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.

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 !

Another year, another Itasca Fest…read more We live minutes from the Itasca border, so getting here is a breeze. And so is parking -- though you do have to be willing to walk a block or two. But downtown Itasca is lovely. I think most people, if they drove through this little village of 8,300 people, would not expect very big happenings. But Itasca Fest is pretty impressive for the size of the town. Free admission, and there's a huge carnival, a big tent set up with plenty of tables for noshing at and a stage with live entertainment, bingo, a rummage sale, educational events for the kids (including interacting with wild animals) and of course plenty of greasy food to go around. Last year, there was a super-cool NASA trailer set up where you could play with various gadgets and learn about life in a spaceship. Honestly, I enjoyed it as much as the kid with us did. Unfortunately, no NASA trailer this year. Still, four stars for a solidly good time nearby and on the cheap.

Considering the majority of my big fat Italian family lives in Itasca, it's shocking that this was…read moremy first time here. And let's be honest, I came for the Bingo. We started here on Sunday night, the last night of the fest. Bingo is run by the Lyons Club and they do a great job of keeping the natives restless while having some personality. The guy working our row was awesome, was so friendly. Cards are 3 for a dollar and my dreams were crushed when I saw they were the sliders and not the stamp kind of cards. I was really looking forward to having a big purple stamper to dot up my cards. Each round of Bingo could win somewhere between $50-$70 but alas, I didn't have any luck. The final round was a cover-all game and cards were $1 each. The jackpot for that final round was above the $200 mark. In order to entertain us before the final round (and possibly because it was the last night of the fest, we were able to get as many free drinks as we wanted before the last game). I spent about $13 total on an hour of Bingo, which I don't consider to be too much of a loss. Did I really just write about Bingo for a full paragraph? Back to the fest. They have about 8-10 vendors for food including local restaurants. Rides are plentiful here, I couldn't even guess how many. Upwards of a dozen? Games were also not scarce, and they had all the classic games. I ended up winning myself a stuffed monkey. It's what every 29 year old adult female needs. I can only compare Itasca fest to Bartlett fest or Naperville's Rib Fest. I would probably prefer Itasca fest over both because it has WAY more games and rides than Bartlett, and isn't as crowded as Rib Fest. It's a new summer tradition.

I have been a patron of Metropolis for as long as I can remember, starting with the influence of my…read moregrandpa and grandma taking me to the children's shows. The quaint theater doesn't really have a "bad" seat in the house! They have programming that spans improv, musicals, classic plays, children's theatre, educational concerts, a capella, etc. They also have a performing arts school in which my daughter has taken classes and summer camps at. One star off because I wish they would do more accessible tickets e.g. rush tickets or lotteries. One of shows of the children from the school of the performing arts was, like, $20/person. Also, the Play that Goes Wrong was $50. I can see a Broadway in Chicago show for that price if you go about it utilizing the proper channels. I do not utilize the bar during shows, but they sell snacks, which are not allowed in the theater, and drinks, which are allowed in the theater.

Very disappointed we paid for seats and then was told first come first serve. So nit happy we…read morewaited in lobby thinking we had a say section 3 seat 7-8. So our seats we 3-4 , 5-6, 7-8. For three couples. Instead seat were saved and not together. Every one in this row thought the same. It was awful and birthday party like ours and they had to divide up as some couple sat between them. I see plays on the regular and not sure I would come back here. They cast only performed to the middle section. So it was not worth what we paid. I plan to take my friends to another venue next time.

My husband and I went to Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center to see a production of Newsies. This…read moreis a large theater space for community theater. We love sitting in the front row of the balcony. There's just enough leg room for me, and it has an unobstructed view of the stage. This is a nice space for the park district to showcase, but it is beginning to show its age. The line at the bathroom was pretty long during intermission. The seats look like they were updated recently. The acoustics were pretty good. The parking lot is not big enough to accommodate all of the cars. Try parking on the street or in the lot behind the village hall/park district building. Overall, I enjoyed the show at Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center and would come back for future performances.

Easy parking and relatively spacious event space although it's a hike for downtown Chicago…read moreresidents . I watched a stand up comedy show which i throughly enjoyed.

It's been years since I've attended a circus and we were so impressed to see such amazing talent in…read morethese performers. We laughed so hard with the comedian and then sat in awe to see some of the impossible yet possible acts. Best of all there's no animal cruelty! This event was taken place in Huntington but is now in Citifield until Dec 15. Totally worth the visit. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

We went there Saturday with our family at the Woodfield Mall parking lot Circus! It is a very…read morepleasant and awesome experience for all of us!! What a treat that was for all of us!! Very talented and entertaining performers that kept all of the audiences attention!!!! We have a 10 and 6 years old little ones. They couldn't keep their eyes off stage! The experience was very pleasant and had great friendly staff that was there! It was very reasonable for the tickets and getting some treats there!! Will go again and bring more family and friends there next time!!

This review is specifically about the facility, the Prairie Lakes Theater. It's adjacent to the…read morePrairie Lakes Community Center and I presume there's a connecting interior hallway between the two. The theatre is part of the Des Plaines Park District and what a great asset for the city. There are a handful of organizations that rent space for their productions here I think, amongst them Big Noise Theatre, which I learned about at a Park Ridge summer event and that's how I found out there's a great black-box theatre in the suburbs. They've hosted various arts companies, including dance and opera. They're also available for rent by other parties as well. Prairie Lakes has just under 300 seats and the sight lines are good; I don't think there are any limited view seats in the place. Seats were very comfortable too. Parking is ample, given its location, and free.

We returned to this nice and intimate theatre to see Big Noise Theatre's kids musical 'Elephant &…read morePiggie's "We Are in a Play!"'. It was a most delightful play, and this is when I learned that the Big Noise Theatre company rents space from the Prairie Lakes Community Theatre for their productions. I guess some previous reviews allude to this arrangement, but I never paid attention until today on what "theatre name" was appropriate here. In any event, we're now 2 for 2 on 5 star outings at this venue.

I've been here a few times over the years. They have a lot of big names that come through. The…read moreparking sucks because it's part of the mall and there are restaurants nearby. I think if they were a stand alone building, the parking would not be as awful. After you park, they have two lines going into the building. One is general admission and the other is VIP. General admission was on the left and VIP was on the right. They are not labeled. VIP just means that you sit closer to the stage. Seats are like first come first serve. Btw when it is busier, they have people sitting in front of you at each table. They fill each table to the max. In general, I would recommend lining up at least 30-40 mins before the show begins, for better seating. After you sit down, you have to order two items per person. We just ordered two drinks each. It's kind of an asinine rule but I guess that's how they make their money. We ordered food in the past. Ever since then, we just grab food nearby before coming. Food was okay here. The drinks are not bad, the glasses are a good size so you can sip on it throughout the show. Service was good, although it could be better. It took awhile to receive our drinks. Depending on the comedian, you can get a free picture or you have to pay for one. Overall, it's like a 3.5 experience but 5 stars for the comedian. Meh, I'll give it 4 stars.

First Time In This Place watching a comedy show. We watched Jr De Guzman and he was so funny I…read moredidn't expect that very thankful that my friend invited me to go to the show we were in the second row table and the ticket was $53 which is super worth it. Parking was in an issue the place is small their stairs but there's also an elevator which I like the fact that it is small because it's more intimate that way and the comedian can actually interact with the audience. We didn't really try the food but there is a two drink minimum or an order of food so we just did two drinks it's a bit pricey so just need to expect that. The service was great the our server was always there checking up on us and asking what we needed so that's also a good thing. Will definitely come back and see more shows here. Happy watching!

I am an Egyptian-American who has spent much of my childhood and adulthood living in the Middle…read moreEast, so I have seen my fair share of belly dancing performances (Sherihan even wanted a picture with me when I was a cute little kid in Cairo ;) ) Finding quality belly dancers for my wedding in the U.S. seemed like a very overwhelming and borderline impossible task. I stumbled upon Safire Belly Dancers of Chicago during online research and was instantly blown away by their skill, beauty of costumes, and professionality. Also, it was refreshing to finally find performers that were trained and educated in the culture, art, and history behind belly dancing. From the very start of my communication with Vanessa and Ashorina, I knew I had made a perfect choice. They were so sweet and responsive, assuring me that they would create a fully Egyptian focused routine for my wedding. They even offered to start up dabke (Arabic line dancing) before they left, which was a huge hit with my guests! The cost of the performance is very affordable, especially for the quality of performance you receive in return. They communicated and coordinated flawlessly with my DJ, and were prompt and ready to go right on time! I can honestly say that Vanessa and Ashorina's amazing performance was the highlight of my wedding. The half-hour went by too fast, and we could have watched them all night. Our guests will still not stop talking about how entertaining and energetic the show was, how beautiful the costumes and props were, and how much fun they had! V. and A. even incorporated my husband, bridesmaids, and I into the show, and we have photos and videos to sustain a lifetime of fantastic memories! Our Arab and Egyptian guests commented on how authentic and impressive the performances were, a true testament to the talent of Safire Belly Dancers! I am certainly looking for the next excuse to throw a big party so that I can invite them back to perform! Alf shukran, Vanessa and Ashorina! :)

You need Safire Belly Dancers For your Event!!!! Great…read moreentertainers, Beautiful show the girls will get the party going!!!! Would highly recommend

I came here for a magic show with a group of friends on a Friday. Overall, good facility! There's a…read moresmall parking lot for patrons nearby, which was nice. Bartenders were friendly. Bathrooms were clean. It was cold, but that's typical of buildings in the summer. I'd come back!

What's life without a little magic! We came by to see a show on a Sunday afternoon and we're able…read moreto enjoy the Physician's show. When you walk in there is a bar and some tables but through the double doors, you'll find a 2nd bar with a speakeasy feel. When we checked in, we were assigned our tables. We ordered drinks before hand and the drinks were brought to our tables. We also ordered the pimento cheese and crackers. We snacked on the crackers most of the show as there was quite a bit of pimento in the bowl. The show was great and was broken into 2 parts. There were a lot of great metaphors along with it being a very interactive show with the crowd. Many of the tricks and magic left us in complete awe. We can't wait to come back and see future shows!