an idea i've been kicking around since april
Today: The Pendragons and Melinda, the First Lady of Magic
The Pendragons are a husband-and-wife duo who frequently appeared on television in the 90s. Every time I saw them, however, they performed the same trick! The two would abruptly switch places inside and outside of a locked chest.
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. [source]
Oof.
Earlier this summer, the Pendragons returned to television on America's Got Talent and impressed the judges (and Jerry Springer) with…
THE SAME GODDAMN CHEST TRICK!
Melinda Saxe, the self-proclaimed "First Lady of Magic," appeared on some of the same 90s magic specials as the Pendragons.
I saw her perform her trademark Drill of Death illusion (embedding disabled) on The World's Greatest Magic II and thought: "Copperfield performed this on his flying special three years ago, only a woman pierced his torso, not a drill."
Although derided by some critics as a "dumb blonde" who achieved success because of her looks, Saxe is also respected by many in the magic business as a highly professional performer who is kind and intelligent. [source]
I initially misread the highlighted part as "kind of intelligent."
On a family trip to Vegas in the mid-to-late 90s, I remember seeing ads on cabs for Melinda's live show. The ads noted that she performed twice nightly, and that the late shows were topless.
Alas, I was not old enough at the time to experience topless magic, and Melinda retired before I could return.