Chicago's Magicians are Leveling Up
Few skills are more valuable to a magician than the ability to make something disappear and reappear. This sleight of hand is a trick so timeless that audiences still question the boundaries of possibility. You might think the magic show ends there, but in Chicago, the show is just getting started.
The Golden Age of Magic began with an eager rivalry between none other than Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. From 1890 to 1929, Chicago became the stage for elaborate innovation in magical entertainment. In the 1950s, working magicians pioneered what is now known as Chicago close-up magic. Restaurants and bars all over the city featured magicians walking from table to table performing sleight of hand. Over time, these establishments, and the demand for magic faded.
However, Chicago endured as an international hub for the art form. Alongside The Windy City’s robust theatre and food scenes, magic has reemerged as a unique entertainment option for tourists and locals alike. Here are four places to see it for yourself.
THE CHICAGO MAGIC LOUNGE
At the Chicago Magic Lounge in Andersonville, you can indulge your inner skeptic. Adult reason takes a backseat as the youthful wonder you’ve let slip away takes control once more. And actually, unlocking your imagination is key to entering the Chicago Magic Lounge. Sneakily disguised as a laundromat, patrons guess their way into an elegant lounge where magic guides every aspect of the night.
You can sit back with a cocktail and watch the bar magicians until closing time or purchase a ticket to any of the stage shows. While you wait for your food to arrive, close-up magicians float around the room, performing tricks. These magicians are nothing like the guy who showed up to your daughter’s sixth birthday. The magic here is well-crafted and masterfully executed.
The opening of the Chicago Magic Lounge in 2015 created new opportunities for magicians to hone their craft. Eager audiences flocked to the city, ready to participate in cutting-edge close-up magic. Theoretically, it is easier for Chicago magicians to rest on the laurels of their history to leverage tourism. Instead, the community here draws inspiration from its past to propel magic into the future.
MAGIC INC.
Magic Inc. is the oldest family-owned magic shop in North America. The store's new location on W. Lawrence Avenue comes complete with a multi-purpose space for performances and visiting artists. Since opening in 1928, this shop has been the ultimate magical arsenal.
Illusionists will find any instrument they could ever need. There are capes for every conjuror and props for every performer. Books from all corners of magical literature are available for purchase. And Magic Inc.'s knowledgable staff is happy to discuss any of the above.
Local magicians pass through all day to spend time workshopping techniques and practicing sleight of hand. Before any budding, Chicago magician can develop a passion for magic; they will undoubtedly find themselves at Magic Inc., learning and creating. This is where magical ideas become reality. Decades from now, in the annals of magic, this mom-and-pop shop will be regarded as a landmark.
LOGAN ARCADE
Part of close-up magic's wow factor is that the audience rarely anticipates what they're about to see. Sleight of hand's unknown intricacy is adept at drawing startled and puzzled reactions from onlookers. Every Tuesday night at Logan Arcade, Justin Purcell plays on this element of surprise by shocking unsuspecting bar patrons with live magic.
Surrounded by booze, music and flashing arcade lights, Purcell taps into your innate curiosity. When you first spot his magic table, you wonder, 'What's that?' Once he amazes and confuses you, you think, 'How did he do that?' By the end of his set, you're in full-blown investigation mode asking, 'Why is there a magician at a bar?' Just like that, you're learning about Chicago's magical history. Purcell's residency at Logan Arcade can be summed up as a magical conversion tool for the masses.
Chicago magicians are grateful for the influx of fresh eyes. The conditions are perfect for showcasing magic's evolution as an art form. Today's magicians are creating experiences that challenge your definition of magic, leaving you with no other choice than to believe it's real.
THE MAGIC PARLOUR
The Magic Parlour is an intimate evening of mind-reading and magic in the historic Palmer House hotel. Created by Dennis Watkins, the show is a mixture of magic passed down from his grandfather and modern takes on the classics. Watkins grew up with magic, and now he wants the world to see that magic, too, has grown.
His message is already beginning to make waves in other cities. Watkins recently consulted on a show, based on Chicago's magic scene, in downtown Pittsburgh. People across the globe have been able to access magic thanks to shows like Penn & Teller's "Fool Us," various Netflix specials and magic residencies on Broadway. Amid such growth, magicians with legacies like Watkins' are invaluable to the preservation of magic's history and heart.
THE FUTURE OF MAGIC
People living in and visiting Chicago are watching magic revolutionize itself right before their eyes. With the opening of every show, a new facet of close-up magic is born, and the realm of possibility expands. It's worth pointing out that the audience is the most crucial part of this process.
Close-up magicians talk to you, laugh with you; the whole experience is dependent on connection and interaction. Members of the audience make conscious decisions that then affect the outcome of a show. These people become forever written into magical history. Every one of them is helping ensure that magic, as an art, never disappears again.
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