In 2020, Councilmember Nithya Raman was the first candidate in 17 years to unseat an incumbent council member. Now, two challengers are looking to unseat her.
There are just a few ways to gain access to the Magic Castle, which first opened in 1963 as a private clubhouse for members of the Academy of Magical Arts and their guests. To get into the customized Hollywood hilltop mansion, which is part Old Hollywood, part Las Vegas, part Harry Houdini and part Harry Potter, you must know a member, be invited by a performer, or book a stay at the Magic Castle Hotel next door.
For the new leaders of the private club, which turns 60 this year, the challenge is to hold onto the best of the castle's throwback atmosphere while purging sexism and welcoming diverse new crowds.