Melinda Saxe
Encyclopedia
Melinda Saxe is a magician
from Las Vegas, Nevada, best known for network television performances and Las Vegas
stage shows in which she was billed as "The First Lady of Magic". She is often associated with the "Drill of Death
" illusion which was a signature trick developed for her by Andre Kole
. Although derided by some critics as a stereotypical blonde who achieved success because of her looks (eg. "more showgirl than magician"), Saxe is also respected by many in the magic business as a highly professional and likeable performer.
began assisting in the technical and business side of her shows while still a college student and went on to be her producer for 17 years.
Her self-styled title "The First Lady of Magic" originated as the name or billing strapline for the various shows she presented in a succession of Las Vegas venues throughout her career. Her first starring show was a small scale cabaret at the Bourbon Street Hotel when she was aged 20. At the height of her fame she was starring in big shows with large supporting casts at some of the city's best known locations. She also had a residency at the Trump Castle in Atlantic City, New Jersey
and enjoyed a four-year run in her own 3,000-seat theatre in Branson, Missouri
. In 1995 she was chosen by producer Gary Ouellet
as one of the acts for the second of his World's Greatest Magic television specials broadcast on the NBC
network. The show featured the television debut of the Drill of Death
illusion, in which Saxe was chained up in front of a giant drill which appeared to advance and impale her before lifting her up and spinning her limp body high above the stage. Ouellet was again influential in promoting Saxe's career when she starred in her own special for Disney in 1997. Ouellet was producer for the show, which, like her stage shows, was titled Melinda: First Lady of Magic. She also featured in the first of Ouellet's World's Most Dangerous Magic
specials in 1998, in which she escaped using levitation after being tied up and placed in a glass tank that was filled with snakes.
Saxe stopped performing in 2002 saying she intended to devote herself to starting a family with her new husband. Melinda has recently moved back to Las Vegas and will be performing in mid October at the V Theater in the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
named her "Magician of the Year" in its "Merlin" awards.
in 1993 but the marriage was short-lived and they divorced. On 1 June 2000 she married Mark Evensvold on 24 August 2003 she gave birth to their son Mason Ray Evensvold and she had her second child on 3 August 2007, a baby girl named Mallory Rose.
Saxe now lives in back in Las Vegas.
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
from Las Vegas, Nevada, best known for network television performances and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
stage shows in which she was billed as "The First Lady of Magic". She is often associated with the "Drill of Death
Drill of Death
The Drill of Death is a large-scale stage illusion in which a performer appears to be impaled on a giant drill. It was created by magician André Kole and illusion designer Ken Whitaker for magician Melinda Saxe. It was one of Saxe's signature tricks and featured as a highlight in her various First...
" illusion which was a signature trick developed for her by Andre Kole
André Kole
André Kole is the stage name of Robert Gurtler Jr., an American magician and inventor of magical effects. He is also a committed Christian and is a public speaker for the evangelical group Campus Crusade for Christ International....
. Although derided by some critics as a stereotypical blonde who achieved success because of her looks (eg. "more showgirl than magician"), Saxe is also respected by many in the magic business as a highly professional and likeable performer.
Career
Saxe comes from a Las Vegas showbiz family. She is the daughter of Bonnie Saxe, a dancer turned show producer, who helped launch Melinda's performing career. Melinda's brother David SaxeDavid Saxe
David Saxe is a Las Vegas show producer and theater owner. He produces 12 Las Vegas shows, ten of which play at his V Theater inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Saxe has two shows currently performing at the Sahara Hotel and Casino...
began assisting in the technical and business side of her shows while still a college student and went on to be her producer for 17 years.
Her self-styled title "The First Lady of Magic" originated as the name or billing strapline for the various shows she presented in a succession of Las Vegas venues throughout her career. Her first starring show was a small scale cabaret at the Bourbon Street Hotel when she was aged 20. At the height of her fame she was starring in big shows with large supporting casts at some of the city's best known locations. She also had a residency at the Trump Castle in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
and enjoyed a four-year run in her own 3,000-seat theatre in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
. In 1995 she was chosen by producer Gary Ouellet
Gary Ouellet
Gary Ouellet was a French-Canadian television producer and magician who lived and worked in the United States.He may be best-known as the driving force behind a number of network television specials that helped some of the top performers in modern magic to gain a national and international profile...
as one of the acts for the second of his World's Greatest Magic television specials broadcast on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network. The show featured the television debut of the Drill of Death
Drill of Death
The Drill of Death is a large-scale stage illusion in which a performer appears to be impaled on a giant drill. It was created by magician André Kole and illusion designer Ken Whitaker for magician Melinda Saxe. It was one of Saxe's signature tricks and featured as a highlight in her various First...
illusion, in which Saxe was chained up in front of a giant drill which appeared to advance and impale her before lifting her up and spinning her limp body high above the stage. Ouellet was again influential in promoting Saxe's career when she starred in her own special for Disney in 1997. Ouellet was producer for the show, which, like her stage shows, was titled Melinda: First Lady of Magic. She also featured in the first of Ouellet's World's Most Dangerous Magic
The World's Most Dangerous Magic
The World's Most Dangerous Magic was the title of two American television specials showcasing illusion and escapology acts, which were made for the NBC network...
specials in 1998, in which she escaped using levitation after being tied up and placed in a glass tank that was filled with snakes.
Saxe stopped performing in 2002 saying she intended to devote herself to starting a family with her new husband. Melinda has recently moved back to Las Vegas and will be performing in mid October at the V Theater in the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
Awards
In 1998 the International Magicians SocietyInternational Magicians Society
The International Magicians Society is the world's largest magic society as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The IMS began in 1968 and now has over 37,000 members worldwide...
named her "Magician of the Year" in its "Merlin" awards.
Personal life
Saxe married fellow magician Lance BurtonLance Burton
Lance Burton is a stage illusionist. He has appeared on numerous television programs, and also performed for Queen Elizabeth and President Ronald Reagan...
in 1993 but the marriage was short-lived and they divorced. On 1 June 2000 she married Mark Evensvold on 24 August 2003 she gave birth to their son Mason Ray Evensvold and she had her second child on 3 August 2007, a baby girl named Mallory Rose.
Saxe now lives in back in Las Vegas.
Further reading
- Steve Bryant, interview with Melinda in Genii magazine, August 1999 (Vol.62, No.8)