I went to watch Les Miserables by Schaumburg On Stage as I'd recently missed the national tour in…read moredowntown Chicago. Realizing that Drury Lane and Paramount had done their version a few years back and Marriott Theatre had done it a bit before that, I wanted to watch a live version in case I can't make the next big stop in Milwaukee. I watch quite a bit of theatre, both professional and amateur. Not sure why, but until this show -- I wasn't aware of Schaumburg on Stage which has been around since 2016. To my surprise, the quality of the production was similar in quality to other highly acclaimed groups like the District 214 all-district group (which recently did The Wedding Singer). Here were my thoughts on various aspects of the show: Staging: It really surprised me how many sets were used in the show and how they were fully functional. They were designed and painted well and items were hardly reused. They also did a very good job of quickly changing sets to make sure the showtime was kept to a reasonable length. Vocals: Two things I like about this. One is how they kept the complex harmonies -- which worked great in group songs. The overall balance lacked baritone and bass voices, but that's expected with younger actors. I also liked how they did not shy away from the challenge of the very high notes for male or female leads. They could have easily changed the key, but it's great to see them embrace the challenge. Orchestra: A bit smaller, not sure if it's due to space limitations or that's the way the school version is written. A bit more reliant on piano and common woodwind/string instruments than the full version. I did like how they played at a level not to overpower the vocals. Lighting and fog: I liked all the varieties of lights used. Not just in general stage lighting from the top, but also from lights on the side and spotlights. There were quite a bit of variations on lighting, which helped to tell the story. I did not like the excessive use of stage fog though, which tended to linger for more than a single scene. Overall, a great group to watch a show from. It's much better than the typical amateur group and prices are very reasonable. It's also great how they incorporate actors and actresses from all different ages and help them to build interest in theatre. Based on the quality of this performance, I can't wait to watch another show when they get a new digital microphone system.

The experienced people at SOS really see the value and potential in each kid. They are like family…read morein that they really connect and care, but they also hold the kids to a high standard and help them achieve it. This is definitely a step up from park district community theater in both production quality and experience.

A wonderful little studio that makes you feel like family. They have moved to 128 W Liberty Dr in…read moreWheaton. Next to Pedego Bikes. Diane and Orla are so sweet and so knowledgeable, you can tell they are very passionate about dance. I love that the music they dance to is more classic or faith based. They also host birthday parties. We have had two parties here and both times it was really fun, easy set up and clean up, and Diane choreographed a dance and taught a tumbling lesson. Plus super affordable!!!

25 years ago this band played at our wedding. 25 years…read morelater people are still talking about the band. Enough said. Hands down one of a kind with the best musicians around.

Bandleader Dave Farley and Orchestra 33 are absolutely fabulous. I hired them for my wedding…read moreceremony and reception on October 2 and they were the hit of the night. I HIGHLY recommend them. Dave responded promptly to my initial inquiry last winter. Over the course of the year we exchanged emails and phone calls. He sent me a detailed questionnaire which was a huge help in planning the timeline for the evening. They provided a string quartet for my ceremony, jazz during cocktails, piano during dinner, and a 9-piece band during the reception. This amount and quality of entertainment doesn't come cheap, but it's worth every penny. Definitely go to their website. They have song clips available that illustrate just how dead-on their sound is. I hired them because they can do La Bouche, Katy Perry, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, and Beyonce without batting an eye. The band was happy to learn the obscure song we chose for our first dance. They also gave us some beautiful suggestions for ceremony music (courtesy of Dave's classical music specialist, aka his wife! so cute). Many guests have said the highlight of the night was when a singer from the band came out onto the packed dance floor during "Shout!" This band knows how to gage a crowd and have fun while keeping the evening flowing smoothly. They graciously accepted a couple of last minute changes and even allowed us to pump iPod music through their speakers after the set was done so we could all sway to "American Pie" while they packed up. Orchestra 33 provides first class entertainment that will make any event fun and memorable. They were the single best decision I made while planning my wedding (besides saying yes to my husband of course).

I was referred here by a family friend for guitar and vocals for my daughter and my son. I went in…read moreto check out the school a few weeks ago the two teachers I was referred to are no longer teaching there. I met who I am guessing is the manager his name was Adam or Alex? He tried to talk me into guitar with one of the other teachers but I was extremely surprised that the teachers are all kids. I was really excited that they opened up and are so close to my house however they want $300 a month to have a 22 year old teach your child. I also was not very excited by the fact that for $300 a month my children would not be learning any theory only music for the show that they would be putting on. When I asked if they could also throw theory and some structured learning in I was told if there is time after they work on the assigned songs that they would be allowed to do so. The man I was speaking with could sense my disdain and got very pushy and when he found out that my children have been in music lessons since they were 3 years old he became very adamant about me joining and talking about the show team and other performance programs my kids could be in, Normally I would be a proud mama bear to hear someone wanting my kids to be part of something so badly, but truthfully I do not want to pay for my children to be in a band I want to pay for my children to have lessons from an accomplished adult so they can learn to play better, not be put on a "show team" to play songs and never learn anything new. I felt as though I was at a used car lot the way the man was talking to me. I also just got a strange vibe off of him. He seemed burned out or like he may have been on something. Definitely not someone I would feel comfortable leaving my child with. I was super disappointed because I had heard such wonderful things about the vocal instructor and the guitar instructor, I was upset to find out that they had left the school, especially when they did not have sufficient teachers to fill their spots. All they could offer as replacement was early 20 somethings to replace them. Basically I got a very bad vibe off of the place. When I visited the only people who were there were the burnt out manager, the guitar teacher who is in his early 20's and the vocal instructor (who I had already been told was not sufficient and that you don't want her, you want to make sure you get the vocal keys teacher).. So all in all I would say skip school of rock glen ellyn and go to school of rock naperville. Thats what I ended up doing. The teachers there are of adult age and have resumes as opposed to the glen ellyn school where the teacher are in college and just working a job. If you go to their website do not be fooled in the staff section the guitar teacher who I was going there to try and sign up with is still on there as the music director which I feel is sneaky and misleading, he is not there anymore they just keep him on there to make them look like they have someone on staff that can actually teach music.

Last Spring we checked out school of rock for my son who was interested in playing drums. We…read moreweren't ready to commit to buying a drum set so we checked out the Rookies program. He had a blast and took to the drums like a fish out of water. Fast forward we enrolled him in Absolute Beginners camp in the summer - with a show on the Friday of the camp. We were amazed at how all the kids learned and preformed several songs after 1 week. Fall we enrolled in lessons and Performance Program. All the kids learn at an incredible rate with weekly one on one's as well as weekly 3 hour rehearsal with his group. I feel it would have taken years at a lower cost lesson only program for him to get to the level he's at in 5 months. In addition all of the staff and other kids are awesome. School of Rock will quickly become a second family for anyone who attends.

I had the pleasure of viewing a Mystery Shop Murder Mystery performance and was extremely…read moreimpressed. The owner, Mary, instantly put the guests at ease with her welcoming and disarming ways. I did not know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find how cleverly orchestrated the entire event was. The actors were professional and played their characters wonderfully well. The audience was encouraged to engage with the actors (in character, of course) to try and sleuth out the killer and The Mystery Shop staff was expert at laying out the clues for us to find and deduce who the killer was and why. The whole thing was done with such poise and taste that it could easily have been enjoyed by the whole family and in fact, I think the show we saw was suitable for children of junior high age and above. I will be searching for an occasion and excuse to have a party just so I can hire the Mystery Shop and have this enjoyable experience again... Perhaps a child's birthday party or maybe an adult New Year's Eve?

Very good program. Hired the Mystery Shop for a cub scout event and they put on a great show. Age…read moreappropriate, engaging, relevant, and family friendly! Mary was great to work with. Everyone was very nice and very professional. Started on time and ended on time. Tons of fun for the whole family!

I cannot say enough good things about this company. The music director "Mr Bruno" is such a good…read moremixture of professional and hilarious. Funny enough he was a choir director for Chicago Children's choir when my oldest child was in it! "Ms Sprunger" is the glue that holds this choir together. Despite being a team of two, they do so much more than a team of 20 could accomplish. They clearly love the kids and the kids always have such a good time going here. It's not just a choir, it's a musical education. He not only teaches kids to sing, he teaches them to read music etc. My daughter loves him. We plan on staying with Anima through out her childhood. If your child loves to sing, you won't regret signing them up!

I highly recommend this premier arts organization that attracts children from multiple communities…read moreand performs many times throughout the year. I sang with this chorus in the 70s and both my children sang in it.

I attended a performance that Firefly Family Theatre held at Park Ridge Public Library with my 15…read moremonth old. It was so incredible, so enjoyable; I truly cannot give this company enough praise. The performers, Ms. Lauren and Ms. Cindy, were so engaging. Their performance included puppets, they used shadows as part of the story, and other props like twinkle lights and whatnot. The show was interactive, which is fantastic for this age group. The kids were asked to sing along, play with leaves, dance and stomp, and get their wiggles out. The performers taught the children some motions at the start of the show that repeated at different parts of the performance, so the kids moved with them throughout. I kept my little one close because she will take off like a shot and I was afraid she'd get out of my reach, but she sat with me and bobbed to the music and kicked her legs and enjoyed playing with the leaves they tossed around during one of the spoken transitions. I appreciated that for some of the performance, they didn't forget those of us in the back so even my little kiddo and others who were sitting near the back could be part of the fun. Firefly doesn't seem to have a dedicated space; rather, they perform at libraries and other community spaces. They also offer private events and will do virtual shows as well. They have different shows for different seasons, so I'm really hoping that the library will continue to host them. I wasn't sure what to expect and I almost didn't pick up tickets to this event, but I'm so so glad that I did. The quality is great, and I love that they had accompaniment with a nice, quiet, soothing guitar. Truly a lovely way to spend the morning and if you have the chance to attend a show (check their schedule!) and have young children, you need to attend. The show was complete in less than an hour and it was a fun way to spend the morning. I'm looking forward to their next shows and watching my baby participate more as she grows with them.

I love this place! The prices are reasonable so that you can see all season…read more The theater is not very big. Even if you are in the last row you can see well. The plays are family friendly. They usually do 1 "children's" play such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang each season. The theater is non profit. The cast is all volunteer. Do not let that affect what you think. The plays are wonderful. I just saw Tuesdays with Morrie last night. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. If you have not been to one of the plays before...well, you are missing a good show.

This venue is a hidden gem . Local theatre company with exceptional talent, costumes, set design…read more Family affordable and clean and friendly and just a joy ! Don't pass up if you have a chance to see a show here ! No regrets ever !