We attended Trickery on Saturday 04/18/26. Aaron was adept at working with a diverse audience to…read moreinclude them and maintain control of his performance in a very intimate setting. Because it's BYOB you'll get the 20-somethings that feel they have to get loaded beforehand and then act the fool while attending (do you hear that "Neil"? No one wants the focus on you acting like it was your first experience with alcohol) but Aaron was skilled at bypassing them without causing tension or escalating bad behavior. Aaron's attitude is one of someone who has worked hard to make this little venture work, and he deserves respect and recognition for his obvious commitment and work ethic. His act included variations of tricks performed by other magicians, with his own twists. He is an expert at sleight of hand and distraction, which is considerably more difficult in a room about the size of an average residential living-room. He had an appropriate sense of humor aligned with an audience coming to Boystown, an overtly gay neighborhood in Chicago (if you're not familiar). However he wasn't garish, flaming, flamboyant, or offensive; he managed a perfect balance of innuendo humor and audience engagement without being cheap or ingenuine. The snarky one-liners will likely go over your young kids' heads (although bring them to an early show, your 9 year old doesn't belong in Boystown at 10 pm on a weekend), and he carries himself with class avoiding the use of profanity or graphic terms. Again, I can't overstate that his tricks were amazing, impressive, and captivating - as magic should be. You leave the show shaking your head and wondering how it's done - which truly makes it "magic". You would be hard-pressed to spend $36.36/person for an hour of live entertainment that can match Aaron's performance. Pro-tip: If you're driving there you will need to use an app to reserve parking, as there aren't garages like downtown Chicago and every street is filled with so many signs there's no way you will return and find your car not-towed or not-ticketed. Chicago does this on purpose to generate revenue; you'll see "street cleaning" on Tuesday from xx hour to xx hour, no parking when snow is over 2 inches OR any time from Dec 1 through April 1, loading zone, 15 minute stopping/standing with flashers, no parking, residential permit zone only, bike lanes, bus stop restrictions, etc. If you find street parking and think you've beaten the system, think again. Nobel Prize Laureates, Rhodes Scholars, Ivy League PhDs, Mensa members - you can meet them all at Chicago Central Auto Pound retrieving their vehicles. Stephen Hawking couldn't drive, but if he could and he parked in that neighborhood all the quantum mechanics in the world wouldn't make his towed car reappear from the Chicago Parking space-time continuum. The nice thing is if you do reserve parking and give yourself enough time you can walk to many, many restaurants and bars in the area that are open even after the 10 pm show ends. Thank you Aaron for a wonderful experience, you made my wife's birthday memorable for both of us.

We were at The Trickery last weekend for a magic show - our age group ranged from teens to senior…read morecitizens and we all had a blast. The highlight of our weekend in Chicago. Aaron and Steve are truly amazing magicians and performers - highly recommend!

What a fun performer. I came across him at the Park Ridge Kiwanis annual pancake breakfast, where…read morehe was doing some entertaining mostly for the kids but definitely for the adults as well. It's through him that I heard of the Central Street Busker Festival that took place the next day and his line was loooong! Most recently, we went to his show last week that the Mt. Prospect Public Library held for spring break. That was very very well attended, with a long line of folks waiting to get in (and that's with all of us registered to attend!), but the show was a lot of fun. He did a little magic, a little comedy, and some fun balloon tricks. This guy has been doing this all his adult life--unless that's also a joke and part of his act--but regardless, he's great at his job. I'm looking forward to seeing him again and my little one having the chance to pick her balloon creation on her own.

Smarty Pants was fantastic at our recent event AND each and every time I've seen him perform over…read morethe years - which is many times (because many people see how amazing he is)!! It's not just his talent with super fun and surprising balloon characters but his adaptive nature and outstanding personality, engaging everyone at the parties/events. I would absolutely recommend him for all types of occasions : private or big birthday parties, festivals, block parties, - anywhere there will be children!! He is one less thing at your party you need to worry about because he is a sure thing! Truly, he is a whole family favorite!!

Didn't get to try the food but had a cocktail and it was delicious. Can I remember the name of it…read morenope lol but I would have it again. Service is great very attentive even if you sit in the second floor. I love the close up magic performances during cocktail hour. I would say if you are on the first floor especially in the front row you get more magicians performing. So that is definitely one thing I would change when I go next time. I will buy tickets for the first floor preferably in the front. I enjoy the performance it was great and entertaining it definitely flew by but afterwards you can go back to the main bar and see the show. Overall it it's very entertaining and a magical spot worth exploring

This was so much fun! It's been on my list forever, and I'm glad we got a group to go. I did my…read moreresearch and wanted to check out the performance bar beforehand - PSA you do not need a ticket for this and can go enjoy drinks and tricks any time! This was so cool but intimate and small so not much space and fills up quickly. The speakeasy door is also so cool though a line will likely form outside right before shows so be prepared for that. The show itself was so impressive, as were the magicians that came up to your table to do tricks beforehand. Drinks were also great. The vip performance after the show was also nice and intimate. Everything was great and so much fun!

I have seen the magic of Dennis Watkins prior to The Magic Parlour even opening so when he…read moreannounced this theater as part of the Goodman built for magic, I was all in! I have been there for Dennis's solo show with my daughter and cousins and I treated my dad, my mom, and my family to Three Card Monte for his birthday as a way to spend time together. Three Card Monte was where the audience was seated at three tables and three different close up magicians rotated through. The magic was literally happening in front of your eyes! The variety in the three magicians was great--they had a variety of tricks, varying levels of sarcasm and humor, and overall, made it one of the best Sunday evenings I have had! Your ticket comes with a drink ticket--I don't drink, but they made me a mean Shirley Temple. My daughter bought a 2nd one at intermission and it was very reasonably priced. I made sure to have cash to tip my bartender. With Dennis's solo show, there was an option to pay to be a VIP where we got a taste of close up magic right after the general show. It was very cool and I recommend adding it on. If you love magic or even if you just know someone who loves magic, I recommend! A classy venue with top notch entertainment!

Been a couple of times, the magician is a great entertainer and makes you believe in real magic…read more I tore a dollar bill into 8 pieces 2 separate times without letting go of bill and as you can see I still have it. Great mentalist as well.

Scott is the best! He is engaging, flexible, thoughtful and 100% focussed on ensuring the…read moreexperience is memorable. I spent 9 months in the Middle East as a member of the Army Reserve and wanted to do something special to surprise my 6 year old triplets at their elementary school. Scott immediately "got it" and planned the perfect surprise that built up to an incredible moment. He was also an excellent ambassador to the school to ensure every aspect of the surprise was expertly synchronized. Scott, thank you!!!!

We called Scott for our daughter's 6th birthday tea party. He responded promptly, was friendly and…read morefunny, yet professional. He arrived on time and ,even though he was greeted by 12 super excited (and slightly impatient) little girls, he quickly engaged the crowd, and had both children and adults oohing and aahing and giggling in no time. I have heard back from several parents that their kids are still proclaiming that to be the best party ever. Most importantly, our daughter was THRILLED. So, mission accomplished, and 5 stars from us. Thanks, Scott!

James provided entertainment for our 28 guests at Pomeroy Winnetka after dinner. He has a unique…read moregift of not just being an incredible magician but also has a great personality. He interacted up close and personal with our guests, got them laughing, and amazed. I am sure they are still telling there friends about that evening! I will also add that he worked extremely hard to keep everyone's attention focused on him and not the distractions of the restaurant. In the end I can firmly say HE WON!!

We hired James for a company conference and he was great to work with! He quickly responded to our…read moreinquiry and was very prompt and communicative throughout the planning process. He put on a great show for our employees and everyone enjoyed it. Lots of laughs, surprises, and audience participation. Would definitely recommend!

Nick came to my husband's 70th birthday party. Guests ranged in age from 80-25. At the end of the…read moreevening, all my guests found me to tell me how fantastic Nick was. Not only did his tricks blow them away, there was a point in the evening where we were laughing so hard we were crying. I would not hesitate to recommend him. Everyone loved him. We had a very disparate group, and he was able to bring people together and make the evening the overwhelming success that it was.

We hired him for a corporate event and was a little skeptical because magicians usually have corny…read morejokes and their tricks are lame..we had the home or of meeting Nick and Stephen and boy they were hilarious, entertaining, personable and his magic was awesome. Everyone in the office kept talking about them and trying to figure out how he managed to get the card in his mouth or the wine glass with fruits popping out of it. (Wished I recorded that one!) this was one of the best work outings I've ever been too!! Thanks Nick and Stephen!!! You guys were great!

AJ was great! He came to our block party and did exactly what we would've wanted: He was early;…read moreself-motivated (he set up his own equipment and took care of his own business, which helped b/c it was kind of chaotic); and even helped run an impromptu round of musical chairs. Then there was the performance -- it was perfect for the kids and adults. He engaged the kids and kept their attention, but also did some tricks that absolutely confounded the adults. (Still no idea how he did the trick with the cards and phone calculator.) Lastly, his delivery was really enjoyable -- it was self-deprecating and a little "meta," as he explained his tricks as he went along (but still performed them perfectly). There was one trick that seemed to go a little sideways, but he played it off so well that I'm still not sure whether he intended to do it that way or not. Overall, it added to the enjoyment of the day. All in all: would totally recommend for your next get-together, block party, etc.

We hired AJ for our 5 yr old's bday party. We had around 20 kids and 30 adults and he was awesome…read morethe entire 45 mins. He kept everyone engaged and laughing, and he is extremely talented. He was on time and came prepared. Highly recommend him.

Julian performed for my son's 3rd birthday party and everyone LOVED him--kids and adults! He was as…read morefunny as he was magical. High energy show that engaged every single kid in the audience. He was so warm, fun and friendly, every kid wanted to volunteer for a trick with him. I have three kids, Julian remembered their names and did something special with each of them. He was easy to communicate with, arrived promptly, performed the exact amount of time agreed to and taught the kids a magic trick at the end of the show, even giving them each the trick to keep.

Julian is an incredibly professional and entertaining magician. I was struggling to figure out an…read moreactivity for my twins' fifth birthday that we decided to do at a pizza place. I saw that Julian had good reviews, so I took a chance. I never thought he'd be able to hold the attention of 15 kids that were 4-10, but he did - and had the adults entertained as well for an hour! We even had staff at the restaurant coming in the room to watch! His fees are more than reasonable and each kid attending got to learn a trick and get a prop and the twins got their own magic kit (which he produced himself!) I would not hesitate to hire him for any party or group - if he's free, we will probably book him for a school assembly next year!

How does he do it?…read more I'm still trying to figure out how Johnny Kearns threw a spongey ball into my closed fist.... Met this casual, talented and personable magician at Caffe Venezia last week. My friend Deb R and I were making our way from the bar when we were lured over with promises of amazement. The first trick was more of a warm-up joke, but the second and third trick kind of blew my mind. I don't want to give it all away, but Johnny gave me a single spongey ball to hold in my hand (I was careful to make sure it was only one when I closed my fist) and that ball somehow split into two as I gripped it tightly. Whuhhhhht? I turned to my friend Deb: Did you see that? I turned to the bartender: Did you see that? Yeah, they all saw that..........but how does it happen? Well anyway, magicians code and all that, I don't think I'm ever going to learn the secret of how it happens, but I'll seriously consider having a wandering magician at my next party. For a fairly reasonable cost you can get this guy to wander around your party doing a couple tricks here and there for guests. It's kind of random, kind of fun and totally amazing! A magician/comedian/juggler mixing it up at a party, melting your friends minds....Woohoo! As good as it gets!

Johnny Kearns is fantastic! I recently hired him to "work the crowd" at a large party and he was a…read morehit! Everyone enjoyed his card tricks and sleight of hand, and it was a great addition to our party. His rates are reasonable and he's a total professional, we will definitely hire Johnny again for our next big bash!