James Bartlett put on his Sunday best and wangled his way into one of Hollywood’s most unsual venues – a dining club for practitioners of the magical arts.
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The Magic Castle looks like a cross between the Disneyland fairytale palace and the house in Psycho, and even to get through its imposing front door is a feat in itself. The Magic Castle is strictly ‘Members Only’. Potential new Magician Members can’t just get nominated – they have to audition in front of the Castle’s membership committee. Only if they demonstrate sufficient magical prowess to pass muster are they welcomed into the Academy of Magical Arts, an exclusive club for the practitioners and performers of magic and illusions.