Kayla Drescher and Harrison Lampert have opened the Cosmic Underground Theater, a new venue in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. The two have been working on renovating the space for a year, and had their opening weekend on April 18, 2025.
“It’s always been my main career goal—and I think a lot of magicians have this goal as well—to have your own space where you can sell tickets and people come to you,” Drescher told THE EYE. The Cosmic Underground is the realization of Drescher’s dream, which Lampert, her partner who is a magician and improv performer, also shares.
Photos by Elizabeth Larson Photography
The space is in a neighborhood without many entertainment options, and will also serve as a hub for those looking to learn magic. The teaching component falls under The Magic Institute, a curriculum for adults that Lampert and Drescher developed at the Chicago Magic Lounge and brought to the Cosmic Underground. Classes take place Saturday through Tuesday. On Thursdays, The Mechanicals—Lampert’s improv group—perform a show called Mayhem: Comedy with Character. Fridays are Drescher’s hour-long show, Think Again!, and Saturdays will see both of them on stage.
The venue is still in its early days, but Drescher shared that they are already looking to add events, including an open mic night where magicians have an opportunity to “be bad and get better.” Proceeds of that night will fund scholarships, as one of their goals is to make learning magic accessible to everyone, including those who can’t afford to pay for lessons.
Photos courtesy of Kayla Drescher
Overall, however, they want Cosmic Underground Theater to bring entertainment to their neighborhood. “You have to drive 20 minutes, a half an hour from here, to go to something like this,” she said. “We want [the theater] to be a place where people come and celebrate birthdays, celebrate holidays, anniversaries. We really just want to be a cool place to come to in the neighborhood.”
Ariel Parrella-Aureli