(from l.) Mentalist Marc Salem weighed in on Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
LINCOLN PARK — Marc Salem, who is known around the world for his act in which he appears to read peoples' minds and detect when people are lying, is performing in Chicago for the first time next month.
So we took the opportunity to ask him to weigh in on Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has been under fire following the release of the Laquan McDonald video.
"I see a cheerfulness inside of him that he's not showing anyone. He wants to correct this stuff. I think he really feels bad about it," Salem said of Emanuel's role in the city's tense political climate.
Salem pointed to the side of Emanuel's lips, which make a downward motion as opposed to the more common upward motion, as well as his wide eyes.
"He has a look of surprise, as opposed to hiding," Salem said.
"I feel he's pretty straightforward. I also feel the leaders of the anti-Rahm movement are pretty straightforward. To me, that is great. I predict a resolution sooner rather than later."
Salem's show, "Mind Over Chicago," will debut at Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Feb. 7 for a preview performance and run on Saturdays and Sundays through March 27. During each performance, Salem, who calls himself an authority on non-verbal communication, will randomly select audience members and attempt to read their minds.
Since Salem's entrance into Chicago comes at a time when the relationship between police and the communities they serve is on the minds of Chicagoans, he said the city's political climate may come up.
"I try to stay away from being too bombastic. But one never knows. I don't shy away from political," Salem said.
Over the course of his career spanning more than 30 years, Salem has matched wits with celebrities like Vice President Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Seinfeld. He's appeared on "60 Minutes" and performed everywhere from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to Broadway in New York City, but he hasn't performed in Chicago before.
"Peoples' thoughts about Chicago will be the fulcrum of this show," Salem said. "The places they eat, the things they do, the people they see. It's a show that has never been done before and won't be done again because it's really about Chicago and the minds of Chicagoans."
General admission tickets ($50) and preview tickets ($35) can be bought either online or by calling the Apollo Theater directly at 773-935-6100.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
