Located near Marina Towers on State Street, this one hour magic show was filled with amazing…read morestunts. With at least three stages, audiences were free to roam to get closer to the stages. Audience participation was encouraged. This show is great for families. So the cheapest tickets were standing room only but its only for an hour and you can get close to the performances. For the seated guests large tv screens allowed for closer views of magic stunts. The gift shop had lots of magical items and magical props for selfies. Proof of vaccination were required and there were social distancing stickers on the floors.

So yes, I saw this show just before Christmas. What can I say? Simply magical! I went with one dear…read moreto me and who is a magic super fan. Not only was this simply an unbelievable show but it was a true delight to watch her mesmerized like a child in awe by much of the show, and it is not easy to pull the wool over her eyes. What a deal. Missed out in the seating but as it turned out the seating and more expensive tickets are less worth it as no seating leaves you staying mid flight or with others to catch every single angle of the show as if you are part of it. The host even suggests moving from seats to floor for the performance. These are done truly talented artists. They have a great pre-show exhibit and notable tricks from eras past. There's also a nice sized shopping area with done memorabilia and tricks and other merch worth the money for sure. As well, there is a small snack area with soft drinks etc. I would see this show again in a heartbeat.

Few notables. The entrance is a double door and then you are inside the theater. If you are late,…read moreyou are interrupting the show. So find a seat quickly and sit down. There is no staff manning the door. #Crazy Staff are within view towards the back of the theater. Tix are inexpensive and they allow for donations with purchase. Can you buy at the door? Not sure. I've never seen a ticket taker verify tix. Say you've got a bottle of booze in a brown bag and you'd like to enjoy that booze without botheration. Here's your place. A seat for you and co which you should feel free to use. If you see something worth laughing at, please do so. You aren't guaranteed laughs nor are you required to show proof of tickets! For real.. I scratch my head wondering why I pre-purchased. I should just walk in one day and see what happens. In a perfect world we are all on time and at shows 15 minutes before they begin. So that we can show our tickets, grab a nice seat and get ready to laugh. This however doesn't happen all the time. Nor does having enough content to laugh at. Buh dum tss! https://youtu.be/bcYppAs6ZdI

What do you say to a kid who's grumpy or bored? "Come on,…read moreI'll take you to the playground!" What do you say to the adult child who's grumpy or bored? "Come on, I'll take you to The Playground!" I had been before and was impressed so it seemed like a no brainer to take the manboy in my life. We quickly became regulars. Here's what we like: The Sunday night show The Free for All is free (we donate though). It's a great deal and ironically funnier than the pay shows other nights. All shows are mostly funny. Some moments were hilarious, some were clunkers. BYOB!!!! And I've even seen audience members eating there too. It's the only co op non profit improv group. The theater is really intimate and casual. This lends you to be more invested in the performance, feel the nervous energy and excitement, and mingle with the performers before and after. You don't feel like a kid alone at a sandbox watching the cool kids play, but involved. The location is great by the Belmont and Addison el stops and many bus routes. So to get to the punch(line)-great deal and pretty entertaining. And in tribute to the venue name and purpose a joke. A man and his wife are asleep in bed. They hear a knocking on their door. The man says, "What do you want?!" A voice says, "Please help...I need a push." The man angrily replies, "It's three am-get outta here!!" his wife says, "Honey, remember when our kids where stranded on the highway and a nice man gave the car a push to the rest area?" The husband answers, "Oh, all right." He trudges down to the front door and opens it and it's pitch dark, he calls out, "Do you still need a push?" "Yes." "Ok, where are you?!" "Over here....on the swingset...." :::crickets::: Giant hook ala Showtime at the Apollo pulls me from computer.

This little musical was outstanding!!!! I'm a huge musical buff but this was my first experience at…read morethe Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Who'd thunk it?! This show only consists of two actors. One plays the inspector of a murder and the other plays all the suspects of the murder. Most of the show is in sing-song. The lyrics and the props they use are HYSTERICAL! Both actors are piano players so the music is LIVE. It was wonderful! It may sound weird that a two person musical was entertaining, but this was actually WAY BETTER than some Broadway musicals I have seen. I would go and see this musical again and again. We enjoyed ourselves that much! The show is 90 minutes without intermission. Time goes by fast! There's no bad seat in the house. Each row is elevated on step up behind the other so the person sitting in front of you should not be obstructing you. There is one row in the balcony. Again, no obstructions there. Parking: Dont park in the West or East parking lot. Instead, enter the lot assigned for Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The theater will validate your ticket for you (at the box office) so that you get 40% off of parking (which is about $14) Regular price is $24 so you get quite a bit of savings! Definitely check this show out before its gone. You'll have an AWESOME time! It was so laugh out loud funny! You can get half off tickets through Goldstar here: https://www.goldstar.com/join?p=F123738RP

FUN FUN FUN!!!! Good Lord almighty is this a fun musical…read more A witty, zany-filled whodunnit. In the vein of Agatha Christie crossed with an episode of Frasier crossed with Second City crossed with MURDER!!!!!! What is cool about this show is that there are only two actors --one actor investigates the crime, the other plays all 13 suspects. And to top it off, they both play the piano! And it is cheap and quick - like my Friday nights... Zing!!! It runs 90 minutes, no intermission. And tickies are only $25. Only downside is there are no sex scenes which sucks (just kidding) -- seeing if you are reading. There are no downsides to Murder for Two. It runs for another month. Get your arses to Chicago Shakespeare Theatre post-haste. Tout suite. RIGHT NOW!!!!! And while you are there, go get an Auntie Anne's pretzel from the food court. G.D. are those damn carb bombs good.

I recently attended a live taping of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me at the Studebaker. The theater was…read moreeasily accessible by transit. Since several reviews mentioned arriving early due to the old elevators, my part arrived almost 1 full hour before show time. The superb location allowed us to meander in the park across the street before show time. The house staff were friendly and quick with the digital tickets and seating guidance. The seats were cozier than expected for a historic theater. How was the show, you ask? The show was hilarious, of course!

What a FANTASTIC theatre. This place is beautiful. It's located in the Fine Arts Building! I didn't…read moreknow there was a theatre with a capacity of nearly 800 people here. It most recently was renovated early in the pandemic. It's practically original to the building; the theatre opened in 1898. It was converted to a multiplex theatre in the 1970s and in 2015 returned to its roots as a live theatre venue. One of the current ongoing events is the weekly taping of WBEZ's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me! I came here with my little one to see a show called The Enormous Crocodile. It was the first theatre production she has attended, and she very much enjoyed it. This show in particular was of course party responsible for that; it's geared toward kids and there were bubbles, dancing, call and response, and some of the actors and puppets making their way through the audience before and during the show. We sat near the back of the theatre, within the last four rows, which turned out to be good because when a kid is potty training you need to get out fast! Most of the seats seem like they'd be pretty good, although it's possible there are a few limited view seats. I was pleased with our view of the stage and I'll bet the balcony provides a nice view as well, so I'm keeping a mental note for next time. The seats were incredibly comfortable, and at least in the spot we were at the seats were not so scrunched together that you feel like you're fighting for space. Shout out to The Saints (with which I used to volunteer myself!) who provide ushering services. There are several performing arts organizations that use this theater. I've been to tapings of Wait Wait several times when it was still at the Chase theatre, and now having visited Studebaker and getting a feel for it I'll be happy to attend here sometime as well. And I'm really excited to keep an eye on what productions come to the Studebaker in the future. The Fine Arts Building is also the home of the Chicago Puppet Festival, which brought this production this winter, and I think that the theatre is the epicenter for the puppet fest so that's another event to look forward to. They have a very good parking discount with the Millennium Garages. It's easiest to buy your ticket in advance through a link at the Studebaker's website. If you drive, park in the Grant Park South Garage; parking near the Van Buren exit will get you closest to the theatre and you won't have to cross the street. Just don't get lost in the pedway! (I've used the garage many times but don't usually use the Van Buren exit, so I needed to get my bearings.) Since it's above Millennium Station both the Metra Electric and the South Shore Line are also good options, and the Loop CTA stations are within a couple blocks as well.

As you enter the theater , you are transported to a fantasy world of Witches and Wizards, Alchemy…read moreand Fortune Telling where reality is bent, and nothing seems impossible. Visit the apothecary lab before, during intermission, or after the show and have a specialty drink while enjoying the environment. This is real theatre in the raw. If you want to support live Theatre, make sure you go see it at The Other World Theatre

From the moment you enter the building, you know you are about to enter a world of wonder!…read more Enjoy the environment, it's so ecclectic! They even have a tardis here! You most definitely need to visit the apothecary bar, where the drinks are on parallel with the decor . It's a unique theater, quaint and intimate, where you decide to play the audience. .

I went to my first Wiggle Room show last night with a hot date. The tickets were given to me by a…read morefriend, who said that it was a great show of both burlesque and comedy. The burlesque wasn't overly imaginative, but it was fun/good and the girls enjoyed themselves. The comedy was my favorite--I wish I remembered the girl's name who performed her standup last. Apparently she is moving to NYC, which is a huge shame, because I would come out to see her again and again. She was hilarious. My date agreed--and I wondered if he would get into it, as English is not his first language. But he loved the show, and only missed a few jokes that referenced things like D.A.R.E. and whatnot. The drinks were super pricey, but we went for it anyway. We got general admission tickets (which I believe are $15), and the "VIP Seating" didn't look overly worth it. Beds, couches, etc. It adds a cool aesthetic to the place, but probably not worth the extra $5 (which admittedly isn't that much). Overall, I would say go for it. Especially if you're looking for something a little sexy to do for a date or a girls night out. I REALLY wish I could take my girlfriends to see the female comedian.

Loved!loved!loved it! This was my first time at the Wiggle Room. At first I was a bit apprehensive…read morebecause I couldn't find the place!!! I had a party of 15 for my girlfriends birthday, and was a bit panic stricken when I didn't see a big sign saying the Everleigh Social Club! However, after that was all sorted out, and we found the very hidden and secluded entrance, we ascended 3 flights of stairs not knowing exactly what to expect. We came to a door that had a small sign that said the Everleigh Social Club and upon entering were transported in time!!!! It was a truly amazing ambiance. The vibe is truly authentic Burlesque dimly lit and sexy!!!!!!!! The staff was very friendly! The comedians were hilarious!!!! The Burlesque dancer were all great, but one stood out in particular to my whole group! The last dancer which unfortunately I can't recall her name was the more curvy of the girls and she had the most amazing stage presence! She was in our opinion of 15 who brought the house down she exuded confidence from every pore and that made her even sexier!!!!!! I can't say enough good things about the Wiggle Room other than I will be recommending this to all my friends and my girlfriend and I will be back!

Didn't get to try the food but had a cocktail and it was delicious. Can I remember the name of it…read morenope lol but I would have it again. Service is great very attentive even if you sit in the second floor. I love the close up magic performances during cocktail hour. I would say if you are on the first floor especially in the front row you get more magicians performing. So that is definitely one thing I would change when I go next time. I will buy tickets for the first floor preferably in the front. I enjoy the performance it was great and entertaining it definitely flew by but afterwards you can go back to the main bar and see the show. Overall it it's very entertaining and a magical spot worth exploring

This was so much fun! It's been on my list forever, and I'm glad we got a group to go. I did my…read moreresearch and wanted to check out the performance bar beforehand - PSA you do not need a ticket for this and can go enjoy drinks and tricks any time! This was so cool but intimate and small so not much space and fills up quickly. The speakeasy door is also so cool though a line will likely form outside right before shows so be prepared for that. The show itself was so impressive, as were the magicians that came up to your table to do tricks beforehand. Drinks were also great. The vip performance after the show was also nice and intimate. Everything was great and so much fun!

My kid has done two summers of the Camp Red Kite adaptive theater program and has absolutely loved…read moreit. It has all the things she loves (art, music, dance, theater) with incredibly kind, knowledgeable staff who makes each activity accessible across a wide range of needs. We can't wait to check out the programming throughout the year and will definitely be back next summer.

We went to the afternoon performance of Good Night Moon this afternoon and my son adored it. I was…read moreon the fence about buying tickets as it was expensive for us ($50 each) but my son did enjoy it more so than the paw patrol live shows he has seen. The show was about an hour and 15 mins and he sat through the entire show (he is 4). The props were great, the stage was great and the actors were great. We did get there about 45 mins before the show and the small parking lot next to the theater had plenty of parking spaces available. The doors opened a half hour before show start time and it gave us plenty of time to do a craft and use the bathroom before the show. Many parents must frequent the theater because they started lining up before the doors to the theater opened to get a good spot. I'd say all seats are good visually but the benches weren't the most comfortable after an hour for an adult. I do think we will be back for their next production. :)