![The Pendragons (50095510822)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/The_Pendragons_%2850095510822%29.jpg)
Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon were a husband-and-wife team of American
illusionist
Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...
s who called their work "physical grand illusion". They are widely known due to numerous national and international television appearances.
Performing partnership
The couple met at the
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...
, where Jonathan was studying theatre and Charlotte was studying dance under choreographers
Eugene Loring Eugene Loring (August 2, 1911 – August 30, 1982) was an American dancer, choreographer, teacher, and administrator.
Biography
Eugene Loring was born as Le Roy Kerpestein, the son of a saloon-keeper, grew up on a small island in Wisconsin's
M ...
and
George Balanchine. They married soon after.
Charlotte (born Charlotte Ann Brown in Kalispell, Montana)
is a dancer and former gymnast and body builder. Jonathan (born Claude Douglas Yarbrough) was a gymnast, spring board diver, martial arts expert and fencer. He used his athletic skills in a career as a Hollywood stuntman, performing the back hand springs for John Belushi down the church aisle in ''
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...
''.
He became Belushi's stunt double and friend, coordinating stunts and second directing in the movie
''Continental Divide''.
Jonathan and Charlotte's athletic skills allowed the pair to develop a distinctive and graceful take on classic illusions such as levitation. Their shows included a number of illusions with which they became particularly associated, including ''Interlude'', in which a woman crawls through a man's chest. They were the first artists to perform this trick. They are noted for their version of ''
Metamorphosis''. This illusion won them a place in the 50th edition of The
Guinness Book of Records, under the heading of the "Fastest Transformation Illusion". Another illusion was ''
Clearly Impossible
Clearly Impossible is a variation of the illusion of sawing a woman in half devised by Jonathan Pendragon.Schneider, A., "A New Clear Sawing", ''Genii'' magazine, June 1993 (Vol 56, No 6).
Description
The illusion is very similar in principle and ...
'', a
sawing in half trick designed by Jonathan. Its distinctive feature is a transparent box that allowed the audience to see Charlotte from head to toe throughout the trick.
In 1996, for the finale of the third of NBC's ''
World's Greatest Magic'' television specials, the duo made 25 show girls vanish and then re-appear in front of a live audience at
Caesar's Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
.
The couple performed together and resided in
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
, California until July 2009.
Notable appearances
The Pendragons appeared on television in more than 50 countries and starred in 14 prime time specials on US networks, including their own ''Night of Magic'' show for Disney, several ''
World's Greatest Magic'' shows for
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
, and ''Champions of Magic'' for
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
. For
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
television they performed with the
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same ...
, presenting illusions to classical music. For
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
they wrote, directed and starred in a night-time magic spectacular, ''Cinemystique: Illusions of the Night'' which played to more than a million people.
They were also frequently guests on programmes such as ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' and the ''
Paul Daniels
Newton Edward Daniels (6 April 1938 – 17 March 2016), known professionally as Paul Daniels, was an English magician and television presenter. He achieved international fame through his television series ''The Paul Daniels Magic Show'', which ...
Magic Show''.
They performed at presidential galas for US presidents
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
and
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, including a performance for President Clinton at the Ford's Theater for an ABC TV Special. They were singled out for praise by President George W. Bush at the end of a gala for him in June 2005.
In Britain they appeared at the
Royal Variety Performance. They also appeared in a 1996 televised Royal gala show in
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, which included a collaboration with
Princess Stéphanie. Jonathan and Charlotte performed their ''Artist's Dream'' illusion, a vignette about an artist's wife dying and appearing as a ghost, which was accompanied by a song composed and sung by Princess Stephanie and dedicated to her late mother
Princess Grace
Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956.
Kelly ...
. Jonathan also performed his ''
Clearly Impossible
Clearly Impossible is a variation of the illusion of sawing a woman in half devised by Jonathan Pendragon.Schneider, A., "A New Clear Sawing", ''Genii'' magazine, June 1993 (Vol 56, No 6).
Description
The illusion is very similar in principle and ...
'' sawing in half illusion, with Princess Stephanie taking Charlotte's place as the assistant being sawed in half. The gala was seen across the US as part of an ABC television special, ''Champions of Magic''.
On June 24, 2008, the Pendragons appeared as contestants on
NBC's reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
show, ''
America's Got Talent''. They were sent on to the next stage in Las Vegas. However they were never selected nor seen to move on to the top 40.
Directing and production
Jonathan Pendragon has been involved with production and direction in many of the shows in which The Pendragons appeared and was jointly responsible with conductor
Erich Kunzel
Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the ''Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati ...
for creating their innovative show with the
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same ...
.
Alongside director
Norman Jewison
Norman Frederick Jewison (born July 21, 1926) is a retired Canadian film and television director, producer, and founder of the Canadian Film Centre.
He has directed numerous feature films and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...
, Jonathan co-directed a segment for the movie
''Bogus'' starring
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...
. He created and directed a levitation similar to the Pendragons' ''Midsummer's Night Dream'' levitation performed for Disney in Europe. He also directed second unit work for the movie
''Continental Divide''.
Awards and honors
Charlotte was the first woman to receive "The Magician of the Year Award" from the
Academy of Magical Arts
The Magic Castle is a clubhouse for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It is in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California and it bills itself as "the most unusual private club in t ...
(The Magic Castle) in the USA. Together The Pendragons have won the prestigious award twice, a feat that only four other living magicians have accomplished. In 1991, Charlotte Pendragon became the first woman to become a Member of the Inner Circle of the British conjuring society
The Magic Circle. Jonathan was chosen by ''Magic'' magazine as one of ten living magicians whose work shaped magic in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Jonathan was honored by the
Lab School in
Washington DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
. Every year the school honors five distinguished individuals who have overcome a learning disability while growing up and gone on to accomplish great achievements in their fields. Other honorees include Cher and Tom Cruise.
Accident
During a fall at his home in late September 2006, one of the arrows from Jonathan's archery collection pierced his liver, his stomach, and his heart. It happened while rehearsing a dangerous trick for his upcoming show involving a compound bow and arrow.
Shortly after the accident, Charlotte Pendragon published an account of the event. She wrote, "Jonathan is in the hospital following an accident involving an arrow from his archery. He fell on the non-sharp broken end of the arrow while trying to hang a light fixture. The arrow pierced through his stomach, liver, an artery and several inches in his heart. It is through speed of hospitalization, modern surgical techniques and Jonathan's will to live that he continues with us today. His surgeon
..said this injury is always fatal and it is a miracle Jonathan is alive. He is recovering well after several hours of surgery including open heart surgery."
Jonathan made a full recovery.
Arrest of Jonathan
On July 8, 2009, Jonathan (as Claude Yarbrough) was arrested at gunpoint for allegedly firing a bullet into the floor of his home during a dispute with his then wife.
On August 10, 2009, Pendragon was not able to attend his arraignment since he was confined in a medical facility on
involuntary psychiatric hold. On 23 October 2009 at
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
Superior Court, Judge John Trice ruled that Claude Yarbrough must stand trial on felony charges of assault with a firearm, making criminal threats and other charges. On 9 March 2010, Jonathan pleaded
no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
to two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon as part of a plea bargain in which other charges were dropped. He was released after serving 245 days in county jail and sentenced to five years of probation.
After two years he was taken off formal and put on informal probation, and on 19 June 2014 at Orange County Superior Court, both felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors, and then dismissed.
Solo life and careers
Charlotte premiered her solo act at the 2009 Daytona Festival of Magic. She marketed a floating ball Wonderball several years ago. She has seemingly retired and currently lives near her hometown of
Porterville, California
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. It is part of the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan statistical area.
Since its incorporation in 1902, the city's population has grown as it annexed n ...
, along with her fiancé Randy Lessley.
Jonathan began his own solo act in 2010, at first with a new style of mentalism performed as a savant, rather than as a psychic, which he calls Metaphysics. He has since blended this style into his Grand Illusion, refining his character into an archetype called "the Poet/Wizard." He filed for divorce in 2011, and it became final in May 2012. On September 22, 2012, he married West McDonough, a member of the Glover family who own
the Magic Castle
The Magic Castle is a clubhouse for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It is in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California and it bills itself as "the most unusual private club in t ...
land and building. In 2014-2015 he was one of the most frequent performers on the CW television series
Masters of Illusion, the Pop TV series Don't Blink, and on the REELZ series
Extreme Escapes, as well as being a regular performer in the Masters of Illusion Live touring show. Since January 2014 he has been a regular bi-monthly columnist for Genii Magazine.
His frequent performances both on television and in live venues have earned him wide admiration in the magic world.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Jonathan's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pendragon, Jonathan And Charlotte
American magicians
Living people
People from California
Married couples
University of California, Irvine alumni
America's Got Talent contestants
Year of birth missing (living people)
Magician duos
Academy of Magical Arts Magician of the Year winners
Academy of Magical Arts Performing Fellowship winners