The Pendragons

Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon are an award-winning husband-and-wife team of American illusionists who call their work "physical grand illusion". They are widely known thanks to numerous national and international television appearances. The couple are distinguished from many other husband-and-wife magic acts in that Charlotte Pendragon is credited as an equal partner rather than an assistant. She has been honoured in her own right as a magician and has achieved notable firsts as a woman in the magic profession. Jonathan Pendragon has been described as one of the most influential magicians in recent history.

Performing partnership

The couple met at the University of California, Irvine, where Jonathon was studying theatre and Charlotte was studying dance under choreographers Eugene Loring and George Balanchine. They married soon after. Charlotte (born Charlotte Brown) is a dancer and former gymnast and body builder. Jonathan (born Jonathan 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. 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 show includes a number of illusions with which they have become particularly associated, including Interlude, in which a woman crawls through a man's chest. They were the first artists to perform this trick. The Pendragons are revered by fellow magicians 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 ground-breaking illusion is Clearly Impossible, a sawing in half trick designed by Jonathan. It's distinctive feature is a transparent box that allows 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 Jonathan made 25 show girls vanish and then re-appear in front of a live audience at Casesar's Palace in Las Vegas.[2]

The couple reside in Shell Beach, California.

Notable appearances

The Pendragons have appeared on television in more than 50 countries and starred in 14 primetime specials on US networks, including their own Night of Magic show for Disney, several World's Greatest Magic shows for NBC, and Champions of Magic for ABC. For PBS television they performed with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, presenting illusions to classical music. For Universal Studios 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 have also frequently been guests on programmes such as the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Paul Daniels Magic Show.

They have performed at presidential galas for US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, including a command performance for President Clinton at the Ford's Theater for an ABC TV Special.

In Britain they appeared at the Royal Variety Performance. They also appeared in a televised Royal gala show in Monaco, which included a collaboration with Princess Stephanie. Jonathan and Charlotte performed their Artist's Dream illusion, a vignette about an artist's wife dying and appearing as a ghost. For the performance Princess Stephanie composed and sang a song dedicated to her mother, Princess Grace. It was seen across the US as part of an ABC television special.

Directing and production

Jonathan has been involved at a production and direction level in many of the shows in which The Pendragons have appeared and was jointly responsible with conductor Erich Kunzel for creating their innovative show with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Alongside director Norman Jewison, Jonathan co-directed a segment for the movie Bogus starring Whoppi Goldberg. 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 honours

Charlotte was the first woman to receive "The Magician of the Year Award" from the Academy of Magical Arts (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 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. 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. He has since made a full recovery.

Further reading

• Moehring, John (August 1999), "The Century: The Pendragons", Magic Magazine, Vol.8 (No.12) {{citation}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help)

External links

• The Pendragons' Official Site
• Jonathan Pendragon at IMDb
• Charlotte Pendragon at IMDb