Dennis Watkins Video Interview-Death and Harry Houdini Closing #video interview

Dennis Watkins on the art of being Harry Houdini



The House Theatre's smash hit, Death and Harry Houdini, reaches the end of it's final extension today.   This is, without a doubt, one of our favorite shows of the year.   

We published this interview with the show's lead, Dennis Watkins, back in the spring on Facebook and Twitter, but want it to live on in a searchable archive form, so we're breaking it back out at both ChiIL Live Shows.com and ChiIL Mama.com to celebrate the show's close.

It was our great pleasure to be invited to Dennis' lovely northside home.   His passion for magic extends from the stage to his after hours, where he surrounds himself with vintage magic props that have been in the family, collector posters of renowned magicians, and even a Houdini coffee table volume.    Check out "the magician's lair" here.

We got a rare peek into the home of magic man, Dennis Watkins, star of Death and Harry Houdini, The House Theatre's smash, sell out hit. His love of magic goes beyond his roles in Magic Parlour and Death and Harry Houdini. He's a 3rd generation magician whose home decor includes vintage tricks from his Grandfather's shop and sweet magic show posters, for his own endeavors and others. A big show banner from The House Theatre's first incarnation of Death and Harry Houdini 10 years ago, hangs just inside his front door.

In our interview, Dennis expounds on the history of the show, Death and Harry Houdini, and it's numerous reincarnations with The House Theatre since 2001.   He gives insight into how to prep for the physically and mentally challenging role and how being successful at illusion isn't about ego and mastering trick, but it's all about the magic and wonder going on in the audience's heads.

My husband and I caught Death and Harry Houdini opening night and loved it so much I spent months trying to buy tickets to take the kids back to see it.    The run originally sold out in minutes, and although I was stalking their Facebook page, every time a trickle of tickets became available, they got scooped up before I could get my finger on the button.    

We finally scored a block of tickets and my kids were able to see the show for my son's March birthday, with one of his best friends.   As I'd expected, the kids were enamored with the show and amazed with the acting and the illusions.    We all sincerely hope that this is not the last we've seen of Harry Houdini, skillfully brought back to life by Chi-town's own magician extraordinaire, Dennis Watkins!

“A highly polished and visually thrilling show…
MAGIC OF THE VERY HIGHESTORDER!”

- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

“…high energy, buzzy blend of traditional storytelling, music and spectacle…
A THRILLING RIDE!”

– Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago

“Soars on Dennis Watkins’ brilliance as a genuine magician and fearless stuntman…
INGENIOUSLY WRITTEN AND DIRECTED!”

– Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

  



We've seen numerous productions by The House Theatre over the years and they do not disappoint.   We highly recommend you check out their 11th season.

SEASON 11

• Ploughed Under: An American Songbook
• The Magnificents
• The Nutcracker
• The Iron Stag King: Part One
• Magic Parlour

(click the show title for tickets and more info)


Next up:

THE IRON STAG KING: PART ONE

August 31st, 2012 to October 21st, 2012

A myth of crowns and country

By Chris Mathews and Nathan Allen
Directed by Nathan Allen
Original Music by Kevin O’Donnell
Choreography by Tommy Rapley

Featuring Company Members Cliff Chamberlain and Joey Steakley

From the writer/director of ‘Death and Harry Houdini’ comes a new epic journey filled with heated battles and life-size puppets.

Our unsuspecting hero, Casper Kent, is the son of a poor farmer. When an old storyteller reveals that Casper is the rightful heir to the throne, his life is threatened from all sides. Young Casper must escape the rebels, choose compatriots and question what is good and right for the land. Join him on his quest to lift the magical hammer that will unite or destroy them all.

LOCATION: The Chopin Theatre
1543 W. Division St., Chicago, IL

Tickets start at $25

Buy Tickets!

"A sophisticated night-cap. You’ll be mightily impressed! "

– Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

“A perfect evening of illusion and laughter… The Magic Parlour transformed a roomful of tired adults into wide-eyed, wide awake innocents. And that in itself is Watkins’ most impressive trick.

—Chicago Theater Beat

“This late-night magic show is exactly what it should be: funny, lively, intimate, and utterly baffling.”

—The Chicago Reader

“This was perfect. Perfect venue, perfect magician. I just can’t possibly comprehend how he does some of these things. See this.”

—Jason M on Yelp

“It’s a mind-blowing, parlour-style magic show. This isn’t kiddie birthday party magic — it’s a little more sinister, darker. MUST SEE.”

—Katherine R on Yelp

“This is a magic show that leaves you speechless.”

—Steve I on Yelp

Dennis Watkins can still be seen performing

The Magic Parlour every Friday night at The Palmer House.

Kindie Land-THE CAT'S PAJAMAS' 'BACKSEAT DRIVER'

**Check in with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often throughout July, August, and into the fall.  We'll be posting our own reviews on all our 2012 kindie land favs and giving away CDs galore to our readers!!   Enter your e-mail in the side bar so you don't miss a thing.   We never spam, sell or share your contact info.**

GET IN GEAR FOR FAMILY ROAD TRIP ADVENTURES WITH THE CAT'S PAJAMAS IN THE BACKSEAT!

THE CAT'S PAJAMAS'

'BACKSEAT DRIVER'
A 2012 PARENTS' CHOICE® SILVER HONOR AWARD WINNING CD

“The Cat's Pajamas serves up refreshing family music with quirky style, an upbeat groove, smooth multi-part harmonies and a keen eye for a child's-eye view of the world.” 

–Lynne Heffley, 2012 Parents' Choice® Silver Honor Award review of Backseat Driver

“The Cat's Pajamas makes great music for everyone in the family — even dads.  Listen to them, and you'll find that common ground where all humans live and play, regardless of their age.  It's a great place to be.”

– Bill Harley, NPR commentator, children's musician/storyteller

With a 2012 Parents’ Choice® Silver Honor Award for their new CD Backseat Driver proudly in hand, longtime Philadelphia favorite The Cat’s Pajamas is poised to take the rest of the country by storm. Backseat Driver harnesses The Cat’s Pajamas’ high-octane, live sound with 11 electrifying songs that virtually jump out of the speakers to get kids and their grownups moving.

Acclaimed for giving their rocking shows a musical comedy twist, these cats have more than "just another album" up their sleeve. Backseat Driver is an instant Cat's Pajamas dance party — a wild, wonderful world of stories, dance, and music, with the hottest rhythm and the coolest horn line in the business, backing the group's signature "Andrews Sisters" harmonies on songs ranging in style from rock and blues to rap, jazz, Latin and more.  

Enthused Lynne Heffley in her Parents’ Choice® Silver Honor Award review of Backseat Driver, “Unexpected rhythmic variations and spoken dialogue add a comic theatrical touch to ‘Driving in My Car (vroom, vroom vroom)’ and ‘Funky Bears,’ a rap-happy Goldilocks update. Other highlights: a big, brassy nursery rhyme medley (‘Humpty Dumpty’) and ‘I Love My Toes,’ framed by a blues harmonica wail. When ‘Just An Old Jalopy’ goes ‘rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' down the road’ despite a few set-backs (dead battery, empty gas tank, flat tire), it's an entertaining little mini-musical all by itself.”

Explains Cat’s Pajamas founder/lead singer/bandleader Janet Schreiner, “Backseat Driver was conceived as a road trip soundtrack for families. The album is a kind of mini-musical. Kids pull out the map, put on the CD, and join The Cat's Pajamas on tour in the Catmobile, happily singing and wiggling along for the whole journey. As we write in the liner notes for the album: ‘Map included, no GPS required.’” 

Treasured by thousands of families since 1995 and now winning over a second generation of fans, The Cat's Pajamas is noted for its multi-generational appeal. Small wonder, for the band’s singers and players have an age span of 40 years. While some perforners are in their twenties, three band mates are due to become grandparents by September!  Band members are always delighted to see youthful fans from the early days show up at concerts with their own children, experiencing together the tremendous energy and “kick in the pants” high spirits of The Cat’s Pajamas.

Backseat Driver was co-produced by Daoud Shaw (percussionist for Van Morrison, The Jerry Garcia Band, Etta James), with arrangements by Heath Allen (NPR’s Fresh Air, Philly Musette) and Dan Kleiman (The Fifth Dimension, Boyz II Men, music director for the 76ers house band). The band includes Emmy winning composer Rodney Whittenberg on guitar and bass, Duane Large (Philadelphia Orchestra, The Royal Ballet) on drums, and a slew of Philly’s most talented working musicians. At the heart of the band is lead singer Janet Schreiner, whose “ability to whip kids into a pleasurable frenzy places her among the foremost performers in the children’s music genre” (Patrick Brogan, artistic director of Musikfest).

From the band shell at Central Park to the International Children's Festival at The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, The Cat's Pajamas has received rave reviews galore.  In addition to Backseat Driver, the band has previously released a string of award-winning albums, including Reading Rocks! (2011 Kids' Music Award), Goin' Bananas (2002 Children's Music Web Award), and Cool Music for Kids (2000 Children's Music Web Award). 

Backseat Driver is available online at www.howlinrecords.com, amazon.com, cdbaby.com, and iTunes.

CD Details: BACKSEAT DRIVERFor ages 2 - 8.
Label: Howlin' Records
SRP: $14.99
Run time: 41 minutes.

http://howlinrecords.com