Los Angeles Says A Fond Farewell to Milt Larsen
On the 24th of July, a grand gathering of magicians congregated in the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles for the Milt Larsen Celebration of Life. It was a beautifully planned and executed tribute to the last remaining founder of the world-famous Magic Castle. Larsen passed away on May 28th, 2023, at the age of 92 and the magic world lost one of its most iconic renaissance figures.
Milt was a dear friend for over 49 years, and I flew from Austin, Texas to pay my respect to this extraordinary and visionary magical legend. Like so many others present that night, my life had been greatly affected by Milt’s remarkable life work. Not just the Magic Castle, but also his other creations such as the Mayfair Music Hall, Variety Arts Center, Caesars Magical Empire, The Magic Cabaret, and the trailblazing It’s Magic! show.
It was especially appropriate that this event was held at the beautiful Wilshire Ebell Theatre because it was here in 1956, that Larsen launched his first annual It’s Magic! show. The shows are still taking place every year making this the world’s longest-running magical show. Sitting in the auditorium I reflected on the many outstanding versions of the show I had seen there in the past.
The event started at 6:00 PM with an introduction by our host/MC for the evening David Kovac. David did a superb job of keeping the show together in a witty and charming manner. David then introduced Larsen’s niece Jessica Hopkins who read a statement from Milt’s wife Arlene. Sadly, health issues made it impossible for Arlene to travel down from Montecito to Los Angeles for the event.
The program continued with a performance by the talented Jody Baran and his wife Kathleen. The couple performed manipulation magic with cards and doves and closed on a wonderful classic levitation. The audience was highly appreciative of their sophisticated and classy performance. Next, Lance Burton walked onstage to the podium and explained his personal debt and gratitude for Milt’s guidance and assistance when he first launched his career. Lance was followed by Chuck Martinez who addressed the capacity crowd. Chuck was the President of the Magic Castle before becoming the AMA Executive Director and he added his sincere tribute to Larsen.
Erika Larsen, Jessica Hopkins, and Liberty Larsen next took over the podium and shared great stories about the family fun and surprises that result from having Milt as a “Unkie.” A brief video message from David Copperfield in Las Vegas followed and David shared his warm regards for Larsen. Other speakers included Sara Ballantine and Gay Blackstone who gave their perspectives on their friend Milton.
A delightful musical interlude followed introduced by Milt’s lifelong friend Richard M. Sherman and his son Greg. Larsen and Sherman were writing partners and we were treated to a brief medley of songs from their musical production Pazzazz! plus a song or two from their Smash Flops album. Musical director Richard Allen accompanied the extremely talented singers Carly Bracco, Joey D’Auria, Joshua Finkel, and the Castle’s own Bonnie Gordon.
Brit trickster Mark Haslam gave an elegant nod of the head to Sherlock Holmes as he performed a truly astounding card in cigarette routine. The next performer was juggler extraordinaire Michael Goudeau, who entertained in his normal manic style and had the crowd in stitches. What followed was, for me, the most moving speech of the evening when Johnny Cannizzaro hit the podium. Johnny was Milt’s long-term intern/assistant/caregiver who shared some heartfelt and poignant stories about his old friend.
The curtain was raised to reveal posters from some of the It’s Magic! show and Terry Hill walked to the podium. Terry was Milt’s co-producer of It’s Magic! and he shared some stories about it. More importantly, Terry confirmed he will continue the yearly productions of the show. A magical highlight followed when Les Arnold and Dazzle performed a selection from their repertoire. They were superb featuring strong magic with equally strong comedy. Geese disappeared and reappeared, Dazzle’s head was twisted until her body wound up into a knot, and finally, a transposition which had a surprise ending that brought the house down.
The penultimate speaker was Dale Hindman, one of Milt’s dearest friends and colleagues. Dale also deserves kudos for his excellent job directing the show; the entire show ran smoothly and effectively. To close out the show Randy Pitchford discussed his commitment to keep the Castle on track and heading where Milt would have wanted it to go. After Randy left the stage, an excellent short video was played that covered many of Milt’s achievements.
Following the Celebration of Life celebration there was a reception in the theater’s roof garden. Wine, beer, and small bites flowed freely as the guests enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with old friends. It was a wonderful evening that allowed everyone to wish a fond Aloha to Milton Page Larsen. He was a force of nature whose creativity and vision are unlikely to ever be matched in the magic world.
REMARKABLE MAGIC 
Hi Nick great review of the tribute to Milt. I met him briefly way back in 1974 when I visited the magic castle. As you say there likely won’t be another visionary like him in the magic world. What an achievement