Provocative and intense... Chicago artists at their best... A community event That stitches…read moretogether the soul of the city!

From the owner: True Muse's Second Sunday Salon Series is a monthly live performance and art exhibition at The…read morePrint Shop in Humboldt Park. Join us for live music, spoken word, art, photography, original films, dance, readings, creative workshops and great conversation. Enjoy wine and cheese and other light bites at our events. Learn about Chicago based creators and build community with us.

Short but sweet review - the experiences we've had at the Chicago Theater have always been…read moreconsistently good. This time was no different. My last review still stands. We arrived on time, were seated, and the concert started on time. The acoustics are great and our seats were in a good spot. We used their concession stand to get water and snacks - because we bought our tickets and paid for the concessions using a Chase card, we were given a big discount - nice. We'll continue to go to the Chicago theater when they have shows we want to see. It's a great theater and a wonderful experience.

I have been to the Chicago Theatre several times for concerts and have had experiences in all of my…read morevisits. It's an iconic Chicago landmark for catching live events. I like its ornate décor, the stadium style seats set-up which offers good stage view, the acoustics, and the overall aesthetics of this venue which makes it an ideal place to watch live events. On my recent (late June 2026) visit to see The Human League, Soft Cell, and Alison Moyet for the Generations tour, overall, I had a good experience. There were couple of issues that we had such as lack of cool air circulation inside the auditorium (it was hot and sweaty) and a couple of people standing throughout the show to dance, blatantly blocking other peoples' view and not caring about being inconsiderate and uncourteous to people behind them to which the theatre ushers had no problem with it. Otherwise, I have not had issues at this venue. So, 4.5 stars but rounded up to five. I look forward to going back here.

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!

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.

I enjoyed the show quite a bit! Note that they have a metal detector situation at the door and a…read moretwo drink minimum. They had several comedians come on stage, and a host comedian who introduced each act. The comedians were funny and it was a great time! If you don't want to be picked on by the comedians, then don't sit in the front row!

3-4 out of the 7 comedians were decent or better. Tickets were cheap at $25/piece but the 2 drink…read moreminimum is stupid. Just include it in the price of the ticket. My wife and I don't drink but we ended up spending $50+ on mocktails which was about the same as the tickets and was an unexpected surprise. Stupid policy. The chairs are also very uncomfortable. Try to get a booth - they looked comfier.

Had such a fun night at The Second City! my cheeks hurt from laughing the whole night! I loved…read morebeing able to had good and drink served right to our table!

had such a fun experience at The Second City! We started the night with dinner and drinks at 1959…read moreKitchen & Bar, and the food was really good. Then we headed to see Reality Detox: The Improv Experience, which was seriously so funny! I also loved that we could do dinner, drinks, and a comedy show all in one place, it made for such a fun and easy night out. Definitely recommend checking out The Second City if you're looking for something fun to do in Chicago!

This theatre is a welcome alternative to its larger-scale counterparts in the Loop. It is smaller…read moreand newer, so it has modern amenities, for whatever it lacks in old-school grandeur. Location is excellent, right next to/under Water Tower Place. Please be aware that parking underneath this building is feasible, but only a few doors are open at Water Tower Place after hours, and there are no signs or pieces of helpful info to alert you to this. It gets a bit crowded, nothing serious, but I think I went to a show on a night when few people had any spatial awareness...you say "excuse me" and nobody sees fit to move...weird! The bar lines seemed pretty long, but the bathroom lines were quick. There are multiple entrances to the women's bathroom, so it was a bit of an awkward "zipper merge" that we all laughed about, but this could've been planned better. None of that is enough to take stars away, because the overall experience is amazing. While watching Titanique (a hilarious, unhinged, brilliant parody-style musical), my friend and I found our seats comfortable and with easy sight lines. We are both very short, but our view was not blocked one bit! The stadium seating here is very intentionally done, so it's hard have a bad view. When you're short, it is rare to have this, so I really appreciated it. Also, the theatre is small enough, so even from "far away," you still feel close to the action!

Intimate and well layed out theatre my first time here aaay from the theatre district . Kelly and…read moreHyde was very well performed , excellent actors with beautiful performances na voices . I highly recommend watching this musical !!

OMG! SO not what we were expecting, but so much more! We saw Romeo & Juliet--but what we saw was…read morenot the traditional play but a very modernized, highly sexualized (in the best, funniest, way) performance, based upon the basics of Shakespeare's most well-known tragedy. Let's put it this way--fight scenes were conducted with dild*** instead of swords, the language was VERY blue, with many references of LGBTQ orientation--and we laughed so hard through the WHOLE thing that my face hurt afterward. I could not recommend this experience enough for people with open minds and hearts. The venue is very small and intimate--three rows of benches--so you almost feel like you're part of the performance. If you pay for the top tier ticket, you're in the front row, and may actually BECOME part of the performance in a small way. As for refreshments, you use QR codes on your benches to order beverages delivered directly to you throughout the show, and they offer seasoned nuts or popcorn if you want something to munch on.

Fun time with the girlfriends! The drinks were strong and we had a great time with lots of laughs…read more The audience all seemed to have a great time too. To be honest though, if you don't recall the original play's plot, you're gonna get lost as it goes WAY off the plot lol

Dennis Watkins' The Magic Parlour -- Chicago…read more What a fantastic experience. If you're looking for something different to do in Chicago, put The Magic Parlour on your list. I'm a hobby magician myself, so I went into the show knowing that sometimes you can recognize the basic principles behind certain effects. But honestly, it doesn't matter. Dennis Watkins is an incredible magician and entertainer, and seeing the show up close is a completely different experience. The show is intimate, funny, entertaining, and incredibly well performed. You're close enough to see everything, which somehow makes it even more impossible. And here's my advice: Don't be the person who spends the entire show trying to figure out how every trick is done. I know you're going to do it anyway. I did too. But at some point, just sit back, enjoy the performance, and let yourself be fooled. That's part of the fun. Even as a hobby magician, I thought it was an amazing show. The combination of magic, storytelling, audience interaction, and Dennis's personality makes for a really memorable Chicago experience. Five stars. Go see it, have a drink, relax, and let the magician do his job. Small bonus out we had the VIP tickets. My wife was very awesome. It's a little intimate setting you get about another 20 to 30 minutes of Magic. Dennis asked for questions you have any doesn't really amazing magic and you get a free drink with a VIP ticket. Recommended but not required.

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!

I saw "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" at the Trap Door earlier this year and it was one of the…read morefinest pieces of ensemble acting I've seen in Chicago. Trap Door is a hidden treasure of which you should not deprive yourself. Like all good storefront theater, the stage is tiny, the seating limited, the experience intense. Plus, there can (will?) be wine.

Treefall! small and elegant theater! On Thursday night!…read moreActors try their best to show how struggle the life should be without mom! They are yelling more but it's how they should perform. Very nice place. I like it!

It had probably been a decade since I last caught a show here. When I saw actor Gary Cole was…read morecoming to town, I grabbed a friend and said let's catch his show! Tickets are easy to purchase from the Steppenwolf website. As this is a smaller, intimate theater, really not a bad seat in the house. Pricing is affordable. They allow drinks purchased there to be brought into the theater. They have 2 bars and a small snack area for treats. Bathrooms are gender neutral stalls. Parking is either street parking (if you feel like driving around to snag a spot), their paid lot, or I recommend using park whiz app to find a garage a couple of blocks away. It is also near CTA. I find the history of Steppenwolf to be interesting. (A great ensemble cast) Check them out!

I recently lost my Mom and after seeing The Movement You Need, a part of me felt healed. Brendan…read moretook all the bad shit that could have weighed him down and reframed it as lampposts in his story of how his love for the Beatles was fueled by his love for his parents. It all connects. I laughed. I cried. I snorted from laughing. What a gorgeous interpretation! The Steppenwolf theater had wide aisles (so really you don't even have to get up when others are passing by to get to their seats). There's lots of restaurants around there to dine before the show or grab a drink after!