CONJURLY EXCLUSIVE
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA, October 6, 2026 — David Parr returns to Chicago Magic Lounge this week as its Fall Artist in Residence with David Parr: Time Traveler, a new theatrical show that opens Wednesday, October 7, and runs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. through December 16.
The show blends storytelling and sleight of hand to explore forgotten legends, true stories, and unexplained mysteries where history and folklore overlap. Parr said the theme grows out of how he first learned the art.
“When I was a kid, magic was an art form accessed through books,” Parr told Conjurly. “I learned magic by studying its history, through the written ‘voices’ of magicians who preceded me. My fascination for the past is part of that relationship, and it shows in my work.”
Time Traveler pairs new material with classic magic Parr hasn’t performed in years, some of it dating back to his earliest days as a performer.
“Lately I’ve been reclaiming much of the magic I did between ages seven and thirteen,” he said. “What I discovered is that it’s very direct and effective, and I can bring to it a grownup sensibility and decades of experience that I couldn’t when I was a kid.”
Among the new pieces, Parr is most eager to debut one in the second half of the show about a famous author of ghost stories. “It’s spooky, and spooky things have always been dear to me,” he said.
Parr’s history with the venue runs deep. He was Chicago Magic Lounge’s first artist in residence when it opened in 2018, and his David Parr’s Cabinet of Curiosities ran there for a year before going on a U.S. tour. He returned in 2024 with Magical Thinking, a three-month residency that drew strong reviews from Chicago theater critics.
Magic fans know Parr from Penn & Teller: Fool Us, where he fooled the duo and earned both the Fool Us trophy and a guest spot in their Las Vegas show at the Rio. He also cocreated The Magic Cabaret in 2007, a long-running Chicago weekly show the Travel Channel named among the nation’s top magic shows. He performs regularly at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Among magicians, Parr is known for his theatrical style, his books for performers, and his lecturing across the United States and Canada. He was a longtime columnist and copy editor for Magic magazine, and his writing on the art of magic has appeared in publications in seven countries.
Parr said opening night is only the beginning for the new material. “I’m excited for the material to go through the evolution that can only happen in front of an audience,” he said. “Any performing art is organic and alive, and it grows and changes as we do. That process is mysterious and surprising — like magic! — and it’s part of the fun.”
Tickets for David Parr: Time Traveler range from $48.99 to $54.99 and are available through Chicago Magic Lounge. Located at 5050 North Clark Street, the venue is 21 and over; guests 16 and older may attend with an adult 21 or over.
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