Chicago Magician Dennis Watkins

Dennis was the headliner at a fundraising event my non-​profit board held in January. He was incredibly professional with us and incredibly entertaining for the crowd. His style is engaging without being over the top and he just seems like someone you want to have at a party. Definitely book Dennis for a great magic act and a class act.

I wish all magicians could be like Dennis! His shows always go by so fast and amaze everyone in the room from those who walk in the door «ready to believe» all the way to the most hardened skeptics. He is a true performer and entertainer. His shows are funny without that stereotypical magician smarmyness that I think we all fear. Dennis is seriously the real deal. I have seen him in a wide variety of shows/​settings and each show has surprised and delighted me. He does close-​up card and slight-​of-​hand tricks, big illusions, mentalism/​mind reading, and everything in between. He comes from a family of magicians and you can tell, he is professional through and through and you really get a sense from him that he loves his «craft» and truly enjoys performing for all types of audiences. Oh, and he also happens to be one of the nicest, most gracious, and friendliest performers I have ever met. I think he goes out of his way to talk with the audience, take photos with them, and let them ask him about his tricks! Can’t say enough great things about this performer or his show (s).

FANTASTIC PERFORMER and super nice guy! Can’t wait to see his show again!

Dennis is amazing! I’ve seen his magic several times now — in his own show in iterations at both the Chopin Theatre and at the Palmer House, as well as in theatre productions and special events — and he blows me away every time! His slight of hand magic combined with his charismatic personality and wonderful storytelling abilities combine for a delightful evening for guests of any age or personality.
A truly unique performer who is the best that Chicago has to offer — the congeniality of the Midwest combined with the cosmopolitan flare of urban Chicago — whether you’re a tourist or a local, Dennis Watkins is a treat.

My husband does magic as a hobby and really wanted to have a magician at the cocktail hour for our wedding. He had previously seen Dennis perform and told me about how fantastic he was. We saw one of his shows at the Chopin and I was blown away (he now does a weekly show there). I was so busy talking to people that I didn’t really get to see him perform at the reception, but I heard a lot of comments about how amazing he was. This was something personal to us because of my husband’s magic background, but I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for something to spice up a cocktail hour or party. We had a lot of guests that didn’t know each other and this was a nice way to get everyone mingling and talking.