Dennis Watkins’ Magic Parlour is specifically tailored for a small audience of less than fifty people, and there’s a reason why: magic is much more powerful when you can see it up-close and personal for yourself. In our final video interview with Watkins, he talks about developing a parlour-type show in the heart of downtown Chicago, and why he prefers to perform smaller, more intimate shows nightly than larger shows less frequently.

For the rest of our interview with Dennis Watkins, check out the links below:

Part one: Dennis Watkins on the perks of growing up in a family of magicians

Part two: Chicago magic is all about the up-close and personal touch

Part three: The evolution of the Magic Parlour

And for more from our visit to Chicago, check out our video interviews with Mark Toland and Nick Roy, and our Magic Anywhere special, focusing on the unique, hands-on approach to Chicago-style magic.

The Magic Parlour is an intimate evening of mystery and illusion created by Dennis Watkins, specifically designed to cater to only a few dozen individuals at a time. While the show currently resides at the Palmer House in Chicago (the same venue where his House Theatre of Chicago is held), it wasn’t always that way. In the third part of our interview with Watkins, he talks about the evolution of The Magic Parlour, beginning as a fundraiser for the House Theatre, and eventually blossoming into a nightly, can’t-miss event.

For the rest of our interview with Dennis Watkins, check out the links below:

Part one: Dennis Watkins on the perks of growing up in a family of magicians

Part two: Chicago magic is all about the up-close and personal touch

Part four: The power of performing magic for a small audience

And for more from our visit to Chicago, check out our video interviews with Mark Toland and Nick Roy, and our Magic Anywhere special, focusing on the unique, hands-on approach to Chicago-style magic.

Following a spin through Charlotte, North Carolina, our Magic Everywhere video series hopped a plane and an El train to explore Chicago, Illinois. After visiting four of the Windy City’s magic clubs and chatting with several top performers around town, we’ve got a good picture of what Chicago-style magic looks like.

Hint: it all starts with booze.

Chicago has a rich history of good times and good entertainment, and was an early home of bar magic. As you’d expect with that lineage, the resulting style of close-up magic now practiced by many of the locals is brash and high-energy. It also usually favors lots of participation from the audience, whether they’ve had many drinks or none. With both sides ready to dish out the sass, you can expect a very good time in any of Chicago’s latest crop of magic venues.

Being a professional magician takes a lot of hustle, which makes it all the more impressive when a performer is able to hold down a recurring gig. It means that both performer and venue have hit on something special and audiences still want more of it. So we’re happy to share the Dennis Watkins is going into his seventh year of hosting The Magic Parlour.

The intimate performance happens on Fridays and Saturdays at the opulent Palmer House Hotel in downtown Chicago. Watkins’ first show at the hotel was at a benefit event, but the venue staff was so impressed that they offered him a limited run. He kept selling out the shows, and the hotel kept extending his stay.

Windy City locals in particular should know about Watkins’ role in the Chicago live performance community. Not only is he the host of The Magic Parlour, but Watkins also started The House Theater with some friends. If you’ve been to The Chopin Theater in Wicker Park, you may have seen their work. Read more about Watkins and The House Theater in this profile.

Bravo Dennis!