The magic is always perfectly rendered, the man behind the magic a quirky, funny, appealing eccentric who can and will thoroughly entertain any kind of audience. He is a true mentor in every sense of the word, not merely selling magic, but as with every great magic shop, serving as host of an artistic center for magicians. His email list is worth joining just for the occasions when he sends out a long essay about some artistic aspect of magic, or a fabulous list of used books that can be had for a bargain, along with his personal commentaries.
He’s overnighted emergency props to me, loaned me stuff out of his personal collection, and offered invaluable advice and counsel. He doesn’t sell crap to kids, and he gives you the straight dope if you call for advice.
A caring teacher, Denny is also a priceless resource to professionals. (Oscar Wilde said, “You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies,” a sentiment Denny and I would probably agree on.) Since then I’ve lectured and held workshops at his store many times over the years, and it’s my favorite venue for such presentations, because his crowd is well informed, discerning and engaged-just like their fearless leader.ĭenny’s is a welcoming place to beginning amateurs and veteran professionals, much like Louis Tannen’s was when I was a boy. Denny and I hit it off the instant we met-I’m not sure which one of us has a greater passion for magic, a more controversial reputation, or longer personal lists of both protégés and critics. I first met Denny when I moved to Washington DC in 1985 to become the Magic Bartender at Bob Sheets’ Inn of Magic in Wheaton (when it relocated from the Brook Farm in Chevy Chase). A wise and wisecracking sage, Denny has devoted himself to raising a couple of generations of accomplished magicians, including top shelf working pros like Puck, and Scott Alexander (who sometimes work together these days, and have each marketed terrific magic of their own creation). He’s an ornery, cranky son-of-a-gun with a top hat brimming with opinions, and the genuine expertise to back them up. He’s a hilariously entertaining and deeply charming stage performer, who on stage thoroughly conceals his deadly serious passions and approach to foundational principles of magic as an art. Denny is a guy who has actually read the books he sells, and has deep knowledge of all aspects of magic, along with substantial sleight-of-hand chops when it comes to stage manipulation with cards, billiard balls, cigarettes and the like. His giant magic shop in Baltimore houses not only the world’s biggest retail magic space, with an enormous inventory of books, but also his personal collection of magic memorabilia and rare books that could fill a small museum of its own.
Denny lees magic maps professional#
Then he retired from the road to open the best magic shop in America.ĭenny’s not only a spectacularly experienced professional magician, but he’s also a collector and historian. He’s been there, done that, and ate the tee-shirt.
Denny lees magic maps full#
Denny & Lee’s is owned and operated by the inimitable Denny Haney, who toured for some 35 years with a full evening stage show, and in the 1980s was the top big magic show on the college circuit. Magic clubs tend to promote socializing more than quality magic, but the best magic shops make better magicians, as they also serve as centers for meeting and mentoring. Historically, the best local magic communities have more to do with good magic shops than magic clubs. One of them is Denny & Lee’s Magic Studios, in Baltimore and Las Vegas.
In Take Two #11, I mentioned several of the last best magic shops in America.
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