The Magic Cabaret

Wednesday, May 12, was a special evening at The Magic Cabaret. That night, everyone present was introduced to Adele Friel Rhindress, assistant to one of the greatest magicians of the Golden Age of magic.

Harry Boughton was born right here in the Windy City. When Harry and his brother Pete embarked on careers in show business, their last name was spelled Bouton, but it was under a different name that Harry would become famous. Some say it was a name inspired by a South Loop hotel; others say it was borrowed from a brand of cigars. In any case, the world would come to know him as Harry Blackstone:

Adele toured with Blackstone Sr. in the late 1940s and into 1950. Here is a photo of her, onstage in the Blackstone show:

The caption reads “Adele Friel, Blackstone’s ‘Elusive Moth’ 1947-50.” (Adele was featured in an illusion called The Elusive Moth.) And here is Adele, onstage with P.T. Murphy and David Parr at The Magic Cabaret:

In addition to being a vivacious lady and a complete sweetheart, Adele has written an autobiography about her days on the stage, to be published by Chicago’s own Squash Publishing. It promises to be a fascinating firsthand glimpse behind the scenes of one of the great touring magic shows. Can’t wait to read it!

This photo is from Wednesday, February 24, when The Magic Cabaret resumed its incredible run at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago. It was great fun to have so many magic fans together in one place! And the great news is that from now on, Wednesday nights are magic nights! Every Wednesday at 7:30pm, eager seekers of mystery will gather in the intimate setting of the Greenhouse studio theater to be amazed by P.T. Murphy and David Parr and their mind-boggling sleight of hand!

Get tickets now at Tix.com!

The Magic Cabaret is featured in the December/January issue of Shore magazine with a fab article about the Chicago magic scene, past and present. Thanks to journalist Claire Bushey for sharing the magic! Click on the images below for a closer look.

On Wednesday, October 14, The Magic Cabaret celebrates the magic of the season with a special Halloween edition of the show! David Parr will host an evening devoted to the paranormal, the supernatural, and the downright strange. Featuring:

Sword swallowers Charon Henning & Alexander Kensington! Charon and Alex are practitioners of a curious art that has been passed with great care from one performer to another, down the generations, for hundreds of years. What they do may look impossible, but make no mistake: it is not a trick. They swallow real steel blades — sometimes several at once! — and in doing so, they place themselves in real physical danger. Their performances are an astonishing testament to how far we can push the limits of our bodies, and a reminder of how fragile and mysterious our lives are. Don’t miss their one Chicago performance this year!

— and —

Mind magician Joe Diamond! Joe may look like a normal guy, but he has turned his fascination for the paranormal into a fulltime career! At age 21, he has an amazing understanding of the workings of the mind, to the point where he defies the boundaries between what we assume can and can’t be done. Can thoughts be perceived? Can distant events be sensed? Is your mind an open book? Seeing Joe in action, you may feel compelled to reconsider your answers to those questions! ESP, telepathy, clairvoyance — you’ll be too busy having fun to wonder what to call it, so let’s just call it mind magic! Experience it firsthand on October 14!

THE MAGIC CABARET Halloween Edition
Wednesday, October 14, 7:30pm
The Greenhouse Theater Center
2257 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Tickets $20. No one under age 13 admitted.
Call (773) 404-7336 or visit tix.com

Here we see some images from The Magic Cabaret starring PT Murphy and David Parr. In the intimate setting of the Greenhouse Studio Theater, the magic happens up close and perhaps even in your own hands! You might see David Parr bringing to light a classic swindle that has confounded many an unwary citizen:

Or you might see PT Murphy snacking on sewing needles, now fortified with eight essential vitamins and irony:

Experience the magic every Wednesday at 7:30pm at the Greenhouse Theater Center, in the heart of the windy city’s lovely Lincoln Park neighborhood! Tickets are on sale now at tix.com!

The magical vibe was off the charts at opening night of The Magic Cabaret! The theater was packed, and the standing-room-only audience had a great time! One lovely woman named Sonya, who joined us on stage to assist in performing the final feat of magic of the evening, declared The Magic Cabaret to be “the best show ever!”

Here’s a photo taken from the stage during the performance. It shows just part of the audience, with PT Murphy posing in the center aisle:

Are you in this photo? If not, you should be! Tickets are on sale now at tix.com!

(Also, did we mention the standing ovation?)

Tickets for The Magic Cabaret are on sale now! Go to tix.com for your key to an unforgettable evening of magic, mystery and mischief!

Greetings! PT Murphy and David Parr bring news to chase away the winter blues:

The Magic Cabaret will relaunch on Wednesday, March 18 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, with an all-new show!

Every week, on Wednesday evenings at 7:30, magic fans will gather in the 60-seat studio theater at the Greenhouse, where they’ll celebrate all the magic the Windy City has to offer — and you’re invited to the celebration!

Mysteries! Laughs! Surprises! Special guests! Don’t miss it! Here’s the relevant info:

The Magic Cabaret
Wednesdays at 7:30
The Greenhouse Theater Center
2257 North Lincoln Avenue
Box office and information: (773) 404-7336
Tickets $20. No one under age 13 admitted.

To subscribe to the Magic Cabaret e-mail list, send a message to info@magic-cabaret.com. We’ll be making more announcements soon!

See? Chicago winters can be fun!

The Magic Cabaret wishes everyone a happy and magical new year! It’s traditional at these times to gaze into the future, so let’s turn a card and see what the future may hold:

The five of clubs! The five is a card that indicates a great effort directed toward achieving a goal. Clubs are the cards of creativity, so this card would seem to indicate that we at The Magic Cabaret are about to make a great effort toward a creative goal…

And that prediction appears to be right on target. Look for some exciting news about The Magic Cabaret — in the very near future!

We are currently composing a letter to mail to the North Pole.

PT wants a red wagon. David wants a robot.

Wait. PT wants a team of robots to do his bidding, possibly including pulling him around in a red wagon.

David wants a giant robot.

Must write quickly!

Have a magical holiday season!