New Yorker of the Week

OctSun 2009 Filed in: New Yorker of the Week

Home

Madeleine The Magician Interviewed by Jose Rolon

Madeleine The Magician

Craft: Magician
Lives: Gramercy Park
In New York: A Thousand Years
Why we think she's cool: Lives with doves & performed for JK Rowling
Where to find Madeleine Renée: madeleinethemagician.com
Interview by: José

Jose: So living in New York, you've been doing magic for awhile now-
Madeleine: I have. For a thousand years!

J: Amazing! When did you know you wanted to do magic?
M: It was a total shock. Becoming a magician was not what I set out to do. I was a starving actress in New York. One day Casting called me up asked if I wanted to work for three weeks in a row. I went, what? Work? Pay? Absolutely. At first I thought they told me I was working for musicians, but it turned out I was going to work for magicians! Dancing, singing - that sort of thing.

J: It must’ve been a lot of money.
M: Oh yeah, it was 3 weeks of work! So I ended up working for quite a few magicians. The kicker was that I fell in love, not with a magician, but with the craft. Totally unexpected! I had this insatiable need, this desire, this tremendous eagerness to learn magic. Because none of the magicians would show me magic, I didn’t know where to learn till I was told about this special store. Finding the store was like finding a rock in a hard place. It took me six months, but I found it! Walking in was like walking into a candy store. This is when I started to teach myself magic.

J: In all these years, have you ever botched up a magic trick?
M: Haven’t really. Because I think the way I work my magic, there’s always recovery. Botching a trick? No, not really.

J: What performance would you say you’re most proud of?
M: Hmm. So difficult. Pride I find that word to be...well it’s more than just that. The moment I’m speaking of is when I was hired to do a group of kids where the birthday boy had severe autism - severe to the point that they’re in their own world; they don’t look at you, they don’t speak or like to be touched or maybe, don't understand touch and seem to do their own thing. You pray that wherever they are, that they're at a good place. The whole time I was doing magic, he never came into the room but he did stay within the perimeter. But at the end of the show, this little boy came into the room and sat on my lap. It was such a profound moment. I think it’s a certain gift that I was blessed with that allowed me to reach this little boy. It’s a moment I will never forget.

J: That is a beautiful story.
M: Jose, I couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling.

J: So you know, there have been a couple rumors going around town and one of them is that you performed for J.K. Rowling. True?
M: Absolutely. I actually performed at her first book signing in the United States for her second book. 3,000 people! Imagine that? 3,000 people waiting to have their book signed. It was pretty cool.

J: Do you prefer large crowds or small crowds?
M: It really doesn’t matter. Whenever I perform whether for a small or large crowd, I just love sharing. I’m just so grateful to do the magic. I mean the glorious part about doing a larger audience is I get to do illusions and with the smaller ones I do cards. But it really doesn’t matter.

J: One of the other rumors is that you live with doves. Is that true?
M: Ha, yes! It’s absolutely wonderful. They are brilliant. Right now I have 9 doves. Their names are Bobby, Kober, Hudson, LB, Madison-Stretch, Frankie, Perry, Rene and William. They’re quite verbal. Every single morning they wait to be greeted. I greet each one of them individually by their names and a kiss. When I’m done they become a bit rambunctious, but still a joy.

J: There has been a lot of controversy with magic lately because one of the cable networks has decided to reveal some of the greatest magic tricks out there. Seems like people are craving that type of entertainment. As a magician, how do you feel about that?
M: Well, as a magician, let me put it to you this way. When you become a magician you take what is known as an oath. This is called a Gentlemen’s Agreement. It’s giving your word and in this case, not revealing the magic. So by this NETWORK revealing the magic, they actually rewarded this magician for being dishonest. How can you break your word? You can't. It’s not so much the revealing of the magic, its the rewarding of the person for being dishonest. I don’t like it.

J: It’s a shame that people seem to be craving that type of entertainment.
M: It is. What this program is doing is destroying these moments of joy. I wouldn’t be surprised if perhaps next season they do a program called ‘And There Really Isn’t A Santa Claus Either.’ Not because I’m a magician, but certain things shouldn’t be touched. As far as I’m concerned, reality TV has taken us back to the Dark Ages. It’s the same principle when it was the Gladiators - throw people in the middle of the ring with the lions. It’s just a larger venue. To get pleasure out of someone else’s pain isn’t something I can ever think about doing.

J: What’s the most magical thing about New York City?
M: That it never sleeps. Anything you want, anything you desire is right here at any moment you want it. Outside of New York, the sidewalks are rolled up at 9 and they roll down again at 7.

O: What’s next for you?
M: God only know. As long as I keep doing the magic that’s what’s next. Hopefully one day, my name will be a household word so that I can do so much with my magic. I can tell many more parents that their kids with autism can be reached. That would be a blessing.

J: I have no doubt you’ll be able to get there. Alright, Madeleine, are you ready for our 5 Outsider Questions?
M: Go for it!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 Outsider Questions:

1: List 5 things you have in your fridge:
I always have 20 bottles of Figi water and 20 bottles of Pellegrino. Fish, eggs, half and half and coffee.
2: What freaks you out most about NY?
Mayor Bloomberg becoming Mayor for the 3rd time.
3: Describe a good NY date:
Sitting with a special person on a blanket with the perfect picnic basket.
4: What's your favorite NY Icon?
Being at the Javits Center peering across the river toward New Jersey at sunset...truly a visceral moment.
5: Where do you go to escape NY?
Any place that my car will take me. I get in my car and I’m in heaven.

O: Madeleine, thank you so much!
M: Thank you!

Here's what the other Outsiders had to say:

Jessica: On my sixth birthday I had a slumber party where my friend Alexandra lost her tooth and put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy. I knew that it was my parents that gave her the dollar, so out of jealousy, I locked her in the bathroom and spoiled the whole thing for her. What an asshole, right! So is this "Masked Magician" and his show has been cancelled to prove it!

David: I'd like to know if she has ever invented a magic trick. I've got ideas...

Kevin: What kid at some point in thier childhood doesn't want to be a magician? Even just to make my mother disappear. How great to have so much fun entertaining people and get paid for it . Bravo.

Cindy: I never knew that magicians have to take an oath. I agree with Madeleine, it saddens me that magic tricks are being revealed... it is taking away joy and mystery just when we, as a society, need it most.

Tags: new yorker, Jose