PicksInSix Review: Dennis Watkins - The Magic Parlour - The Goodman & Petterino's

Come Early. Stay Late. Be Astounded!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

At the center of any fabulous evening at “The Magic Parlour”—celebrating its 16th year in downtown Chicago—Dennis Watkins may be identifying random objects gathered from the audience after duct taping coins to his eye sockets, interlocking wedding rings chosen at random, and floating a handful of playing cards from his left hand to his right pocket. It’s all close-up magic—a mix of prestidigitation, mystifying mind-reading, sophisticated illusions and sleight of hand—with a central numerological theme that is astounding.

For the record, Watkins’s most amazing feat might just be that he has not aged a single day in all those years, despite multiple shows a week and an active corporate and private event enterprise. The secret to his youthful longevity—"The Magic Parlour” is currently the longest-running magic show in Chicago—is his passion for storytelling and an unwavering dedication to the art of making magic accessible, something he freely admits is a series of choices stemming from our commitment as an audience to believe that anything is possible.

Watkins, a third-generation magician and mentalist, is a consummate showman—soft spoken yet wildly energetic, appealing to young and old alike with a devilish, all-knowing grin, quick wit and a keen sense of humor. Over 90 magically-packed minutes, Watkins connects on a personal level with each of up to 60 audience members in the show room on the lower level of Petterino’s. If you spend too much time thinking about what you just saw, you will likely miss the next illusion. Watkins sets a steady, entertaining pace, with lots of audience interaction building from one astounding feat after another.

As we learn from Watkins, there are an uncalculatable number of variations in a standard deck of cards. So, it comes as no surprise that as the cards pass from one unsuspecting volunteer to another on stage in plain view for all to see, any apparent chaos very quickly falls into startling, recognizable order. And on this night, an overhead camera captured the breakneck speed of Watkins’s shuffling skills that help punctuate his storytelling. But it is the numeric theme that rules in nearly every major element of the show, so pay close attention. The payoff will leave you in awe.

The 8:30 pm show on Friday was my fourth experience including a 2016 performance at the Palmer House, the 2023 opening night at Petterino’s location and, during the pandemic, an uplifting virtual show celebrating retired judge and theatre critic Julian Frazin’s birthday. The price of admission in the intimate lounge at Petterino’s includes a drink at the bar and, for a modest upcharge, you can join a dozen or so patrons in “The Encore Room” following the main show and get the ultimate close-up experience.

A special Halloween engagement, “The Spirit Cabinet,” is scheduled for October 25, 26, 29 and 30. Dates fill up early with special holiday season additions in November and December, and the show is perfect for family outings and corporate events. Advance reservations are suggested. Come early. Stay late. Be astounded!

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

The Goodman & Petterino’s
present
Dennis Watkins
The Magic Parlour
50 West Randolph

OPEN RUN

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TICKETS
312.443.3800

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PicksInSix Review: ROYKO: The Toughest Man in Chicago

ROYKO: “Always, always say it now.”

PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

In his exceptional one-man show “ROYKO: The Toughest Man in Chicago” that opened Friday in a limited run at the Chopin Theater, writer/actor Mitchell Bisschop brings the life and career of Mike Royko into sharp focus. Using Royko’s own words, the show is culled from nearly eight thousand columns spanning four decades that were syndicated nationally at a time when everything was not a click away. It is a remarkable historical archive—epic in nature—on topics ranging from Chicago politics and personalities to Picasso and pizza from the early 50s to his untimely passing in 1997.

Much of what Royko has written is still available thanks to his own foresight to reprint much of his writing in numerous books, the committed nature of his family to preserve his work in print and online, and to the publications themselves who have made them publicly accessible. Ask anyone over fifty living in Chicago about Royko’s work and you will understand the enormous impact that he had on daily readers through the years.

Bisschop and director Steve Scott deliver a compelling, and at times, deeply moving portrait of the man who was by his own account equally beloved and despised but never pulled a punch on a point he believed in. Whether it was the 1960s Daley political machine or recollections of Jackie Robinson’s first day at Wrigley, the stories flow effortlessly.  Scott’s influence can be seen all over this work, in Bisschop’s superbly-paced delivery and the sequential transitions of the storyline aided by the timing, placement and impact of Smooch Medina’s projections and stylized musical underscoring by Christopher Kriz.

In the center of it all is Bisschop weaving together a tapestry of Royko’s early career, not so much in a linear sense, but through the varied topics of his columns—Frank Sinatra’s city sponsored security detail, his mother’s dry cleaning and tailoring store, Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods, RibFest—each punctuated with personal details and wry commentary.  There are frequent trips to the Billy Goat Tavern, which stands as a living testament to Royko’s roots.

For the record, I was a Royko neophyte when I first moved to Chicago in 2002. What I could not gather from many of the references at the time, others helped fill in the gaps. With so much material to choose from, Bisschop wisely concentrated his efforts on a balance between the serious and sublime, equally framed in the brazen insight and searing satire that Royko used to highlight public injustice. The sensitive, emotionally-charged choices are evidence of the appeal that drove readers to his column first whether in the Chicago Daily News, the Chicago Sun Times or the Chicago Tribune.  Royko’s touching tribute following the unexpected passing of his first wife Carol is one of the night’s most powerful moments. There are tributes to Martin Luther King and John Belushi. And Royko’s passionate struggle with the Chicago Cubs plays out here as well.

“Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago” will serve to introduce a new generation to this remarkable life. There is a helpful historical timeline in the show’s program and a note where Bisschop states that he is trying to “allow people to feel the same magic that I felt when I read Mike for the first time.” Take a look for yourself and you will certainly agree that it is a staggering accomplishment. See this show and you will know that only a gifted actor of Bisschop’s unique skills and rarified commitment to the source material could succeed so well.  

PHOTO|Sarah Larson

Toughest Man Productions
presents
ROYKO: The toughest Man in Chicago
Chopin Theater
through September 29, 2024

WEBSITE

TICKETS

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

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PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC