Magic and Medicine

On Friday nights, Dr. Joe Dalgo steps into a dimly lit room in the French Quarter, where cards disappear and legends come to life as an audience gathers to watch him perform. He hands a stack of cards to a woman in the front row, invites her to shuffle, and the magic begins. On Monday mornings, he steps through the door of his Barataria Animal Hospital in Marrero, La., and sees his first patient of the day as he has done for 34 years.

His love for magic came first. It started when he joined the cub scouts when he was eight.  He attended meetings, learned tricks, and put on his first show when he was in sixth grade. He set up a table in the yard of his parents’ Lafayette grocery store and charged anyone who came up to the table a nickel to watch his show.

Growing up, he was shy and kept to himself. Magic became a trick he used to get out of his shell. "I saw that people were entertained by what I was doing. Magic helped me out socially," he said.

Throughout the years, as his love for magic grew, he was still trying to figure out who he wanted to be in life. He always loved animals, and when he got the opportunity to shadow veterinarians in a clinic, after graduating from college with a degree in medical technology, he discovered who he wanted to be.

While in veterinary school, he placed magic on the back burner, but he never let it go. In 1992, he graduated and launched his veterinary career. That’s when he let magic slowly reappear into his life again, setting aside time to practice and perform. 

He found ways to combine his two interests by incorporating pieces of veterinary medicine into his shows. He would bring an X-ray viewer to shows he performed in libraries and classrooms, letting the children take turns figuring out which species of animal was being shown. He would perform magic tricks with a rabbit, and a ball python snake, while talking about how to take proper care of these animals. 

As he continued perfecting his craft, he joined the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He gained access to monthly meetings, which introduced him to other magicians, and books that helped him improve his skills. Over the years, he has collected hundreds of magic books.

He discovered he wanted his magic to tell a story. "I really loved New Orleans history. I started reading a lot about it and had the idea to incorporate historical narrative into my magic," he said. 

In 2018, Dr. Dalgo was searching online for magic props when he came across a vampire-themed boutique located in the French Quarter. When he went to the store, he noticed a sign advertising a magic show at a nearby speakeasy. He followed his curiosity to the speakeasy, became friends with the magician there, and later met the owner. Dr. Dalgo offered to perform a complimentary show for the staff. That performance led to monthly shows at the speakeasy for about a year.

The owner eventually opened a vampire apothecary-themed restaurant and invited Dr. Dalgo to create a magic show themed around an old pharmacy similar to that depicted in the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum in the French Quarter. Within a week, he performed there in his own show titled, “Diabolical Delusions.”  Three years later he still performs this show periodically, but his new weekly show is titled “Attic Apparitions.” 

His shows combine magic with New Orleans' history, hauntings, and legends. The performances are carefully planned, with scripted dialogue, music, and choreography, yet his skill makes the routines appear spontaneous and fresh. His shows include stories of above ground tombs, yellow fever, and other tragedies that shaped the city.

On a typical Friday night, an audience fills the room and becomes an important part of the magic. Creating the setting is part of the fun. He never knows how his audience will react—if they will clap, sit in silence, or leave from fright.

Sometimes he takes his show on the road to other venues in New Orleans, the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., the East Coast Spirit Sessions, in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the Bisbee Seance room in Ariz.  

Throughout his travels, magic and medicine have been his teachers. 

The magic that once helped a shy 10-year-old come out of his shell has taught him the importance of connecting with people—at both his successful Friday night shows in the Quarter and in his thriving veterinary clinic.