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[[File: McDonaldMabelBirch.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ McDonald Birch]]]]
[[File: LeGrandDavid1.png|right|thumb|200px|[[ Le Grand David]]]]
'''McDonald "Mac" Birch''' (b.1902-d.1992) was born George McDonald Birch and grew up in McConnelsville, Ohio. Known as Mac to his friends, he began performing on the [[Lyceum]] and [[Chautauqua]] circuits. He quickly gained a reputation for his work offering a full unassisted two-hour show.
 
'''Marco the Magi''' was the character name of '''Cesareo Pelaez''', the founder, producer, director, designer and choreographer of [[Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company]] in Beverly Mass.


== Biography ==
== Biography ==


Later, his wife Mabel Sperry, a xylophonist and also played the marimba , provided the musical interlude in his shows, as well as working as his chief assistant. Two of his featured acts were the Vanishing Pony and the Silk Mirage.
Cesareo’s interest in magic began as a young boy in Cuba when his father would take him to see all the traveling magic shows. In his youth he witnessed the shows of [[Chang]], [[Richiardi Sr.]] and [[Fu Manchu]] to name a few. He was also exposed to other shows and developed a fondness for all things theatrical.  


McDonald Birch was a contemporary of other master illusionists like [[Blackstone]], [[Thurston]] and the great [[Harry Houdini]]. In 1924, Howard Thurston made plans to make Birch the successor to the Kellar-Thurston "magic mantle".  Thurston, however, never got around to retiring.  
Cesareo was a natural leader and, in his teens, gathered together his friends from the neighborhood and put together a miniature theatre group. They would build scenery, design costumes and put on shows. It was the precursor to what he would do years later in Beverly.


After over 50 years as a headliner, Birch retired from performing in the 1960s.  
As Castro took over Cuba things in the country got bad and Cesareo chose to leave his beloved country. He eventually ended up in America and chose to pursue psychology as his profession. The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow became a close friend and mentor to Cesareo. Eventually, Peleaz became a Professor of Psychology at Salem State University.


[[McDonald Birch|Read more about McDonald Birch…]]
[[Marco the Magi|Read more about Marco the Magi…]]

Revision as of 15:18, 4 August 2024

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Marco the Magi was the character name of Cesareo Pelaez, the founder, producer, director, designer and choreographer of Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company in Beverly Mass.

Biography

Cesareo’s interest in magic began as a young boy in Cuba when his father would take him to see all the traveling magic shows. In his youth he witnessed the shows of Chang, Richiardi Sr. and Fu Manchu to name a few. He was also exposed to other shows and developed a fondness for all things theatrical.

Cesareo was a natural leader and, in his teens, gathered together his friends from the neighborhood and put together a miniature theatre group. They would build scenery, design costumes and put on shows. It was the precursor to what he would do years later in Beverly.

As Castro took over Cuba things in the country got bad and Cesareo chose to leave his beloved country. He eventually ended up in America and chose to pursue psychology as his profession. The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow became a close friend and mentor to Cesareo. Eventually, Peleaz became a Professor of Psychology at Salem State University.

Read more about Marco the Magi…