What a gem! I pass the Oil Lamp Theater all the time, but never went. Purchased tickets for The…read moreOutsider during Chicago Theater Week and so glad I did! We are excited to attend more shows. When you first walk in, you're greeted by a hostess. There's a full service bar and various seating spots you can enjoy before and after the show and during intermission. The theater is cozy with 60 seats. They are moving across the street to a larger space, former Country Cobbler. Fun fact, I used to get my shoes there when I was a child. They are currently fundraising for the transformation. Check out their website to learn more. The Outsider was hilarious. The actors really brought this play to life. During this divisive political climate we are currently in, it was a refreshing perspective of politics and government. Everyone laughed throughout the entire show. I highly recommend checking The Outsiders out!!

I have never been to the Oil Lamp Theater before, but my parents treated the entire family to a…read moreshowing of It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play to cross it off of my bucket list. The parking was a little crowded for a Sunday night so my father dropped us off at the door and parked the car while we ventured inside. We got the warmest greeting from the person behind the desk who gave us instructions on how we could write our own shout outs to be read by the cast. (Probably more relevant to the patrons of the theater than the building itself, but they were a range of hilarious, heartwarming, and professionally personal!) There were free cookies available as well as a full bar menu. I don't drink so I always scope out the non-alcoholic options and I could have gotten a can of Diet Coke for $2--not bad! I did see that they did offer a curated drink that matched the show as well. I appreciate when small details like that are accounted for! I personally did not use the bathroom, but multiple members of our party did and I did not hear any complaints. The theater itself was very small, but it made sense for the show that we were attending? I am deathly curious (Pun not intended) to see how they will pull off Dial M for Murder in that space. I saw it in Oakbrook on a sprawling stage so my brain couldn't fathom how that would work. Anyhoo! Back to what I actually DID see. Again, the set worked for the show that we did see. It had a cool foley studio like I imagine radio stations did back in the day. My favorite contraption was the one that spun with a handle to sound like wind! So cool! The seats were black, plastic, chairs which I did not mind because I have proper posture. I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point during the 2 hour show. My grandma is shorty and had a hard time seeing at times, but luckily a radio play is more about what you hear over what you see. For your reference when picking seats, the the first row of every pair is the front row of another level. So Row A and Row B share a platform if that makes sense. Overall, I had a wonderful time (Again, pun not intended) and I signed up for the mailing list in the hopes that I can support again soon!

Attended a production of Fiddler on the Roof here and I was pleasantly surprised. The setup of the…read moretheatre makes it so that no seat is really super far away from the stage and even the the left and right sections don't really skew your view too much although at times staging on the extreme edges might not be visible. The seats were a good size with better legroom than what I've seen as some other local community theatres. The building itself is setup nicely for hosting shows, with fairly wide hallways, furniture, and a good amount of restroom facilities. The production here that I watched was done better than average, with a good amount of costume and set changes that were designed fairly well. The sound was a good volume and in general the microphone volume management was pretty good, with only a few lines that were inaudible. The singing and dancing by the cast were also done quite well, with leads that performed their parts impressively. Overall, nice place to enjoy a show with reasonable prices and a nice community feel.

I went to the Northbrook Theater to watch their production of Fiddler on the Roof. This was a great…read moreproduction. The sound and stage, and scenery were all very high quality. The actors were tremendous. I think they will be ready for Broadway soon. I highly recommend Northbrook Theater. I can't wait to go back and see another show!

Nice clean, open theater for performances. The seats were decent - we at box seats to the right…read more Ticket prices were somewhat high for the type of venue and we had to get tickets through Ticketmaster so there are the extra fees involved. Called the box office and they were of no help in buying tickets for will call. We saw One Night in Memphis on Nov. 23. The performers were good, dedicated to playing their artists. The bad part of the theater? The sound - they cranked up the instruments and we could barely hear the performers sing. I felt bad for the performers trying to be heard over the drums and electric bass. Another downside was the lack of the ushers and staff with seating. It didn't seem to matter much where people sat as long as no one complains. Not sure this is good for honest people who pay for decent seats. When we got to our seats there was a couple already sitting in our seats. They claimed that the box office sent them to our seats because they got kicked out of their balcony seats. Without having an usher nearby, we had to take care of it ourselves. They begrudgingly moved to the next set of free seats in the box grumbling about how they should have stayed in their seats. The people with tickets to their relocated seats showed up and the balcony couple again claimed they were placed there by the box office because they were told to leave their balcony seats. They were finally moved by an usher. I noticed them sitting across the theater in the empty box seats, not balcony. I guess no one checks tickets. They must be pros knowing not to pay $75+ a ticket, but to pay a lot less for balcony and sit in premium seats because no one will check. Other than this irritating situation, the show was okay. Parking was easy and free which was nice. Overall, I think we'd be back only if there was a performer we must see, but we will not be paying for main or box seating prices. It's a small theater.

Clean and módem and parking lot. They sell snacks and drinks and have many typed of entertainment…read morehere like today they had the Red hot Chili Pipers ... Scottish bagpipers playing contemporary music and also music they wrotes.

I had a ton of fun watching a cover band here. Don't expect a mosh pit, the crowd runs a bit…read moreolder - ha. But everyone was in to it and having fun. The staff there were nice and knew what they were doing. I heard there was a speakeasy there but I didn't go upstairs to see it

This is a pretty nice venue! They've put in lots of work to restore this old theater and it shows…read more Seats are comfortable, decent leg room. Plenty of food and beverages to choose from. The service is fast and friendly too. Prices are not too bad either. About on par with other similar venues. There's a speakeasy two floors up, but we didn't check it out yet. I feel the sound could be better, but I know that's subjective and could be due to many variables. Anyway, check this place out! I think you'll like it.

My youtube obsessed daughter somehow discovered City Kid Theatre's "make your own youtube video"…read moreclass. I looked into it and noticed she was a few years too young (starts at 9 years old), but instead sold her on a "make your own music video" party here instead. After chatting with Kerry on the phone I booked it, but when I brought my daughter to check it out she was beyond excited about this magical little theatre. There's not much to the place besides a stage and a small room next to it (which they use as the party room), but it's so incredibly charming. Kerry showed my daughter videos of parties they've done in the past and their costume closet....and she started counting down the days til her party. The party arrived and it didn't disappoint. The party planner in me can't help, but go all out when it comes to my kids birthday parties so we've had some amazing ones thru the years, but this one may have just been my favorite. The girls danced, sang (karaoke style), played freeze dance, ate and celebrated my daughter's bday. While all the girls had a great time, I think Kerry did a really great job of making the birthday party girl feel so special. I've never seen her smile so big especially when they put her in a large birthday cake costume. Because apparently the only thing better than eating birthday cake is wearing it. Since we were making a music video to "Shake it Off" (my daughter's pick) I hired Taylor Swift to stop by the party with the help of Melissa's Royal Princesses. The party would have been amazing without Taylor, but think she was the icing on the cake that make it extra special for a bunch of starstruck 2nd grade girls. A week later we received our video, which you can view below. It's an amazing keepsake that I know my daughter & her friends will treasure for a long time. The lighting itself could have been better on the video, but everything else was the perfect way to celebrate turning 8. I highly recommend for a bday party (good space for up to 20ish kids) and I look forward to checking out their other theatre programs in the future. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQQXXFACQYc&feature=youtu.be

Kerry is great with kids and it shows after each round of classes! Had my daughters birthday party…read morehere and it was a blast!

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've attended this show twice now and really enjoyed it both times. It's always a great experience…read more He takes time to thank everyone for coming and even asks how you heard about the show, which makes it feel very personal and welcoming. He's genuinely nice and engaging. I plan to come at least once a year. I also love having a local, neighborhood option instead of having to go downtown to see similar acts.

Delightful and intimate theater on the north suburbs of Chicago in Skokie. My wife and I are big…read moretheater goers and typically go downtown: to our delight we are pleased that we have a great option going the opposite direction of wherr we normally go! A couple things I like about the theatre is that there is not a bad seat in the house! You can see anything and hear everything. The attention to detail on the sets make it seem very immersive for the audience. Parking is incredibly easy here! If you need to make it a night on town plenty of options to eat at right by including Old Orchard mall.

We were very pleased with our visit to the Northlight Theatre. We didn't know it was there until…read morethey advertised a concert we wanted to see. The space is very nice and the acoustics from the stage were very good. The show was excellent, too. The rows are very narrow. If you need to pass someone to get to your seat, it is very difficult to navigate. So, if you have difficulty walking or with balance, you will want to ensure you get a seat at the end of a row. Also, if you are in the row and someone needs to pass, be prepared to push yourself back into the seat so they can get by you. The seats could also be more comfortable. I don't have back problems but was uncomfortable by the end of the show. That won't be a deterrence when they have something scheduled we are interested in. I'll take a back pillow to be sure of comfort, but the caliber of the space is great and, as long as we can be comfortable, this is a great theater (theatre).

Tutu school is open in Glenview! We have been here couple of times. Once was for a preview class…read morebefore their official opening, which was mixed ages, since it wasn't an official class and was just kind of giving a sample of what some of the classes look like. A couple days ago we went for our first official class, Tutu Toddlers. I think my newly-minted two year old really had a lot of fun. She was shy at first--for like three minutes--then got a lot more involved. She's still learning to listen to instructions so she and some of the other kids on the young end of 2 were kinda doing their own thing for some of the time, but she followed along for more than I expected. They use several props in the class for fun and to help small children with movement and expression. My daughter wasn't super fond of giving up the props each time but thankfully the curriculum is well designed to keep them active and moving to the next segment of class and it was quite quickly forgotten. They played with wands, ribbons, and marched with teddy bears. There was story time, with dance interspersed that aligned with the story. There were bubbles, which is a favorite of about every child this age that I know, and even a time for coloring at the end. The space is beautiful. For this age range the parents are expected to be on the dance floor with their children, but for older ages that are more independent there's a lot of seating for parents to hang out. I'm excited we joined Tutu School. They have a couple of the Tutu Toddler classes and may continue adding more options as they grow. The staff we've met, as well as the owner, have been very friendly. Their expertise and good spirits are great for this kind of work and I love getting to see my babe play and dance and learn. #2200 - July 22, 2025

From the owner: Now Open!!…read more Children's ballet classes from 6 months to 8 years old. We exist to make space in children's lives for confident creativity and the pure joy that comes from finding oneself in music and movement. We believe every child should know what it feels like to dance to the strains of Tchaikovsky and Bach, that motor skill development is infinitely enhanced by moving like a bunny rabbit, dolphin, or horse, and that young imaginations benefit immensely from exploring the enchanted worlds of swans and sugar plums, of firebirds and fairies.

This is a pretty decent-sized festival for the burbs. It has the typical carnival rides on the side…read moreand food tents setup that you usually see in suburban festival. I decided to check it out after a Northbrookian (or is it "Northbrook-ite"?) kept saying how awesome it was and that he so far went on the previous two days. Most be good, I though, eh? I have to agree that it was pretty good. The weather was perfect on Sunday and its right next to the Metra stop so there was parking that was really close by. So unlike other suburban festivals that are held in residential parks (think Arlington Heights Frontier Days) you don't have to take a tour of the neighborhood and drive around in circles looking for somewhere to park. The food there was decent and "festival priced" -- the currency there is tickets, tickets, tickets and they were selling 1-ticket for 50cents. I got the beef brisket sammich at some BBQ place called TK's which was awesome, and I shall "bookmark". This place showcased a lot of Northbrook restaurants that I shall try out in the near future. My forgetful memory entails that I'll need to lookup the names again :-/ Overall, a decent-sized festival that is worth checking out if you're in the burbs.

Rides, games, music, food, people That IS NB days fest. Located in downtown Northbrook, the village…read moregreen turns into a huge carnival area with food/game/ride vendors plus a large stage area with live music. The kids love it, big enough to have fun, small enough to still be some what contained. Rides can get expensive, they used to have a band deal but not sure what the current status of that is. This event fires up on a Wednesday in late July and soldiers on through until Sunday evening.

In my first visit to Writer's Theater I had a very bad experience. Knowing I'd be late arriving, my…read morepartner who had already arrived told the front desk I was on my way, and they printed out a ticket for me to hold at the desk. I arrived about 5 minutes after the start and was told that my seat had been given away to someone on the waiting list, even though my seat was paid for and reserved. After a long and drawn out discussion, wasting about 15 minutes of performance time, and a wishy washy promise that they might be able to seat me somewhere, they finally said they could seat me in - lo and behold - my original seat. I have no plan to return there!

Came here for Pearls Rollin Blues in the John Nichols theater. Wow a nice intimate space. Seats…read morewere comfortable and lots of legroom. The show was good. My only issue was it didn't seem like there was a sound engineer. The mikes were all at the same level so when Pearl was singing, some of the back up were too loud and you lost some of the words. The musicians were fabulous and the conductor/piano player was outstanding.