“Open sesame.” I asked the secret passageway through the bookcase to reveal itself. “Open sesame!” I commanded, an octave lower. Nothing. I looked at my friends, the ten of us pressed close together in the bustling hallway, but they were all there for the first time as well. I stomped my foot. “OPEN--” The creaky bookcase swung open, and we hurriedly followed the guide inside. For my fortieth birthday I had decided to celebrate with the Houdini Séance Evening at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles.
My boyfriend at the time had told me about The Magic Castle’s Houdini room. A magician friend of his who used to live in LA had given him a tour once, and apparently the room, filled with actual Houdini artifacts and memorabilia, could be reserved for dinner and a séance. A séance! What a crazy, creepy, kooky way to spend my fortieth birthday! Apparently Houdini himself had enjoyed séances, and one could be arranged along with a five-course meal in this private room. I had never been to The Magic Castle, a formal dinner club famous for its fabulous magic shows. Only members of the Academy of Magical Arts or their guests could get in, but the Houdini Séance Evening was actually open to the public without a member’s assistance.
