We came for the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in May 2015. I'd wanted tp see it for years, since it was playing in New York (in the plaza across from Wicked). So I can't compare the Oak Park production to any other, but it was, uncompared very good. There were certainly some notable differences -- for instance, they asked for 4 volunteers from the audience to join the cast to fill up some seats. They picked really well, and the volunteers when I saw it hammed it up, and stuck around for a few rounds of the Bee. As for the paid performers, the singing and acting was good, the set was minimalistic, but didn't feel like it needed anything more, and the lighting and sound were overall good. There was one microphone issue. The lights also seemed like they were a little bit low, and didn't quite hit the actors' faces, although maybe that was deliberate so they could see. It was fun that the theater was so small, every seat was a good one, and we could actually see everything, down to the facial expressions. The cast had a sense of humor when things came up (like the microphone issue, or the audience volunteers indicating a willingness to jump in for a number). Overall it was a very well put together production. The show was a fun one, although it got wayyyy darker than I expected. The ending was cheesy, but hey, it's a musical. I had no idea Oak Park had such a theater scene! There was plenty of street parking. There's a small concession area with basic offerings. The bathroom is small, only a couple per sex, but the intermission was long enough for everyone who needed the break. I think there were at least 2 venues in the playhouse because there seemed to be another show going at the same time as ours. read more

Madison Street Theater - Set if the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, May 2015 - Performing Arts Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Came to see los monologos de la vagina" I Like it great show Nice theatre ,great place read more

Madison Street Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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We just enjoyed a local production of "A Chorus Line" here. It brought back memories for us of the 1976 touring company at Chicago's Schubert. You can't lose with a stellar book and memorable set of tunes. But adding this great cast of talented hoofers and actors, the ardent backing of the unseen band, and the professional and resourceful production company made for a fine evening of local theater. Standouts were the acting of "Paul," the acting and solo of "What I did for love" by "Diana," and the well-cast performance of "Zach, the director" by the multi-talented Will Nifong. Just 9 more performances. The theater is in what used to be perhaps two storefronts joined together. Even so, the stage is not wide enough for a kick line of the whole cast. But with talented choreography and direction, this shortcoming was not noticed by the audience. Without an orchestra pit, the front seats were more intimate with the stage than in a "legit" theater. adding to the enjoyment for us. read more

Hosted two events here and loved it! Friendly, professional, and prompt staff, with a touch of southern hospitality. Book your event here!

I rented out Madison Street Theatre for a video shoot and everything was amazing from start to finish. I had been looking for a space like this for about a month, but to no avail. It was serendipitous that I came across this location. Corrine, Lisa and Aidan were excellent hosts, and answered all of my questions as they came up to ensure a smooth process. Affordable pricing. Professional staff. Welcoming environment and space. I'd recommend. read more

Last Saturday, my friend and I went and saw the Dickens Christmas. I was amazed by the set...definitely high end. Last year I saw the Christmas carol at the Goodman. Great show but the tickets were a little pricy. I believed I paid fifteen or twenty dollars per thickens for the Dickens Christmas...what a deal. This one one of the best production that Madison street theatre has put on so far...not only was the set unbelievable, beautiful costumes. And the actors were top notch...Please Madison street theatre bring more of this...I used to love going to circle theatre because of great plays. I know you can definitely do it too read more

Attended a showing of Dickens Christmas at the madison Street Theater a great evening was had cast was great theme of the show was right on a definite must for the season five stars, the Madison Street Theatre should continue this practice of having good Productions throughout the year read more

This theater is allowing me to have my wedding on their stage in October! Without them, I would never be able to afford to have all my family at my wedding. Joe Tokarz is a miracle worker....not like Helen Keller.....but he's an Amazingly Talented human being!!!! I've costume designed for them in the past, and they are an extremely sweet bunch of hardworking theater folks. Love em! read more

Saw "The Fantastics" there last weekend. The show was grand. Very few seats with out a good view. The lobby is fairly small. I attended on opening night; as such it was very packed. So; full house waiting in a small area in line hoping to get "the good seats". Refreshments are offered (beer, wine and water) at a reasonable price. As the place does not have a cloakroom; what ever coats, purses or hats one brings with them will have to be accommodated on their laps. read more

I saw big fish yesterday and the performance was amazing. Best money I've spent in a while.

Small local theatre in close proximity to great restaurants and public transportation. The theatre has ample seating, yet still remains an intimate setting to partake in arts. read more

We saw Big Fish last evening. When we walked into the venue I was a little distressed it smelled like a dingy basement, it was very small and we were about to see a performance while sitting on folding chairs. Then the performance begin. Jake Lange was outstanding as Ed Bloom. His final scene brought tears to my eyes. Seth Harmon, as Will, also bought to the stage the frustration and anguish he felt towards his father. And then beautifully changed as he learned the truth about his dying dad. Katie Meyers was wonderful as the very loving Sandra Bloom as well. Without the benefit of elaborate staging and lighting the actors and dancing let their true talents shine through. I was thoroughly pleased and delighted with this production and would recommend it and definitely return to The Madison Street theatre for future performances. read more

Great staff and friendly service. Very fortunate to have such a nice establishment in our neighborhood.

This is a small and older theatre that can definitely use a face lift and some upgrades. Their new phone number is now (312) 282-1750. The seats are old and not very comfortable. The floor, in some spots, was like a mini-hill. Very weird. However, I was impressed with the production "In the Woods" because all of the actors/actresses were young kids from ages 10 to high school teens. These youngsters had a lot of lines to memorize and lots of songs as well. The songs were a bit lame though. My only complaint is that it was difficult to hear some of the actors/actresses because there weren't microphones hanging from the ceiling on the stage. Some of the actors and/or actresses did not have powerful singing voices, and were "soft" or "low" volume singers. It would have been nice to hear them with appropriate equipment. I thought the play was a bit too long (they could have ended it after Act 1 concluded). The young lady who played "The Princess" and also "Cinderella" had an excellent voice and a beautiful bravado. I can tell that she has been taking singing lessons for a while. Her voice was pure and clean. She gets FIVE stars for her singing abilities! The young man who played "The Prince" with the purple and gold jacket, was also a fantastic and a strong singer. I rate his voice at 4 stars. The young lady who played "The Witch" also had a fantastic voice, and one of the better actors in this production. She was a pretty good actress, so I was under the impression that this was not her first acting gig. I rate "The Witch" = 5 stars. The stage setting and props were worthy of five stars. "Into the Woods" is/was geared more toward children and families. I don't have children, but I enjoyed it for what it was. There were some funny parts where the audience was laughing out loud. They accept major credit cards. We purchased our tickets 15-20 minutes before the performance ($16 each). Also, there are no assigned seats so you can sit wherever you wish to sit, which was very cool. This is a street parking only area. We parked across the street from the theatre for free. We had a hard time finding this place and drove up and down Madison trying to find it -- after pulling a U-Turn we finally saw it and parked. Disregard the number listed at YELP as it is no longer in service and disconnected. Would I go back here again for a different production? No. The acoustics here are poor (even though the theatre is small) and the seats are uncomfortable. The tickets were not worth $16 (maybe more like $8 to $10). If they renovate the theatre and improve the acoustics and get new chairs, I may consider going back again. However, I'm not sure that this will ever happen. read more

I saw Big Fish here tonight and WOW! I was SO IMPRESSED! It was an incredible show. The acting and singing was phenomenal. My mom and I were both crying by the end, along with many others around us. One of the best shows I've seen in a long time! read more