Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Cranford.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Joseph. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been a professional actor, and Chicago history tour guide, alongside a bevy of other job titles in the last 15 years living in Chicago. However, it’s my love for live theater and history which brought me to create the show, that in turn, created this venue.
I began my magical career by directing a one-man show in Chicago called “Bending Minds and Bending Dreams.” It was my first time working one-on-one with a magician, and hence my first introduction to the world of the professional magician. After almost two years of producing this show all over town, I had discovered that a friend of mine was opening a new theater in Uptown.
Around this same time, I was reading a book called “Now You See Them, Now You Don’t: My Life in the Magic Bars of Chicago” by local magician Bill Weimer. It was a historic look into the world of restaurant and bar magic, which I learned, was created here in Chicago. As a Chicago historian, finding a new, virtually unknown, a chapter of this city’s history was very exciting. The book chronicled the rise and fall of bar magic, and it inspired me to create the concept of a show, basically a theatrical representation of a night at a classic magic bar. Utilizing elements from all the closed magic bars of Chicago’s past; The New York Lounge, Schulien’s, Little Bit O’ Magic, The Ivanhoe, Mr. C’s Magic Lounge, and so many more… all rolled into one.
My friend who had opened his theater was looking for programming for Thursday nights, and I decided to give this concept a shot. It was a hit from day one. The local community of magicians was very supportive and excited to take part in a style of magic that had almost “disappeared” from Chicago. The show ran for one year, one night a week, then we were asked to do two shows a night. This went on for another year and a half, and that’s when I met my current business partner, Donald C. Clark Jr. He attended a show and was interested in the overall vision of the production, and the two of us went into the business almost immediately.
We put together one of the most amazing teams to build the new home of the Chicago Magic Lounge. The architects behind many notable Chicago theaters like The Black Ensemble, Steppenwolf, and LookingGlass, joined us to design this unique project. Once assembled, we spent the next eight months building Chicago’s first, truly dedicated, magic theater and bar. While there have been many magic bars and magic restaurants, the Chicago Magic Lounge is unlike anything is seen before.
We are a mix of a magic bar, museum, and theater with three different ways to experience the magic, close up and personal. We are a living homage to Chicago’s influence on the magical arts, and along the way, have grown the Chicago magic community into one of the most amazing groups of artists in the country.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This was an unbelievably smooth road. We chose the right contractors, who hired the right crews, who stuck to a tight schedule and budget. 8 Months is almost unheard of for a full build-out, but we did it. However, they always say… you can’t prepare for everything. Clark Street has been undergoing a massive water main project, and they began just a few days before we opened our doors to the public.
The afternoon of Feb 19th, the crews working outside bust the water main open, and had to turn off all water to the entire block.
This resulted in no water, and a city-issued boil order… and we were only a few hours from opening.
We pulled everything together, got everything in order, and right when we were opening, the water was restored, and we had an amazing night.
The really big hurdle, which is so very unexpected, was a tragic circumstance with the lead architect of the project. A gentleman named David Burns, who put pen to paper, basically created a real space, out of our vision. He had a pacemaker in place for about ten years and was managing his health very well. However, in December 2017, he went into the hospital and never recovered. He passed away weeks before our Grand Opening. Losing your architect at the end of the project is one thing, but losing a friend on top of it is another. We have since formally named our performance bar, “David’s Bar” because we know that’s where he would be every night if he could. There’s much to talk on that subject; we have never forgotten his importance to the Chicago Magic Lounge.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Chicago Magic Lounge – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
We are a project that specializes in recognizing Chicago’s contribution to the magical arts, along with fostering the magic community of Chicago. We have basically reinvented the classic concept of a magic bar.
We have 7 days of programming, specializing in close-up magic, done right before your eyes.
We have three rooms of entertainment; “The Performance Bar”, a.k.a. “David’s Bar”, where a magician performs right at the bar; “The Harry Blackstone Cabaret” featuring a Mezzanine, and our main stage, seating 118 people; and the crown jewel, our “654 Club” which is an exclusive, 43 seat formal close-up magic theater.
The aspect of this project that I am most proud of is being able to shine a light on a lost concept invented here in Chicago, and along the way, we created a home for like-minded artists to gather. Magic hasn’t had a home in Chicago for a long time, and well, as we like to say… The Magic is Back.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The future is all about growth. If Chicago has forgotten about the magic bar, and its history in the creation of it, so has the rest of the world. We could easily see this model working in other magic-rich regions of the country and beyond. We’ll see…
Pricing:
- Music & Magic: $10 cover
- Cabinet of Curiosities: $35 – $45
- Signature Show: $39.50 – $54.50
- Family Show: $15 – $25
Contact Info:
- Address: 5050 North Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640 - Website: chicagomagiclounge.com
- Phone: 312-366-4500
- Email: info@chicagomagiclounge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagomagiclounge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoMagicLounge/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chi_MagicLounge
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chicago-magic-lounge-chicago-2
Image Credit:
All photos by Daniel Boczarski, courtesy of Chicago Magic Lounge
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
