Magic on New Year's Eve in Santa Monica

Magicopolis
1418 Fourth Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: 310-451-2241
www.magicopolis.com

I attended Magicopolis for the turn of the new decade, and wished that I had made alternative arrangements. My goal was to find a place to go for new year’s eve that could provide live entertainment in addition to a night of drinking, (and hopefully eating) – and I also didn’t want to spend a ton of money. Going to Magicopolis and plunking down $60 seemed like an activity that would fit within my parameters.

Concerning the promise of party favors and food, this was one part of the night that delivered. There were enough hats and noise makers to go around, and we all received champagne to toast with at midnight. The buffet was also well provided: plates of cheese and crackers, fruit, small sandwiches, pizza and cake were all in abundance. The price of drinks was reasonable, around $5 for a domestic bottle, although they lacked a full liquor license and could only provide wine and beer. If this had been all I was looking for in the evening I would have been satisfied: however because I was visiting a place with the word “magic” in the title, I dared to hope for entertainment.

The website gave me expectations that were above and beyond what was provided. Splashed across the front page of the site are pictures of the owner with well known celebrities and raving reviews by respected local periodicals. My expectations were of a show involving a variety of performers and acts: perhaps some comedy, a few magicians and maybe a mime. What I was hoping for was a true variety show. What was provided was a little more homogenized than that.

There were no celebrities present, nor even any other performers besides the owner and his assistant. And the show itself lacked any sort of theatrical expertise. Out of the handful of acts performed, a good portion were ill-suited for a larger stage act attempting to entertain from the front row all the way to the back of the theater. For instance, several acts required us to maintain concentration on the whereabouts of several coins as they were passed around the audience. While the trick itself was performed well and allowed for audience participation, it would have been better performed during a street performance than in a medium sized theater.

There were several highlights of the night, namely an act of levitation and a death defying escape from a box full of spikes. And while these acts might have been good to see from the center of the theater, I was sitting on the side. Unfortunately this left me no question as to how these acts were performed, and there was certainly no magic involved.

After the show I spotted some promotional materials scattered about the lobby, and it became apparent what kind of place I was in. It seems that even though the website bills Magicopolis as a place of entertainment for all ages, they really specialize in children’s birthday parties. Armed with this new knowledge, I felt I could be a little more forgiving for the evening’s events, I also couldn’t help but feel that I had been the victim of false advertising.