"This magic show is exactly what it should be: funny, lively, intimate, and utterly baffling."

-The Chicago Reader

The Magic Parlour has entertained guests from all over the world looking for an extra-special night out in Chicago.

In September of 2010, The House Theatre of Chicago hosted a benefit performance with nationally renowned entertainer and House Company Member Dennis Watkins. The  evening of powerful magic and mind-reading was such a hit that The House decided to produce The Magic Parlour for a limited run. Performances sold out again and again, and The Magic Parlour became a weekly event. After a thrilling 2011 New Year’s Eve performance at The Palmer House Hilton Hotel, a new relationship was forged and the show found its wonderfully intimate, ornate, and altogether inspiring home.

The House Theatre of Chicago is thrilled to partner with The Palmer House in bringing this one-of-a-kind event featuring one of the country’s most exciting magical entertainers to audiences in Chicago.

"Dennis Watkins is a CHARISMATIC performer, an UNRIVALED magician, and just a HELL OF A LOT OF FUN!"

-StageAndCinema.com

Dennis Watkins is a third-generation magician who travels the country bringing world-class magic to the world’s largest companies, as well as exclusive private and society events.

Dennis is a Company Member with The House Theatre of Chicago, where he has written, acted, directed, and performed in over 21 world-premiere productions. In the summer of 2016, he will once again reprise his role as one of America’s greatest magicians in The House’s production of Death & Harry Houdini, including the death-defying nightly performance of the Water Torture Cell.

With awards and honors from the Texas Association of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and the Desert Magic Seminar, Dennis specializes in creating unforgettable magical experiences for each and every one of his audiences.

"Chicago’s very best story-telling theatre troupe"

—Windy City Times

The House Theatre of Chicago is the creator and producer of The Magic Parlour starring House Company Member and third-generation magician Dennis Watkins. The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate experiences of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago’s next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular art form.

The House Theatre of Chicago is a not-for-profit organization. In addition to The Magic Parlour, The House performs original plays in residence at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Now celebrating its 14th year of original work, The House continues its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.

The House Theatre of Chicago has partnered with Dennis Watkins to produce many magical theatrical experiences in its 14 year history. Most notably The House’s hit show Death & Harry Houdini (with multiple sold-out runs in Chicago and a production at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, FL), The Magic Parlour, and Watkins’ original play, The Magnificents (with two Chicago runs, and a run in Miami).

In the summer of 2016, The House again presents Dennis Watkins in Death & Harry Houdini, featuring the stunning Water Torture Cell escape!

Learn more about The House Theatre of Chicago and its programs at thehousetheatre.com.