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Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents “The Enigmatist,” an immersive experience of puzzles and illusion from David Kwong. (Justin Barbin)

David Kwong is a magician who also constructs crossword puzzles. As he puts it, “I combine the two nerdiest hobbies into one.” In his one-man show “The Enigmatist,” Kwong asserts that the disciplines of puzzle-making and magic-making share DNA.

(The Silverman Group)

In a series of back-to-back English and Spanish performances set for the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend, the “Physician Magician” will become “El Medico Mago” at the Rhapsody Theater in Rogers Park.

Australian native Harry Milas is bringing “The Unfair Advantage” to Steppenwolf’s Merle Reskin Garage Theatre through April 21. (Courtesy of Harry Milas)

A magician who once worked in casino security is doubling down on revealing the secrets behind card tricks. And there’s a catch: Everyone must sign a confidentiality contract before the show.

(Courtesy of Alexandra Duvivier)

Paris-based magician Alexandra Duvivier charms audiences with the art of close-up – or parlor – magic. She’s one of a growing number of women in the profession, and she even performed a trick that fooled famed duo Penn & Teller.

This rare poster featuring Harry Houdini just conjured a world sales record. (Courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions, Chicago)

The poster features an image of Harry Houdini performing his famous Milk Can Escape, in which the performer was locked into a galvanized iron can filled with water and secured by locks. The image is rich with showmanship and hyperbole, warning: “Failure Means a Drowning Death.”

Gabe Fajuri of Potter & Potter Auctions looks over a collection of posters from magician Ricky Jay set to be auctioned off. (Marc Vitali / WTTW News)

A Chicago auction house is offering an astonishing archive of vaudeville posters, sideshow ephemera, and what is called magicana. All of it was collected by magician Ricky Jay, who died in 2018 at age 72.

(WTTW News)

Neonatologist, professor and magician Ricardo Rosenkranz performs as the "Physician Magician" or “El Mago Medico," offering performances in English and Spanish at a Rogers Park theater.

Meet a medical doctor who moonlights as a magician. Northwestern University’s Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz joins us to explore the mysteries of medicine and magic.