TRENT JAMES: Pure Lies - The Chicago Magic Lounge
Making Magic on North Clark—Trent James: Pure Lies
The Chicago Magic Lounge is a sleek, glistening nightclub dedicated to the craft of magic. From the moment you pass through its nondescript entrance, the captivating retro-whimsical atmosphere in the Performance Bar (a.k.a. David’s Bar) and adjoining Chicago Round Table Magic Library provide reason enough to check out the club at 5050 N. Clark Street on any evening. On the other side on a recent Wednesday awaits the Harry Blackstone Cabaret Theater and the fresh, exuberant talent of Trent James, whose arresting charm is every bit as appealing as his deft technique.
If you have heard about this spot before, you know the first test for newcomers is to find your way inside through the small faux-laundromat entryway. Like the magic to come, you’ll have to be perceptive to join the mayhem behind Washer I. (If all else fails, read the sign and ring the bell.) The cozy reception area, jammed in advance of the main-stage performance of “Trent James: Pure Lies,” has magic of its own in the specialty drinks and the menu choices available for every taste.
When the house opens, guests are escorted in small groups to the richly appointed, two-story vaulted Blackstone with its multi-tiered array of club tables, banquets and counter bars which provide every guest with an unobstructed view of the small stage. For the lucky dozen or so in the front row, there is a high probability that you will become part of the show.
A team of tip-worthy magicians perform pre-show tableside effects while circulating in and among the guests. (Jan Rose and Luis Carreon stopped by our table.) By the time the lights go down, the house was filled to capacity for the fast-paced and clever James, who works alone, except when his pint-sized former partner tries to steal the show midway through.
Given the title, nothing is as it appears to be. There’s a nifty disappearing flute, an artful picking of the pocket of an audience member—this time it was “Michael” whose energetic yoga entourage cheered him on—and the mind-reading of a pug-lover. James’s youthful enthusiasm and self-effacing style clearly won over even the most die-hard pessimists, turning lemons into lemonade for all to see.
David’s Bar was still thriving an hour later—proof that the Chicago Magic Lounge is the kind of place that makes you wish you had stuck to those childhood dreams of making magical things happen and reminds you that it is never too late to begin.
TRENT JAMES: Pure Lies
Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. through March 25, 2020
Tickets:
$35 (Main Floor)
$45 (Front Row)
THE CHICAGO MAGIC LOUNGE
5050 N. Clark Street
WEBSITE
(312) 366-4500