CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Construction is in full force on the third and fourth floors of exhibition space inside 360 North State St.
"This is going to be huge," exclaimed British high tech magician Jamie Allen. He is the brain child of "Magic Immersive", an exhibit that will make its home in the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
"This area is going to become our Hall of Mysteries." Allen points to the room in front of him and as he gives WBBM a tour. He is like a kid in a candy store.
"This is going to be the David Copperfield section. We're going to have a photo opportunity where people can be levitated by David, which is super cool," he said smiling.
The UK based Allen has become a world-renowned magician, known for his high tech tricks and illusions. He is also known for the fusion of magic and technology and performs modern illusions with iPads, Laser Beams, Facebook and Twitter.
Allen said "Illusionariam: Magic Immersive" has been a dream of his since he was a child, shortly after he performed his first magic show at 8 years old.
"I wanted to produce my dreams. There was only so much I could do with my touring show." So he upped the ante.
"This exhibit started with my love of ghost trains- this journey of these corridors and being disorientated. I used to draw and design them when I was a kid and that lead me to this idea to create a show which was multiple rooms that you could move through and see different styles of magic." Allen recalled.
"It's really a celebration of magic as an art form."
On the third floor, each room will represent a different era. Allen said it's the evolution of magic through the years. The exhibit will showcase artifacts, historical tricks and work from Penn & Teller, David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Harry Houdini and more.
"I had the pleasure to be able to go through David Copperfield's warehouse and see and touch all of his wonderful illusions and props," he said.
"We've got the original saw-in-half prop, the famous zig-zag lady, straight jackets, and the barrel that was used to go over Niagara Falls."
On the fourth floor, live magicians will perform death defying escapes, sleight of hand, levitations and vanishings.
"We have a cast of 15 magicians with all different styles, from all walks of life," Allen explained.
"We have excellent sleight of hand artists, escapologists that can hold their breath and pick locks, and we have people that are skilled with big illusions and dangerous stuff. We picked a wide variety."
Chicago is actually the home of the bar magician.
"Magicians say close up magic came from right here in Chicago. We also celebrate that with our Parlor Royale. You can see some of Chicago's best magicians performing here too," he said.
Allen said the show also offers the chance to experience some of the greatest, grand-scale illusions in history.
"This is our mega drill. It's the largest touring illusion in the United States. This actually penetrates one of our magicians; it goes right through them visibly and hoists them up six feet into the air and spins them around," Allen said.
"It's pretty jaw dropping. It's a hell of a machine. It weights over 3 tons." Also on the fourth floor is the famous water torture chamber.
"This is the best version of this illusion that you've ever seen. It was created by Jonathon Goodwin, the dare devil. Our escape artists sometimes stay in there up to 3 minutes. It's really spectacular. " he said.
The first of its kind exhibit and show is produced by Lighthouse Immersive, the producers of the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit that's been on display in Chicago since February.
"It's a real AV feast. We have a lot of projections, immersive technologies. I wanted to make a magic show that you are actually in the middle of, that lived around you. It's really 360. It all happens around you. The show starts everywhere," Allen said.
"You don't know where to look, so much is going on. To say this is spectacular is..." He paused. "It's huge," Allen laughed.
The exhibit is inside the Museum of Broadcast Communication. He said he knew Chicago and this space would be a perfect place to launch the U.S. tour.
"I love this city. I performed here in 2018 and I loved it. I saw this space and knew it was perfect. Nothing this big has ever been in this space."
Allen hopes people walk away from the show feeling like a kid again. "Magic is a feeling. Magic isn't to fool you. It's to inspire you."
The exhibit runs from Dec. 3-Jan. 2. Tickets are on sale now at magicimmersive.com. Standing room, VIP and Premium seats are available for different prices.
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