I didn't realize it until I went again last night, but I've actually been to this theater a couple…read moreof times before... it just wasn't under the auspices of Illusion Theater at the time. The Illusion Theater is housed on the 8th floor of the Hennepin Center for the Arts, which is also home to Zenon Dance Company, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, and many other performing art companies. The building itself was constructed in 1888 and originally housed a Masonic Temple; it now appears on the National Register of Historic Places and is a beautiful example of preserving architectural gems for functional use. The stage at the Illusion is an "end-on" or proscenium space with audience members facing the performance straight on. Seats are ample and comfortable; the area for those using a wheelchair is convenient and easy to access. There's plenty of parking around the theater, but if there's an event going on in the area, look for parking east of Hennepin--you'll save a bundle. On our recent visit, the surface parking lots around the theater were charging $14; just a block away we scored enclosed parking at the 50 South Sixth Street ramp for only five bucks.

I've been here twice to see Miss Richfield perform. Based on the interview with the production…read moremanager, I'm intrigued to catch other shows here, as well. Unassuming location on the 8th floor of the Hennepin Center for the Arts/Cowles Dance building. The space is perfect - small enough to feel intimate and personal, but large enough to be able to score tickets. The interior is quite understated (read: a bit outdated) but charmingly quaint. A couple of cons: Audiovisual work is quite sub-par. The projection for the show was blurry and dark. Also the drinks are over priced for the service size. All in all, it's a cute hometown theater that deserves patronage for their commitment to local talent. I'll be back.

It was an amazing experience, and the tour guide did a most excellent job. After your trolley tour,…read morebe sure to check out the attic. Me and my family are still talking about what a fun experience it was

I love this Theatre!! Amazing shows and amazing staff. I forgot my phone there after a show last…read moreweek and the staff waited to close up until after I got it back. 10 out of 10!

Wow! What an amazing little theatre. I just enjoyed an AMAZING on-stage delicious thriller, that's…read morecreepy but also funny at times, called "Misery" at Yellow Tree Theatre based on Stephen King's 1980's novel that was adapted into a popular 1990's movie and now in the 2020's a wonderful play. The theater is unassuming, on a little strip mall, where there's plenty of parking ... and once inside...it's magic! The stage makes great use of space and very creative with the set and lighting. Seating is excellent... not a bad seat in the house. I didn't know photos weren't allowed, the one picture I took and posted of the set was when I walked in. Oops I turned off my phone after that was announced. I loved the play and the theater. I plan to come back again and again! Oh, we are still in COVID times, so everyone in the audience need to wear a mask.

Saw a Covid makeup show here tonight. This is a fun theater that does a broad range of shows. The…read moretalent is always top shelf, spotlighting local and National talents. The shows are always thought provoking and intimate. The main stage is always surrounded by seating with viewers close enough to reach out and touch the cast members. They are very creative with lighting and sets to make the most of what they have. The theater offers concessions and beverages to consume during the shows, however this has been suspended during the pandemic. From the street the theater is part of a strip mall on Osseo and isn't anything remarkable. Parking is plentiful and fairly well lit. The theater still requires proof of vac, and that patrons wear masks. Being in a high risk category, I appreciate the precautions! Yellow Tree is a great local theater worthy of your attention! Give it a try and have some fun! Photos aren't allowed, so none have been included.

I came here with my partner to watch "The Butler Did It". It's a great theatre in downtown St…read more Paul. The show itself was excellent, although I didn't understand all the references. The actors were very talented and I could tell the writer had a love for this inverse detective genre. It is a bit sad how quiet downtown St Paul is now, but I appreciated that the theatre was trying to partner with local businesses with som coupons to encourage you to patronize not just them. The show also seemed to have great attendance! Parking was not too bad. There are many lots in the area. I would not use ParkHero if you're going on a weekday -- it's not too busy and it's cheaper to pay at any of the downtown lots rather than reserving through the app.

I was super-impressed by both the theatre and the fantastic performance of the Chorus Line! The…read moreacting, staging, and performing were extremely high quality and it reminds me how strong the theatre is in the Twin Cities. Although there were four understudies taking on roles the night of this particular performance, I think they all did a fantastic job. The singing was professional, as well as the dancing. What a difficult thing to pull off successfully. Congratulations. We had fantastic seats, but it appeared that the sightlines would be good from most seats because of the good banking of the rows. I hope you have a fantastic run with this production!

This was a nice theater. I'm not much of a fan of downtown Minneapolis , but there was a play I…read morewanted to see. Park close to the theater was Ridiculously expensive because of a Timberwolves game going on. I think most of the parking garage is close by we're charging $25. I use ParkWhiz to find a six dollar parking Lot six minutes walking distance away. They Did not sell concessions at the show that I went to. But that's OK that I was only 1and 40 min long. I would definitely go back again I really like the theater it was nice and clean and the people who worked here were very friendly.

What an absolutely beautiful theater! I spent a lot of time both on the stage and in the audience…read moreduring the Twin Cities Tap Dance Festival. I had no idea that there were so many studios within this one facility, and I really love that the studio floors have gridlines painted on them (much like a Tic Tac Toe board), to teach dancers to dance more effectively within their own space. I've never seen that at any other studio, and I think it's positively brilliant. As for the theater itself, it was simply stunning. It's a relatively small theater, but what it lacks in size it definitely does not lack in aesthetic appeal. The lighting and sound are top-notch, and because of the relatively diminutive size, there simply is not a bad seat in the house.

I've been here a couple times and can't find any real reason to complain. The theater is small,…read moredated and not in a great area. They sell snacks, soda and when I was here for a special event they were serving alcohol. Bathrooms are small and located just off the lobby so if there is a line it goes right out into there. The shows here are original and fun. 3.5/5

Hi! I took one…read moreof my daughters to the Historic Mounds Dinner Theater all night pajama party a couple of nights ago, and we had such a great time! The paranormal team there was very warm and friendly as well as accomodating (Thank you, Lisa, especially!) We experienced lots of scary moments, and the activities held our interest as well as our enthusiasm. We especially enjoyed the ghost hunt and investigation! I so appreciate the good time that the staff there showed my daughter. She said she still can't stop talking about it; said she's obsessed with it now, and tells everyone all about our night there! We're both looking so forward to doing it again and my daughter, Christy said, "And next time I won't be so scared! I'll be able to keep my eyes open through the whole thing!" (She's so adorable.) My husband and I had been to the theater back in October on a ghost tour and we, too, had so much fun there together! In addition to that, we attended the Twin Cities Gangs History movie there; we enjoyed it immensely! There's not only the paranormal part of the theater activities, but there is an incredible amount of history there to be enjoyed, and appreciated. We so hope to see the Historic Mounds Dinner Theater maintained and supported by the public for another hundred years! Thank you again, especially to you, Lisa! You're super! ~Jeanie F. and Christy F.

We recently used The Mystery Cafe for our annual corporate meeting. It was an absolute blast!…read more From start to finish, it was an engaging and interactive experience that kept everyone entertained. The performers did a fantastic job blending humor and audience participation, making it an unforgettable night. Brian, the actors, along with the staff at the Sheraton in Bloomington worked so well together, you would have thought they were one! If your looking for a unique and lively event for a group I highly recommend!

We recently used the Mystery Cafe for our client appreciation event and I must say that we were…read morevery pleasantly entertained! We had had a terrible experience trying to deal with a different company originally and we ended up having to find another company and I am so so glad we found the Mystery Cafe. First off, Brian, who is the owner, was just fantastic all around, responsive, accommodating, kind, and organized. The night of the actual performance, I did not feel nervous at all, he and I had communicated multiple times and also already tested all of the electronics weeks prior to the event, it went off without a hitch. It was fun because it did require audience participation, but it was not too high pressure and they made the atmosphere just so light and exciting and it was FUNNY! There was so much humor and I found myself laughing a lot more than I had thought that I would. 10/10 would recommend. They came to our event, there were 3 actors and I must say, I think that the cost was very fair and reasonable. Great time!

This is the City of Bloomington's community arts center, part of their large City Hall facility…read more This review is based only on their theater offerings. I may have an above-average tolerance for more modest community theater productions, but I still think you can always expect the utmost professionalism from Artistry. They routinely mount productions that are both ambitious and crowd-pleasing. It is normal for them to put on four musicals each year, shows with large casts and which demand real skill from the performers. They pull off shows with enormous scope, like Les Miserables, and ones which hinge on intense performances, like All My Sons and Doubt. They do succeed with dramas like that, but the musicals are the flagship productions, and the work done by the singers and orchestra is particularly impressive. (The musicals are very popular, so get your tickets early.) They have two stages; a proscenium theater with a really wide stage, and a small black box theater. The width of the proscenium stage allows them to fit a lot of seats without any that are very far away. But there's no center aisle so it's very normal to skooch past a lot of people to get to your seat. The black box house is more intimate, but has pretty uncomfortable seats. Artistry is right to be proud of the work they do on those two stages, and if you want to see some theater with minimal mediocrity, plenty of polish, and a zeal to connect to the audience, these guys gotchoo.

Rebranded Bloomington Civic Theatre Company exceeded our high expectations with high energy…read moreperforming art productions! Location in the Nine-Mile Creek Watershed District also enhances elusive law of attraction!