Theatre at the Center in Munster is hosting a sleight-of-hand artisan who also touts proficiency as a mentalist.
Magician Dennis Watkins of Chicago is bringing his mix of illusions and mind games to the intimate venue for 3 and 7:30 p.m. shows on April 2, and a 2:30 p.m. performance on April 3.
“I’m a third generation magician,” Watkins, 37, said in a recent phone interview. “I grew up in Texas. My grandfather ran a magic shop in Dallas.”
Card tricks, feats inspired by classic magic and even mind reading are part of Watkins’ repertoire.
Watkins describes his show as very interactive.
“I’ve got tons of influences in magic,” he said. “I grew up watching all the David Copperfield specials on TV. I love folks like Mac King.”
King does a comedy-infused magic show at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Likewise on Watkins’ radar screen is the illusory realm of a pure legend.
“I don’t think that there’s a magician alive who wasn’t influenced by Harry Houdini in some way,” Watkins noted.
He performs a variation of a hair-raising stunt that Houdini popularized, which involved pulling a string of imposing needles from his mouth.
Watkins’ twist is utilizing a link of razor blades.
He portrays Houdini in “Death & Harry Houdini,” which runs May through August at the Chopin Theatre in the Wicker Park neighborhood. It was written by Watkins’ friend Nathan Allen.
Watkins performs a host of Houdini’s most famous pieces, including the riveting Water Torture Cell, which found the escape artist encased and hanging upside down by his feet in a water-filled tank that is locked at the top.
“There aren’t that many forms of entertainment, I think, that ignite the imagination the way that magic does; it’s unique — you get to really, really wonder,” Watkins said. “It is a great gift to give our audiences.”
He indicated that the type of show he will present in Munster bears a resemblance to Windy City presentations that he does.
“This show is similar to a show I do in Chicago called ‘The Magic Parlour,” the illusionist noted.
Presented in downtown Chicago at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, the showcase of classic magic and mind reading takes place in an intimate suite.
It is now in its fourth year.
Well-versed in also entertaining at corporate events, Watkins brings a wealth of experience to his April 2-3 shows.
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Vita Ayala, Theatre at the Center’s special events coordinator, believes Watkins offers distinctive entertainment.
“When I saw him at the Palmer House in late 2014, the portion that I still think about to this day is how he had the audience literally make a circle around him while he presented a story with cards,” said Ayala, a Munster resident. “No matter how hard I tried, I could not figure out how he was getting cards to come out in a certain order from his shuffled deck.
“Dennis Watkins presents a show like I have never seen before.”
Magician Dennis Watkins
Where: Theatre at the Center in The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster
When: 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 3
Tickets: Adults $30, students $15; discounts available for groups of 11 or more
Information: 219-836-3255; theatreatthecenter.com
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.