Around Chicago
with DON WIBERG
December • 2008
There is plenty of holiday magic in the Windy City area to get you in the spirit. Before plunging into what's appearing or dissappearing, I thought I would mention the I.B.M. Virtual Online Regalia Shop & Store. If you are looking for something for that hard-to-buy-for magic fanatic you might try clicking here. The guys at The Magic Supply Company out in Blue Springs keep a pretty good stock of all things related to the I.B.M... And now, here are a couple of reminders including Fred Paul Bailey's The Devil's Daughter. I also have notes on Keith Cobb, Neil Tobin, Gordon Meyer and Bill Pack... (read more)
A Family Friendly Magical Experience
"The Devil's Daughter"
Chicago, IL - A Family Friendly Magical Experience "The Devil's Daughter" is NOW PLAYING at La Costa Theatre Company. A new play by veteran, local magician Fred Paul Bailey and directed by Jonathan Hymen that unifies a ‘Disneyesque' storyline and a creative blend of classic illusions from the past and the modern wonders of today that will amaze and delight you!
The play is about a professional magician/illusionist who has a full-time gig at his quirky aunt's nite-club. After working on stage together for years his assistant leaves the act to pursue a relationship with her boyfriend. Following her departure a beautiful woman ‘appears' in the club and our magician is immediately entranced by her. What he doesn't know is that she is the Devil's Daughter! As their romance blossoms it is, well, compromised, by her father, the Devil and her little brother...
"Amazing...astounding...and more..." "...this is theater for the family, which there is never enough of" - Alan Bresloff, Stead Style
"As a playwright, Fred Paul Bailey makes a great magician. He's the mind and technician behind this show's feats of prestidigitation" - Laura Molzahn, Chicago Reader
"...Beautifully crafted..." "Credit is due Michael Cook for his portrayal of the magician..." - Randy Hardwick, Chicago Critic
"Director Hymen successfully manages the cast members...Whose peppy skills they have at legerdemain." - Zac Thompson, Time Out Chicago
Backed by a staff of professionals The Devil's Daughter provides a rare theatrical experience by combining the art of theatre and the world of magic creating a new experience for families as well as the avid theatergoer. Filled with drama, comedy and romance this family friendly magical experience will leave you spellbound. This is theatre for all ages, young and old alike, so be sure to bring the whole family!
The show is now playing through December 14th.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances
8:00 p.m. curtain and Sunday shows will begin at 4:00 p.m.
La Costa Theatre Company is located at 3931 N. Elston Avenue in the Old Irving neighborhood. Tickets are $12-$20 per person (Special pricing is available for group outings).
To purchase tickets you can call the box office at 773-866-0200, go on-line by clicking here
or follow the ‘Box Office' link from La Costa's web-site: http://www.lacostatheatre.com/. Seats are limited so purchase yours now - Before the magic disappears!
The History of Gambling & Cheating.
A new one man show presented by Keith Cobb as The Grifter
Friday and Saturday Nights at 11 P.M.
Nov. 7th through Dec. 13th 2008 at:
La Costa Theater 3931 N. Elston Ave. Chicago-2nd floor.
Tickets are $15.
For more info on the show go to The Grifter Web Site: (click here)
or call 847-228-0882. Online ticket sales through (click here)
(This show will immediately follow the play "The Devil's Daughter".)
Supernatural Chicago:
NOW IN ITS FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR!
In every performance of Supernatural Chicago, Neil Tobin, Necromancer introduces theatergoers to some of Chicago's most well documented paranormal events, brought to life through storytelling and interactive demonstrations of mindreading, magic and other phenomena that involve the audience in memorable ways.
The interactive experience begins the moment audience members enter Excalibur. The building that houses Excalibur has been cited repeatedly by paranormal investigators and such TV shows as A&E's Sightings as one the most haunted locations in Chicago. Asks the Necromancer, "What better place to lift a drink, soak up some haunting stories about our city, and explore the unexplained?"
Excalibur has been called one of the most haunted locations in Chicago, according to several popular books on the subject. In addition, several documentaries on television;s A&E channel and The Travel Channel have featured this haunted building. The Chicago Tribune calls Neil's show, "Intriguing." The Excalibur club has several rooms for dining and for musical entertainment but tucked away in a quiet room, you'll be introduced to the side of Chicago that most people don't know about-strange but true tales of ghosts, curses, ESP, and more. You won't just hear these tales, you'll be personally involved with them through hands-on experiments in mind-reading, magic and other inexplicable phenomena.
Supernatural Chicago begins promptly at 7:30pm every Friday night (plus Saturday nights in October) at Excalibur nightclub, 632 N. Dearborn at Ontario, and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Admission is $25, which includes two free beverages (courtesy Supernatural Chicago) and general admission to Excalibur nightclub for the evening. Tickets are available at the door; however, seating is limited to only 50 attendees per performance.
Be sure to click here for ticket information and latest news about this exciting, long running, haunting experience. There's nothing like it anywhere!
CHICAGO MAGIC MAP
Go Interactive with GORDON MEYER
Thanks to a couple of my magic friends, there are an interesting site or two or even three that might provide you with some interesting hours as you peruse their websites. Gordon Meyer has created a site using Google Maps to pin point the locations of some of the historical sites in the Chicagoland area. He has identified the current locations of magic shops past and present and more than a few locations of some of the big names in Chicago's magical history. Be sure to take a look at his site... (click here)
CHICAGO HISTORICAL WRITINGS
BILL PACK
Another website that I found of particular interest is one created by Bill Pack. Bill is the manager of the Magic Masters shop on Navy Pier. Navy Pier is the most popular tourist destination in the Midwest. The Pier has retails shops, restaurants, entertainment, a children's museum, Imax theater, boat tours, an outdoor amusement area, Shakespearian theatre and many more places to keep you busy. A visit to the Magic Masters shop is a treat because Bill has devoted much time to enhancing the décor with an amazing collection of historic magic advertisements. Bill has written a couple of books of historical interest and in doing research came upon some very interesting old advertisements from newspapers and other publications from the past.
Bill has a most interesting website (click here) in which he has written about the history of magic, spiritualism, and other things related to Chicago, and a few other bits and pieces of his own choosing. Take a look at these two websites. I think you'll find them interesting; I know I did!
[Be sure to watch this space for ever changing news of what's happening Around Chicago. Leave me a comment by clicking the link at the bottom. . . or send me an email: Don Wiberg]
