CELESTE EVANS
AN ICON IN MAGIC
(This came in from Celeste's daughter to
share with the magic community.)
I am saddened to have to make this
announcement. Celeste Evans, my mom,
has passed away today. To many of you
she was a pioneer, an inspiration, and a
force in the magic world. To us…. She
was mom.
Celeste Evans caught the magic bug at
age 9 when she was watching some boys
doing magic on the beaches of British
Colombia, they were throwing knots
into silks, magically the knots would
disappear, the silk would be thrown
again and 2 knots would appear. She just
knew she wanted to do this, but the boys
were less than encouraging and told
her she could never do magic because
she was a girl. It was through sheer
determination, not only did she learn
how to do that trick, but opened her act
for the next 60+ years with throwing silks
into knots as a reminder to herself that
she could do anything despite being told
she couldn’t.
Celeste Evans toured the world several
times over doing magic, filling up 4
passports in 10 years, entertaining Kings
and Queens, Presidents and patrons,
military and the masses. She was
on countless TV shows, honored in
hundreds of books and magazines,
and immortalized in several
museums. She was a pioneer in
magic, especially to the female
magicians of today. Becoming a
female magician in the early 50’s
was not an easy road, she had
many obstacles to climb, and push
aside, which she did because she
had no choice. She had a dream
to use what God had given her to
her advantage and make her own
magical misdirection. She wore
skintight body suits with tear away
skirts and performed magic like the
men producing 8 – 12 doves from
“thin air.”
People not only noticed her striking
presence on stage, but in person
also. She was statuesque, beautiful,
show stopping and also stubborn,
opinionated, and determined, which
made her a success in the many
endeavors she did in life. From
magic, gardening, sailing, wood-
carving, and her custom jewelry
creations, she excelled at it all.
Celeste wrote two books, Has this
ever happened to you? And her
autobiography, I can still see me.
Her first book was about embarrassing
moments that happened on stage and was
inspired from talking to young magicians
at magic conventions. The reoccurring
theme was of young magicians either
messing up a trick or had an embarrassing
moments on stage and wanted to quit.
Mom was no quitter! The thought of
someone wanting to quit because of a
mishap made her rather upset. So she
gathered from 100+ magicians, around the
globe, their most embarrassing moments/
goofs and compiled them into a book.
She believed if the young magicians saw
they were not the first, this just may teach
them to not give up and keep Magic
alive. With this said if anyone would like to
make a donation in Celeste Evans name to
continue "keeping magic alive" by inspiring
the love of magic to a young person she
would have loved it. Mom believed the
Magic Castle was a wonderful magical
place and believed in their Junior Program.
The Junior Program is scholarship program
for young magicians.
Donations in Celeste Evans name could be
sent to:
The Junior Program
c/o The Magic Castle,
7001 Franklin Avenue,
L.A. CA 90028.
Today Celeste Evans stands in front of her
late brothers and sister (Jack, Norman, &
Betty), her late husbands (Harry Breyn &
Herbert Mitchell), her late friends magically
and beyond, plus every animal she ever
loved and trained and casts her final bow
to what I know is the greatest standing
ovation ever received!
10
VANISH Magazine
www.VanishMagazine.com
Mom we love you and you will be missed,
but never forgotten… Please rest in peace
1931 - 2017.
Love your children
Evan & Evanna.