Ondřej Pšenička in 52 Lovers Wednesdays at Chicago Magic Lounge Through August 26, 2026

 Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar:

Chicago Magic Lounge Welcomes Back Fan Favorite

Ondřej Pšenička in

52 Lovers

for a limited run this summer

Photo Credit for all: Michael Brosilow

Guest Review

by Dugan Kenaz-Mara

The night started off with the classic Magic parlor experience. My partner and I were led to our seats by a lovely host, ordered drinks from a kind waiter, and then got to experience some close-up sleight-of-hand card magic right at our table. This time around, we had the pleasure of seeing the wonderful work of Abby Segal (https://www.abbysegalmagic.com/), who has a soft and gentle approach to blowing our minds. Even with tricks I had seen before, she made them look and feel personal, which merits a special shout-out at the beginning of this review. 

After about an hour of table magic and getting food and drinks settled, each member of the audience was given a secret little envelope. A handful of lucky audience members were also given an extra card with instructions on it for use throughout the show. This act of inclusion was the start of what I would soon find out is a hallmark of Ondřej’s work: the audience is his best friend. 

As soon as the show began I noticed that he came off differently from other magicians. His focus was not on performing tricks himself and “showing off”, but rather on trying to engage the audience. He wasn’t telling a story on stage, but having a conversation. During the time between tricks he often would ask if the audience had any questions, to which someone would respond and lead into the next trick, always accompanied by a short story about how Ondřej learned magic, some of the things he enjoys, or silly little quips. 

The show itself is fairly leisurely. Pšenička takes a slower pace with a good amount of time between tricks, lacking in background music. But, that dead space is made up for in the unique way he does his tricks. Or rather, gets others to do them. The highlight of much of his magic is that he can get audience members to perform magic without any prior instructions. For example, a trick I am still absolutely baffled by (that was featured on his first appearance of Penn and Teller’s ‘Fool Us’) didn’t even require the magician on stage! For this trick, Ondřej called an audience member on stage, gave them headphones to wear, and sat off to the side eating popcorn while the audience member searched a deck of cards, narrowing it down until he found a specific card, picked at random by another audience member earlier. 

Tricks like that, and the pre-scripted audience interactions, highlight what makes 52 Lovers so interesting: It makes you think about how magic is constructed. When someone other than the magician is able to perform their trick, it forces you to consider how carefully and intentionally everything is set up and really provides perspective on the level of trickery involved. It’s especially interesting in this case because Ondřej is not quiet about when he’s forcing a card, sometimes even openly explaining what he’s doing. It all feels very clever. 

And he even manages to tie everything together at the end. Remember those secret envelopes I mentioned? By the end of the show, everyone in the audience gets to do their own personal little bit of magic with the contents (no spoilers as to what’s inside). 

If you’re interested in a slower-paced, relaxed magic show, I would recommend 52 Lovers. Recommended. Three out of four stars.★★★ 

Dugan Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based designer, photographer, educator, and graduate of Northwestern University's theatre program.

Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago’s home for close-up magic, announces the return of world-renowned magician Ondřej Pšenička in a limited run of his hit show 52 Lovers, directed by Stepan Gajdos. Spend an evening with one of magic’s most inventive contemporary voices in 52 Lovers, an intimate performance presented up close in Chicago Magic Lounge’s Harry Blackstone Cabaret theater. Quirky, disarming, and brilliantly original, Pšenička blends offbeat humor with world-class sleight of hand in a style entirely his own.

52 Lovers plays Wednesdays at 7:00pm, July 1 – August 26, 2026. Tickets are priced $44 (Standard) and $50 (Front Row), plus applicable fees. Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge shows are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com.

A true innovator, Ondřej combines original creations with expertly curated effects, delivered with a playful unpredictability that keeps audiences leaning in. With a subtle current of absurdism throughout, 52 Lovers is sharp, surprising, and delightfully off-center—showcasing expert technique with an effortless touch that makes the impossible look easy.

Each evening begins with close-up magic performed right at your table by Chicago Magic Lounge’s talented house magicians. Between visits, guests can socialize, enjoy craft cocktails and small plates, and take in the vintage ambiance of the Harry Blackstone Cabaret.

About Ondřej Pšenička (pronounced ON-dray psheh-NEETCH-kuh)

Ondřej Pšenička is a world-renowned magician celebrated for his inventive approach to card magic and close-up performance. Hailing from the Czech Republic, he has performed on stages across the globe and is a regular at the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Known for his quirky humor, subtle surrealism, and technical mastery, Pšenička has baffled audiences worldwide, most notably fooling Penn & Teller three times onPenn & Teller: Fool Us. His creations blend originality, precision, and playfulness, making every performance unforgettable.

Also Happening at Chicago Magic Lounge

The Close-Up Show

Mondays at 7:00pm

Tickets: General Admission $35 - $37

The Showcase

Tuesdays at 7:00pm

Tickets: Standard: $37.50 - $39; Front Row: $42 - $44

The Signature Show

Thursdays-Sundays at 7:00pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 10pm

Tickets: Front Row $89.50 - $103, Premium Main Floor (main floor banquette and main floor cabaret) $76.00 – $95.00, Standard (rail and elevated banquette) $68.50 - $84, Mezzanine $55.00 – $68.00

Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge performances are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com. Chicago Magic Lounge is a 21+ venue. Ages 16+ allowed to ticketed evening shows with a legal guardian.

For a complete schedule of performances and more information about Chicago Magic Lounge, resident and guest performers, and more, please visit chicagomagiclounge.com.

REVIEW: Kokandy's Hair Kills It With Ritual to Remember, Debauchery to Forget

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar

Kokandy Productions Opens 2026 Season with

HAIR

The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

Book and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado

Music by Galt MacDermot

Directed and Choreographed by Brennan Urbi

Music Direction by Kara Olander

 

Now Playing Through September 13, 2026 on The Chopin Theatre Mainstage

Pictured (clockwise from center) Gavin Rhys, Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Nicki Rossi, Chosen Mitchell, Quinn Simmons, Stone TeSelle,Shayla Florence, Joshua Emmanuel and Zac Richey in Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR. All Production Photos by Michael Brosilow unless otherwise noted.

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Hair... the hippy love musical of 60s counterculture. It's infamous for big, beautiful afros, pushing PC boundaries, over the top costumes, and an iconic score. If you've come looking for the summer of love, Kokandy's extravaganza at Chopin Theatre does not disappoint, pushing back against the mores of banal suburban sprawl with a bacchanal of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. 

(left to right) Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Joshua Emmanuel, Chosen Mitchell, Kijani X and Caitlin Dobbins 

But Hair has deep, dark roots and multilayered storytelling as well. Kokandy Productions has mounted an intimate, excellent, and sexy as hell production that encapsulates the fierce communal energy of a generation of teens facing mortality far too young. We sat in a pillow pile, left with baby's breath flowers in our hair, and graffitied the space at intermission. It was more of a happening we were active participants in than a spectacle. We loved this love-in! ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Highly recommended. Four out of Four Stars. ★★★★ 

(center) Gavin Rhys with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR.

This production embraces the DIY hippy aesthetic, providing markers and inviting the audience to graffiti the space at intermission.  I added a quote I made up years ago, and still believe are word to live by: Prevent Perfection -- Prefer a Perceptive Perspective. My Greek born friend, Flo added the Greek word for HAIR. Whether intentionally or inadvertently, the interactive elements bridge generations, and decades to bring a good dose of 2026 into this period piece. Amid general calls for peace and vintage poster quotes, graffiti with anti ICE and anti Trump sentiments fit right in.

Our world is on fire, and 60 years later we're still fighting back against political and religious institutions bent on eliminating personal freedom and bodily autonomy. Women still fight misogyny, racism is rampant, single moms still face the impending time bomb of an unwanted pregnancy without society's support, and found family fills the gaps. 

(center, l to r) Nicki Rossi and Gavin Rhys with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR. 

(left to right) Zac Richey, Gavin Rhys, Joshua Emmanuel, Diana Marilyn Alvarez and Caitlin Dobbins

Hair gives us archetypes, and iconic characters born to war widows and soldiers with PTSD, in the post WW11 baby boom. Kokandy gives us the unique, authentic casting they're legendary for, with a brilliant range of types, for a powerhouse cast brimming with talent. Come ready to party and mourn, rage and remember. Shout out to the set design that gives us the powerful visuals of lockers to coffins and scaffolding to climb, as well as the costume design that seamlessly melds flower child with Gen Z thrift chic. In fact, chef's kiss to all the show's cast and creatives, who have combined talents to bring to life a magnificently moving piece in true Kokandy style.  

(center, l to r) Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor and Stone TeSelle 

Our country is again forcing a mandatory draft, gassing and arresting protestors, and causing environmental destruction. The US is once again spending billions in an unpopular, unjustified war, and the young pay the highest price. Hair is more than a fashion statement, it's a rallying cry, as true now as it was in 1967. 

(left to right) Stone TeSelle, Zac Richey and Joshua Emmanuel

(left to right) Nicki Rossi, Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Gavin Rhys, Stone TeSelle and Chosen Mitchell 

As the characters gather around a bonfire to burn the American flag and their draft cards, as well as to celebrate life, I'm reminded of the bonfire that is Kokandy Productions. They began with a spark in 2010, and we've caught every production since. We've watched their work smolder, smoke, and grow to a blaze. We've seen their humble beginnings, their ambitious undertakings in Chopin's basement space, and we've watched their rise to the Chopin's Main Stage upstairs with admiration. Now they're on the cusp of running Hair as well as their impending remount of Sunday in the Park With George in Chopin's basement space beginning in mid August. 

This fall, Kokandy's bonfire burns brighter still, as the critically acclaimed revival of their 10-time 2025 Jeff Award-nominated musical JEKYLL & HYDE will make its Broadway In Chicago debut at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place! I caught it last Halloween night and was blown away by their talent and aesthetic. I can't wait to see it again in the Broadway footlights. Despite their increasing fame and acclaim, Kokandy's dedication to casting up and coming local artists and telling complex stories through musical theatre has never wavered.

It's a new millennium and we're still near the dawning of The Age of Aquarius, as each age lasts over 2,000 years. Many debate whether we have even begun it yet. If we have any hope of moving from "me to we" as we collectively claw our way up from The Age of Pisces, with its focus on hierarchy, religion, and structured belief systems, my money's on the Gen Z theatre kids to show us the way.  

(left to right) Zac Richey, Gavin Rhys, Joshua Emmanuel, Diana Marilyn Alvarez and Caitlin Dobbins

As we left the theatre on opening night of Hair, my friend said, "I need to see this 2 or 3 more times!" and someone behind us said "I know, right?! This is our second time already." What more can I say. Don't miss this! 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and empty nester. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

 (center) Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor and the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR. 

Hot off their record-breaking, award-winning runs of Jekyll & Hyde and Amélie, KokandyProductions is pleased to launch its 2026 Season with the revolutionary “love-rock” musical HAIR, playing July 2 – September 13, 2026 on The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Directed and choreographed by Brennan Urbi with music direction by Kara Olander, HAIR features book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/HairChicago. 

(center) Gavin Rhys with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR.

(left to right) Nicki Rossi, Mateo Palm, Amy Yesom Kim, Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Zac Richey, Stone TeSelle, Shayla Florence and Kijani X

Uniting for an exhilarating summer of peace, love and fury, HAIR features Gavin Rhys as Claude, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor as Sheila, Zac Richey as Berger, Amy Yesom Kim as Crissy, Chosen Mitchell as Dionne, Stone TeSelle as Woof, Nicki Rossi as Jeannie and Joshua Emmanuel as Hud with an ensemble including Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Caitlin Dobbins, Shayla Florence, Isadora Coco Gonzalez, Wolfie J, Mateo Palm, Quinn Simmons and Kijani X.

Swings include Justin Aponte, Morgan Barber, Kevin Chlapecka, Allyriane Huq, Víctór López, Kenny Miller, Jack Saunders and Maliha Sayed.

Amy Yesom Kim 

(left to right) Nicki Rossi, Caitlin Dobbins, Shayla Florence, Stone TeSelle, Chosen Mitchell, Wolfie J and Diana Marilyn Alvarez

About the Production

The American tribal love rock musical HAIR celebrates the sixties counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory. To an infectiously energetic rock beat, the show wows audiences with songs like “Aquarius,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” “Hair,” “I Got Life” and “Let The Sunshine In.” Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, HAIR remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Chosen Mitchell 

(center, l to r) Joshua Emmanuel and Chosen Mitchell with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR.

Director and choreographer Brennan Urbi comments, “This is a show about chosen family and active community, exploring how we can build support and fight for each other – no matter the generation, place or time. We have a knockout cast who are ready to rock! By building today's versions of these well-known characters, we're going to find out how this iconic ‘60s score reverberates all the way to Summer 2026.”

(center, l to r) Zac Richey, Gavin Rhys and Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR.

The production team includes Eleanor Kahn (Scenic Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G "Max" Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Lauren Ramos (Properties Design), Syd Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Kirsten Baity (Intimacy Director), Chels Morgan (Cultural Competency Specialist), Shane Roberie(Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Associate Production Manager), David Moreland (Technical Director), Lynsy Folckomer (A1), Alfonso Moreno (A2), Shelby Burgus (Stage Manager),Yasmeen "Yaz" Abiad (Assistant Stage Manager), Michael Coppola (Stage Management Intern), Scot Kokandy(Executive Producer) and Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director).

(left to right) Quinn Simmons, Isadora Coco Gonzalez and Shayla Florence 

(center) Zac Richey with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR.

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Location: The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, July 2 – Friday, July 17, 2026

Regular run: Sunday, July 19 – Sunday, September 13, 3026

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Saturday, July 4; there will be an added performance on Monday, July 6 at 7 pm.

Tickets: Previews $28.52* general admission, $39.19* reserved seating. Regular run $55.20* general admission, $65.87* reserved seating. Students/seniors $44.52*. There will be a limited number of lower-priced tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/HairChicago. *Ticket prices include processing fees

HAIR is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.
www.concordtheatricals.com

(center, l to r) Zac Richey and Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor with the cast of Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR. 

About the Artists

Brennan Urbi (Director and Choreographer) is a stage artist who works with community members, artists and actors alike to build a process specific to the questions and skill sets of the group. B’s NYC credits include Into the Woods, Macbeth, Strays, (un)belonging*, Blood Grudge, Electric World, My Best Friend's Cabaret, Singing Lessons, iii sisters, Connection is Unstable, The Munchies, Leo’s Requiem and Alley Between the House. Assistant on Blackout Songs (MCC) I think Big Cat… (Roundabout). In Chicago, B directed Half-Baked, The Beauty of Your Eyes and Civics and Humanities and assisted productions including Spring Awakening, Children of Eden, Hair and Another Room in Your Head. MFA Directing Columbia University, Recipient of the Neo-Futurist Artist of Color scholarship, BFA Acting Chicago College of Performing Art. Founding member of Pick Six. www.brennanurbi.com @brennan_urbi.

Kara Olander (Music Director) is a multi-instrumentalist, music director and actor in the Chicago area. As a pit musician of many years, her mission is to foster a band and cast that feels empowered to groove in their own individuality. Past shows include Always, Patsy Cline (Drury Lane), Amélie (Kokandy), Porchlight Sings the Season (Porchlight Music Theatre), LOKI: The End of the World Tour (Lifeline Theatre), Rock of Ages (Metropolis), Tell Me On a Sunday (Theo Ubique) and Houston, You Have a Problem (Streamline Theatre). 

(left to right) Stone TeSelle, Mateo Palm, Caitlin Dobbins, Shayla Florence, Chosen Mitchell, Gavin Rhys, Nicki Rossi, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Amy Yesom Kim, Kijani X, Diana Marilyn Alvarez and Joshua Emmanuel

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer.

For additional information, visit kokandyproductions.com.

Pictured (center) Gavin Rhys with (clockwise from top) Amy Yesom Kim, Joshua Emmanuel,

Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Zac Richey, Stone TeSelle, Nicki Rossi and Chosen Mitchell

in a publicity image for Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR. Photo by Kyle Bode.

 

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Gloria Bond Clunie Festival July 10-19, 2026

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre's Annual 

Gloria Bond Clunie Playwright’s Festival 

returns July 10-19, 2026

(Photo by Eileen Tull, from 2024 inaugural festival.)
Third annual event includes developmental workshops and staged readings of three new plays

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is proud to announce the return of the Annual Gloria Bond Clunie Playwright’s Festival for a third year. This festival will take place over two weekends (July 10th-12th and July 17th-19th) at FJT’s home, the Noyes Cultural Arts Center at 927 Noyes St. in Evanston. The first weekend will be for the playwrights to connect with each other and spend uninterrupted time developing their play with a team of directors and actors. The second weekend will offer rehearsal time with their team, culminating in a public staged reading for each of the three plays chosen from 70 entries this year. In keeping with FJT's mission statement, our plays speak to the Black American experience and explore African Diaspora-centered storytelling. Audiences will have an opportunity to participate in a post-reading conversation after each performance.

The festival will feature these three new plays in development. There will be a double bill of two short one-act plays – BLACK ENOUGH and VISITATION – on Saturday, July 18. The full-length play MISS SPENCE’S PLAY will be performed on Sunday, July 19.

BLACK ENOUGH
by Beckett Thompson
Directed by Lip Lewis
Saturday, July 18th at 5:00PM

VISITATION
by Caitlin Frazier
Directed by Faramade F. Oladapo
Saturday, July 18th at 7:00PM

Tickets $15.00 for the program of two plays on July 18, available at https://www.fjtheatre.com

MISS SPENCE’S PLAY
by Annie Janeiro Randall
Directed by Rashaad Bond
Sunday, July 19th at 3:00PM
Tickets $15.00, available at https://www.fjtheatre.com

This new play development initiative honors the incredible career and legacy of Gloria Bond Clunie, the founder of Fleetwood-Jourdain. She is also a founding member of the Playwriting Ensemble at Victory Gardens Theater where she premiered her plays NORTH STAR, SHOES, and LIVING GREEN. Her work as a theater artist and educator has been recognized by the NAACP, the Joseph Jefferson Awards, Chicago Black Theatre Alliance Awards, and Evanston Mayor’s Award for the Arts, among many others..

The festival producers are Taria Michelle Abram and Eileen Tull and Tim Rhoze is Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre. Tickets are available through Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre’s website. https://www.fjttheatre.com.

ABOUT FLEETWOOD-JOURDAIN THEATRE

Founded in 1979, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is a professional, award-winning theatre company that has been thrilling audiences with over four decades of unique, inspirational, and invigorating Black American and African Diaspora-centered storytelling. The company has been honored by the Black Theatre Alliance/Ira Aldridge Awards and is frequently listed as a top-rated Chicago theatre company. From original plays to the best of Broadway, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre has remained committed to supplying the very best in theatre. "Umoja!! ….Working Together in Unity" is the foundation from which FJT began and continues to thrive!

It is our mission to present powerful, thought-provoking, Theater Arts programming with a commitment to diversity and creative excellence. We are dedicated to providing a nurturing and creative environment for directors, playwrights, actors, set, light, and costume designers. In this positive environment, they can further develop their creative skills and share their artistic expressions. The Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is funded by the City of Evanston and in part by the Illinois Arts Council, A State Agency.