This is our go to theatre on the east side. The amount of options for movie watching preferences is…read morenice. I prefer the elite experience of the Ultra screen. It's a wider and larger screen and more crisp sound. The dream loungers are cozy for snuggling up to your partner, or for getting comfortable alone. There's plenty of space so you can escape into the movie. Also a fan of the pricing for theatre snacks. I remember when popcorn cost 13 dollars and I appreciate that Marcus keeps it under 10 for a large. Pro tip- sign up for the free rewards program. You get discounts on popcorn and snacks and get $7 movies and free popcorn on Tuesdays!

We always want the yummy buttered popcorn even if we aren't going to a movie. So on a Saturday…read moremovie night we go to the theater , get popcorn and go home and enjoy it. Most don't know this but at the beginning of the year, they offer a bucket of popcorn for $25, you keep the bucket and when you bring it back to enjoy more popcorn or go to the movie, it only costs $5 to fill that same bucket!! And this can be done throughout the year with that bucket. Shown in the picture is the bucket and the popcorn. The friendly staff also put the popcorn in a baggy so we wouldn't dirty the bucket on this visit. Normally concession items are super expensive at theaters. This is a great way to really save on popcorn, at theaters theater or at your home!

Madtown, live up to your name. Attend 'The Stops' at The Bartell. What an Outrageous, Humorous,…read moreExtremely well done production by Oh, My Stars Productions. If you cannot attend consider a donation to this upcoming new production company. Visit their website for details. Highly recommend you attend 'The Stops'.

There's a special place in my heart for the Bartell. I've loved most shows I've watched here and…read moreliked a some others. To attend and be part of a local community theater is such a reward itself. I especially enjoyed a show that addressed dementia. My beloved grandma suffers from this and the show was performed excellently. It really helped me understand more of what my granny could be going through at times. Also loved seeing The Amazing Acrocats! What passion and talent this maestro has that's she can train cats, adorable! There are select drinks available and some movie theater type snacks. Plenty of local establishments for before and after the show :)

First time to the terrace at 8 pm on a Friday night. It was jam packed and I have never seen so…read moremany people in Madison since moving here. Nice sunset view with colorful tables and chairs. Insane long queues for food/beer. Opted for a shorter line at Babcock dairy. Kinda pricey but WISC card gets you 5% off. Was lucky to find street parking. Great way to start the weekend.

Compared to the ugly Brutalist predecessor from the 70s this newer place is an absolute palace…read more Too bad this building wasn't here when I was an engineering student back in the day. I have mainly visited Union South on football game day's Badger Bash which is much fun. The marching band plays and the Bloody Mary bar is a big plus. There are a number of food options and the large SETT for eating and drinking. I have seen but not used the conference facilities and ballrooms but it looks to be a very nice setup. I know there are many recreational options like a climbing wall but again nothing I have used as an alumni. It is not the Memorial Union with it's iconic Ratskellar and Terrace but it is a great university resource.

We had a wonderful time watching Wicked! They have a great concession and the seats were…read morecomfortable. I recommend this theater. Don't forget your friends!

Friendly service, clean atmosphere, affordable rates. Would go to the theater anytime.read more

This is the first chance we had to attend the Concerts on the Square since relocating to Madison…read morethree years ago - blame Covid. We had gone to one of these concerts at least 15-20 years ago when visiting family. It was a perfect summer evening for such a gathering. If you are here as a serious fan of the symphony this may not be the best place to listen to a concert but if your goal is to have a picnic it a great setting then do go. Yes you could hear the music and see it if you were not close (many were pretty far away but there were three large video screens). That did not seem to matter given the music was just an excuse to picnic on the Capitol lawn. Between the eating, drinking, kids screaming and laughing, the chatting there was a concert going on. You do need to arrive early to stake out a good spot and there are rules on the height of chairs if you are on the lawn. Parking can also be an issue but it is all worth it when the weather cooperates. A true must-do in Madison.

What a PERFECT evening! Yesterday was the first Concerts on the square of the summer and it did not…read moredisappoint! Parking was $8 in a nearby garage and worth every penny. Food vendors galore are present to satisfy all of your needs, or you are welcome to pack a picnic and wine! We brought a blanket and were able to find a spot for two despite the large crowd. My work sponsored an event that allowed us two free pizzas from Pizza Brutta, but we did see that they also had a stand nearby. If sitting on the lawn is not your jam, there are several restaurants near by with outdoor patios that would still allow for good food and music from the orchestra. Tip: the concert closest to the Fourth of July is my favorite, and they include a salute to the armed forces and end with the 1812 overture!

We had not been to this festival since we moved here a few years ago right before covid. This year…read morewe made a point to attend on the Friday evening to see a comedy troupe. It was quite good. Fortunately it was in a tent since it did rain. The food choices were pretty decent and the prices were typical for these type of festivals. There were a number of musical acts we would have liked to see but the next two days were blazing hot and sunny and this park has virtually no shade. The bigger stages were in the sun so even though we stopped on our bikes we did not stay. I know this park is in the neighborhood and thus why they hold the event here but they should really work on planting some trees for not only a more attractive park but to help make a setting more conducive to a summer festival.

I'm very excited to provide this review while you still have two days to enjoy the fun…read more This has always been a fun, FREE fest but the previous venue was a series of dirty vacant lots. This year, the venue is the lovely new Central Park on the near east side. What a difference! There is grass, real restrooms and great food and drink! There's a nice selection of beer (including Capital Brewery) and a surprisingly good red for $6/glass. I've become such a wine snob I was really excited to taste this decent, affordable wine. I also appreciate that beer and wine can be enjoyed throughout the grounds and not limited to a fenced garden. Food options are plentiful, including the usual suspects: Lao Laan-Xiang and Jamerica. There's also a fried catfish place and Dobhan kitchen. I'd love to see more French, French colony or Creole food options. Those are hard to find in Madison, but even a crepe stand would be cool. I do love that Gail Ambrosius is there with her French truffles, chocolate dipped frozen bananas and assorted sorbets. If she hasn't run out of Mexican chocolate sorbet, buy it immediately! Also, I had Curd Girl fried cheese curds with their homemade ranch dressing. Good lawd! Outrageously good! The music is the real reason to attend the fest. They bring in some great French, Creole and African bands for the main stage, which we enjoyed. Check the schedule or just show up. You can't go wrong. If you like to sit, there are a few chairs around, but it's best to bring your own lawn chairs. I also really liked the night club vibe provided by DJs in la Bistro tent. It was packed and FUN! What a great way to bring some diversity to the music scene. Bottom line: Great music Excellent new venue Great drinks Great food (even though not enough French inspiration) Limited parking, so bus or bike is best BYO chairs See you there!

I can't believe I haven't written a review about Forward Theater Company yet. I fear that this…read morereview will not adequately express my love for this company. But nonetheless, I will try. In short: Forward Theater Company presents professional, modern, progressive plays, and IT IS AWESOME! I first became aware of Forward because my roommate was their technical director. He invited me to see the play he had been working on and gave me a ticket that had been reserved for him. I love theater so I was excited to go, but had only ever really seen productions I was already familiar with (Shakespeare, Broadway stuff etc). I went in with a open mind, but wasn't totally sure what to expect. The first play I saw was From Up Here by Liz Flahive, which is partially set in a modern day high school (so it included some amateur actors as well as professional). I was BLOWN AWAY. Literally moved to tears. The set, sound, actors, script, we're all amazing. Despite the fact that I had been given a free ticket, I paid for a ticket to see that show again. I've made it a point to see every Forward show since and have never been disappointed. With modern themes (sometimes slightly provocative) I find the plays to be extremely engaging. So, I implore you -- Go see a show! You won't regret it.

I've been to a couple of Forward Theater shows. Both presented the highest quality actors, sets and…read morewell chosen shows. The most recent show was Red, a two man show about Mark Rothko, an Abstract Expressionist, and his interactions/discussions with a young painter who is hired as his assistant. Very well done! Support Live theater, it's better than TV!!

Absolutely worth it! I like the adult show at 9pm. Was a great time. Comics were great and able…read moreto adapt well to keep the entertainment going! This was my first Improv show and I will definitely seek out improv in the future!

Participating in improv is one of my worst nightmares. I can't imagine being onstage and not…read moreknowing what's coming up next, having to make things up on the fly, and trying to be funny on top of it all. However, I married my opposite. Ben T. decided to try improv after having been an actor on the side a few times, and he loved classes at Atlas. I will leave it to him to fully review the classes here, but I will say that he had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and met some really cool people (who he then introduced me to!). At the end of the improv course, you can participate in a class show. For me, this would be one of those "opportunities" that I would rather pass up. But Ben was really excited about it -- And I was very excited to be an audience member and see what he had learned over the course of 10 weeks. I was lucky to have met a few of the other improv course attendees, and I really think it added something special to the show to know a few people participating in it. Atlas is in a great location, although I found the parking lot difficult to find on a dark night. I ended up parking in a nearby parking lot and hoping I wouldn't be ticketed. The inside of Atlas is really cozy and cute, and the people up front were friendly. Since I was there early and by myself, I was seated right up front. The seating is a bit close together... So I made a new friend, the person sitting next to me! The show was hilarious. It reminded me a lot of Whose Line is it Anyway, which I used to LOVE and cry-laugh watching. The emcees (course instructors) were funny, friendly, and encouraging. The point system can get crazy, like it was on Whose Line, which adds to the fun. The audience was great at throwing out ideas when solicited for what we ate for breakfast or random letters of the alphabet, although to be honest even this made me nervous. I think I was just waiting for some point where they would drag someone on stage or something like that, but we were safe in the audience! I can't wait to make it here for the "real" non-student shows. If the students learned that much in 10 weeks at Level 1 I think the more experienced people would be insanely talented. I was very proud of Ben T. and the rest of his class!