A magic show with a past
The discovery of a message in a bottle makes the past present in Sean Masterson’s very visual and highly deceptive show. Sleight-of-hand magic is seamlessly woven into the true tale of the 19th-century battle to decide America’s #1 magician.
In 1912, theatrical impresario Michael B. Leavitt published his 700-page memoir dishing the untold story of this jealousy-fueled battle between his clients, the magic greats Alexander Herrmann and Harry Kellar. Recently, Sean Masterson procured a signed edition of Leavitt’s memoir at auction, and together with his research of Harry Houdini’s original archives at the Library of Congress in D.C., he has found the thread that nearly tells the whole tale. All Masterson needs now is a message in a bottle.
“Masterson’s sleight-of-hand tricks, with tales to boot, are spellbinding. ”
Sean Masterson’s blend of magic and storytelling has been part of the Chicago theater scene since his 1992 run at Shattered Globe Theater. Since then, he has performed in extended runs at Live Bait Theater, The Actors Gymnasium, The Music Box Theater, and Theater Wit. His close-up magic has been seen at many corporate, social events including Abbott Laboratories, The Chicago Architecture Foundation, Copia Capital, and The Driehaus Museum. He regularly performs at the Old Town Art Fair and The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks, MI, and has made appearances at Festimagic in Paris and The International Theater Festival of Grenoble, France. Each year Sean makes 40 appearances in local children’s hospitals.
Take a virtual tour of the cabaret below
Wednesday nights, April 6th - June 29th. Ticket prices for this show range from $45 (standard) to $50 (front row).
The Harry Blackstone Cabaret features an unobstructed view from every section.
The cabaret-style seating, with elevated rail and banquette areas on the main floor, allow for maximum access to view the stage and enjoy a cocktail. This also means you and your party may share a table with other guests.
Seat assignments are selected by the guest at the time of ticket purchase. If you have specific seating needs or requests, please contact the Patron Services team at boxoffice@chicagomagiclounge.com or call 312-366-4500 and we will do our best to accommodate you.