First time visitor. Loved it! This is an older smaller venue but that adds to the experience. They do have cashless snacks and drinks for sale. Staff was so polite. Actors were great. Show is a must see. The story of Bernadette ! They do sell merch as well after the show. read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Marquee of "Bernadette the Musical" - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Athenaeum Theatre is nicely located on Southport and I appreciate the quality of acts they bring in. We saw Bernadette the musical and enjoyed the show. Picking up tickets at the box office was easy and the service was good. However, the venue itself is showing its age. I was seated in the upper balcony and noticed ripped seats, cracking walls, and broken lamps. The theater needs some restoration work but still a great spot to catch a show! read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Bernadette the Musical - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This venue has some really strong positives - like free parking, historic importance and really unique productions. It's also in disrepair and the overall experience becomes quite affected by it. I've been twice - to watch Dante and Flamenco. Their ticketing system is quite lax and we found people sitting in rows/seats they didn't bug, creating chaos. We settled for a new option close by because people claiming our ticketed seats didn't want to relocate. The sound system was generally fine but there are some logistical challenges they faced for the flamenco performance. read more

I visited for the NPR Planet Money book launch event. Pretty cozy venue and not too crowded, and limited street parking is available nearby. Inside is a small-medium sized auditorium with side space that can be used as for gallery, hors d'oeuvres, general mingling, book signing, etc. read more

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Came in to see the Talking Sopranos show. We had balcony seats and the view was perfectly fine! I had never been to the Athenaeum Theatre before today and was excited to visit. The theater is an older venue. The bathroom by the balcony only has two stalls and the sink to wash your hands was out of order. None of this took away from the great time I had at the theater. The staff was very helpful with getting us to our seats as well. read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went to see a dancing performance. The acoustics and lighting were great. The balcony seats had a fabulous view of the stage. The bathrooms were on the second level. It's a nice vintage theater. read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Balcony view - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great small venue to see a play. We saw: Bernadette, The Musical. It's the story of St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes. The play (and the venue) exceeded our expectations. read more

Historic venue with lots of street parking and even a parking lot next door. Entry was easy. We were there for a concert and there was a merch line and another to enter the venue. Both moved quickly. Plenty of staff to direct you to your seat or the bathroom. The pitch of the balcony where we were seated is quite daunting. All seats are close-ish the stage because of this and you get a great overhead view. Overall we had a great time. Will return! read more

The upgrades to the building and space are greatly appreciated. Have seen multiple shows since the overhaul and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Dante 360 was particularly womderful! read more

Comfortable theater seating. Drinks were good. Sound was excellent. Nearby free parking.

Beautiful venue! I went to a Chicago Humanities Festival event that was bring held here with author Ocean Vuong. The theater was fairly big, but still managed to retain its intimacy. Fantastic stage. read more

I was at the Athenaeum Theater to hear the Strict Scrutiny live podcast on Oct 4. It was packed, and also had additional security because Juliana Stratton, Illinois Lieutenant Governor was a special guest. I had a few glitches that I needed help with and was lucky enough to have a terrific guy, named Matt, jump in and address them immediately. He went above and beyond what was necessary, and someone later told me is the house manager. It turned out to be a terrific evening, and I really appreciated the great service!!! read more

Recently, I was able to enjoy seeing the play, "Who killed Joan Crawford" at this theater. I certainly did not know this theater complex was here in this part of Lakeview. The play was located on the second floor, in one of the smaller theaters. I felt the auditorium style seating was a little snug but the sound system was great. There was a concession stand located on the first floor with limited drinks and snacks. Overall, a great neighborhood theater. read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Stage - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The show (Max Amelia) was great. The venue is very outdated and run down. Felt like at anytime you might fall thru the floor. Chairs are uncomfortable and seem to be original to the building. Poor max has a bright spot light in his face the entire show and couldn't see anyone in the crowd and even made comments about it during the show but nothing was done. read more

Purchased a ticket to see Roxane Gay be interviewed about her newest book and the event changed dates by a SIX WEEKS and NO communication was issued to ticket holders so if you showed up for your event on feb 19th you arrived to a closed building and NO notice or communication about the last minute change in dates for the event. I'm not sure if WBEZ or the theater or more to blame here and quite frankly I don't care as this experience assures I will NEVER attend an event here again. A total waste of time, money and patronage and automatically transferring tickets to a date 6 weeks later means many of us will no longer be able to attend this event as well. Shame on you Athenaeum Theater and WBEZ, I expect FAR better communication out of my local NPR station. You are in the communications business for God's sake. Do better...ALL of you! read more

Great space to see productions by a host of theatre companies. Wide stairs and slow elevator. Intimate spaces upstairs to see some good productions. The main stage is an example of "old school" theaters. You don't find these around much, except maybe Chicago. If you wanna catch CHICAGO theatre, look up the shows performing in this space. read more

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Watched the Nutcracker here with my nieces. Prior to the show, while you wait, they have a large lobby area and an area where they sell drinks and snacks. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.. all the way to my seats! As you walk into the theater and get your ticket scanned there are people at every corner assisting you in finding your seat. My seats were in the balcony. As I made my way upstairs there was another small concession stand for drinks and snacks. I'm not sure if there is a bad seat in the house, not to mention they're pretty comfy. Although the place was a full house it didn't feel cramped or overcrowded at all. The show was great! (There is an elevator as well) read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Tickets! - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We sat upstairs for Chelsea handler and there is pretty much not a bad seat in the house. Their are a few seat above the walkways into the upper balcony that the people next to us were complaining the had to lean forward to see over the ledge. I really like the sound ... it sounded great. Some good places to eat and have a Cocktail within walking distance . read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Chelsea handler - not a bad spot in the house... this is the upper balcony. I actually really liked these seats. - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very troubled management. Chicago Arch Diocese should be represented by better management. Current manager has a serious problem with breach of contract and not welcoming people due to only what can be labeled arrogant, and not qualified. Larry Daufback, Executive director for theater. He's a photographer by trade. Nothing to do with theater. read more

This building can best be described as decrepit, with holes in the walls and stairwells that look like they haven't been mopped in fifty years. But the facility is very large, with different stages, rehearsal rooms and offices. Of course, what matters is the show, and the one I saw, in a small third floor theater, was very well produced, with good sets, lighting and excellent performers. read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Exterior - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went in on a Saturday night to see a show. It definitely reminded me of a church but that's fitting because the Athenaeum church is next door. I went upstairs to use the bathroom and it was eerily quiet. There were two doors to get to the bathroom. The second one had a broken lock and the door handle was gone. I thought that someone that shouldn't be there could easily go into the ladies room that way. At least the bathroom was clean and didn't smell bad at all. I didn't think the theatre itself would be small, but it made for an intimate space. The seats were kinda close together which sucked because it's winter and we have heavy coats and people are allowed to bring their drinks in. There are no cup holders so you put it on the floor and things can get messy. The play "For the Loyal" wasn't really good at all. I was falling asleep and the chairs weren't that comfortable. I've been to better theatres and better shows. So I'd probably avoid going here if I can. I saw that they had Demetri Martin coming later in January. That's cool, but I just don't think I'd be comfortable at the theatre to want to go back to see him. read more

We kicked off my daughter's Spring Break tonight with a play here, and we had a great time. The theater itself is a huge old building with a main theater in the gorgeous lobby where the box office is, along with a bar/lounge that's really nice! It's a room around the corner from the box office where you can get very reasonable beer or wine and snacks, either before the show, or at intermission. It has tables, bar stools, and nice art that's for sale on the walls. Oh and they let you take your drinks in the theater! There are smaller theaters and other activities on the 2nd and 3rd levels, which are accessible either by stairs or by an elevator. The restrooms are on the 2nd floor. At first my daughter thought the building was "creepy" because it's old and creaky, but once we walked around and saw all of the various shows that they produce, along with acting and dance classes, she thought it was really neat. Our play was in the small (very small!) theater on the 3rd floor, where all the seats are good. The actors made the most of the also very small stage, and the show was very entertaining. We got street parking with no problem, although there is a reasonable lot next door that's shared with the church on the other side. Our tickets were inexpensive, as well, making it an all around nice outing. We look forward to coming here again! read more

Athenaeum Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's a nice venue. Past glory days and need some upkeep. Still we enjoyed overall experience, because quality of the play is the main reason for our visit. We will come back and on that way support Athenaeum. read more

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1. Seats had an obstructed view while being sold at a premium. Balcony or mezzanine should be avoided. Very disappointed in the cost/value. 2. When I arrived, as the show was starting I was having trouble finding my seat. When I asked an usher where the section was, as it was poorly marked, he told me "it's your fault for being late, asshole." And after looking at my ticket, he pointed roughly toward my seat, pushed me on the back towards it and called me a dickhead. Absolutely unacceptable from a venue. I'm livid. read more

The theater itself is really cool. It's big (about 1000 seats), kind of old, good sound, and great views from both the lower and upper seating areas. However, the theater is old and that means that amenities are outdated and annoying. I've been here only to see podcast tapings so I don't really know what goes on here for stage shows or concerts. Ladies, be warned: there's only FOUR stalls in this whole establishment for us. FOUR. If the theater seats 1000, we can presume about half of these patrons are women so that means around 500 people are using FOUR toilets. Heed this warning: the lines get LONG. If you can, go to the bathroom outside of this venue before your show. The lines for beverages are also insanely long because there's usually only one guy serving and they only take cash inside the lobby (there's a card-accepting bar closer to the entrance but it's far if you're in the balcony it's pretty far to go for a drink). This theater clearly wasn't built with indoor plumbing or beverages in mind. The seats are fairly comfortable and I've been able to see clearly from both the main level and balcony. I know that maintaining old theaters like this is difficult so I hope the Athaneum can get enough money in the coming years to make much-needed structural improvements (like adding more toilets). I like the ambiance of this theater and I've always enjoyed what I've come here to see. Everyone who works here is incredibly nice and helpful if you need someone to show you to your seats or answer questions. Parking is practically non-existent in their lot so plan on parking on the street. We've never had a problem finding a spot within three blocks of the theater on Lincoln or Sheffield. read more

This theater is in a lovely location, close to eating, coffee and walking around. I went to a production here and they were organized with getting us to the right place and having use seated promptly. The theater we were in, was setup with rows of chairs facing a stage of sorts (although you could easily get out of your chair and walk right onto the stage). There were two exits in the theater room, which was nice in such a closed area. Overall, enjoyed this location. There seems to be a lot of street parking down Oakdale and all around the theater. read more

I saw an outstanding comedy show here a couple of months ago, featuring Kyle Kinane and Tig Notaro. I thought that I was familiar with all of the small and medium-sized early-twentieth-century theaters on the north side, but this was a new one to me. Who knew?? It doesn't look like much on the outside, but inside is a simple theater with a steep balcony and pretty well kept walls, ceilings, and floors. There is none of the crumbling plaster and flaking paint that you see elsewhere. It's true that the seats are high-school auditorium style from your parents' generation, but I was comfortable. Also, they use an assigned seating system here, which I greatly appreciate: no worrying about getting there early enough for a good spot or else elbowing into a standing-room-only crowd. Anyway, the space was perfect for comedy. The sound was very good and we could see quite well from Row C on the balcony level. I wonder how an acoustic music show would sound in there. I waited in line about five minutes at the downstairs bar before the show. They have a nice selection of bottled craft beer but no ice for soft drinks. However, the bartender guaranteed me that the soda was cold, and he was right--ice cold. Kudos to you buddy; that frosty beverage really hit the spot on a hot evening. Last Sunday I returned to see The Empty Theatre's production of Richard III. This took place in the third-floor performance space, a modestly sized black box with about fifty or sixty seats. It's intimate theater, man, intimate. So there you go--the Athenaeum is a triple threat: music, comedy, and theater. What an asset. read more

Terribly mismanaged- it's ashame. Great space - very cool old theatre. Went to see a concert, spent $110/per ticket. When we arrived we waited in a 45 minute line for a water and cocktail - only to be told they were out of both! The show had not even started. I spoke to the manager and he told me "that's the way it is". Wow read more

We saw the show "Listen to Your Mother" at the Athenaeum Theatre this past weekend which featured 18 local writers/bloggers telling stories about motherhood in celebration of the upcoming Mother's Day. A friend from college was in it, so while I'm not a mother, I wanted to go to support her. First off, if you get a chance to go to one of these shows (there are 24 of them nationwide) I highly recommend it. You don't have to be a mother to find yourself on a rollercoaster of emotions--through tears, happiness and rolling on the floor laughter. The theater itself was really nice and one of those older types. We were at the main stage downstairs, but they also have acting classes and other theaters upstairs. We got there at 1 PM for a 2 o'clock show. Most theaters open their doors an hour early, but Athenaeum told us that the doors wouldn't open for awhile, so they recommended we chill at the bar. The bar had snacks for $1, as well as a fully stocked bar. The worst part of it was that they didn't even open the doors until around 1:45. I'm not sure if that's how they normally operate, but it doesn't leave a lot of time to get settled. One thing I should also note is that no one even checked our tickets. Since there was a set of double doors, I'm sure it was the case that the ushers at the main doors thought someone else had already checked them. Woops. The auditorium itself was very nice and the seats were unusually comfortable. I don't think that there's a bad seat in the house. We were in the 2nd row down Aisle 3 and could see and hear everything perfectly. I would consider seeing another play or show here considering it's very easy to get to from the highway and the tickets were very reasonable as well ($24 each.) Tip: parking is only $6 all day. They have 2 lots that they share with the Catholic church next door. We went early and just parked there all day while we walked around. read more

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They closed the bar/snack stand during the acts. We were next in line and they closed it because the opening act was about to start. I understand wanting to fill the theater, but we had also just gotten off a flight and had not eaten all day. Specifically one man was yelling at people to go sit down, kinda ruined the vibe of the night. The employees that were about to serve us seemed to feel bad that they couldn't. The lines are also insane and it's nearly impossible to go between acts, unless you leave the opening act early which defeats the purpose of closing the bar to watch the act anyway. read more

We arrived last night for a play that started at 7:30. We walked up the two flights of stairs and walked up to the door at 7:33 (I checked my phone) and the woman told us we could not go in because we were late and that if we wanted to wait we could go in at intermission, when the play was half way over. Not even a 5 minute grace period? C'mon..... when people purchase tickets to see something at your venue you have to be more flexible than that. I will not go there again. read more

It is a very cute theatre but this place desperately needs some renovations. The stage looked dusty which isn't great for performers and the wall was peeling off the walls. read more

Went to see the Nutcracker and was so excited as its one of my first outing since COVID (I am immunocompromised) - I felt comfortable since masking was required inside of the building and they were asking for proof of vaccine to enter. However, after the show everyone is leaving through this one hallway and i walk past two adult men with no masks - not pulled down just not even wearing them. I mentioned that they should have a mask on and their response was to cough. Please just enforce your own policies. Having that experience was a real crappy way to end a great night. read more

This is a pretty neat place to see a show. I attended a concert here and was pleasantly surprised. It's actually an old school. The bathrooms are small, so be prepared for a long line. But the sound is good and there's really no bad seat in the place. Plus, they serve alcohol and snacks (cash only). read more

I went to my first show in Studio 2, which is a tightly packed, intimate space. The show was Shockheaded Peter by the Black Button Productions, extremely clever theatrical dark show about bad, dead children. I can't wait to go back and see a show in the main theater, which looks beautiful. The seats were very close together in Studio 2, so much that one person could not go in the row unless everyone else got up and came out, which is a little unrealistic! God forbid someone had to leave during the show, but it was short. The front facade is new and modern, while the back has the feel of an old high school hallway, an interesting mix of styles. The staff were nice and they have a cafe area to get drinks to bring into the show. read more

Went for the Joe Budden podcast and had a great time. Seats were a little tight but hey what more can you expect from an auditorium? Great area and lots of restaurants within walking distance of the theatre. Good luck on parking though. We lucked up and found a side street with a couple spots open. Early arrival suggested if it's going to be a sold out show read more

Saw John Cameron Mitchell here on February 21 and it was amazing - the theatre and the performance. Lots of nearby street/lot parking and there is a bar with an ATM inside the theatre as well. Beer, wine and soda/water are sold to bring inside the seating area with you (cash only). Theatre is absolutely gorgeous and the staff was phenomenally helpful. We sat in the nosebleeds, but had a perfect view and the sound was some of the best I've ever heard thanks to the wonderful acoustics and sound system. Great place to see a show! read more

Whoa, where did this place come from?! I've probably driven by it and not even noticed, since this tall building is next to an equally tall church (never mind that it has been here since 1911). Still with this place hosts just about everything, so I can't believe we haven't crossed paths before. Dance performances, plays, Improve festivals, World Dance festivals, cabaret, and even Miss Latina Illinois. The main theater is huge, like seating 984 people huge and there doesn't seem to be a bad seat (except maybe the ends in the balcony). There is some work need to the building, seats are comfy enough but could be better but the sound needs a lot of work. They have a box office but you can go online for easy tickets. Of course I'll be coming back for more performances. I came to celebrate 2012 World Dance Day and left... eh, about the performance. Tap dancers were cool, along with the Irish but that's about it. read more

From the outside this place looks like a modern office building. However, once you go past the newer foyer to the main auditorium you will swear you have walked back into the late 19th-early 20th century. There is a balcony as well as "box" seats that make this theatre resemble a mini opera house. I actually expected the Phantom of the Opera to jump from the ornate chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling into the audience! We saw the Victory Gardens Theatre auction benefit production of "Mame" here and it was a very enjoyable experience. Seating is comfortable and the sound is good. Every seat is a good seat, due to the small size of the auditorium. I would definately come back to the Athenaeum for another live performance. read more

Small theater. Came to see the Nutcracker. This is more of a review for the ballet than the theater itself. The ballet was very disappointing. Would not come see again. Choreo was repetitive and simple. The costumes were simple and everyone wore the same thing. Dancers need to work on their technique. Many dancers were off count and not synchronized read more