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How Milton played a trick on the Zubrick Magic Theatre
No magic trick, sleight of hand or grand illusion could have spared Ryan and Chris Zubrick’s Pasadena home from the ravages of Hurricane Milton.
The proprietors of the Zubrick Magic Theatre, and their 7-year-old son, have been sleeping on the stage of their downtown performance space since two feet of water flooded their residence – which, in an act of decidedly non-magical irony, is in Evacuation Zone D, a no-flood zone.
Nevertheless, it flooded.
“We were not ordered to evacuate,” Ryan Zubrick said. “And apparently that area has never flooded, according to people who have lived there 50-some years. So it was a great surprise to all of us.”
To play it safe, pre-Milton, the Zubricks evacuated anyway. Once the storm had moved on, and things settled down, they returned to the Pasadena house.
“We spent the first day after the hurricane removing all of our furniture,” Zubrick said. “We ripped up the floors ourselves. We tried to salvage all of our personal belongings that did not get wet.”
It was heartbreaking, he noted, to see the pain in his son’s eyes as his toys, games and electronics were hauled outside to the rapidly-growing debris pile.
“We were able to salvage a few things that were up on tall shelves,” he continued. “All the appliances went out. Every piece of furniture went out.
“In our garage, we stored several things for the theater, including several illusions. Those were trashed, unfortunately. A lot of magic sets, decks of cards, things that we order in bulk (to sell at the theater) and store in our garage.”
They grabbed what they could use and relocated to the theater, 1211 1st Avenue N., which was powerless but otherwise unaffected by the hurricane.
“That place is obviously our home away from home, so we’re comfortable there. We have air mattresses, so we made do. But obviously the comfort sometimes takes a back seat when you don’t have AC or lights.”
Power at the theater was restored Tuesday. The Zubricks’ son returned to school Wednesday.
As for the Pasadena house, “A lot of the contractors we’re meeting with say six months; some are saying nine months. Right now, all the walls up to four feet are taken out and are just bare studs. They’ve done mold mitigation and treatment, and they’re spending a few days airing it out, making sure all the moisture readings are where they need to be. So that doesn’t become a problem in the future.”
And that’s just the beginning. Everything inside the house will need to be rebuilt or replaced.
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The couple moved to the bay area, and opened Zubrick Magic Theatre, in 2021. “We looked at probably 30 homes, we put in seven different offers. We wanted something move-in ready – owning a business and having a kid, we didn’t want one of the ones that needed a lot of home renovation.
“Now, of course, we’re in a position where we have to do all that.”
The good news: They’ve located a place to store their belongings, and are close to finding a temporary place to stay. “It’s important to us to get back up and running, because this is our sole source of income. And now more than ever, we need to be making that income to help us survive.”
The Zubrick Magic Theatre will re-open Friday, Oct. 25.
Those who wish to help, Zubrick said, can do so by buying show tickets or gift certificates – the always-popular Holiday Spectacular starts mid-November, wink-wink – or by donating at zubrickmagic.com/give.
“The community has been amazing,” he added. “People just get behind you and help out. It’s been great.”
