We came here as something to do while in town for the evening with no plans and we didn't have a…read morelot of hope for the event, but thought it would be fun... We didn't know it would be GREAT!!! We decided to buy stage-side seats and we were seated right next to the area where the king & queen would sit and watch. This play is absolutely incredible! The actors and staff were all great and hilarious! I don't want to give too much of it away, but we did it all and had a great experience. Definitely worth visiting!

I'm going to be the dissenter and call in Fentanyl Shakespeare. My wife are fun people, dance to…read morethe music in public when no one else is and love comedy not dependent upon shock and gutter talk but on hilarity and well executed timing. I think if you are 21 ish you will love it and all of the jokes that require you are up to date on the latest pop stars back stories. We endured. We smiled. We looked at our watches, smiled and sighed with the others in the room who had that why am I here look. People who had the most fun arrived hammered in my humble opinion. I while I am on the topic of pain, and those pew benches. Omg folks what's the cost of a long ? $300? Wow. That was equally painful. Some of have firm booties Staff was nice. Bar set up worked like a charm.

We attended Trickery on Saturday 04/18/26. Aaron was adept at working with a diverse audience to…read moreinclude them and maintain control of his performance in a very intimate setting. Because it's BYOB you'll get the 20-somethings that feel they have to get loaded beforehand and then act the fool while attending (do you hear that "Neil"? No one wants the focus on you acting like it was your first experience with alcohol) but Aaron was skilled at bypassing them without causing tension or escalating bad behavior. Aaron's attitude is one of someone who has worked hard to make this little venture work, and he deserves respect and recognition for his obvious commitment and work ethic. His act included variations of tricks performed by other magicians, with his own twists. He is an expert at sleight of hand and distraction, which is considerably more difficult in a room about the size of an average residential living-room. He had an appropriate sense of humor aligned with an audience coming to Boystown, an overtly gay neighborhood in Chicago (if you're not familiar). However he wasn't garish, flaming, flamboyant, or offensive; he managed a perfect balance of innuendo humor and audience engagement without being cheap or ingenuine. The snarky one-liners will likely go over your young kids' heads (although bring them to an early show, your 9 year old doesn't belong in Boystown at 10 pm on a weekend), and he carries himself with class avoiding the use of profanity or graphic terms. Again, I can't overstate that his tricks were amazing, impressive, and captivating - as magic should be. You leave the show shaking your head and wondering how it's done - which truly makes it "magic". You would be hard-pressed to spend $36.36/person for an hour of live entertainment that can match Aaron's performance. Pro-tip: If you're driving there you will need to use an app to reserve parking, as there aren't garages like downtown Chicago and every street is filled with so many signs there's no way you will return and find your car not-towed or not-ticketed. Chicago does this on purpose to generate revenue; you'll see "street cleaning" on Tuesday from xx hour to xx hour, no parking when snow is over 2 inches OR any time from Dec 1 through April 1, loading zone, 15 minute stopping/standing with flashers, no parking, residential permit zone only, bike lanes, bus stop restrictions, etc. If you find street parking and think you've beaten the system, think again. Nobel Prize Laureates, Rhodes Scholars, Ivy League PhDs, Mensa members - you can meet them all at Chicago Central Auto Pound retrieving their vehicles. Stephen Hawking couldn't drive, but if he could and he parked in that neighborhood all the quantum mechanics in the world wouldn't make his towed car reappear from the Chicago Parking space-time continuum. The nice thing is if you do reserve parking and give yourself enough time you can walk to many, many restaurants and bars in the area that are open even after the 10 pm show ends. Thank you Aaron for a wonderful experience, you made my wife's birthday memorable for both of us.

If you're looking for something a little different, this is a fantastic magic/comedy show not too…read morefar from Wrigley Field. Great for date nights and if you're lucky, you might end up on stage. It's also BYOB and there's a 7/11 a block away.

I have seen the magic of Dennis Watkins prior to The Magic Parlour even opening so when he…read moreannounced this theater as part of the Goodman built for magic, I was all in! I have been there for Dennis's solo show with my daughter and cousins and I treated my dad, my mom, and my family to Three Card Monte for his birthday as a way to spend time together. Three Card Monte was where the audience was seated at three tables and three different close up magicians rotated through. The magic was literally happening in front of your eyes! The variety in the three magicians was great--they had a variety of tricks, varying levels of sarcasm and humor, and overall, made it one of the best Sunday evenings I have had! Your ticket comes with a drink ticket--I don't drink, but they made me a mean Shirley Temple. My daughter bought a 2nd one at intermission and it was very reasonably priced. I made sure to have cash to tip my bartender. With Dennis's solo show, there was an option to pay to be a VIP where we got a taste of close up magic right after the general show. It was very cool and I recommend adding it on. If you love magic or even if you just know someone who loves magic, I recommend! A classy venue with top notch entertainment!

Been a couple of times, the magician is a great entertainer and makes you believe in real magic…read more I tore a dollar bill into 8 pieces 2 separate times without letting go of bill and as you can see I still have it. Great mentalist as well.

Opulence! Comfort! We enjoyed Ludovico Einaudi's Summer Portraits tour and it was amazing. The…read moretheatre was full but still ran very well. We were checked in quickly despite long lines. This is a spectacular venue with gorgeous architecture. Be prepared to enjoy a beautiful time, no matter the performance.

Built in 1889, this is an absolutely stunning theatre. We attended a Raye concert and was not only…read moresurprised by the sheer size of the space but it is both visually stunning as well as acoustically amazing. It is 5 stories with balconies cantilevered over the main floor. Just a heads up that drinks/booze isn't available on every floor. The line moved quickly and the number of attendants available make quick work of guests trying to find their seats. The stairs are steep so hold off on the 4th or 5th beverage! A great place to watch a show.

I've long been a fan of the Goodman, and though I used to be a semi-regular, I've only been here…read moreonce since the pandemic. Until today! Somehow, I learned about a children's production presented through their educational wing. I'm not sure if their education & engagement was this strong in years past or perhaps I simply wasn't dialed into their offerings, but that's definitely changing now. We went to see Splish Splash. This was a 50 minute long story about a blue heron and friends who are seeking to repair the moon after it fell into Lake Michigan. There were songs, there was play, and it was highly interactive. The kids--fellow "sailors", along with three of the cast members--learned a song to sing along at various parts of the show. There were several times when the kids were invited onto the "stage" (it was in one of their lab/classroom spaces, so there wasn't a raised stage) to help or participate. It was so well done, and kept the kids engaged. I really loved how this experience was designed. Upon arrival we were checked in and pointed to one of the classroom spaces. I was surprised because I wasn't sure how actors could be safe there, but it was actually a room for the kids to color and read books or play with toys and stuff before we were taken into the room where the performance took place. I've only seen something that was meant to keep kids busy like that before showtime is at Filament Theatre, and we've gone to kids shows at two or three other theaters by now. It was a great touch. This production was specifically geared toward children aged 0-5, which is atypical and felt so special that it was written with the littlest theatergoers. One of the important pre-show reminders was for adults, reminding us that it's a no-shush zone! I'm so excited that one of the most important theaters in the city, and the oldest non-profit theater still in operation in Chicago, is so committed to developing young audiences in an exciting way and meeting them where they're at. We'll be regulars at their Theatre for the Very Young programs.

Beautiful theatre!!! Excellent production! I loved seeing…read more"Ashland Avenue". So humorous and poignant too. Such a historic place. This is their 100th season!!! Wow!!! Definitely one of the most famous theatres in Chicago and known for stellar productions. Multi level theatre that accommodates large audiences. It was sold out on a Wednesday night. I love to see that! Very spacious and pristine venue. Lovely gift shop too. Plenty of refreshments. Friendly and helpful staff. I'll definitely be back!

Although the actual performance and show were great, what a horrible staff that works here (sans 1…read moreperson who actually helped). When we first arrived, upon checking our tickets, our tickets wouldn't scan/verify. The usher was getting frustrated with us for this, and made us go to the ticket booth to get our physical tickets. We showed the person the tickets on our phone, and she printed them out for us -- after several rounds of confusion on her part. She was so soft spoken (in a noisy theatre entrance) that it led to much confusion. After this, we had to "cut" back into the entrance line (the security guard was helpful here) and we got thru the gates, finally. Then this usher/ticket checker who scanned our tickets (the 2nd time) was literally yelling at us on which direction to go (not a yelling as in being loud, but yelling like we were stupid). I go the way he yells at me because he won't stop yelling at me to go the direction he points me in -- which is the wrong direction. We had orchestra seats and were headed there, but this usher/ticket checker was yelling at us to go up the stairs. Fine, maybe I'm wrong. We get upstairs, and the 2nd usher again points us in the wrong direction to go further upstairs. This is again incorrect. We are flustered and confused, and not sure what is going on. We finally reach the 3rd usher at the top of the stairs, and he finally points us in the correct direction. The ushers here (Sans the 3rd one) were incompetent and rude.

05/12/26 - My wife & I went The Cadillac Theater to see Les Miserables. The show was inside…read moreCadillac Palace. This was the first time I have been inside this theater. We were seated on the balcony in the third row so we had a pretty good view of the stage. The Cadillac Theater is a beautiful theater located @ 151 W Randolph Street. There's is a parking garage 1/2 block down on Wells where there is a discounted rate for theater goers from 6pm - 11pm during the show. There's Cadillac Theater opened in 1926. It's a beautiful theater w/2300 seat venue supposedly modeled after The Palace of Versailles. I say supposedly because I've been there and I don't see the similarities. That being said the Cadillac theater is a beautiful theater. The seating is spread out so all of the seats have a good view of the stage. The theater is beautiful, the staging for the musical Les Miserable was very impressive w/the props & stage items changing seamlessly. Couple this w/an excellent performance & it was a very enjoyable evening

Improve leaving out the parking lot. It's terrible. Sitting there for close to an hour to leave is…read morecrazy

New Jack City the play was great! But the traffic for parking caused us to be late. It was…read morehorrible. Our Uber couldn't get through, so ge took us back to our vehicle. We had to pay for parking and it was sooo crowded. Traffic needed better management.