A Hollywood institution known for mystery, deception and drama, the Magic Castle is now gripped by a new variety of suspense.<\/p>\n
Magic Castle mansion owner Randy Pitchford, who bought the establishment in 2022, has presented a reorganization plan to his tenant, the Academy of Magical Arts. The AMA is the nonprofit club that operates the castle and whose performer-members have helped build it into one of the world\u2019s top venues for magic. <\/p>\n
In a series of proposals, Pitchford has offered AMA members a choice between embracing his plan \u2014 which gives him control over castle operations and most revenue \u2014 or finding another clubhouse when the academy\u2019s lease expires Dec. 31, 2028. <\/p>\n
Members have until Sept. 29 to decide.<\/p>\n
With backing from the AMA\u2019s board of directors, Pitchford presents this moment as a chance for the academy to secure a vibrant future for the Magic Castle while preserving its legacy. <\/p>\n
But the proposal is causing \u201cdivision, fracturing and confusion\u201d among many AMA members, as one magician, Ralph Shelton, put it. Some members, who asked not to publish their names, told The Times they believe that Pitchford is using an ultimatum to take control of the castle. Other members say they simply worry that Pitchford is giving AMA members too little information.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe easiest people to fool are magicians and scientists,\u201d said Shelton, a Huntington Beach attorney who put himself through law school by doing magic. \u201cYou know what they\u2019re looking for and you work around that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pitchford did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment on the allegation that he is using an ultimatum to take control of the castle. But Pitchford and his team had said that by taking over the risks and rewards that come with running the Castle, his company is freeing up the AMA to focus on its non-commercial mission \u2014 promoting magic \u2014 \u201cfor as long as it wishes to use the Magic Castle as its clubhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since Sept. 8, the academy\u2019s 4,664 members have been casting electronic votes on whether to change the organization\u2019s bylaws and other documents to allow the proposed realignment. In previous polling, the members who voted have heavily favored a deal. A \u201cyes\u201d vote would mean the reorganization would begin as soon as Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
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At the Magic Castle, guests say a secret password to enter. <\/p>\n
(Dania Maxwell \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Pitchford learned magic at the castle before building a video game empire as the co-founder of Gearbox Entertainment. In a Sept. 9 statement to The Times, he noted that he and his wife were married in the Magic Castle\u2019s Palace of Mystery in 1997, \u201cso our investment into its preservation and quality is quite personal to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
As an AMA member for more than 30 years, he said he is \u201cthrilled that the Academy of Magical Arts, with the overwhelming support of the membership, are our ally in forging a bold, mission-first partnership for at least the next 30 years of magic at the Magic Castle.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Magic Castle, a 1909 Edwardian-style mansion, opened in 1963 as a clubhouse and performance venue for the Academy of Magical Arts, which was founded and sustained for years by the Larsen family. From the start, the academy was a tenant in the building, leasing from private owners, the Glover family, on terms often described as \u201ca handshake deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
For decades, visitors have been drawn by the idea of dressing to the nines and roaming room to room, sipping cocktails as conjurers and sleight-of-hand artists ply their trade. Performers and members have included Cary Grant, Johnny Carson, Orson Welles, Jason Alexander, Neil Patrick Harris and Larry Wilmore (who sits on the board of directors). Exclusivity is part of the appeal, too. To get in, most guests need an invite from a member. <\/p>\n
The enterprise ran into trouble in 2020 when the pandemic shut it down and a Times investigation<\/a> detailed allegations of sexual harassment, groping and racism. In 2021, the mansion reopened amid a leadership overhaul.<\/p>\n Erika Larsen, president of Magic Castle Enterprises, and mansion owner Randy Pitchford.<\/p>\n (Tara Ziemba \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n The latest chapter in the castle\u2019s story began in April 2022 when Pitchford bought the property from its longtime landlords, the Glover family. <\/p>\n Pitchford, 54, whose Texas-based company created the popular Borderlands video game franchise, is a controversial figure<\/a> in the video game industry. His purchase of the castle, valued by the L.A. County Assessor at $50 million<\/a>, also included an adjacent apartment building and the 33-unit Magic Hotel next door.<\/p>\n About the same time as the castle purchase, Pitchford also bought intellectual property rights to the Magic Castle name from Milt Larsen<\/a>, who died in 2023.<\/p>\n When Pitchford was announced as buyer of the castle, many academy members voiced optimism. \u201cWe were absolutely thrilled beyond measure,\u201d said Paul Kott, an Anaheim-based commercial and residential real estate broker who has been an AMA member for 50 years. \u201cWe know his heart wants to dedicate this place to the art of magic.\u201d<\/p>\n To manage the new holdings, Pitchford and his wife, Kristy Pitchford, created companies called Magic Castle Enterprises (for intellectual property) and Magic Castle Entertainment (for real estate), together known as MCE. They also enlisted Erika Larsen, daughter of castle pioneers Bill and Irene Larsen, as president of Magic Castle Enterprises, and Jessica Hopkins, granddaughter of Bill and Irene Larsen, as chief operating officer<\/a>. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n