I know of a few theaters in the suburbs, but Big Noise isn't one I had heard of until the last year…read morewhen they had a table at a Park Ridge community event. Apparently they started as a theatre in Winnetka, and when their theatre space there was under renovation they made their way to Des Plaines and decided to stay put as Big Noise. The theater's name is an homage to their beginnings in Winnetka, from the jazz tune "Big Noise From Winnetka". Now you know! They apparently perform as Winnetka Theatre at the Winnetka Community House as well; the theatre has an interesting history for sure. They are a non-equity theatre, and they list audition information on their website for their upcoming shows. The company produced a play called Pete the Cat this season so my toddler's play group all went together. It was fun and they did well for any age, but for a group of 2 and 3 year olds they were phenomenally good audience members. The play was about an hour long and had there were a couple of spots where the kids could dance or respond to the actors which I think helped keep them engaged. I really enjoyed my visit here and I'm looking forward to checking out The Wizard of Oz this year and learning what they'll be doing next season.

This was my second time attending a show here, but first time I've felt it necessary to give a…read morereview. We saw "Disaster!" and sad to say the sound and the lighting lived up to the title. Which was unfortunate because the performers were AMAZING. Luckily we were in the third row so even when the microphones didn't work - which was pretty often - we could still hear most of the show. But the script is great (I've seen it before) and there is some wonderful wordplay that was completely lost because we couldn't hear. Spotlights appeared on empty sets while two actors performed their lines in utter darkness in another area. The orchestra was on the stage, normally a nice addition, but when microphones didn't t work, even the fake Muzak in the elevator scene was enough to obliterate an entire conversation. I complained after the show and got a "we know". No apology that we paid $40 a ticket for this. Or any indication the we're going to fix it. I hope they do. And worth mentioning that "Gray Gardens" (the only other show I've seen there) did not suffer from these problems. So there's hope

I am highly disappointed in Aloha Chicago! Total bait and switch on what I was sold and the service…read moreI was provided. I signed a contract for a 30 minute performance with 2 dancers and a fire dance portion. After my contract was signed and my payment made in full the contact Chris tried to change the time then tried to change the service. Fast forward to a week prior and the fire dance was cancelled by Aloha Chicago. I was told to compensate we would have dancers available after the 30 mintues for photos. No option for a refund or longer show when the fire portion was $100 value. The day of the event the dancers only performed 2 songs then took 10 mins on audience participation before making themselves available another 10 minute for photos. In total the 2 song performance was 10 minutes, not 30. The entire experience was infuriating! The result for the price was outrageous. For $500 paid in full more than a month in advance I expected more than 2 songs by the dancers!! I reached out to my contact Chris with zero response still more than a week later.

ALOHA!! Had the pleasure of seeing Aloha Chicago performance at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston…read moreIl. on 09 AUG 19! What a pleasurable experience. The performances were great!! The Dancers Beautiful. The audiences participants were having a great time. the Drummer/ MC explained the Drums and the dances and had a Schtick that kept us all laughing !! A wonderful performance that enhanced the Levy Center Luau Party! Hope you all come back next year!! ALOHA and Mahalo!!

I am beyond disappointed in this dance studio. While I am very conscious about Covid 19, and the…read morechallenges that businesses such as dance studios have faced, I am beyond upset. First off, the dancing was fine. The teacher did a great job with the kids. I am not blaming her. When the studio re-opened in June, we received a letter explaining how the studio was handling keeping our children safe. It went from mandatory masks, which is the only reason I agreed to let my daughter go back, to student preference If they wanted to. It was over the limit of 10 people and no social distancing. The teacher didn't even set the example to wear a mask during class. Only a few girls wore a mask period. As I sat and watched the kids come out of the building after class, parents and children weren't wearing masks. It was a free for all. The last straw was the "recital." We were specifically told only 1 person per child could attend , again that rule wasn't enforced. I had my husband waiting in car while I went in and watched. Karyn, the owner, said she sent put a revised email the day prior, which I didn't receive. There were 22 people in a room yesterday watching with no social distancing at all. The number involved singing, which the governor has banned without a mask, and they were told to sing as loud as they could. If you are AT ALL concerned with protecting your children and keeping everyone safe, I would not recommend this studio. Maybe when this pandemic ends, it'll be a different story.

While I doubt either of my daughters will be the next Misty Copeland, Dorothy's Dance sure gives…read morethem an hour each week to sharpen their dancin' skills! Originally just my now-4 year old was enrolled in weekly intro to dance lessons (she started summer of 2016 and kept it going year round), but since my almost 2.5 year old was dying to get in on the action, I now have two dancers. Well, let's be honest, the little one does more hopping than dancing but whatever. The good news is that Dorothy's is affordable and the teachers seems enthusiastic. The studio itself is pretty bare bones - a narrow front lobby of sorts with three screens showing the dancers in action, one restroom, and a open locker room/shoe change area. While the main office has snacks and drinks for sale, there's not a water fountain in sight nor is there an alternative to the single restroom if you have to change/change your child. Communication from the studio is regular and consistent and prices for dance gear seem on par with Amazon. While I wish my daughters' recital costumes didn't cost an arm and a leg, it is what it is. Viva la Dorothy's.

It's been years since I've attended a circus and we were so impressed to see such amazing talent in…read morethese performers. We laughed so hard with the comedian and then sat in awe to see some of the impossible yet possible acts. Best of all there's no animal cruelty! This event was taken place in Huntington but is now in Citifield until Dec 15. Totally worth the visit. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

We went there Saturday with our family at the Woodfield Mall parking lot Circus! It is a very…read morepleasant and awesome experience for all of us!! What a treat that was for all of us!! Very talented and entertaining performers that kept all of the audiences attention!!!! We have a 10 and 6 years old little ones. They couldn't keep their eyes off stage! The experience was very pleasant and had great friendly staff that was there! It was very reasonable for the tickets and getting some treats there!! Will go again and bring more family and friends there next time!!

Waited in line for food for 30 minutes only to be told, they only except cash or Venmo what are we…read moredrug dealers? Left it don't need it not coming back again

This was really a lot of fun. We got to hear two bands - the first "Wedding Band", was a pretty…read moregood cover band. They all wore t-shirt tuxedos (a little tacky), but their music was good. At 10 pm the headliner came out - they were called the "Cherry Poppin' Daddies" out of Oregon somewhere. The name put us off a little (no- a lot). Their music was what I would call "suggestive" but their style could be classified as swing. This was not what a Saturday night crowd of several thousands wanted to hear. Not sure why Palatine chose them and not a rock band. Needless to say, a lot of people left during their performance. Now, the festival itself was great - Palatine festivals always get a great turn out. There were the regular information booths from insurers, politicians and window replacement companies. The food tents represented the best of Palatine - I had Pad Thai from Siri Thai and a hamburger from Heybeck's. Both were outstanding. Finally, the beer garden was packed. We set up chairs by the stage, but trans-versed the crowds to get beer several times. All I can say is there was no way to get to the beer tent easily. Oh, it was a straight shot. But there were so many people and the music was so loud, in many cases you had to push your way through. The craziest thing was the way they cordoned off the beer garden. The main entry was about a 30 foot long metal plank on the south of the area. There was one other entry point to the east. The porta- potties were set up to the northwest of the beer garden which I think makes sense. But, there was no entry between the two. In order to go from one section to the other, you had to leave the beer garden from either the south or the east, then walk all of the way around until you got there. It was not convenient. But, overall, it was a really good street fest which I will definitely go to again next years. My hope is that the people who put it together take these two points into consideration. If they corrected these, it would be a 5 star experience.

Went to see a band playing oldies and they were great. A little crowded but that's a good thing…read more Very entertaining and reasonably priced. Beverages and snacks available. Wine, beer, water etc., general seating.

Off square music is a wonderful musical community of live shows and open mics and all forms of art…read more There is a solid core of performers here and a welcoming spirit amongst the performers which many are regulars. They take this venue seriously and honor those that choose to share by having the best experience possible..sound is fantastic if you are performing.. Wonderful music venue

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.

After experiencing the difficulty of getting near the launch site of the fireworks shows, this year…read moreI decided to watch Itasca's firework show from a distance in Elk Grove Village. Though there was still quite a line off 53 and onto Biesterfield and Arlington Heights Roads, this is still much better than what I've experienced closer where the fireworks are launched. It's a good idea to allow a minimum of 30 min before and 30 min after for heavy congestion though even an hour after the show, the traffic was still quite heavy on the main roads. The show itself really dazzled with both a higher frequency of fireworks than many nearby spots as was a larger size fireworks. This spanned a large array of different firework types though I wish there was a little more variety in the colors available. Regardless, even from over a mile away, the show was amazing and well worth the drive nearby. It's still crowded in the surrounding towns and there were a substantial number of lines at local businesses like McDonalds who were serving food. Overall, great fireworks show to watch -- even if you're not experiencing it directly at Hamilton Lakes.

Great shot with lots of beautiful and very patriotic colors and styles of designs above our heads…read moregoing off, but was a little too short.