Finding Some Magic at The Hollywood Roosevelt

Located just a few blocks from the world famous Magic Castle is a smaller more intimate venue where you don’t have to acquire a special pass to gain access to a close up magic show.

Visitors to The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel can now enjoy a variety of mentalism, card and close up illusions from magician Franco Pascali at their new “The Magic Show” theater.

After following a long dark hallway, visitors pass a red velvet curtain and bookcase to find an intimate 3000 square foot theater with comfy sofas and tables. In addition to magic, there are plenty of magically inspired libations including The Zarrow Shuffle (vodka, gin, Lillet Blanc and vermouth) and The Gambler’s Palm (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, orange bitters and green chartreuse) as well as wine, beer, snacks and nonalcoholic drinks.

Appealing to the Gen X crowd, Pascali, dressed all in black, incorporates video, iPhone tricks and lots of millennial references in his act. The best sleights, without giving anything away, incorporate audience participation with a standout mentalism card trick engaging the entire crowd.

Pascali, at 21, is just old enough now to enter the neighboring Magic Castle as a guest, was part of the private club’s Junior Society of magicians at the age of thirteen. In 2017, he became the director of magic at theory11, a group of magic consultants working on projects for the Now You See Me movie franchise and actor/magician Neil Patrick Harris, among others.

The Magic Show at The Hollywood Roosevelt offers shows Saturday at 8pm, tickets range from $89 to $109, at www.themagicshow.com and https://www.thehollywoodroosevelt.com.