Dennis Watkins is an award-winning, third-generation master magician and mentalist who delivers the most entertaining, unique, and lively performance, leaving the audience baffled and speechless.
This magical show is rated number one in concerts and shows on TripAdvisor.
Dennis Watkins travels the country to entertain companies, organizations, and private clients in a world-class magical way.
The idea of becoming a magician sparked for Dennis at the age of seven, as he watched his grandfather perform tricks on stage in front of a small crowd. His grandfather believed that the best magic is performed in front of 40 people rather than 400.
But Dennis had a dream and that dream was to make cars appear and elephants vanish. “I wanted spectacle and fog machines and a chorus of dancers to back me up,” says Dennis.
His grandfather, on the other hand, believed the best magic is never about the magician.
He told Dennis he doesn’t need to slice people in half in a magic box, make elephants disappear, or pull out rabbits from a magic hat – all he needs to do is open people’s imagination and tickle their minds in a way no one has before.
Dennis repeats his grandfather’s words “Nothing I can do will ever be as real or as powerful as something that you create in your own imagination. The most magical experience I can provide is one that truly requires your thoughts, your choices, and your actions to create something miraculous.”
At the beginning of the show, Dennis tells a story of his grandfather showing him the very first magician book filled with secrets and lessons on how he can master this.
Now, Dennis performs in front of his own small audience at the beautiful Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago, five times weekly.
His intimate magic show is filled with mind-blowing tricks and mind- reading in a fun and utterly mysterious way.
The best part is that he does this all in front of your eyes. Now you see it *snap, and now you don’t, but wait, it’s been sitting on your desk this whole time or under your foot. How does he do it? Sneaky. Only him and his grandfather would ever know.
I was thrilled to attend Dennis’s magical show and meet him in person. Dennis is a very enthusiastic, clever, and amusing man that has so much passion for what he does. The way he speaks and carries himself instantly distinguishes him as a true magician.
He didn’t bring rabbits, elephants, or a cutting box to the show, but he didn’t forget his deck of cards and a letter specially written to one of the guests of that night.
After Dennis’s introduction and background, he had six people from the audience think of a number. He had the person that guessed the closest to the number he has written on an envelope, read out loud a letter he wrote prior to the show.
Ironically enough, the letter described specifically the appearance and wardrobe of the person that was reading the letter. She was a women with dark hair dressed in a black one-piece suit and open-toe heels. The letter even revealed her name – Veronica.
How was Dennis able to describe his guest before even seeing her and knowing what she would wear that night? And how did he know she would guess the number written on the envelope?
Prior to having these six guests from the audience choose their number, Dennis placed a small box on a table of two other guests. That box has not been moved or touched throughout the whole show.
At the end, Dennis had one of the two guests sitting at the table open the small box that had an old lottery ticket inside from years passed.
What got the whole audience mind-blown and baffled was that those six lottery numbers were the same as the numbers chosen by the six guests.
I mean come on, how did he know they would choose those numbers? And if you’re thinking he spoke to the people before the show you are wrong, because my friend was one of the people choosing a number and he did not exchange any words with him prior to the show.
I too, had been chosen to see the magic up close. My role was to blindfold Dennis while another guest gathered three items from three audience’s pockets. Then, he held my right hand as I held each item in my left hand.
He asked a few simple yes or no questions about the color or purpose of the item. These items were a passport, lip-gloss, and receipt.
Dennis guessed all of the three items I was holding in a matter of seconds and even guessed the amount of money that was spent from the receipt I had in my hand.
It is clear that he did not see anything. He had two quarters duck taped over his eyes and a blindfold. I was not giving him any hints on what these items were either.
My guess is that he was tapping into my mind as he held my hand. I don’t know how Dennis does it, but he is indeed a master magician and mentalist.
I have witnessed something that I have not seen anyone do before. Dennis has a special talent that allows us, the audience, relax and be taken by our imagination into a world filled with possibilities.
That night at the beautiful and elegant Palmer House was absolutely unforgettable and ended with a wild applause.
But that’s not all of Dennis’s marvelous tricks. Have you ever seen a 7-foot wide balloon? Well, I bet you never seen anyone get inside a 7-foot wide balloon until you’ve seen Dennis Watkins achieve it.
This trick was hilarious and again, astonishing, when it ends with another awesome card trick that will have the audience shout “HOW?!”
My favorite performance of the night was the “book trick.” Dennis, again, had one guest from the audience help him make this trick possible. I do not want to spoil this one for you because it is indeed phenomenal and I still can’t figure out how he made that possible. It is definitely something you might want to find time for, to experience in person.
Speaking of books, Dennis Watkins has also been featured in two books, and has made an appearance on TV. He is, indeed, a well-respected magician filled with talent that many people admire.
The whole show at the Palmer House lasted about an hour and a half. There were soft drinks and red and wine glasses for those old enough to drink. All these drinks are included in the ticket so you do not have to pay extra for anything.
The show is definitely worth seeing and a total blast for a small group of friends or couples. This show just might ignite your imagination to a whole new level. Tickets are available now through January.
Angelika Rol
Features Reporter