Walter King Jr., aka The Spellbinder, was a staple of South Side dance clubs in the 1980s, becoming the first Black illusionist to perform in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Now, he’s the latest luminary in Chicago Magic Lounge’s Artist-in-Residence series with his show Diary of a Black Illusionist.
King is stylish, suave and engaging. He taught himself magic growing up on the West Side and incorporates music into his act as a carryover from the club performing days when he would time his illusions to the beat.
The Spellbinder doesn’t take himself anywhere near as seriously as the stage name implies, judiciously deploying warm humor throughout the evening. He says the difference between magicians and illusionists is that illusionists are terrible at card tricks before doing a very funny bit in which he turns an oversize card deck into progressively smaller and smaller decks before our eyes until he’s holding one that’s almost, but not quite, too small to see.
A fairly standard opening featuring a bird emerging from under a handkerchief pays off spectacularly during a climax based on an illusion King did at a private event that has racked up more than 15 million views on TikTok.
Between those two bird-based effects, The Spellbinder, who studied at The Art Institute of Chicago, pulls off some truly spectacular illusions in which his simple drawings on a sketchpad take on mind-boggling lives of their own.
All in, this is an excellent evening of offbeat magic presented by a consummate pro with more than 40 years of illusions up his sleeves.
Diary of a Black Illusionist runs Wednesdays from May 7 through June 25 at The Chicago Magic Lounge.
Photo by Sarah Elizabeth Larson
