Uptown Underground

Went there to check the magic show with my friends with groupon on Thursday — well worth it. There was table magic, stage magic and bar-​magic.
The spicy mix was good to munch on while the show was on.
NB: Dames is women and Dappler is men ;)

What a disaster. Went there with a group of friends Saturday night. Looks like retired strippers were given a second chance. Unless you enjoy seeing middle age out of shape women struggle to undress, stay away.

Came here last night (Friday) with the wife to check the place out. Door man asked what we were here for. Acted like we were bothering him, and was not welcoming or forthcoming with information about what we needed to do. Was prepared to buy a ticket, my wife wanted to use the bathroom and he just shook his head. I guess we are not cool enough for this place. Lame.

Went to the magic show on Saturday night completely amazed! First the cost was so reasonable, second the up close magic before the headliners were just awesome. The performers interacted with everyone in the crowd. The group I went with enjoyed the whole experience! After the magic show we were welcomed to stay for kiss kiss cabaret — just as fun. Great place, hidden gem, good drink menu!

the show is a lot of fun people are friendly the club itself inside has an authentic vintage vibe you have to go down a flight of stairs when you enter the door which is cool. photography is not allowed so i didnt take any. the only reason i didnt put 5 star here is because of the location. as a tourist i thought it was in a sketchy neighborhood, construction close to the club the area looks run down that night. but we had a good time and we are able to get out of there safely without any problem.

I had a chance to check this place out as a group of friends decided we would check out their magic show on Thursday evenings. Most nights are usually cabaret and burlesque shows, but I see that thurs and sat are magic nights… pretty cool. Their website says they open @ 7pm, but they did not open the doors until 7:30 so we stood outside for 30 mins on a chilly night. Once they let us in we kinda went underground (downstairs) to a speakeasy like setting that was dimly lit with seats and tables and a bar to the far right and of course a stage in front.
Once our group of 6 were seated I grabbed the drink menu and saw they had some of my favorite brown drinks; Manhattan and Sazerac to be specific and $ 13 each. Our server kept em coming as she was always easy to spot due to the room not being that big. They also have snacks like popcorn and bags of chex mix available if you need something salty. While we were waiting on the main show, there were magicians coming around to each table doing various tricks with forks, paper bags and card games. It was unbelievable as they did some crazy tricks that you wouldn’t think could be done. Once the main show started they did similar tricks and brought people and stage and kept the crowd engaged with participation.

What a fun place! I came here on New Year’s Eve and had a blast. They left such a great impression on me that I wanted to return for their regular shows. I received comp tickets through Goldstar to see Chicago Magic Lounge. The show was incredibly interactive. We had magicians coming to our table and doing closeup tricks as well as on the stage. After the show, they had a separate close up magic show for about a half hour.
One thing we did not know is that our ticket allowed us to stay for the show afterwards. We watched Kiss Kiss Cabaret for a bit (which was a lot of fun). I would have stayed for the whole show, but I was coming down with a cold and just wanted to get home.
The service is excellent and friendly. The waitress was able to think of a mocktail for my non-​drinker husband. Drink prices are a bit high. Cocktails run in the $ 12-​$ 13 range even though there are some cheaper specials. The drink was good and fairly strong.
We definitely plan to go back once I get over this stupid cold.

What a fantastic show! Gorgeous women with amazing dance moves. My favorite part of the show was The Amazing Tomas! He has such a wonderful stage presence! His tricks were really good but most of all his humor made me laugh a ton and I wanted to see more! Plus he is a «little» cutie! After the show I was telling my friends we have to find out where he performs and check him out again!

Mysterious and cozy gem, hidden within an historical building in uptown. They have shows for every day of the week. We went to the Magic Show on Thursday. Simply brilliant. They try and succed to bring back the atmosphere, the rowdiness, the fun and the magic of close-​up magic. Sketches, acts, table– and bar-​magic tricks fill the evening and mesmerize you. Note: no food served, so eat before. Only remark: we had to wait 15minutes for our bill, but after such delightful show… who cares? Awesome place!

Friday’s kiss kiss Cabaret blew my mind. It was such a delightful mix of talents and body types that I can describe no other way, except inspiring. My lovely friend Jimmy Nails has recommended that I take classes and start performing. My response to this was hell yes!
Just a super great venue, with tasty drinks, and a really fun crowd. Also, the MC dressed up like a clown was fucking hilarious.

Truly love this little hidden gem. The shows never cease to entertain and lawd knows I enjoy the boozin’ there. Great people. Great talent. Great place :)

Just got back from this wonderful exhibition of talent, boy was it an experience! I found this place on travelzoo and presented my fiancé the option of a magic show or burlesque show… she chose burlesque, fine with me (although I’m going back for the magic show soon).
For my first burlesque experience, I’ll say I had no idea what to expect. However, Uptown Underground and the Kiss Kiss Cabaret set the bar pretty damn high. We were both very impressed with the talent, especially with the duo performing the zombie dance from Dirty Dancing, that was amazing! Also, a huge shoutout to the Beetlejuice reference, that skit my night!
My only drawback from the experience was my first drink order… the Manhattan. If you light a sweeter drink, go for it. If you’re more into a boozy cocktail, order a spirit neat or on the rocks. The cocktail was loaded with vermouth, light on the bourbon, not a great combo. My only suggestion for the place is to incorporate a solid boozy cocktail for those of us who don’t enjoy a whole bunch of sweetness (save that for the talent)!
Overall, I am very, VERY happy we stumbled across this place. I will absolutely be sure to come back soon!

I have been there three times, twice for magic on Thursdays and once for a jazz concert by Elaine Dames (Part of Uptown Saturdays). Enjoyed it every time. Staff is pleasant. Shows have been great.
One thing for the magic on Thursdays, before the main act appears magicians perform close up magic at various customer tables. It seems they perform mostly at tables with larger groups compared to tables with couples or someone by themselves.
Occasionally you can get a deal for a show there on groupon. Definitely a place to go when visiting Chicago, and there are several restaurants within walking distance.

We caught their «Cabaret Project» Show. It takes place in the intimate back room of the club with seating for maybe 25. There were about 10 of us Saturday night. It was an amazing revue of Cole Porter songs, focusing on his songs from his Paris days. There were four performers and a pianist, and they were amazing. Two men and two women who sang, shuffled, bantered and danced for a brilliant 90 minute show.
My wife declared it one of her favorite date nights in recent memory.

This place is awesome and a breath of fresh air. Chicago is becoming littered with corporate/​kitchy/​hipstery cliché — and fortunately uptown has steered clear of most of it and retains beautiful art-​deco spaces ready to be reimaged. This place is exactly the type of addition that the Uptown entertainment district needs to keep adding.
The space itself is fantastic — think a moderately modernized 1930’s lounge with the perfect amount of art deco glam. The performers appear to truly love what they do (and they do not run around with a bucket for money every 10 minutes like other theaters).
I’ll be back again and again to support this place.

I am a tough critic when it comes to live shows. When my GF said she was taking me here on Saturday night to see a Burlesque show, I smiled. Topless women? I’m down.
The show was more than topless women though. It was engaging and artsy. We both enjoyed it. We saw the 10 pm show and liked it so much we stayed for a discounted rate of the midnight showing.
The midnight showing was different. It was not the typical Burlesque style show that the 10 pm viewing was. This one had a Gothic twist. It was downright scary. After the demonic woman bit into a baby doll and fake blood sprayed out, our jaws dropped. My GF made us leave at intermission. It was no longer her cup of tea. It’s alright, she won’t even watch The Walking Dead. I would have stayed but I’ll be back.

Breathtaking performances in an intimate, impressively upscale atmosphere that still pulls off an accessible vibe. I’ve felt comfortable here in a cocktail dress and in jeans (dress for the activity not the venue) because the staff is happy if you’re happy.
Moulin Rouge-​esque with a great speak-​easy backstory, Uptown Underground is a gem of a venue for drinks, shows or a myriad of activities (A DRAWING GROUP on Thursdays!!!) Currently, my favorite bar in Chicago.

We had an incredible time at the New Years Eve event. The space is spectacular. The stage looks like nothing I’ve seen in the city, and all the acts made me smile.
Things to consider: They didn’t have their liquor license yet, so the entire crew hustled to provide free drinks for the private event instead. I’ve never seen a company come together like this. Excellent effort from the owners, the hosts, the servers, the performers, and everyone who put it together.
The staff served us throughout the entire evening. We never waited more than a minute for service.
The space offers two stages, including the beautiful front stage with dark red curtains. It also offers a bunch of old-​timey arcade machines and gorgeous antique artwork from the period.
The performers varied in styles and each offered something special. The host kept everything moving – and everyone laughing. Dancers, comedians, and jugglers provided a full variety of entertainment.
The crowd, aside from a few poor souls that the police turned away, hooted and hollered at all the right times.
This was only the first event. I’m looking forward to coming back again and again as the Uptown Underground becomes a staple of the community.
Thanks for the best NYE ever!

I was one of the lucky patrons who got to celebrate New Years Eve with these fantastic folks. The place looks amazing, the performances were outstanding, and everyone was in good spirits. Both stages were hopping and the crowds were loving all the acts. I can’t speak to the booze or food, but the atmosphere and entertainment were spectacular, and I look forward to coming back when the dust is a bit more settled.
Yes, there were apparently some issues with the remodeling and licensing, but having dealt with the city and those processes myself I can’t say I’m terribly surprised things didn’t go as planned. The owners made the best of it and still threw a hell of a party, and having the police show up at an underground speakeasy… well my New Year’s Eve was better than your New Year’s Eve. :)

Newly built-​out space in what was once a nightclub has been completely remodeled with vintage art from South State Street girlie shows, penny arcade games (boy, did WE score fun swag!) and two stages to keep performances moving throughout.
Washrooms very clean! Parking on street is decent; many adjacent restaurants make this an excellent date night venue. Ample seating, some small tables; VIP section is elevated. Excellent sound and the front stage is a beautiful, raised and easy to see place for the magician, juggler, acrobats, zany, sharp host and of course, terrific «Kiss Kiss Coquettes» strut their stuff. For the première on NYE, the visiting troupe PURE did fast, slick costume changes to a set that, once VOGUE kicked in, had the house REALLY happy.
The back stage is perfect for small stage with excellent space and easy to see from anywhere.
OK, so the police were ready to raid it on NYE; the liquor was free, the food was amply set along the corridor between stages and the dessert tables had outstanding cakes and pastry; whoever did their spring rolls earlier, hats off to you: wonderful. Service throughout was very attentive; the food trays were contantly being refilled.
Vintage refinished bar is nice work in itself, and the chandelier, along with the lighting, begs admiration. There are numerous flourishes around the place and once again, the NYE show included a visiting monkey named Mindy who’d politely sit on shoulders for photos.
Ypu, a few flubs in the opening night’s electricity or something had a few acts moving through it all with a hell of a lot of humor; the ribald, acoustic song «My girl’s pussy» and yeah, about a cat, never stopped playing through my head into today.
The opening 2 hour show had a few breaks, so moving around to look around is welcomed. The midnight end had a surprise: an onstage marriage proposal. So, cops, girls, laughs, and a little romance; hard to top this venue for a fun night! But don’t just ask ME, ask the full house who had a blast!
UPDATE: A big thank you to the outstanding servers, the bar staff and the top-​shelf security from Extrity; being greeted by tuxedo’d security was a very classy way to enter this vintage club; this, folks, is how Bogey and Bacall and their posse would have partied!