We have been patrons of the Citadel Theatre for a couple of years now and their shows never…read moredisappoint! As a patron of the arts, I am privileged enough to see a variety of shows in a variety of spaces and the Citadel is one that I can say is consistently great and offers a variety of shows at very reasonable prices. The theatre space is not huge, but for me, that means there is never a bad seat in the house! They have a reasonably priced concession stand and have a wonderful staff in the lobby that is always friendly and helpful. Bonus points for them always have little touches that reflect the current show--for example, today's show revolved around college admissions and there were all of these college pennants adorning the walls. There are clean bathrooms, an accessible bathroom, and there is plenty of parking. The seats are comfortable, well-spaced, and the sound system is great. My grandmother is a little hard of hearing and she can hear most everything the actors have to say! I always look forward to my evenings planned at the Citadel Theatre!

Very good small theater, excellent performance quality for ticket prices. Intimate venue that is a…read morejust a tad bit uncomfortable however I can compare before and after losing 50 lbs and it is definitely better for the slimmer (not slim, just slimmer) version of me. Sound is very good, it's a small enough venue that they don't need amplification which is a big plus in my book as larger theaters seem to assume audiences are hard of hearing.

Here are photos of a review that I put up of LoMastro and the owner's response. I attempted to have…read morea conversation with the owner in June that I was told would happen. This was about my child being held back at the same level as the year before. I simply wanted a discussion. She then refused to speak. When there were still issues in the fall (and shame on me for not pulling my kids from the studio when warning signs came up in the spring), I again asked for a phone call to discuss difficulties my child was experiencing. She again declined. After telling the owner that she needed to get back to me or I would pull my kids from the studio and write an honest review about her studio, I did write the review. When she saw the review she kicked out my kids. She said that by telling her I would write a review, that was threatening her safety. She then said that the review tarnished her studio's reputation, even though the review was entirely honest and I have the documentation to back it up. I took down the review in a moment of desperation and love for my kids as I asked her not to take out her ill will toward me on my kids. Instead, she ignored me and threw my kids on the street, figuratively speaking. Now that she cannot hold me hostage over my kids, the truth deserves to be told. She will no doubt craft a response here that is both vague and demeaning, but in the end, the truth always wins. I hope folks do their research and put their children in a more supportive environment with a more caring human

My daughter absolutely loves this place! The faculty is amazing. I strongly recommend it!read more

I love Genesee Theater!…read more This smaller vintage theater has charm and elegance inside and out. The large chandeliers are gorgeous. The staff scanning tickets and the ushers are warm and welcoming. They were very helpful. All seats offer a great view. The first two rows cause you to loop up at the stage so I would recommend at least a few isles back. The shows they offer are diverse and plentiful. The more popular shows create a bit of traffic. There is street parking and a nearby parking garage.

Still Enjoying the Genesee Theatre First of all, we…read moreabsolutely love seeing concerts at the Genesee. It's a smaller, intimate venue where there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Parking couldn't be easier -- affordable parking is located literally about 50 feet from the entrance and it's only $10, which makes the whole experience even better. We paid under $100 for two Orchestra Row T seats, and since our row was empty, we moved to the middle for a better view. The show featured a full orchestra, lead singer David Jacobson, and two female vocalists. The first half highlighted Neil's softer songs, while the second half brought the energy with his bigger hits. For the price, it was a fun and enjoyable evening. We now attend at least 3 -4 events per year here!

I was here with Yelp Chicago for Heartbreak Hotel. We saw the first act of the show, then after an…read moreextended intermission, they announced that due to inclement weather and flooding in the area, they were calling our show and the subsequent ones for that weekend. They made an announcement to please call the theater the following Tuesday and they would give us tickets to ANY of the remaining dates to see the conclusion of the show. I called Tuesday and they did just that! The process was very easy and a week later, I was able to the second act of Heartbreak Hotel. The theater in the round insures there are not really bad seats in the house! I have been here for everything from You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown [Theater for Young Audiences] to Big Fish to Damn Yankees to Something Rotten over the years. I am grateful to my grandparents who instilled the theater into me by bringing my young self here! I also appreciate that the Marriott Theatre works with the Chicago League of Theaters to offer accessibly priced tickets. And after viewing Catch Me If You Can, they allowed the next generation of theater viewers to have a meet and greet with JJ Neimann, who a lot of kids connected with via TikTok. Parking is free and close to the doors, the seats are comfortable, the bathrooms are clean, the box office is competent, and the productions are top notch! Not much else you can ask for!

I've been to this Marriott theater several times already to watch different shows throughout the…read moreyears. However, this most recent visit was to see heartbreak Hotel thanks to the Yelp elite event. On the night of which I came there happen to be some very severe storms that caused the play to stop at the point of intermission so that all the audience members could go home safely. The Marriott theater was so kind as to give us an option to get tickets to another scheduled show to be able to see it from start to finish and it's entirety. This was so generous and so kind of them to do. And every time they put on a show here this place is absolutely fantastic. I love being able to come here and buy tickets to come here for other shows because parking is free and there are none of these add-on fees on top of the tickets like you get for the other shows down in the city. Hear the traffic is manageable to get in and get out of it whether it's before or even after a show. So none of this craziness that you have to deal with the city. If you've never seen a show here, I highly encourage and strongly recommend that you look at the various and diverse shows and offerings and buy a ticket and support the theater.

Chicago culture, Lake County price I went to hear the Lake…read moreForest Symphony Sunday afternoon at the College of Lake County James Lumber Center. It was my second time. The energetic young conductor gets wonderful music from the talented, professional musicians. There are special sound baffles set around the stage to provide excellent sound quality. The seats are comfortable in the large theater, and parking was free and closer than most other local venues. I love hearing the lecture (in another room) before the performance. Did you know Vivaldi was a priest? And that there are chattering teeth and a dog barking in Vivaldi's familiar Four Seasons?! These tidbits helped expand my enjoyment of the performance. AND there are even cheese, wine and crackers afterward! This would be a great "date night" especially when followed by a meal at Lovely Thai across the street. Tickets for the pre-concert lecture, concert, and reception afterward start at just $15!!! Hard to beat the value. Perfect for any music lover. I will certainly be back.

From the owner: Symphonic and concert musicread more

I've been going here for the last 10 years. Every play I've seen there has been great. A lot of…read morethem are comedies. It's a local small playhouse with first come first serve seating. So you want to be there when the doors open, but the view is pretty good from any of the seats. We are now season tickets holders and look forward to every play.

Attended a fundraiser here for this remarkable organization. Wonderful that they offer…read moreopportunities for our young musicians especially in this age of fine arts cut backs in our schools. A truly important asset to our community. Had the opportunity to hear some of their musicians play for us and I can honestly say that they are a truly talented bunch.

Going through a huge amount of turmoil and turnover internally. Staff turnover is exceptionally…read morehigh. What does this say about an organization when they can't keep consistent staff? I would question if this is a safe place for young musicians. There are other programs in the area who do a better job. All parent concerns are swept under the rug.

I am an avid theater fan (and sometimes participant), yet somehow I'd never been here. This is a…read moretragic fact, as they've done a lot of shows I really love over the years. But honestly, I think a big deterrent is their ticket prices. It looks like they do student ticket prices now, which is great and makes it much more attainable -- I don't remember seeing that as an option when I was in college or my first round of grad school, but it's been awhile since I was in that situation. (It looks like they have educator discounts, which I'm hoping I may be eligible for, as it doesn't specifically state whether you have to be a K-12 educator or if college faculty are eligible). They also have discounts for theater industry professionals, which is great. Their regular prices for shows are a bit more expensive than a lot of the theaters in the city. (But also it probably balances out when you consider cost to park downtown versus here). It also looks like they have pay-what-you-can options at certain shows, which is also a nice way to make it accessible to more folks. I still haven't seen a show here, but I came to a lecture event they did a few weekends ago that is related to the themes of their current show. It was really interesting to hear both an academic perspective from a professor and the perspective of a social worker and dramaturg. They also do a pay-what-you-can storytelling night, which sounds super fun. The space is also incredible. The lecture took place in the lobby area, and it's a beautiful space. I look forward to coming to see a show here. (And will update my review once I do.)

Came here for Pearls Rollin Blues in the John Nichols theater. Wow a nice intimate space. Seats…read morewere comfortable and lots of legroom. The show was good. My only issue was it didn't seem like there was a sound engineer. The mikes were all at the same level so when Pearl was singing, some of the back up were too loud and you lost some of the words. The musicians were fabulous and the conductor/piano player was outstanding.

I just had my first Ragdale visit. Nestled among some of the North Shore's most spectacular…read morearchitecturally significant homes, when I pulled into the entrance I knew this was no Girl Scout's away camp. The Ragdale grounds make up 50 acres of open prairie and gardens with charming buildings and houses that have been donated and converted specifically for the purpose of hosting creatives of the highest caliber. Meeting a friend in residence for lunch, I waited in the Barnhouse while she finished up the leg of her giant ant sculpture. There was an eerie yet peaceful quietness throughout all of Ragdale - a respect for those working on their next planned masterpiece. After lunch we toured the grounds where I saw a broken giant's necklace sculpture in the breathtaking gardens, and peered into the window of the Friend's Studio accommodating a grand piano and dance space. We toured the main floor of the beautifully restored historic Ragdale House, then traveled on foot through the grasslands to a tucked away prairie art studio for a view of her ant sculpture in the making. Ragdale is most known for its art and writing residency programs, but they also offer workshops and classes for young students, special events, and public architectural tours. If you haven't yet discovered this hidden gem, you can visit their website (www.ragdale.org) for the next public tour. I assure you it's an experience you won't forget.

From the owner: Ragdale is a nonprofit artists’ residency program and community located on the former Arts & Crafts…read morecountry estate of architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and poet and playwright, Frances Wells Shaw. Nearly 150 residencies, numerous fellowships, and a variety of themed residencies are offered annually to creative professionals of all types, making Ragdale one of the largest interdisciplinary artists’ communities in the country. Ragdale residents represent a cross-section of ages, cultures, experiences, and mediums, for a diverse and vibrant community. In each session, artists-in-residence enjoy uninterrupted time for work and creativity, a supportive environment, dynamic artist exchanges, 50 acres of idyllic prairie, a 7-acre historically significant campus, and a community dinner each evening.