Is Magic Appropriate For Your Chicago Event

My wife and I have been performing magic in Chicago for just over a year (we moved from Los Angeles). At first, we pursued and accepted all gigs, including birthday parties, holidays, graduations, corporate, trade shows, school functions for children with disabilities, religious functions, and retirement home memory care clinics. We slowly narrowed down the scope of our work to align with our passion for stage magic as well as corporate work that helps pay the bills, but the experience of being open to anything really helped us understand the value of magic as a universal form of entertainment. The work was almost always deeply satisfying–except in a couple of cases when the environment simply did not call for magic.

Case 1: In the middle of a high stakes corporate networking event. Throughout the past year, we have had great success adding a layer of sophisticated magic entertainment to various corporate events, such as holiday parties, conferences, and trade shows. At the end of a long day, when the “work” is over and everyone is ready to take the edge off with a drink and some good food, intelligent and whimsical entertainment can be greatly appreciated. With the right touch, even the stuffiest of environments can be warmed, and the most discerning CEOs reverted to a state of childlike wonder. However, at one particular company, the entire evening’s entertainment was squeezed into one single hour at a restaurant, and it was immediately apparent that the day’s work was not complete. Executives raced around the room to get facetime with each other, waving off drinks and appetizers as they went. In this environment, the presence of strolling magicians was unwelcome–a distraction from the work left unfinished from the day. So if you are planning a corporate event and looking for entertainment, our suggestion would be to insert it into a more expansive, less rushed evening. A 3-hour period, beginning with a cocktail hour and followed by a seated dinner, is a much more appropriate timeline to insert entertainment and actually provide relief, particularly if the day’s work feels complete, and if there will be more opportunity to network the following day.

Case 2: The focus of the event is simply to drink and dance, and the DJ keeps the music blaring. This sort of party is lovely, and completely silent entertainment, like dancers or flow artists, can add a nice touch. Magic, however, is meant to engage, and if the magician needs to shout to communicate, even up close, then the intimacy and wonder of the art form can be greatly diminished. In one case, we performed on the enormous rooftop of The Old Post Office, an iconic venue in Chicago. While there was an isolated dance floor that we stayed away from, we were able to perform strolling magic with small groups of guests at a time along the quieter fringes of the party, to great success. In instances where there is no escape from the noise, however, like a crowded club or on a boat, the magician is in direct competition with the DJ, and typically the DJ wins. While we do have wearable mic/speaker packs we sometimes bring when performing at loud events, this setup does take away from the personal connection strolling magic can create. So while magic doesn’t always need to be the primary form of entertainment at an event, the environment does need to be considered and, if necessary, the DJ reigned in.

Since magic is so universal, it can add a layer of amusement to almost any occasion. As a planner, you simply need to consider the two cases above and ask yourself if it is realistic to expect a magician to show up and be successful if the environment is simply not conducive to what they do. When in doubt, reach out and discuss it by phone. A professional will give their honest opinion and value the success of your event over selling themselves into an impossible situation. 

Happy planning!