Is Chicago becoming the best city for magic?

by Robert Loerzel / WBEZ Chicago / January 4, 2024

Magicians are the star attractions on rooftops, in basement parlors, in restored theaters — and even in a gelato shop where a cone comes with a card trick.

On any given night in Chicago right now, you can find magicians dazzling audiences in an elegant underground Loop parlor, a rehabbed Rogers Park vaudeville theater or an Andersonville cabaret hidden behind the façade of an industrial laundry.

There’s even a newish gelato shop in Lincoln Square where magicians sling cards and conjure up other illusions while serving twisted flavors such as Elf Crack.

Magic is a big deal in Chicago, and it has been for a long time, but it’s especially popular at the moment, with a growing number of shows and venues.

“There’s a lot of magic happening in Chicago now,” said John Sturk, a Chicagoan who’s the national president of the Society of American Magicians. “There used to be dozens and dozens of magic bars and theaters and places to see shows. And then they kind of just slowly faded away. But around about 10 years ago, there started to be more.”

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