**** Do you believe in magic? Do you need to escape from the craziness in our world today? You can have the best of both of these right in Rogers Park at The Rhapsody Theater, a lovely venue sitting on Morse Avenue ( just East of the Red Line “L” stop. They have rotating shows on their stage and right now they have David Williamson and his show, “Ridiculous”, a combination magic show with lots of comedy and very immersive.
Jane and I arrived early, parked the car ( they have their own parking lot, fenced in and awkward to get to, but safe and free). Follow the signs at 1328 West Morse Avenue. When you enter the building, you are in the bar/restaurant area with a bar, tables and booths and a somewhat limited menu, with more to come. We enjoyed pizza and a hummus/vegetable platter.
The theater is set up with tables and chairs, more like a night club or cabaret setting. You can order food and libations from your table and they will bring them to you. When we took our seats ( we were at table 13, three rows from the stage) we were met by Frank and his sister Rose, who were at table 14. Williamson, a very tall gentleman came onstage and from the get-go I knew we were in for a treat. He has a dry sense of humor and I for one, love that in comedy.
I make it a point not to give away any of the tricks that he did, but one of them was an amazing game where a father and son were on stage as clown school students. The youngster had selected a fake clown nose, bagged it and then his dad was to select a nose for him, but if they were to match, the son would be able to do a shaving cream pie to the face of his dad. When he saw his dad’s nose, he immediately pied him, only to find out that the nose he had placed in a bag, was a different color. Never saw it coming!
There were some extraordinary card tricks and a wonderful homage to the great Harry Houdini that was unbelievable!
The show is roughly 90 minutes and Williamson is great at getting the audience involved. I think he had about 12 audience members involved. I tried to get Frank up on stage, but he shied away. If you are seeking a magical night out with a loved one, or even just some good freinds, the Rhapsody is a great spot and this show is not to be missed.
“Ridiculous” will continue through June 30th with performances as follows:
Thursdays 7:30 p.m.
Fridays 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays 3 p.m.
Tickets range from $35 and there are no bad seats. Call 888-495-9001 or visit www.rhapsodytheater.com
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Ridiculous”
Here is a history of this fabulous venue!
Originally known as the Morse Theater built in 1912, this destination has long-been a source of arts and entertainment (formerly operating as the Co-Ed Theater and the Mayne Stage). The Rhapsody Theater brings a new and magical experience to Roger’s Park. This includes a newly developed, full-service restaurant and three bars throughout, which owner Dr. Ricardo T. Rosenkranz believes will be an outlet for both patrons and community members to enjoy year-round.
The multi-faceted theater is perfectly primed for world-class performances. With state-of-the-art acoustics and versatile seating arrangements, our space allows for enhanced, intimate and large format experiences. Our vision of Rhapsody also includes an upstairs lounge, perfect for after-performance socializing, “meet and greet” events with performers, and much more.
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