I went to watch Les Miserables by Schaumburg On Stage as I'd recently missed the national tour in…read moredowntown Chicago. Realizing that Drury Lane and Paramount had done their version a few years back and Marriott Theatre had done it a bit before that, I wanted to watch a live version in case I can't make the next big stop in Milwaukee. I watch quite a bit of theatre, both professional and amateur. Not sure why, but until this show -- I wasn't aware of Schaumburg on Stage which has been around since 2016. To my surprise, the quality of the production was similar in quality to other highly acclaimed groups like the District 214 all-district group (which recently did The Wedding Singer). Here were my thoughts on various aspects of the show: Staging: It really surprised me how many sets were used in the show and how they were fully functional. They were designed and painted well and items were hardly reused. They also did a very good job of quickly changing sets to make sure the showtime was kept to a reasonable length. Vocals: Two things I like about this. One is how they kept the complex harmonies -- which worked great in group songs. The overall balance lacked baritone and bass voices, but that's expected with younger actors. I also liked how they did not shy away from the challenge of the very high notes for male or female leads. They could have easily changed the key, but it's great to see them embrace the challenge. Orchestra: A bit smaller, not sure if it's due to space limitations or that's the way the school version is written. A bit more reliant on piano and common woodwind/string instruments than the full version. I did like how they played at a level not to overpower the vocals. Lighting and fog: I liked all the varieties of lights used. Not just in general stage lighting from the top, but also from lights on the side and spotlights. There were quite a bit of variations on lighting, which helped to tell the story. I did not like the excessive use of stage fog though, which tended to linger for more than a single scene. Overall, a great group to watch a show from. It's much better than the typical amateur group and prices are very reasonable. It's also great how they incorporate actors and actresses from all different ages and help them to build interest in theatre. Based on the quality of this performance, I can't wait to watch another show when they get a new digital microphone system.

The experienced people at SOS really see the value and potential in each kid. They are like family…read morein that they really connect and care, but they also hold the kids to a high standard and help them achieve it. This is definitely a step up from park district community theater in both production quality and experience.

I had the pleasure of viewing a Mystery Shop Murder Mystery performance and was extremely…read moreimpressed. The owner, Mary, instantly put the guests at ease with her welcoming and disarming ways. I did not know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find how cleverly orchestrated the entire event was. The actors were professional and played their characters wonderfully well. The audience was encouraged to engage with the actors (in character, of course) to try and sleuth out the killer and The Mystery Shop staff was expert at laying out the clues for us to find and deduce who the killer was and why. The whole thing was done with such poise and taste that it could easily have been enjoyed by the whole family and in fact, I think the show we saw was suitable for children of junior high age and above. I will be searching for an occasion and excuse to have a party just so I can hire the Mystery Shop and have this enjoyable experience again... Perhaps a child's birthday party or maybe an adult New Year's Eve?

Very good program. Hired the Mystery Shop for a cub scout event and they put on a great show. Age…read moreappropriate, engaging, relevant, and family friendly! Mary was great to work with. Everyone was very nice and very professional. Started on time and ended on time. Tons of fun for the whole family!

I love this place! The prices are reasonable so that you can see all season…read more The theater is not very big. Even if you are in the last row you can see well. The plays are family friendly. They usually do 1 "children's" play such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang each season. The theater is non profit. The cast is all volunteer. Do not let that affect what you think. The plays are wonderful. I just saw Tuesdays with Morrie last night. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. If you have not been to one of the plays before...well, you are missing a good show.

This venue is a hidden gem . Local theatre company with exceptional talent, costumes, set design…read more Family affordable and clean and friendly and just a joy ! Don't pass up if you have a chance to see a show here ! No regrets ever !

Another year, another Itasca Fest…read more We live minutes from the Itasca border, so getting here is a breeze. And so is parking -- though you do have to be willing to walk a block or two. But downtown Itasca is lovely. I think most people, if they drove through this little village of 8,300 people, would not expect very big happenings. But Itasca Fest is pretty impressive for the size of the town. Free admission, and there's a huge carnival, a big tent set up with plenty of tables for noshing at and a stage with live entertainment, bingo, a rummage sale, educational events for the kids (including interacting with wild animals) and of course plenty of greasy food to go around. Last year, there was a super-cool NASA trailer set up where you could play with various gadgets and learn about life in a spaceship. Honestly, I enjoyed it as much as the kid with us did. Unfortunately, no NASA trailer this year. Still, four stars for a solidly good time nearby and on the cheap.

Considering the majority of my big fat Italian family lives in Itasca, it's shocking that this was…read moremy first time here. And let's be honest, I came for the Bingo. We started here on Sunday night, the last night of the fest. Bingo is run by the Lyons Club and they do a great job of keeping the natives restless while having some personality. The guy working our row was awesome, was so friendly. Cards are 3 for a dollar and my dreams were crushed when I saw they were the sliders and not the stamp kind of cards. I was really looking forward to having a big purple stamper to dot up my cards. Each round of Bingo could win somewhere between $50-$70 but alas, I didn't have any luck. The final round was a cover-all game and cards were $1 each. The jackpot for that final round was above the $200 mark. In order to entertain us before the final round (and possibly because it was the last night of the fest, we were able to get as many free drinks as we wanted before the last game). I spent about $13 total on an hour of Bingo, which I don't consider to be too much of a loss. Did I really just write about Bingo for a full paragraph? Back to the fest. They have about 8-10 vendors for food including local restaurants. Rides are plentiful here, I couldn't even guess how many. Upwards of a dozen? Games were also not scarce, and they had all the classic games. I ended up winning myself a stuffed monkey. It's what every 29 year old adult female needs. I can only compare Itasca fest to Bartlett fest or Naperville's Rib Fest. I would probably prefer Itasca fest over both because it has WAY more games and rides than Bartlett, and isn't as crowded as Rib Fest. It's a new summer tradition.

I came here for a magic show with a group of friends on a Friday. Overall, good facility! There's a…read moresmall parking lot for patrons nearby, which was nice. Bartenders were friendly. Bathrooms were clean. It was cold, but that's typical of buildings in the summer. I'd come back!

What's life without a little magic! We came by to see a show on a Sunday afternoon and we're able…read moreto enjoy the Physician's show. When you walk in there is a bar and some tables but through the double doors, you'll find a 2nd bar with a speakeasy feel. When we checked in, we were assigned our tables. We ordered drinks before hand and the drinks were brought to our tables. We also ordered the pimento cheese and crackers. We snacked on the crackers most of the show as there was quite a bit of pimento in the bowl. The show was great and was broken into 2 parts. There were a lot of great metaphors along with it being a very interactive show with the crowd. Many of the tricks and magic left us in complete awe. We can't wait to come back and see future shows!

We've been a part of the Center Stage / Aspire family for 12 years…read more Amazing teachers ! Amazing choreography ! Awesome staff ! The confidence and technique she has gained throughout the years shows in her dancing. Our daughter has made life long friends here, and loves the teachers like family. And lets not forget that Center Stage / Aspire had the #1 dance out of 2000 routines at the 2021 Starz Nationals !

My son is a member of the special needs troupe!!!! Miss Candi is Amazing. This school is a well…read moreorganized machine. My son has made some great friends and has had the opportunity to perform in the community and show his moves!!!! I highly recommend this dance school!

School of Rock has been a fantastic place for my kids to learn music. All of the instructors are…read moresupportive, enthusiastic, and great with kids with a variety of educational needs and challenges. The program has exposed my kids to a variety of music they might never have listened to otherwise and helped them learn about the history and foundations of rock, jazz, metal, and pop. I think the focus on performance has helped to keep them from plateauing and given them something concrete to work toward. They're also able to work on personal projects and goals with instructors. Eric, Cyndi, Brandy, and Kyle are very warm and welcoming. I've talked the most to Eric and Cyndi--you can tell they really care about the families of School of Rock. They've also been very understanding of the fact that our family had a really rough winter/spring and sometimes practice fell by the wayside. Mathieu has been an absolute inspiration to my daughter. He's helped her lean into her strengths while nudging her into improving her weaknesses. Ian has the patience and good humor of a saint because my son is not an easy kid to teach. Somehow Ian has figured out a good approach that has encouraged my son to try difficult things without the kind of pressure that makes him dig in his heels. Every performance director they've had has been super encouraging, even when the going gets tough. Johnny, their most recent director, was just the nicest guy even when the kids were struggling. I'm really glad we gave School of Rock a try. It's been a meaningful and positive addition to our lives and I'm grateful for the kids' experiences there.

I couldn't be happier with the service and staff. My student can read music, play music and perform…read moremusic. If your child is dedicated to music, this is the place for them, because they are dedicated to their students. Staff is fun, intelligent, kind and nurturing. The other kids are very accepting of each other. They're all friends. Super enthusiastic and proud to be a part of this community. The music is so much fun and their shows are phenomenal. So much better than a little recital here or there.

We came for Thursday night Comedy & Karaoke. We stayed for the fun atmosphere, great crowd, drinks…read moreand tasty food. Good music too. The back room with stage is a cozy and festive area. It makes for an intimate setting and fun way to create community with the audience and performers. Parking can be a pain, but free by the train parking. We look forward to more fun nights. The staff and servers and wonderful.

The sound was awful. It was almost painful to sit there . And I'm pretty sure it was not the band's…read moreproblem since both bands had the same problem. I thought I paid enough where I shouldn't have to listen to audio feedback for 3 hours. Every 5 seconds there is another screech. For this alone, I'll probably never come here again. Food was great. The service was good. The bands were talented. We just couldn't hear them.

Nice comfortable seats. Big screen and good audio and very good popcorn, plus a senior discount,…read morecan't get any better than that.

I was in the area and decided to see the new Mj movie . This theatre is dirty ! Probably won't be…read moreback here!

Awesome party band! LOTS of FUN!read more

From the owner: Audience Participation! Crowd Enthusiasm! Event Success! Bandaroke - Live Band Karaoke is the live…read moremusic event service that inspires audience participation and crowd enthusiasm for your Corporate and Private Events. Bandaroke has been entertaining corporate event crowds and private functions for over 10 years in the Chicago-area as a way to enable music and singing enthusiasts of all levels of ability to sing, play, or dance with a live rock band. We will entertain and provide a good time for that 25-year old alternative introvert IT worker as well as that 60-year old classic rock exec. We are also an all-request cover and dance band and your group can choose from our over 500 songs to listen and dance to their favorite tunes.