Chicago Opener

"The Enigmatist" in Chicago and a brand new crossword, "Chicago Opener"!

In this newsletter:

• Magic video: Chicago Opener card trick

• The Enigmatist opening in Chicago

• A brand new crossword: Chicago Opener

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Chicago Opener

Here is one of my favorite card tricks. It’s been performed by countless magicians who put their own spin on this classic of sleight of hand. Frank Garcia, “The Man With The Million Dollar Hands,” named the trick “Chicago Opener” because he’d seen legendary Chicago bar magician, Frank Everhart, perform it as his opening effect. It’s been also known as Red Hot Mama and Hot Card Trick No. 1 (its original name by creator Al Leech). And who marketed Hot Card Trick No. 1? The Ireland Magic Company out of Chicago!

Here, I’m performing Chicago Opener on the set of The Enigmatist at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

chicagoshakes

A post shared by @chicagoshakes

I hope you enjoyed that! I tip my hat to Al Leech, Frank Everhart, Jay Marshall, Charlie Miller, Dai Vernon, and the rest of the Chicago Round Table magic scene. Another newsletter about these giants coming soon!

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The Enigmatist opening in Chicago

Another Chicago opener! Something tells me you’ve already caught on to the theme of this newsletter. Please join me this entire month at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier! What makes this run special is that The Enigmatist is already a Chicago story. It’s about a Chicago textile magnate, a Shakespeare researcher, and a geneticist, who team up to become America’s first code breakers. And throughout this evening of magic, cryptography and puzzles, I stretch your brains to see if you can uncover the ultimate secret of the show.

I snapped the above photo of Brett Banakis’ beautiful set yesterday. Come on out for some puzzles and prestidigitation! More info and tickets here.

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Here’s the crossword!

Let’s keep the theme going. This crossword is called Chicago Opener. Solve it here. As always, please let me know what you think in the comments. Happy solving!

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Events

Interested in booking me for your next event? More info here on private parties, corporate speaking & performances and team-building puzzle hunts.

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Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards

Enigmas: Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards. Included within this unique deck are four very special puzzle cards. Solve them all to unlock an online Puzzle Hunt! Available here.

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