You can see from anywhere. The seats were comfortable! The acoustics were great! We were here for a concert. There is campus parking for the events. If there is another event that I like in the future I will attend read more

Cahn Auditorium - Inside - Performing Arts Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Cahn is located on Northwestern University's campus, but it is available for use by outside organizations as well. I have visited here for a performance by Music Theatre Works (at the time known as Light Opera Works), and was pleasantly surprised by my visit. Parking can be a big pain in the ass in a city like Chicago, where I've most often been a patron of various theatrical events, so let's get this out of the way early: Parking is a dream at Cahn! On the weekends, I think it is, it's free and abundant. When I was here the lot directly across the street was already filled, but then again I'm not what one would call overly early (though I'm never late for a performance!), so perhaps it would have been an option if I'd been on the earlier side. Luckily there was parking within a block or two that was easy. The theater is surprisingly large; it's about 1,000 seats and is a proscenium stage. Seats are good throughout the theatre. I think Music Theatre Works now plays out of the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, but if I have the opportunity to attend an event at Cahn Auditorium again I won't hesitate because I know that the space will allow for a great experience. read more

#1 reason I am a fan of Cahn is it is not located downtown ;) #2 reason I am a fan of Cahn, Music Theater Works offer regular productions of good quality out of this venue #3 reason I am a fan of Cahn, it is located on the lovely and picturesque campus of Northwestern University #4 reason I am a fan of Cahn, it is literally within walking distance of downtown Evanston for bev and bites before or after the show Potential cons for some 1) Parking can be a real challenge. Pro tip, use Spothero app ahead of time for worry free parking; or, be sure you already have your Evanston parking app downloaded and setup prior to leaving your house so you can act quickly when you do find that sweet spot that just opened up. True story, took me all of a minute to use Evanston parking app recently. 2) The snacks offered at the theater are rated G, no booze to be found here, save that cocktail for downtown Evanston :) Updated tips from the theater: "You'll be happy to know that we are in the process of reevaluating our concessions, so look for changes in the near future. There is free parking most days after 4pm and most weekends in our parking garage, located at 1847 Campus Drive. This is a short walk away, right by the lake." read more

Cahn Auditorium - Performing Arts Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Richard Thompson concert. Excellent ... acoustics for music was outstanding but lyrics were really hard to understand and for a Richard Thompson concert... that's important. Seats were comfortable and could see the stage clearly from the balcony. Thank you. read more

Just got back from a performance of Joseph. It was fantastic! I was in balcony, but really don't believe there's a bad seat in the house. It's intimate enough to see all the actors faces. I really like how the Music Theatre Works performing cast is recurring as the performers become more familiar. The cast is really world class and after seeing my second performance at Cahn (saw Hunchback earlier in the year). I'm planting my flag, got season tickets. The live orchestra was fantastic and I really like how updated the performance of Joseph is for the audience. I really don't need to jump into the city anymore for quality theatre when Cahn is available. The parking is easier, the restaurants in Evanston are just as good. Looking forward to future performances as well! read more

I really liked this auditorium and would definitely see a band there again. The seats were comfortable and the sound was good. It was very helpful that there was a parking lot just around the corner too! read more

Cahn Auditorium - Performing Arts Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

It's a lovely 1000 seat theater on the Northwestern campus. Contrary to Jenny Y's review, I'm fairly certain it is affiliated with Northwestern, because it must be reserved through the school. I was dropped off for a performance there recently, so I didn't experience any parking challenges, but per the other reviews, it most certainly seems like parking can be a bit of a hassle if you aren't familiar with the area. The Will Call area is off to the left in the front entry when you enter. It can get pretty crowded in the entry once people are in line to pick up their tickets. You can't enter the main lobby without tickets, so get there 30-45 minutes ahead of time so you don't have to wait in that long line. It's a pretty theater and older. The seats are comfy, and there are very clean basement and balcony-level bathrooms. I sat up in the balcony near the center for a show. I had a full view of the theater and the acoustics were stellar--even with an orchestra. Don't hesitate to see a show here! read more

Good sight lines and sound. Comfy seats. Parking was okay, but we got there early. The concert was very good.

A really nice, easy-to-get-to auditorium that hosts great productions. I've only ever seen Music Theatre Works shows here (formerly Light Opera Works) and have loved them all. I highly recommend this venue if your looking for a great production without the big-city hassle. Note ***Summer 2017 construction is terrible. Expect to park in a parking garage and walk to the theatre.*** read more

My sister is a world-famous actress. Did you know that? OK, maybe she isn't world-famous [yet -- although you may have caught her briefly on television a couple times]. But she's an actress. A singer. A dancer. The perfect combination of talent for musicals. And that's what she does -- performs in musicals. I had the chance to see her perform in Light Opera Works' production of Oliver! this past winter season. Cahn Auditorium is the home of Light Opera Works -- a fantastic theater company that puts on about four shows a year. The auditorium is on the Northwestern Campus even though the company isn't affiliated with the university. The day I went, a heavy snow was falling and made the entire campus look like a scene from 1800s England. It was beautiful. On top of that, the snow was only falling in Evanston at the time -- when you left the Evanston area, the snow disappeared. It was like its own magical bubble. Parking was kind of awkward. We arrived super early so we picked up a parking pass ($8) and parked in a little lot a few houses over. Then we walked to the theater from there. I have no idea where the other lots were but they were definitely further away. Or you could just park somewhere in downtown Evanston and walk over. Kind of crummy, especially in winter weather. Thank goodness we were early! I kind of expected more magical 1800s England decor inside but it was rather boring and empty. I remember a lot of blue walls & floors and only one bench in the small, crowded waiting area. (After the show, it was a mad crowded rush of people waiting for performers to come out and taxis.) The theater was pretty, I guess, but it was cold! And my legs were too long for the seats. I was wearing boots with heals and not only were my legs at an awkward angle from the floor being to close to the seats, but the seats in front were too close so I was very squished! At least hugging my legs kept me a little bit warmer. Or maybe it was the elderly lady sitting so close to one side of me that she kept bumping into me without any apologies (in the words of Stephanie Tanner: "How rude!"). We had seats in the balcony -- which is kind of cool because you can see everything. But sitting in the back meant you might get the front of the stage clipped from your view -- and you definitely can't see the orchestra in the pit unless you stand up a bit. If you're sitting in the front of the balcony, you probably have the best seats. Tickets are kind of expensive, but the company has a season-ticket holder program where you can buy tickets for all the year's shows ahead of time at a cheaper rate than if you were to go to each show individually. I don't live in the area, and I'm not really a theater kind of person, but if I was -- I'd probably buy season tickets. The show was phenomenal! It made up for the uncomfortable seating. I'm hoping my sister is in another show here so I can come back. And I'll wear some extra layers to keep my fingers from freezing. read more

See all

Landmark Review: Cozy theater with great shows! I was recently back on Northwestern's campus for the annual Dolphin Show (42nd Street). Seating is very intimate with an excellent view from all seats. Luckily it was not difficult to get tickets to the show. Beside the small seating arrangement, the acoustic setup is perfect. Productions are able to utilize the smaller stage without compromising the broadway show. The only issue was the super long line for the bathroom during intermission. Pro: great seats throughout, friendly staff Cons: small bathroom, no parking next to the auditorium. Hidden gem: Free parking in the southern lot next to Medil School of Journalism at night. read more

Medium-large professional venue for live theatre. Seats are comfortable and well-spaced, and they have booster seats for little kids. The ushers were a little unfriendly (one brushed me out of the way when she went to go restock her programs) but the sound and lighting quality of the performance were pretty good. We found the Music Theatre Works performance we went to see to be pretty lacking in imagination and direction but would certainly come here to see another show by another company if the opportunity arose. read more

Fairly good sized theater venue. I really liked that when I went to purchase my tickets online, I could view the stage from the section that I thinking of purchasing. This really helped my decision making. I didn't end up buying the most expensive and I thought the view to be just fine and the sound was clear. We had seats in the balcony left. Our seats were easy to find with clearly marked aisle and seat numbers. The will call window was a bit slow. It seemed many people were having issues with their orders. We did not. Our tickets were there and waiting for us, just like we ordered. Parking was really our only issue. We had difficulty finding a spot near the theater that would allow us to park for a long enough period of time. Hubby ended up going out during the intermission to feed the meter. read more

Cahn Auditorium is located on Northwestern's campus although it's not affiliated with the university. It's a modest looking venue with only a small sign showing the event, not the typical marquee signs or bright lights. I was here once for a graduation ceremony seated in the middle on main floor, and most recently for a show from Music Theatre Works seated in the balcony. Stage and sound was clear in both sections. The lower priced tickets were for the balcony, and I was originally assigned balcony left, but was able to sneak into front center seats, although it really didn't make a big difference. The rail bar in the balcony does cut off some of the orchestra pit although that's walled off downstairs anyway. Small parking lot if you get there early enough, however, I had no issues finding street parking within a couple blocks. read more

Wow. This place is awful, lying and racist. I, a Native American woman, called yesterday to ask about the content of the Music Theatre Works' Peter Pan. I planned on taking my family--small children included--to see the play. I know that the Disney version is quite racist (the song "What Makes the Red Man Red") and so I called to make sure that I wasn't going to something that would 1-make us all feel bad and 2-continue to normalize the dehumanization of Native Peoples. The woman on the phone swore up and down that this was not the case and that the "Indians" from the original play had been changed to "Flower People". A complete lie. They used the word Indian repeatedly and talked about scalping over and over. I am beyond disappointed. In today's political climate we should not be perpetuating this kind of ignorance and hurtfulness, especially in a community as diverse and liberal as the North Shore. This is a kid's play and I am appalled at the fact that the company and theatre had the opportunity to change this and be on the right side of history, and they were not. They also had the chance to be truthful and up front on the phone but they were not. Cahn and Music Theatre Works, I am absolutely disgusted, disappointed and above all hurt. Not only as a Navajo woman, but as a human being. read more

A friend of mine was performing in Light Opera Works' "Pirates of Penzance" which was housed here. The entrance isn't all that flashy and except for a few small light boxes out front I might have missed it entirely. It doesn't help that it's placed square in the middle of Northwestern college land. It does have a neat old-fashioned feel to it however and I am a sucker for some ivy covered brick (even if the ivy has no leaves since it's -20 degrees outside). The front lobby is a bit cramped, especially since no one seemed to want to move to allow others to enter the doors. They also don't have a coat check, which is VERY inconvenient during these harsh Chicago winters. Trying to find room for a heavy coat, along with the gloves and hat shoved inside them, not to mention a purse while in a dress and heels in a tiny aisle, well, let's just say it's not the best. We were lucky it wasn't snowing so there wasn't water all over the floor. As such, we just stuffed our coats on the floor between us. Thankfully no one needed to get by to get to the restrooms. Ah, yes, the restrooms; always important to mention. Our seats were center balcony so naturally we would use the upstairs restroom. Prior to the show there wasn't a line and they were clean enough. During intermission, however, the line was atrocious upstairs. As we were heading to the main floor in search of swords and eye patches, the discovery of the basement restrooms was made. This location had several more stalls, but was a bit on the messy side. However, the toilets themselves were tidy so I was happy. The one thing all of my companions and I could agree on is that this theatre is HOT. I mean, sweaty uncomfortable hot. I understand that many of the patrons are seniors and that as you get older blood flow isn't as great as it used to be, but by the gods it was a sauna. We thought it was hot during the first half of the show, but the second half was almost unbearable. They need to tone it down a bit...or offer free hand fans. Jeez. Sound and lighting quality, however, were fantastic. I was really impressed with what such a small theatre managed in that regard. The performance also included accompaniment by a 32 piece orchestra, which was spectacular. As for parking, we did manage to find a decently close spot. Light Opera Works sent out emails detailing where there was available parking, which is good because there aren't any signs directing people where to go. The lot we parked in was only available on the weekends, so I'm not sure where people would go for weekday performances. Overall, a good place to see a play...just dress in layers so you can strip down. read more

It's the home of Light Opera Works, a superb company dedicated to classics of the musical stage and operettas. They are NOT affiliated with the surrounding Northwestern University, even though there may be the occasional student in the cast. Most of the casts tend to be super talented and seasoned professionals -- many great singers of this genre. LOW also makes excellent use of the stage for their fabulously designed sets. As this is a review of the location rather than the theater company (or any one of their productions), no need to go into detail about how much we enjoyed this night's performance of "Man of La Mancha" or previously delightful productions of "Oklahoma!" or "Pirates of Penzance." Much has already been written here about the parking challenge of the neighborhood. But compared to any other legitimate theater neighborhood in the Chicago area, we've always found it feasible and NOT impossible. You are advised to arrive here early to get a spot on the street (read all restricting signs!!) or in the small lot across the street from the Cahn. Two blocks west of the auditorium, there are usually some unrestricted spots on the street. Inside, the majority of the space is given over to the audience seating and stage. We've always sat on the main floor where sight lines are all excellent. Never been up in the balcony. The lobby is old-fashioned and cramped. Not a place to hang around in for too long. I've never explored the bathrooms or sought out refreshments, so nothing I can say about either of those. When the show ends, rather than wading through the lines going out to the crowded lobby, use the fire exits that deposit you right out to the sidewalk on Emerson St. There are no alarms on these doors. read more

My boyfriend and I were here recently for a student performance. The performance itself was more terrible than it was good. We made the mistake of going to a variety-type show where rather than be competitive teams, the acts seemed to let anyone join them, so the performers and performances ranged greatly in quality. Regarding the theater itself, whoever was running the lighting kept making mistakes. The most noticeable one was that s/he kept turning on the house lights when they meant to turn up the stage lights. This happened at least five times. Even if a student was working the lights, I would think a staff member would be there to oversee the student and keep him/her from repeatedly making the same obnoxious mistake. That's why I see the lighting issue as a problem with the theater and not just the performance. The theater itself is compact and it looks like balcony seats might be decent. The seats are comfortable and there was a large orchestra pit. The lobby is uninteresting, offers very little seating, and there wasn't a drink/food bar. Strangely, I didn't see any posters or forms of advertising for other shows at the theater. To find the building, it's across the street from the campus buildings. Make sure you get off at the correct stop, since our bus driver wasn't even aware of the street name. :-/ read more

This is a beautiful, historic theater in the art deco style. If you want a throwback to the deco era, there isn't a bad seat in the house. There are about 1000 seats so there were many choices for seating when I called to get tickets. This theater building dose not self produce, but hosts shows are from a variety of theaters such as Light Opera Works and Northwestern's large scale productions. Mostly I've seen musicals and operas produced in Cahn. If you want to find out what will be playing there, I recommend looking on the Light Opera Works or Northwestern websites (http://www.light-opera-works.org or http://www.music.northwestern.edu/calendar/). When I recently attended Iolanthe, the audience age was mixed and everyone seemed to enjoy the show. The only complaint I heard over the mumble of the intermission crowd was about the parking. I got there early enough to park in the small lot across from the theatre, but it was a very small lot of about 40 parking spots. Also, Emerson is a one way street which made it tricky to even get to that lot. There are other lots available, but they take some pre-planning to get to. Here is a link to a useful map I used to find parking before I came (http://www.light-opera-works.org/directions.html). I highly recommend attending Cahn Auditorium productions, they have always been wonderful. read more

8/23/18: Chalk up another win for this gem of a theater located NOT in downtown--or any part of town--Chicago but up in Northwestern's back yard on Sheridan Rd. in Evanston. Today I witnessed a modern day theater miracle as an uber-talented cast & crew (take another bow, Music Theater Works!) breathed new life into the 1934 musical and Cole Porter classic Anything Goes. The acting and dancing and singing, the choreography and set design, the music (a full orchestra, no less), ALL of it . . . absolutely smashing! The sheer quantity and quality of talent exhibited by the Music Theater Works company is truly stunning -- a joy to behold. This latest success by MTW makes it two-in-a-row in my book, as it comes on the heels of an incredibly fun and entertaining rendition of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. Caught that one, too, and loved it. Another top-quality performance. TIPS: Great views from all around but definitely avoid the balcony's 1st row, Row A--nasty railing. Also, reasonable, safe indoor parking can be had at the public parking garage just 1 1/2 blocks directly south. Hmmm...looks like I'm hooked on this place for a while. : ) read more