more relaxed but reservations are required and availability is not guaranteed with a hotel reservation.

When you book your room, let us know that you are interested in attending, and we'll contact the club to see if they have a reservation available. We recommend booking 1-2 months in advance.

For more details, including dress code, cover charge, and code of conduct, visit the Magic Castle Club visiting guide.

• Elegant Dining Room.
• Multiple theaters with performers ranging from close-up magicians to stage show illusionists.
• Historic landmark.
• Open to kids on Saturday and Sunday for Brunch.
• Unique memorabilia and vintage magic posters.

Yamashiro

The glorious hilltop view of the city skyline is just up the hill behind you. When you reach the celebrated Yamashiro restaurant, the peaceful gardens and remarkable architecture are a reflection of the delicious Japanese-fusion dining experience. We're happy to make your reservation.

• 1914 replica of a Kyoto palace in the Yamashiro province mountains.
• Sunday brunch is available.
• Hollywood Night Market, Thursday nights through the summer, featuring local musicians, vendors, artists, and foods.

LA's Magic Castle: The Complete Guide to the Members-Only Mansion

Carrie Bell is a California native who has been covering travel, entertainment, and weddings for more than a decade. She is currently TripSavvy's Los Angeles expert.

TripSavvy / Christian Hundley

The Magic Castle

The Magic Castle is a members-only clubhouse in the heart of Hollywood that has been conjuring up good times full of prime rib and prestidigitation since 1963. Read on to learn about the spellbinding siblings who founded it, the tricks and treats hidden inside, and how to become one of the lucky few to venture inside to mingle with magicians, famous fans, and an ivory-tickling specter.

Kit finds solace in the company of an older woman named Hannah Tupper, who is believed to be a witch by the community due to her unconventional ways. As the story progresses, Kit befriends Mercy and Judith, two young girls from a Puritan family. She also catches the attention of their older brother, William.

History

Pasadena attorney William Larsen quit his successful day job to pursue magic full-time — touring with his wife (Geri) and two sons (Bill and Milt) as The Larsen Family of Magicians for much of 1930s and '40s — and starting an enthusiast magazine called Genii. When travel was restricted during World War II, he bought the Thayer Magic Company, held shows in the local studio, and turned his Hancock Park estate into a gathering place for magicians. In 1951, he formed the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA) and made Genii subscribers the first members. After his death in 1955, Geri and Bill continued publishing, but his dream of building a magicians social club died with him. That is until Milt, a writer for NBC writer, decided a once glamorous, then-rundown, Franklin Avenue mansion he could see from his office would be the perfect place to revive the AMA.

However, their friendship is tested when Kit is accused of being a witch after helping Hannah Tupper escape from the authorities. The townspeople hold a trial where Kit is acquitted but is left with a difficult decision: whether to return to her old life in Barbados or stay in Connecticut. Throughout the book, Speare explores themes of friendship, love, acceptance, and prejudice. The Witch of Blackbird Pond highlights the struggles faced by individuals who do not conform to societal norms and the power of friendship in overcoming adversity. The novel also provides insights into the historical context of the Puritan colonies and the phenomenon of witch trials during that period. In conclusion, The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a captivating tale that combines historical elements with a relatable coming-of-age story. It delves into the complexities of identity and the power of acceptance, making it a timeless read for readers of all ages..

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