THE MAGIC PARLOUR Star Dennis Watkins to Appear on Penn and Teller this September

The House Theatre of Chicago proudly announces the appearance of third-generation magician Dennis Watkins on the nationally televised broadcast of Penn & Teller: Fool Us!, airing on The CW Network. Watkins' episode is scheduled to air Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. (CST). The Chicago-based magician travels regularly, entertaining clients across the country, and performs The House's long-running hit, The Magic Parlour, at the Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, 17 E. Monroe, in an open run of five shows weekly.

More about Watkins and The Magic Parlour at TheMagicParlourChicago.com

"It was a tremendous honor to be invited to work with Penn & Teller," Watkins remarked. "I've long admired their work, their success in bringing magic into the mainstream. A regular Thursday night slot on the CW gives so many households a way to see the great variety of magic traditions we have in this country, beyond the big death-defying stunts and spooky spectacle. The producers offered me the chance to share the close-up pieces that really work on an audience's imagination, inviting them to feel like a kid again for an evening. It's what we do every week at The Magic Parlour, and getting to perform a piece that's been in that show for about 18 months now for a television audience, and these great American magicians, was really very special."

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Dennis Watkins is a third-generation magician who travels the country bringing world-class magic to the world's largest companies, as well as exclusive private and society events.

Watkins' critically-acclaimed one-man-show, The Magic Parlour, has been running at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago for over five years. Produced by The House Theatre of Chicago, The Magic Parlour is an intimate evening of classic magic and impossible mind-reading in a private suite at one of Chicago's most historic and noteworthy hotels.

As a Company Member with The House Theatre of Chicago, Watkins has written, acted, and directed and performed in over 21 world-premiere productions. He appears as one of America's greatest magicians in The House's production of Death & Harry Houdini, including a death-defying nightly performance of the Water Torture Cell. Houdini has played seven times in Chicago over The House's 16 year history.

With awards and honors from the Texas Association of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and the Desert Magic Seminar, Dennis specializes in creating unforgettable magical experiences for each and every one of his audiences.

The Magic Parlour is an intimate evening of classic magic and mind-reading featuring the work of third-generation magician Dennis Watkins. Guests to this intimate, magic-packed evening gather at Potter's in the Palmer House lobby before Watkins personally escorts them to the performance space. Once inside, the audience participates in much of the performance as Watkins wows the room with classic sleight of hand, unbelievable mind-reading and magical wisdom passed down from his grandfather.

Since opening at The Palmer House on New Year's Eve of 2011, The Magic Parlour has enjoyed phenomenal success and unimagined growth. With only 44 seats available per show, The Magic Parlour has entertained over 20,000 guests in its five year run. Additionally, it has hosted more than 700 ticketed audiences and dozens of private groups, facilitated three truly magical wedding proposals, and has been featured in two books (Chicago Magic: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle and 100 Things to do in Chicago Before You Die).

The House is Chicago's premier home for intimate, original works of epic story and stagecraft. Founded and led by Artistic Director Nathan Allen and driven by an interdisciplinary ensemble of Chicago's next generation of great storytellers, The House aims to become a laboratory and platform for the evolution of the American theatre as an inclusive and popular art form.

The House was founded in 2001 by a group of friends to explore connections between Community and Storytelling through a unique theatrical experience. Since becoming eligible in 2004, The House has been nominated for 70 Joseph Jefferson Awards (23 wins), became the first recipient of Broadway in Chicago's Emerging Theater Award in 2007, and was awarded a 2014 National Theatre Company Grant by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. The 16THanniversary year of original work will begin August 2017 and The House will continue its mission to unite Chicago in the spirit of Community through amazing feats of Storytelling.

The House Theatre of Chicago proudly announces the appearance of third-generation magician Dennis Watkins on the nationally televised broadcast of Penn & Teller: Fool Us!, airing on The CW Network. Watkins' episode is scheduled to air Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 7pm (CST). The Chicago-based magician travels regularly, entertaining clients across the country, and performs The House's long-running hit, The Magic Parlour, at the Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, 17 E. Monroe, in an open run of five shows weekly. More about Watkins and The Magic Parlour at TheMagicParlourChicago.com

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