Remember the briar Street theater is in a residential area and parking is very difficult. Get there early or reserve parking ahead of time. Also, there's a line to get in so get there early to get in on time. It's a small theater. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Line to get in. Blue man - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I liked the show. Bought tickets for my dad's September birthday and attended the Nov 9th production of Blue Man Group. I've intended to go for the longest time but only was finally able to make it work. Went with our group of four and greatly enjoyed the mime drumming 90's stylized show! Crazy it's going to be closing down soon; I would recommend seeing it before it leaves Chicago! read more

Briar Street Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing show, there's no way to avoid interaction...never a dull moment. We got tickets to Blue Man Group for the kids, but it was fun for everybody. They get everybody up and moving. Everybody's laughing, and getting along. They will walk into the crowd and pick somebody to play along with them. Walked...right into and over middle rows... If you show up late, you will be spotlighted... There is no intermission or break, but you can sneak out and back for potty breaks. The team at Briar, they provide booster seats and hearing protection for those that need it. Super friendly staff that got us through security screening and ticket check. Pure fun! Recommended as an option if visiting North Chicago. Concert worthy! read more

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I've seen the Blue Man Group on tour and in Las Vegas, but it has been many years. I saw that there was a house show in Chicago and BF got us a pair of tickets for a show. We went to a 5:30 show and the first thing you need to know is that there were many children in the audience. So if you want more of a date/adult feel, you might want to go later. There is parking for the theater and street parking. We did that, right across the street. The lobby area gets crowded pre-show. There is a small concession stand off the main area. They do sell limited adult beverages as well. There are also souvenirs on offer. We were seated front and center, just past the poncho zone. The seats were okay - not super comfortable but fine. Before the show a staffer came and asked me if I would give the Blue Men candy when they came into the audience, as I was on an aisle. I agreed. But really, you're lucky if you aren't hauled off by a Blue Man to do some audience participation. It's extremely heavy that way and later I was forced to "boogie" in the aisle with one as well. There are worse tasks to be chosen for, so just be a good sport. This is a fun show and no one wants to see a party pooper here. It's also funny, with plenty to entertain adults as well as the smaller people. I wish there were more refreshment choices and somewhere to place them, too. But this is a really good show in a nice little theater with no bad seats. Note: The strobe warning is real so don't disregard and don't sit in the front if you are afraid of a mess. Headphones are available for those who are prone to sensory overload. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Donning protection in the front rows - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had seen BMG probably 10+ years ago and that shoe was primarily made sick/art based. Now there is much more video and audience interaction. Personally I loved the more music /paint explosive show over the current but that is my personal opinion. No Pictures and no option after either as they are showing you out pretty much. We were in the front row A on the side by stage stairs so a bit to close for us with splatter, water hoses etc but it is definitely an energetic show and the get the crowd up a few times engaging them. read more

We saw Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theatre in Chicago last night.   It's a smaller theater, but nonetheless it is quite comfortable. We had plenty of leg room, unlike some of the larger theaters in Chicago. We felt very safe because, everyone must be fully vaccinated and/or have a negative covid test, and everyone must wear masks during the complete show. I did not expect to be sooo entertained.   The music is fantastic and the actors are incredibly good at performance art.    The show is about creating art and performing art and music with everyday items , visual multi-media art that entertains all ages.   The children (and there were lots of them) in the audience loved it, as well as the adults.   Audience participation is the key!  It was so much If you are approached to participate in the show, make sure that  you do so,   Wear white if you can, you will glow in the dark!  Truly unique entertainment, we thoroughly enjoyed it.   And last of all, go see the show and have fun! read more

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Such an incredible time! I mean. Literally. So much fun. My husband took our family for my 45th birthday and we had the BEST time. They offer earplugs but we didn't need them. Also a tip... they ask you not to take photos or videos during the performance. You'll need to find city parking. We just paid for parking cuz afterwards we went down the street for dinner and dessert. read more

I have never seen the blue man group and oh boy there is a lot to say. This was one of the most fun experiences I have had in a long time. Their acting was amazing and hilarious. The music/sounds was great and it was a musically heavy hit. I would highly recommend watching them perform. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great performance, been here a few times over the decade. Some original stuff is still a part of the show, nice to see new material . The front lobby area is very boring, used to have crazy vacuum tubes you could talk into before, it's just a boring regular lobby now. read more

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We went to this cute little theater to see the blue man group. We had a great time and a great experience. The staff working here are so friendly and so much fun. It made the experience that much more enjoyable. We were asked to be one of several participants in the show - of course we accepted. We loved how much the show involved the audience. It is both comical, musical and visually interesting. The blue man group performers were truly amazing. We had an amazing time. We will return for future shows. read more

My husband and I came to town to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. The bonus was the Blue Man Group were performing. Can I just say the show was amazing!!! We also got to be participants, which was so cool! The staff was really cool, crowd control was on point and the proper safety protocols were followed. We really enjoyed the show. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Blue Man Group is amazing! - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Located near Belmont and Halsted, this show is celebrating its 25th birthday today. I was happy to celebrate with the trio of happy musical blue men. Famous for their awkward comedy and Charlie Chaplin style silent shows, the blue men also incorporated a few audience guests in the show. The comedy, live band, music, and audience participation make this show great. I do hope that they bring back the beach balls and more paper streamers down the left, center, and right aisles from the old show. They also have a shop of art from past shows, t-shirts, and hoodies. I mentioned that the Art Institute had gum on the wall as an art installation years ago. If they sold that here, they can market look a like art work selling for $10,000 but a bargain for $30. After the show people were given hats as parting gifts. Staff were wearing masks and no vaccination cards needed. I do wish they offered masks to everyone. There was a child in front of me constantly coughing and another woman coughing sporadically two seats from me. Both were not wearing masks. After the show be prepared to be rushed out. Please scope out parking early because it is congested in this area. The Red Line train is a few blocks away. read more

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Great experience; The crew is quite friendly, the entire experience was good for the family. read more

I'M BLUE (DA BA DEE) Chicago's exclusive home of an indescribable percussion/variety act is a perfectly intimate venue. I'd received tickets to see Blue Man Group several months ago as a gift (thanks mom & dad!!) and finally got around to redeeming them. Though I'd been to the Briar Street Theatre in the past, it's been at least 10 years since my last time here. When I called the box office to book a show, the gentleman on the phone was polite and very accommodating. After something unexpected came up the next day, another guy was able to reschedule it without problem. Picking up the tickets was a cinch, too. On the night of the show, I was able to find cheap street parking just off the corner of Belmont & Halsted. There's a cash bar inside that had a decent drink selection at somewhat reasonable prices ($6 for 12oz draft beer, $7 for wine). Bartender was nice. The inside of the theater hasn't changed much, decor is still very futuristic and space-y. Ushers smiled and guided us to the correct row, and the seats themselves were comfortable. My butt certainly appreciates the padding. * TL;DR * If you're hoping to see Blue Man Group in the Windy City, this is your only venue option, but that's okay! All the employees I dealt with over the phone or saw in person were kind and more than happy to help out. Parking can be tricky, though you might get lucky and find something in a pay-per-hour spot on the street. I'd recommend the CTA, since the Belmont stop on the red/brown/purple line is a mere 0.3 miles away. The trio of cobalt-faced, mute performance artists get their own review, so stay tuned for that. I can promise you, it'll be a good one. read more

Briar Street Theatre - This performing arts venue is on Halsted in Lakeview, and is the exclusive home for Chicago's BLUE MAN GROUP! - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Buying tickets for Blue Man Group at box office here is MUCH cheaper than ordering online. It's easy and the person helping me was very nice. I got great seats. Venue is nice. I think every seat is good for viewing the show. read more

Wonderful customer service! I had an issue with tickets, totally my doing, and the staff made it right. I am very grateful this business is run old school, where they make the customer whole. read more

I took my niece here for New Year's Eve this year. I had trouble finding anything in the city of Chicago that was not either geared for the over 21 crowd or 6 year olds. Blueman Group came to the rescue. There were people of all ages in the show. They managed to do the impossible- they entertained everyone. The show was really visually appealing with fun music. The show ended about 25 minutes to midnight. The staff came around with cans of ginger ale for the kids and cans of champagne for the adults. They also handed out noisemakers and hats. For all of this - the show is surprisingly inexpensive. They had a great countdown built in and the Blueman come out and lead the audience to midnight then play traditional NYE music in a non traditional way when midnight hits. It was a great experience! Highly recommended. read more

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Did not disappoint! I hadn't been to a Blue Man show in a few years, but I brought my girlfriend along for her first show last night and we both had a great time. Alcoholic drinks and sodas are available to purchase before the show, but no snacks or food, so take that into account before arrival. Parking was also very convenient, being $17 to park in the lot directly beside the theater (pictured), and was mostly empty about 45 minutes prior to the start. We bought tickets on Ticketmaster with no issue, but tickets are also available to purchase on-site at the theater. Certainly recommend to anyone looking for a little excitement in their trip to Chicago. Also, there's no real need to go inside early and stand around for half an hour. They open the doors 20 minutes until starting time, so somewhere just before that would be optimal for arrival time. Not much to do once inside besides use the bathroom and buy merchandise/drinks. read more

Briar Street Theatre - End of show - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This was my first time seeing the Blue Man group live. I remember in grade school in art class the teacher would sometimes put on the blue man group. It always made me feel like I was being hypnotized! I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this show just from what I remembered as a kid, but I ended up enjoying it. The show is really interactive with the audience. They do multiple "acts" so it's hard to get bored. And the show is pretty funny especially because they don't speak, just stare lol! There is a small parking lot on the right side of the theater. You get blocked in, but because they only let patrons for the specific time show park, everybody leaves the parking lot at the same time anyways. Parking was $17. It's my understanding that there used to be a much larger parking lot across the street. It is no longer there. You do need to show proof of vaccination status and wear a mask to go to the show. I actually don't carry around a mask or my vaccination card anymore. We picked up some masks at the Walgreens across the street and i was able to go online to look up my vaccine documents and they accepted it. You also get patted down before going into the theater. Overall a great experience! read more

Not exactly what I expected, but that's OK. The lobby area is small (but that's OK b/c the theatre is small too). There's a small bar service and a coat check. You can also purchase a bit of Blue Man merch (and original "art"). You're here to see the show, not hang out in the lobby! read more

OMG! What a great show! It is hilarious. It is interactive. It is a must see! My family and I went to go see it and we had a blast. I laughed so hard. I never really knew what blue man group was about other than it was a group of performers who painted themselves blue. I was a little worried that the seats we had we weren't going to be able to see the stage really well. The theater is small so every seat has good visibility of the stage. I do recommend not sitting on the second floor in the balcony seats though because of one part of the show. I don't want to give anything away! I love that the performers come out after the show and take pictures with everyone still in character. They sign posters by stamping their painted blue hand on the poster. They sell drinks and snacks at the little bar in the lobby but they only take cash. They seemed to only have pretzels and cookies. They have the most delicious butterscotch oatmeal cookies when I was there that were vegan. The cookies were super moist and sweet but not overly sweet. They also sell merchandise. They ran out of shirts in small, which is the size I needed, so buy you merchandise early. They told me I could buy it online, but I wanted to go home with it. Plus, I was going to sleep in it anyways so I didn't care if it was too big. read more

The theater isn't anything special quite frankly other than it hosts the Blue Man Group! There are enough reviews for Blue Man Group. Nothing more needs to be said. Buy tickets and watch them live! Parking Lot is nearby, $15-20. Numerous restaurants as well. We took our boys: 11, 9 & 8, they absolutely loved the show. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Blue man Group in this setting is the only way to see it. I've seen it in Vegas, but it's just not the same. To have a Blue Man climb over your son who normally won't put down his cell phone to have a conversation is priceless. My kids came out saying it was the coolest they've seen yet! read more

Bought Groupon tickets. Didn't realized vaccination cards were required for granted entry (was hidden from main ad on Groupon). Showed up - saw a sign that said vax card required for entry. Laughed and said no thank you. I do not support businesses that were supported by local residents when this whole COVID thing was actually devastating who have now flipped on residents by imposing sanctions on those that don't have vaccination cards. read more

A lot smaller than I imagined but had a blast! FYI it's a cash bar.. Selection sucked but at least they had a selection! read more

Briar Street Theatre - Date night - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A very cozy theater, seeing the Blue Man group was cool I would definitely try to catch them again next time I'm in Chicago.

Neat little venue to see the Blue Man Group. We didn't have any problems finding this place, well, we had a little help from our GPS too. Parking beside the theatre, but its $14.50/car. Inside of the theatre is pretty cool. Heads up as you are not allowed to take pictures inside of the theatre - the staff will be on you when they see you doing it. Overall the place was neat. We've been to see the BMG here in town before and didn't really see anything new at this venue. Felt like it was almost a waste of our money to purchase the tickets. Overall it was a fun place to visit. read more

Briar Street Theatre - outside the Briar Street Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my very first time seeing Blue Man Group. I also did it as a surprise for my girlfriends birthday. The seats are tight so if you require a little extra room I'd definitely look into buying extra tickets, otherwise you're kinda sitting on top of each other. The show was entertaining. The only downside is I paid extra for the "poncho section" hoping it would be a fun, messy paint section, unfortunately it wasn't. We were in the front first row and didn't get a single drop of paint on us (or our ponchos). Had I known I would've saved myself some bucks. read more

As an avid percussionist, I've had my eye on the Blue Man Group for quite a while. Finally I got around to coming to a show. Let's be clear here, for kids and families, this is a terrific experience. Some slapstick humor, rock n roll beats, and if you're lucky enough to be chosen as a guest participant, it'll make for some great memories (sit on aisle seats!). I am a college student and I came here with my SO, also an older teenager. Although it was still very entertaining and I would go again, we felt slightly out of place. Electronics and light effects were very cool, humor is aimed for younger children and families. Side note: if you are a percussionist and are expecting a skilled display of musicianship, you'll be slightly let down. Lots of repetition and basic (1......+.......4) beats. Overall a fun night and a cool experience! read more

Cool theater to see Blue Man group! Interesting theme decor inside. No bad seats in the house! read more

Briar Street Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I used to live on tiny Briar Street, just a few blocks east of this theater famous for the Blue Man Group gigs. The building is located on North Halsted a block south of Belmont, and the show defies description. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Briar Street Theatre, home to Blue Man Group - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Blue Man's Group! I would see it again and again. The best part was audience interaction when they threw rolls and rolls of toilet paper all over the theatre. I was awake for the entire show, but if you are claustrophobic, the seats are really close together so it gets pretty stuffy. As far as the location of the theatre, not that much parking if you're taking the car, and kind of creepy if you are taking the bus and catching the night show. read more

I haven't seen the BMG for quite awhile. I believe I have seen the show at least four times in the past. When I saw the show was revamped, I thought... cool. Can't wait to see it. I found a great deal on GoldStar.com and couldn't pass it up. The show is still great. The music is loud which adds to the show. Outstanding lighting. There's no way to describe the show except to say, it's a theatrical experience. Highly recommend the show to everyone. Get in to the show and enjoy! read more

This quaint little Theater was perfect for the Blue Man Group Show . I had never been before . It was very intimate. read more

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I felt like I was the only one who haven't seen Blue Man. I had opportunity to see it just recently. If you haven't seen it, go see it. Its very unique show and funny. I think there are some funny parts for everyone so you will definitely get some laugh. Try to get seated on the first 3-5 rows to get more action and they offer raincoats for you. Mix of comedy, music, live band, and some paper throwing stuff.. do go experience it. I had great time.. awesome experience. You can buy tickets through hottix.org for 50% off or call them directly like I did and lucked out on front row seats from last minute cancellations. read more

I am biased because, well, I work here. But all the same, this show is not to be missed. Even after seeing the performance about 200 times I feel like there's always something new and entertaining about it. If that doesn't say something to you then I don't know what else would convince you to go. I would have to advise you against the balcony seats though, if you can help it. It's worth the extra money to sit on the main floor. Also, if you are a student you can come 2 hours before a show and get student rush tickets. Finally...a little known fact is that we ALWAYS need volunteer ushers. If you call the box office you can arrange to usher and you can see the show for *gasp* free. read more

Briar Street Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So I messed up bad. I bought livingsocial vouchers for a show on the 22nd. Showed up on the 15th and didn't notice it until I got to the box office. Oops. Manager was VERY cool about it, and got me tickets to that day's show without any hassle at all. Very friendly, now that's awesome customer service! Otherwise, it's a great venue for BMG. The lobby is to play around with, including the bathroom music. read more

My theater obsessed 8 year old might be ready to be on Broadway by the time we are done seeing every play and stage production in town. Recently we took her to see Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theater. Briar Street was perfect in every way, it's a small clean theater where every seat is a good one. The staff is very friendly and when two brick walls happened to sit right in front of us before I could even sigh about it a staff member was right there with a booster seat for my daughter. The theater does sell drinks(alcohol and non) that you can bring back to your seat. You can't take pics during the show but bring your camera because the BMG hangs out in the lobby for you to take pics after the show. A couple of tips.....check out hottix.org the day of performance or day before for discounted seats. In my opinion all seats are good ones, it's a small theater. Also, take the EL get off at the red line Belmont stop walk east two blocks make a right you are there. So convenient! read more

I've been to the Briar Street Theatre for the Blue Man Group show 3 times in the last 10-ish years with the most recent time being this January. From what I remember, there are definitely some aspects of the show that is repeated and some parts are new/changed. It has been a fun experience each time. The second time, my boyfriend and I were asked to participate as the "late arrivals" and we got some free items from the store for doing so. Even though it was small, this was fun! I agree with other reviews that it is worth paying the $15 parking at the adjacent lot. Super convenient especially in winter months. The theatre is small and cozy which is perfect for the show and how interactive it is. I would definitely recommend as a fun outing. read more

I came here to watch Blue Man Group. Blue Man Group was awesome but this theatre could be better. It's a small intimate setting which is a plus but everyone says to sit in the front row for all Blue Man Group shows, but at this setting it just plain hurts your neck. You're constantly looking up and by the end of the show my neck in an incredible amount of pain. read more