The photo above is with Jason Segel, and here’s a photo of me with Chris Williams:

I presented a total of four Chamber Magic^® performances at the magnificent Beverly Wilshire hotel – a Four Seasons property. I am humbled that I received four standing ovations.

Outside the Beverly Wilshire hotel

At the front entrance

Here is a view of the showroom where I presented the shows:

And here’s the sign directing people to the show:

The staff of the Beverly Wilshire ranks among the best I’ve ever worked with. Thanks for welcoming me back for my third visit at your hotel!

I remember how difficult it was to sell tickets to my previous two runs in Los Angeles (back in 2005 and 2007). This difficulty stemmed mainly from the fact that I was a relative unknown in LA at that time. Despite having an established show in New York, it was an entirely different matter to draw enough interested people in a new city. Especially since I didn’t have a marketing budget, then or now.

This year, however, all four shows sold out before I even left New York. This was an interesting phenomenon to me. (The same thing happened last week in Boston.) Most ticket sales were through word-of-mouth; I didn’t do any media appearances to promote the Chamber Magic tour. I guess there is enough momentum from my NY Times article and Late Show appearance earlier this year. Whatever the reason, I can’t tell you how blessed I feel. It’s thanks to supporters of the arts, like you, that artists can continue to be creative for a living.

The night before my shows, I had a great dinner with an old friend at Asia de Cuba in the Mondrian hotel. After that, we went over to the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood.

One of the highlights of the evening was spending time at the bar with Milt Larsen, one of the founders of the Magic Castle. I was surprised to find that he has been closely following my career. He told me that he considers me to be “the modern-day Max Malini.” That was a mighty fine compliment, especially since his father knew Malini himself, and Milt had met Malini growing up. I don’t know if I could ever fill those shoes, but it was an honor to be viewed this way.

I’d love to return to the Beverly Wilshire soon. Other cities have been beckoning, though. It seems that there is a lot of interest in Chicago. Should that be the next stop on my tour??

The post Back from Beverly Hills appeared first on Chamber Magic.

I was upset to read this.

I believe that dressing up to go to the theater is a form of civility that should be resurrected.

Why have a dress code?

It’s important to dress properly to avoid the embarrassment of feeling underdressed.

At my shows, our published dress code is as follows:

A gentleman approached me before the show last weekend and gruffly asked, “Why did you make me wear a suit? This is a magic show, not a dinner with the President.” The answer that I gave him was, “This is a traditional show, and both the performer and audience are playing a role in that tradition.  Besides, we’re at the Waldorf, and everyone gets dressed up here.”

He calmed down, and thankfully enjoyed the show.

My goal has always been to encourage the public to treat magic with the same form of respect as the ballet or opera. Opera-goers dress in tuxedos and gowns out of respect to the opera experience. The respect I speak of is targeted not only to the artists involved, but to the overarching premise of the art itself.

If not for the actors, then please, for the Theater (with capital T).

The Magic Castle in Hollywood, California enforces a strict dress code – even stricter than mine at the Waldorf. Just off the entrance, they have a closet full of blazers in various sizes, as well as neckties, for men who forgot to dress properly.

I understand that tourists visiting from out of town may be walking and shopping earlier in the day, and may not have packed anything but casual wear. However, there is something to be said about dressing for the occasion.

I have happy Chamber Magic memories of my guests attending in tuxedos, military uniforms, and even a full kimono.

While such formal wear is not required, it certainly lends an air of elegance to the event – for all involved.

In Who Rules America, a book I find endlessly fascinating, the author takes this much further, and argues that such displays of extravagance are one of the ways that rich people communicate to each other their common membership in an elite group.

G. William Domhoff writes:

The more extravagant social activities of the upper class – the debutante balls, the expensive parties, the jet-setting to spas and vacation spots all over the world, the involvement with exotic entertainers – are often viewed by pluralists and Marxists alike as superfluous trivialities best left to society page writers. However, there is reason to believe that these activities play a role both in solidifying the upper class and in maintaining the class structure. Within the class, these occasions provide an opportunity for members to show each other that they are similar to each other and superior to the average citizen.

While I would never (!) go so far as to say that a nice suit makes one person superior to another, it’s easy to agree that the common denominator of dressing nicely at the theater helps to bond together a group of otherwise strangers.

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