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.

We were at The Trickery last weekend for a magic show - our age group ranged from teens to senior…read morecitizens and we all had a blast. The highlight of our weekend in Chicago. Aaron and Steve are truly amazing magicians and performers - highly recommend!

Amazing. Had an absolute blast and laughed my ass off with my girlfriend last night at their final…read moreshow at ComedySportz. Look forward to keeping tabs on this group and catching another show.

From the owner: Each live show has a different theme. Tickets are normally $10, but if you join in on the theme,…read moreyou'll get in for $7. Sinc each week is different, you'll have to check Octavarius.com for details.

Saw Enemy of the People last night. Intense performance, superb acting, immersive set and sound…read moredesign. Highly recommended. The theater is very intimate, with seats on three sides of the stage. Not a bad seat in the house. The facility, recently opened, is itself a thing of beauty. Sleek and modern, with a large bar and lounge area on the first floor. The theatre is on the second floor, accessible by stairs or a very large elevator. The staff is friendly and they are well organized; if your show has an intermission, you can order an intermission cocktail beforehand and it will be waiting for you outside the theatre - no need to hoof it to the bar. Restrooms are gender neutral and each stall is fully secure. Wheelchair accessible stalls have plenty of room to maneuver, and on the second floor it comes with a private sink. George Costanza would love it! There are many seats in the theatre that do not require steps to access, and certain seats can be removed to accommodate a wheelchair. Note that there is a lot of walking from the front door to your seat. For those driving, there is a parking garage just north of the theater and a surface lot on the other side of the Argyle station, a short 5 minute walk.

WOW, the new building is beatiful: modern, well designed, good sound system, multi-level with a…read morenicely welcoming lounge and bar/restaurant at the base. Enemy of the People was a well acted/directed play, genius writing/translation. Engaging space wtih audience on 3 sides of stage. A few quirks to rule out: The directions to seats not quite clear and had to go back and ask usher; the bathroom doors don't seem to easily close/lock causing confusion; lines to bathroom are unclear and cause some confusion; concessions are almost all poor quality though the drinks are nice, hopefully they will upgrade with neighborhood partnerships. However you can't emphasize how amazing this space is, minor criticisms overriden by the strong addition to Chicago and the neighborhood.

I have been going to shows at The Annoyance for over ten years, and I have yet to see a bad one…read more The bar staff is always awesome, and hanging out before or after a show in the bar area is always a great time. I regularly bring visitors to The Annoyance, as it's a great way to spend a small amount of money to showcase great Chicago comedy. Their ticket prices are not a hit on the wallet at all, even if one is hosting many people. I love it for a random date night as well.

One of the more underrated theatrical experiences in Chicago, the Annoyance Theatre bodes a fun…read moreatmosphere with a full bar and great comedy shows. My friends and I came here on a Friday evening for a show and had such a fun time. Our tickets were super affordable, and the bar tending staff was very nice. We ordered a few beers, but we didn't get a chance to try any of their food. I definitely would suggest if you're looking for a fun activity in the Lakeview Area venturing here for a great time. I will definitely be back!

OK, I was somewhat intrigued at the prospect of full on, frontal male nudity. Heck, we women don't…read moreget to see much of that on the stage or in movies. Somehow, though, I expected more creativity, more clever humor, more ahem---substance, more everything. I saw the Dec. 5, 2009 show. To write this review I had to choose categories. Hmmm, Arts & Entertainment....I would definitely NOT call this art. Too much spare time on (in) someone's hands, perhaps. Entertainment (?) a loosely used term, "Performing ARTS" (?)...oh please. I'll readily admit to morbid curiosity on my part. The free tickets and an intense desire to be in the city for a change were motivating factors for braving this spectacle. As open minded as I'm known to be, I seriously walked out after 15 minutes. I MEAN...15 minutes was definitely giving them the benefit of the doubt. Seriously though, how long can you stare at a train wreck? How ridiculous it was, the whole affair! It failed to live up to the hype. After seeing Puppetry of the Penis, I won't EVER, EVER harshly judge my creativity again. To think grown men are touring the world and getting paid alot of cash for stretching and molding their genitalia on stage in front hundreds of people, that fact is amazing. Oh and don't let me neglect to mention that "close up" views are provided of the 'dick tricks' via rear screen projection. Attending this scene taught me once and for all, if you have PASSION for your ideas, you can find a way to market and sell them! Hey, I saw it with my own eyes, the PROOF is in the penis. P.S., the BEST part of the evening was a Chicago-based comedienne by the name of Beth Stelling. FUNNY, funny, funny woman! Relaxed and comfortable in her own skin. Self deprecating humor from the Rodney Dangerfield school of comedy. I see big things ahead for her. She's got a FaceBook fan club.

These ladies get nothing buy love from me! JDA runs a great room! If you are a lady,of the funny…read morepersuasion,come check out this show! You will not be sorry! The room is super supportive and perfect for tweaking new material! The showcase is top notch,too! This is the best of both worlds,open mic and showcase. If you want to see a fun show,drop in,check it out! Just go!

I have never been so proud of something I have been a part of. This show, this team, this group of…read moreperformers, the venues, everything is stellar! Don't just take my word for it. Come see for yourself. This show has such a positive energy and a high level of enthusiasm. It makes you feel good just to be in the room. Plus it is entertaining as hell! 1st and 3rd Thurs of every month at Hydrate, the all ladies open mics have been highly praised and loved by all of the women who do them. If you are a woman wanting to try an open mic, but are scared of the open mic scene, this is the perfect place to spread your wings. It is a supportive room with graceful and tactful honesty. All of the girls have walked away feeling so confident and supported. The featured showcase directly after that is always top-notch hilarity. Our 2nd Thurs of every month is a mixed-sex showcase at Parlour. These are fantastic because it is an intimate space, with amazing comics, and insane drink specials. Laughter is the best medicine. Three times a month come out and laugh your faces off!

Just the right size to see a band. Whether on the floor or in the balcony, the site lines are good…read moreand despite being an old theatre, the sound is pretty good. Most shows are general admission, so if you want a good balcony seat or a spot near the stage, arrive early.

I visited The Vic for the first time in years to see comedian Janelle James. For whatever reason,…read moreshe chose to film her Netflix special there instead of a nicer venue. We arrived 30 minutes before the doors opened and found a line wrapped around the block. We had tickets for the second show, so we had to wait for the first show to let out. It was a little chilly so standing outside sucked. But the line moved quickly and finding a seat was painless. I found the venue and seating underwhelming. The seats are cheap folding chairs. They're packed tightly so good luck if you get stuck next to someone that's on the heavy side. During the show, a patron fell out of his seat twice and Janelle James ended up mentioning it in her act. He fell because the chairs were terrible!! Poorly constructed doesn't even begin to cover it. The acoustics were good though. I had no problem hearing Janelle James. I could barely see her though. The seating isn't elevated or sloped, so if you're short and surrounded by taller people, then you'll be staring at the back of their heads all night. That sucked, but what can you do? I caught glimpses of her sporadically, which ended up being fine. I didn't buy any food or alcohol, so i have no opinion on that. We exited the venue as quickly as we entered, which was a plus. I think it helped that we were seated towards the back. We got to the brown line in no time and were home soon after. The show was entertaining and I had a good time. Overall, the experience was satisfactory, but, I doubt I'd visit this venue again anytime soon.

Nice theater, small and well managed. Went to watch young Frankenstein with our 15 year old which…read morewas a mistake. The musical should be 18-+ because of some content. If our daughter didn't tag along my husband and I would have enjoyed watching it to the end . We left in the interval because we didn't want our daughter feeling uncomfortable. So many wasted $$$

One of my favorite mid sized theaters in the city. I've seen a number of shows here and they all…read morehave been excellent.