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!

Okay, so I admit, I attended Catholic schools beyond graduate school. This is one of a series of…read moreBingo, 2-act plays that all started with "Late Night Catechism". I won't spoil it, but I was trying to figure out how the bible questions would transfer to bingo numbers. However, for those of us who are not of the Bingo Denomination, we must learn the 10 commandments of Bingo. The prizes for each individual game of Bingo were classics. A glow in the dark rosary was highly coveted when I was in grammar school and there was a minor scuffle over one of the holy cards. It is interactive and much more fun if you volunteer, quick, get your hand up. Unfortunately, I am not named AFTER a saint, but rather will be the first when I finally get to heaven. LOL Just know, that some of the questions are reeeeeeeeeeeally hard, even if you were paying close attention in school. Personally, I will be on the lookout for the other plays in the Bingo series. They are performed as fund raisers.

I felt very disappointed in this "show." There was only one actress in the entire performance…read more She was dressed in street clothes - so, NOT as a nun. I thought this was going to be a scripted theatrical production with perhaps, OTHER ACTORS, mixed into the audience or perhaps OTHER ACTORS INTERACTING with the crowd. Nope. It was just one likable lady primarily running bingo games, and talking to/with the audience. Occasionally she would tell a story about a saint, the pope, or Mary. "Interactive" in this show means you will be playing bingo. There is also a lot of "audience work." In other words, tons of show time is gobbled up with the one actress asking audience members, "What's your name? Where are you from?" Also, if you were not raised Catholic, seriously think twice about coming. EVERYTHING in this "show" is geared towards people of the catholic faith. Prizes are almost all catholic/Jesus related. In my show they even had an audience quiz about Mary and Joseph. And it wasn't funny. I chose this show to be entertained, not to be seriously educated in religion. Then, to top it off, at the very end of the show... the one actress asks the audience for donations/MONEY to help pay for real nuns who are retired. Huh? The CATHOLIC CHURCH is loaded with bazillions of dollars. If they aren't taking care of retired nuns... then that's a bigger problem. I feel incredibly misled by the advertising for this show. I was expecting something more like "Tony and Tina's wedding." If you are a hardcore Catholic, with a Catholic school education, perhaps you will find this show somewhat entertaining.

Went to see Beast Women with friends last night and had a fabulous time. Everyone was great, but…read morethere were some particularly outstanding performances by Kelsie Huff (who almost made me wet my pants), Brywn Arlwyn (there's nothing to say other than Wow!), Tamale Sepp (unique -- you have to see her to believe it), Roberta Miles (reminded me of performances by Saffire Uppity Blues Women) and Jillian Erickson (can't wait to see her one woman show). The shows are different every night and we will definitely be back for another round with new friends in tow (and maybe the old ones too). EXCEPTIONALLY WELL DONE! STANDING OVATION! APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

All female late night review - everything from spoken word to belly dancing to comedy to anything…read moreand everything in between. Each night of the series features different performers so no two shows are ever the same. The highlights last night were a dramatic and moving spoken word performance by Beasties Co-Producer, Jillian Erickson. I've seen her perform several times - she'll make you laugh, cry and blow your mind. What can be said about comedy by Tamale? She is an experience. I almost wet my pants! What can beat a biker chick who rides a motorcycle with an eyebrow!?! There were other comics - including musical. There were a variety of dancers - the husband loved it - that were each fun to watch and very different and unique - everything from fusion belly dancers to sword dancers. There isn't room to mention every act that Beast Women offered but the variety is enough to make me go back again next week to see what else they have to offer. I LOVE BEAST WOMEN!

After attending a student showcase one of our friends was in, my maid of honor organized a private…read moreclass for my bachelorette party here! It was a blast! We went to their studio Saturday afternoon around 12:30 and brought in mimosas before we began at 1pm. The class was about an hour and a half from what I can remember. We opted to learn a mini routine for fun. Our group had about 8 girls in total. Red hot Annie led the class, she was full of energy, positive, kept a great pace, and did an excellent job explaining the various dance moves. We would learn portions of the dance and then practice the whole thing to music. We really liked the song selected and the routine! It was prefect for a bachelorette party. Overall it was a fun unique activity to do to get everyone out of their comfort zones. A few girls were worried about feeling uncomfortable but everyone was able to quickly get really into it and feel open to fully embrace it! It was a great activity to start the day and get everyone talking! I would highly recommend for bachelorette parties!!! I'm definitely going to look into taking workshops since I'm tight on time right now but I'd also look into taking classes with Red Hot Annie again!

JEEZY'S JUKE JOINT, AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN BURLESQUE SHOW…read more Loved Jeezy's Juke Joint, an all African-American Burlesque Show!. So much fun, not to mention somewhat educational. :) I enjoyed the MC, Jeez Loueez'. Got a kick out of her crazy humor and her ability to roll with the punches. The eclectic styles of burlesque that the ladies performed were very entertaining and some were more unique than others. I had never seen an all African-American cast of performers of burlesque and this was a real treat. I liked some more than others, but they all did their "thang" and did it in a way that made me feel they loved their craft. Can't be shy here. This is a very sexy show. I loved the campiness of some of the performers and it quite cool seeing slender and "healthier" ladies perform. There was something for everyone. MC Monty and his dancers did a dance number to his rap. Holliwood Monroe can really blow. She has a great set of pipes. Loved her voice. There was a male and a female drag performer, Shea Coulee and Switch the boi wonder. I've been around the block, but I was still enlightened. Among my personal favorites were Coco DuPree's interpretation of Isaac Hayes' song, "Do Your Thing". Her hot 1970's "Foxy Brown/Pam Grieresque" costume, complete with black faux fur jacket and train covering her red with black zebra stripe hotpants ensemble, topped off with a big red fan pick in her "fro" was so "right on" point. Reminiscent of Angela Davis. That girl knows she CAN move! Make no mistake, she did her thang. The girl was "baaaad" and her moves were tight. Praline DuPree's 1950's poodlelicious outfit and spirited dance routine were big fun. She was classy, spunky and coquettish all rolled into one. She had great charisma with a lovely hint of southern Louisiana charm. Horchata Dentata is one strong, tall woman who had some intense control on "the pole". She made it look easy. I expected to see a more petite woman, but I was so impressed with her strength and confidence. I ain't mad at her, no sireee. Foxy LaFeelion did a wonderful 1920's style dance and her costume was beautiful with its many layers. Marz Timms, the comic, was very funny. He cracked me up. I enjoyed Star Dixon's incredible tap dancing and the talent of "Shea Coulee", the rather rhythmic and stylish female impersonator. He definitely worked it for us. All in all, there were about 17 performers and they were all marvelous. They came in all shapes and sizes, which was refreshing to see. It was plain to see that everyone in the theater was having a good ol' time and tappin' their feet. Lots of whoopin' and hollerin' was goin' on. After seeing this show, I wanted to run out and buy some pasties and a red "Wonder" bra.

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.

Came for a girl's night out and was not disappointed!…read more With Groupon, my friend and I had 2 tickets with reserved seats right to the side of the stage and 2 glasses of champagne for a Saturday night show for $22. Hydrate does a fantastic job of making an intimate, fun atmosphere for this show, which included 5-6 talented female impersonators and 2 extremely attractive male dancers strutting through the crowd and giving entertaining performances over a 2 hour period. Several performances are interactive, and it's highly recommended you go on stage when invited. The friendly camaraderie between performers and staff is also very welcoming and truly makes this show a treat. Whether for a party, special occasion, or just a night out, highly reccommend this event to add to your evening in Boystown. Bring some singles and enjoy!

Very entertaining and interactive the waitress was super awesome with drinks and giving change for…read morethe entertainers.

I went there to see a play Keerah. The play was long for me. However it was very well put together…read more The actors and the actress had very good skills as they performed. I would recommend popcorn or finger foods with a play over an hour and half.

Omg 10 out of 10 I just went to see the stage play KEERAH. It started off slow but when I say the…read moretwist and turns in this play was like watching a TV show.. I was so tuned In. I enjoyed every minute. It is a must see play. Check it out ...

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!