Le Grand David facts for kids

Le Grand David and His Spectacular Magic Company was a famous magic show. It ran for 35 years! This made it the longest-running stage magic show in the world. Guinness World Records even recognized it. Marco the Magi (Cesareo Pelaez) started the show in the 1970s. It was a family-friendly show. You could see it in Beverly, Massachusetts. The shows took place at the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre and the Larcom Theatre. The company performed until the spring of 2012.

About the Magic Show

The Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company first performed on February 20, 1977. This happened at the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre. The show ran for 35 amazing years.

In 1985, the company started a second show. This new show was at the Larcom Theatre. Both shows were full of magic, music, comedy, and dance. They used over 1,000 costumes and 100 classic magic tricks. Marco the Magi created and directed both shows.

In the spring of 2012, the shows stopped. The Cabot Street Cinema Theatre went back to showing only movies. Both theaters became available to rent for events. Many of the show's props and art were sold at an auction in 2014.

Who Was Marco the Magi?

Marco the Magi (born Cesareo Pelaez) was the person who started the magic company. He was born on October 16, 1932, and passed away on March 24, 2012. Marco was the show's producer, director, and designer. He also performed in both shows.

He began putting his magic group together in the early 1970s. In 1976, his group bought the old Cabot Cinema. They worked hard to fix it up. A book about Cesareo Pelaez was published in 2007. It shared stories from his life, including his childhood in Cuba. It also talked about how he started Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Company.

Who Was Le Grand David?

Le Grand David (David Bull) was a main magician in the company. He started as Marco's student in the early 1970s. He was younger than Marco.

Magic historian Stuart Cramer said that Le Grand David was a very skilled magician. He brought energy and grace to the show. Cramer even said Le Grand David's floating silver ball trick was the best he had ever seen.

The Company's History

In 1976, the Cabot Cinema was an old movie theater. A group called White Horse Productions bought it. Marco the Magi led this project. They wanted to fix up the theater. The Cabot was kept open as a movie house. It was renamed the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre.

The magic group worked hard to restore the theater's stage. It had not been used for 50 years. They turned offices into workshops. Carpenters, painters, and seamstresses worked there. They made hundreds of props and stage pieces. They practiced their show after the movie theater closed.

The first show, Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company, opened on Sunday, February 20, 1977. It was a snowy day, but many people came. Marco and David led the group of performers. They did weekly Sunday shows. Soon, they added a second Sunday show. People loved it so much that they sometimes did 18 shows in two weeks!

After three years, the show became famous worldwide. Magazines like TIME and Smithsonian wrote about it. Robert Lund, who started the American Museum of Magic, called it "the finest magic show in the world today."

Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Company became a very important cultural group. They performed seven times at the White House. They were featured on over 40 magic magazine covers. Robert Lund said they were "America’s national magic company." A British magic historian, Dr. Edwin Dawes, called them "magicdom’s most incredible venture."

Because of their success, the company bought the Larcom Theatre in 1984. It was only four blocks away. They worked even harder to fix up this theater. In October 1985, they opened a second show there. It was called An Anthology of Stage Magic. This show also featured magic, music, comedy, and dance.

In 1995, the company added a new part to the Larcom Theatre. This new area had a beautiful lobby. It also had rehearsal spaces and galleries. These galleries showed magic props and posters. There was also a library and meeting rooms.

Special Awards and Recognition

• The Le Grand David group was called "America’s national magic company" by historian Robert Lund. Their many years of shows made their community very proud.
• TIME magazine wrote a big article about the show in 1980. They said it was "Spectacular." They noted that the show looked as grand as any Broadway musical. But it was right in Beverly, Massachusetts!
• The Theatre Historical Society of America visited the Cabot and Larcom Theatres in 2006. They gave Marco a special award. It was for "CREATING THEATRE HISTORY." This honored his work in adding to the history of America’s old theaters.

See also

• American Museum of Magic
• Houdini Museum
• List of magic museums