It Started In A Box

meta· mor· pho· sis a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural mean

Photo by Ken Marcus

“Butterflies are beautiful, but the process of emerging from the chrysalis and spreading your wings can hurt like f**king hell. But still, you will survive the transformation (over and over again), and you will fly. Remember this when it hurts the most. This is the metamorphosis, the going down to liquid and the rising again. It’s no joke – but damn, it’s one hell of a journey.” Jeanette LeBlanc

The biggest challenge I faced following the separation of my relationship with Jonathan was performing alone - as a solo performer. Mine has been a long, ongoing change to become a self-confident performer again because Jonathan and I drew on each other’s energy on stage - giving each other the positive boost we both needed, on stage and off stage. When that part of your life is missing, it’s like losing a limb. And feel a sense of abandonment. You have to learn to adjust your life to the new circumstances, and that can be a complex process. Fear holds you back, but once you've conquered that apprehension and unease, a new world is born, and you realize fear was just  “all an illusion.”

When I fearfully traveled down that tunnel I talked about in A Magical Beginning, I focused on the light ahead, and I had no idea where I was going. During this journey, I realized my on-stage life was a metaphor for my real life, and at some point, they merged as one. It was only then I experienced a fundamental transformation and a true feeling of freedom, which not only affected my work and personal life but also who I am as a  spiritual being living in this “people suit.”

As Jeanette Leblanc stated in her quote, “….This is the metamorphosis, the going down to liquid, and the rising again. It’s no joke – but damn, it’s one hell of a journey.” For me, it was like my life turned to ashes while I gave birth to another. Phoenix is rising, starting from scratch.

In the art of magic “metamorphosis” is a stage illusion where two people change places in seemingly a blink of an eye using a wood box we call in the industry a sub trunk or trunk. It’s also known as metamorphosis. It was the first illusion Jonathan and I added to our expanding act of standard doves, cards, and rings. We were recently married, living on Shadow Lane in Fullerton, California, and spending time on our show when Jonathan expressed his desire to add the metamorphosis illusion to our repertoire. At this juncture in my career, I was still a magic novice, so my question to him was, “What is a metamorphosis illusion?”  The routine was explained to me, which led to more curiosity, and somehow, we obtained a video of Siegfried and Roy performing their version of this illusion, first made famous by Houdini. In their extravagant Liberace-like style fit for Las Vegas during the mid-70s, I watched Siegfried and Roy masterfully perform metamorphosis. They were bigger than life, and at the end of their routine, a black leopard was produced, making theirs one-of-a-kind. Years later, when I got to know Siegfried as a personal friend, I’d often see him at the gym, and he occasionally would remind me affectionately that our performance of the illusion lacked the pizzaz ending with a big wild cat.

When I saw Siegfried and Roy’s performance on Howard Cosell, I was sold. I knew it was an illusion meant for us to present it in our unique style. There were hundreds of magicians doing metamorphosis, so we both understood the necessity of making it ours and providing something extra to separate ours from all the others. So, we began by shopping for a sub trunk. Z

We knew a very successful professional magician named Paul Fidler who, along with his gorgeous wife Maria, performed their stunning act worldwide. I was in awe of them, and when I could, I’d watch their work. Paul was selling a substitution-trunk (sub-trunk) and only lived a few miles away in Buena Park, so we got together with the Fidlers to purchase the illusion. I expected to buy the trunk and then go home, but Paul and Maria were great hosts, and we spent the entire day with them, eating together, talking shop, and driving around in his new Excalibur car. It was a beautiful afternoon and the first of many get-togethers with our new friends. Paul continues to remain a friend of mine today. This is how we acquired our first trunk. The following is a letter written by Paul Fidler himself explaining just how we acquired our first trunk.

“Back in the 1970s, I built a heavy-duty, natural wood, packing case style Substitution Trunk illusion. My dream was to have it be performed fast and furious and startle audiences everywhere with the quick exchange of the two performers. I sold it to my friends, The Pendragons - Charlotte and Jonathan. They had big secret ideas for it!

As many know, the sub trunk has also been called "The Metamorphosis illusion" because it is to be performed so lightning fast that the only solution is that the instantaneous exchange is one person magically becomes the other person, and vice versa. I never saw anyone perform it that super-quick, until the Pendragons performed it on national TV. Charlotte and Jonathan were not only fast in their unbelievable exchange, they were instantaneous, and they took the world by storm with their astounding, energetic performance. I was blown away by the Pendragon's elegance and spontaneous exchange of their two stunning muscular toned bodies. It was the first time a real electrifying metamorphosis had taken place with this illusion ... the one I built! ... WOW!

I was awestruck by the Pendragon's instant, amazing transformation, and my only explanation was that a true metamorphosis had really taken place before my very eyes. Jonathan had become Charlotte, and Charlotte had instantly transformed into Jonathan! The entire world of magic was thrilled upon seeing their miraculous presentation, and we have all raved about their spectacular performances ever since. If you look up on Wikipedia.org under the heading "Metamorphosis illusion" the Pendragons are named as "Renowned For Their Speed" amongst all other magicians ... WOW!

Congratulations Charlotte and Jonathan! The Pendragons will go down in history and people will be reading about you 100 years from now!” 🏆 Paul Fidler

“This is the shipping case style sub trunk that the Pendragons first used in their sensational stage performances" Paul Fidler

Back at our home on Shadow Lane, the illusion which would give us magic fame emerged. It is common for magicians to turn their living rooms into practice areas and even stages. We were no different. We positioned the trunk in the middle of our living room, where we perfected our performance enough to present it to an audience. Our home is where we began our hike up to the mountain top.

Edmund Hillary and Tibetan mountain climbing expert and sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.  Hillary, following their climb, said, “No one remembers who climbed Mount Everest the second time.”  Over six thousand mountaineers have reached the top of Mt Everest since their famous climb, but the only one discussed today is Hillary and Norgay. Their victory showed the world the importance of being the first to accomplish a goal.  The success of The Pendragon’s performance of the metamorphosis trunk is how they executed it with lightning speed.  In the past, performers of this effect had never performed as fast as The Pendragons, presented with supernatural-like flair and forever changing how magicians executed this grand illusion. My advice to magicians who ask “is to be the first to climb the mountain.”

May 29, 1953, was the day Hillary and Norgay completed their climb to the summit of Mt Everest, but I can’t say for sure the date we performed for the first time our metamorphosis. I know it was the summertime of 1977 at the famous exclusive private club for magicians, The Magic Castle in Hollywood, where on Monday nights, we sometimes performed our shows to polish our performance or experiment with something new.  The Magic Castle is a beautiful Victorian mansion on a small knoll on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood. The old building was scheduled to be demolished when The Larsen brothers, Bill and Milt,  leased it back in the 60s, rescuing it from demolition.  Here, one can see some great magicians perform their feats of prestidigitation and enjoy a gourmet meal while adhering to their strict dress code. But to attend you must have an invitation from a member.  I highly recommend going if you ever have the chance to do so. It will be a night to remember. So, it was here in front of our peers and their guests that we presented metamorphosis for the first time.

The staging of our sub-trunk was different than our predecessors because Jonathan was placed in the trunk first, and I appeared in the final moment of our routine by being revealed wearing another costume. This arrangement is the opposite of how most magicians performed it. Usually, the magician came out at the end of the illusion rather than their assistant. Occasionally, an audience member would remember my outfit change more than our speedy switch, showing the power of a costume change.

One of our early performance photographs of the sub-trunk, taken at The Variety Arts Theatre in Los Angeles, California performing on Milt Larsons “It’s Magic” show I believe in 1982.

During our first performance, at the climax of the illusion where I transpose into Jonathan, I listened through the box to the astounding gasps and long applause when Jonathan was revealed and took his bow. At that moment, while hunched over in the box, magically changing costumes, I knew we had our one-of-a-kind metamorphosis, equal to Siegfried and Roy. When Jonathan opened the bag for me to appear, I was surprised by the audience's reaction to my costume change. Nothing prepared me for that type of response. My first costume was black with exotic feathers in contrast to the bright white one I appeared wearing when I came out of the trunk, shining like a beacon of light. Following our first performance, we received mixed comments. Most were astounded by the speed at which we executed this classic of magic and gave our performance a standing ovation. But I also sensed jealousy by some who had seen our show. I recall one magic observer seriously commenting, “You’ll get better.” A comment said to deflate our excitement. But it didn’t work because too many prominent people in the industry we both highly respected were blown away by our performance that evening. We had shaved about three seconds or more off of the best-performed trunks. So, our nanosecond speed was a noticeable improvement to the effect. We made the trick appear seemingly supernatural. We had reached the summit of Mt. Everest that evening in Hollywood.

Photo taken by Randy, graphics by my friend Mike Knight. The black feathered costume can be seen in a museum in Hawaii

Here is an early version of the Pendragons metamorphosis. this is how we performed it first at the Magic Castle. When we executed this classical illusion for the first time we used a curtain surrounding all four sides as this was the way it had been done for many decades.

A more current performance of The Pendragon’s of their Metamorphosis. Notice that surrounding curtain is gone and replaced with a foulard which is whisked away by in just a blink of the eye. NBC

The Magic Castle became our magic home. Here, we developed our fast-paced fifteen to twenty-minute act, which took us around the world and was the basis for our full evening headliner show. It’s where we breathed life into our other creations, like our fire basket, fire cage, and sword suspension, which were equally magical and exciting as our metamorphosis. We could not have accomplished our goals without those who gave us much encouragement and motivation. Two I can thank are Peter Pitt (may he rest in peace) and Diana Zimmerman. both playing an integral role during the early development of The Pendragons. Prominent magician from Holland and Magic Castle board member Peter Pitt was responsible for booking acts. Peter liked us and often took us under his wing, giving us advice from staging to costuming and even makeup. He was famous for a magic effect known as the “dancing cane.” During times when we performed for an entire week at the Magic Castle, Peter would visit and generously offer his help, including teaching me how to perform the dancing cane,  which I accomplished today, utilizing many of the movements taught to me by him. He was a mentor along with one of the most successful female magicians of that time and now an equally successful writer, Diana Zimmerman, who tirelessly donated her time advising young up-and-coming junior members and amateur adults performing on Monday nights. In a sea of male magicians, Diana was a refreshing presence. For me, she provided much inspiration and motivation, promoting the equality of The Pendragons as a duo on stage, like ballet partners. The first couple of magic was born.

“I’ve always advised young performers to think outside the box,” Diana mentioned in a recent conversation. “Especially women. To be different… to create trends, not follow them. And most importantly, make people care about you as a performer. Not only did you and Jonathon do all that, but in doing so, you changed magic forever. When I first met the two of you, you were both shy, nervous wannabe performers. But not for long. Through hard work and determination, you blossomed into a spectacular, internationally renowned magical duo that has yet to be equaled. But is still, to this day, being copied. To my knowledge, you were the very first magicians to apply bodybuilding in ways that created fresh new mesmerizing illusions that only world-class body builders could perform.  As a result, no one could take their eyes off Char’s charismatic beauty, grace, and exceedingly powerful approach to femininity on stage, and the Pendragons rose to international fame.” Diana Zimmerman

Like our metamorphosis, magicians began teaming up with their assistants and partners, copying our duo style. Years later, producer of the annual TV Special World’s Greatest Magic” on NBC  Gary Ouellet told me,  “We were the most copied act in magic.” Many magicians seeking a featured spot on the show submitted videos demonstrating Pendragon-inspired effects and style in their performance. Even many of our costume elements were copied, including Jonathan’s signature white shirt.

Pictured on the left with Peter Pitt. In the right photo? Peter performing his famous dancing cane. Which coincidentally brought him to the Magic Castle when he was a young man.

As I mentioned previously, The Pendragon Look got its start at the Renaissance Faire, where we developed and perfected our street busking act, taking with us the best elements from those shows and applying them to our classical style of magic, where Jonathan wore a formal tailcoat and I a gown.   Like mixing jazz and ballet, it starkly contrasted with the adventurous approach we were known for at the Renaissance Faire. The classical style allowed us to broaden our audience and encouraged more mystique stage personas, whereas

Our Renaissance characters were friendly and very approachable with a theme of act quality.To blend the two styles,  Jonathan remained in a stylized tuxedo and adopted a romantic, gothlike character. But the tuxedo restrained him. He stripped it off before we performed our final illusion, the metamorphosis, exposing his nicely built body, developed as a result of bodybuilding.  In this character, he used the stuntman swashbuckling persona he is best known for in the entertainment industry. Likewise, I removed my skirt, leaving me wearing my signature sexy feathered leotard, which exposed most of my physique which through bodybuilding was molded into the look of a goddess. It was 1981, and we combined our two styles and rebranded ourselves The Pendragons.

By the early 80s, we performed an ever-growing collection of illusions that stood independently in any show, but metamorphosis was “center stage” in our front.  I remember one performance in Düsseldorf, Germany, where the buyer asked us to omit our metamorphosis illusion, Which complied. Although our audience loved seeing our other illusions after the show, they were disappointed not to have seen our sub-trunk. In the future, we never made that mistake again, and we always perform on every front, except for TV appearances where we will showcase other grand illusions.

For us, performing metamorphosis was like a marriage. The timing of our moves worked like the intricate parts in a clock; precision was everything. We performed our entire exchange in less than 1/2 of a second. So when we transformed into each other, we could make no mistakes. There was no room for errors. Try to count a half a second.  It’s impossible to imagine. Our bodies instinctively moved as one. Yes, sometimes we were injured. My left knee paid the price or two, and one time, when we were performing at Harvey’s in Lake Tahoe, Jonathan almost broke his hip.

My self-confidence was very high during those days as part of The Pendragons' duo. Those days were exhilarating. When they abruptly ended in July 2009, I found my confidence shattered—onstage and off stage. But I continued to perform, but without direction. My compass lost contact with the Polaris, and I was left searching for a way. I prayed a lot those days. When Randy returned to my life, I felt like God sent me a sherpa, my own Tenzing Norgay. It's through Randy’s encouragement and motivation I regained my composure and anchor. Through my union with him, I found my true independence in this universe. Just like in my real life, on stage my own metamorphosis changed from dependency on a partner to my own solo presentation. Seen in the video below.

My solo version of Metamorphosis received criticism from some of my peers because, in my performance, I do not transform into another person. But my supporters understand , in a the twinkling of an eye, I go in as Charlotte and come out as a changed Charlotte—a clear metaphor for my life.

Music for my sub trunk written and produced for me by Randy called “It’s All An illusion”

I end this week’s writing with advice from my friend and writer, Demi Pietchell, the author of The Starfire Codes, “Your healing abilities are a part of your life purpose, but first you will need to process the loss you have experienced to transmute your pain into wisdom so that you will be able to help others from a place where you are not being drained of your own energy.” To become a butterfly, I learned to fly by recognizing that the challenges presented were a gift. As a result, I’ve transformed into an empathetic person ready to guide those lost, seeking the light at the end of their tunnel.

To read The Starfire Codes Substack click here:

Diana Zimmerman known as Diana The Enchantress, a title befitting this extraordinary true First Lady of Magic, and successful businesswoman and author.

On the left Paul and Maria Fidler as I knew them in the late 70’s and 80’s. Paul as I know him today pictured on the right. Much of Paul’s body of work can be viewed on his website here: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC7Vm-Hc9igawAHKYYTK3tZQ

Paul on the cover of Genii- A prominent trade magazine for magicians.