Chicago Magic Lounge opens this month

CHICAGO (WLS) -- One Chicago storefront transformed before our very eyes, turning a commercial laundry into the Chicago Magic Lounge. The swanky venue boasts an intimate bar, large theater and close-up club-- all featuring magic each week.

Chicago magic lounge co-owner Joey Cranford calls this a history project, an ode to Chicago's century-long love affair with the magic arts, "taking it out of the theater, taking it out of the streets and putting it into a restaurant, putting it behind a bar. That's what Chicago did."

That's what Cranford's new Andersonville venue hopes to restore. Visitors can stop by for a drink and see a few tricks at the custom bar as they sip cocktails. For those with a bigger magic appetite, stick around for the stage show, featuring a full hour of close-up magic before the main event at the Harry Blackstone Cabaret; it's a spacious room with over 100 seats, bright colors and upscale design. The 654 Club offers something different, in a tight theater.

"This is magic for the next generation, this is how magic is being done today," Cranford said of 654.

To reach these theaters, you'll go through a secret passageway that's still under wraps.

The Chicago Magic Lounge will open 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with bigger performances Thursday through Saturday. These shows are all geared toward adult audiences. Sundays will feature a family friendly matinee at 2 p.m.

For those who want an extra dose of magic, you may want to join the Chicago Magic Round Table to hang out at custom-made magicians' tables where fellow magicians can perfect each other's acts. Members can also reserve the larger stage space to practice their tricks.

The curtain officially goes up at the Chicago Magic Lounge on February 22.