Short but sweet review - the experiences we've had at the Chicago Theater have always been…read moreconsistently good. This time was no different. My last review still stands. We arrived on time, were seated, and the concert started on time. The acoustics are great and our seats were in a good spot. We used their concession stand to get water and snacks - because we bought our tickets and paid for the concessions using a Chase card, we were given a big discount - nice. We'll continue to go to the Chicago theater when they have shows we want to see. It's a great theater and a wonderful experience.

I have been to the Chicago Theatre several times for concerts and have had experiences in all of my…read morevisits. It's an iconic Chicago landmark for catching live events. I like its ornate décor, the stadium style seats set-up which offers good stage view, the acoustics, and the overall aesthetics of this venue which makes it an ideal place to watch live events. On my recent (late June 2026) visit to see The Human League, Soft Cell, and Alison Moyet for the Generations tour, overall, I had a good experience. There were couple of issues that we had such as lack of cool air circulation inside the auditorium (it was hot and sweaty) and a couple of people standing throughout the show to dance, blatantly blocking other peoples' view and not caring about being inconsiderate and uncourteous to people behind them to which the theatre ushers had no problem with it. Otherwise, I have not had issues at this venue. So, 4.5 stars but rounded up to five. I look forward to going back here.

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.

I highly recommend going to this show!! Super affordable and BYOB! He even has plastic cups if you…read moredidn't bring one. He also has sodas, snacks, and little magic trick gadgets for sale. Space is small (only about 4-5 rows) but we loved how close we could be. I've been to Chicago Magic Lounge up in Andersonville but I loved how intimate his show was and his was a LOT more affordable. Whole thing was really cool and funny. I wish more people knew about his show, check it out if you can!

I've lived in the area for a bit and FINALLY made my way to the Laugh Factory. My friends and I…read morecame for a late night stand-up show. Tickets were free!! Honestly a great show, I've been to some really bad stand up before and I was impressed by each of the comedians. There is a two drink minimum per person - alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Not a big deal to us since we were in the mood for a drink and didn't pay for tickets, but something to note if you're coming to a paid show. There's a lot of open seating as well, and all were in great view of the stage. The venue is fairly large while still feeling pretty intimate. If you're a fan of comedy I'd definitely recommend a stand-up show, and I'll probably be back to check out one of the paid ones!

3-4 out of the 7 comedians were decent or better. Tickets were cheap at $25/piece but the 2 drink…read moreminimum is stupid. Just include it in the price of the ticket. My wife and I don't drink but we ended up spending $50+ on mocktails which was about the same as the tickets and was an unexpected surprise. Stupid policy. The chairs are also very uncomfortable. Try to get a booth - they looked comfier.

We went to see "Pandemonium, Please Hold" at The Second City on June 10th. This was my husband's…read morefirst time at an improv revue like this, and both our first times at Second City. It was a blast! It's first come, first seated essentially. If you buy a premium ticket, you're seated closer and center to the stage, but it's still first come, first seated. We ordered food and drinks there, which was our dinner for the night. Here's what we ordered: -- Hummus Platter (under Table Snacks) -- Straight-Cut French Fries (under Table Snacks) -- Chicago Hot Dog (under Handhelds) -- Diet Pepsi for me and a San Pellegrino for him The food was really good and better than we expected at a comedy club. Our server was cool also. The house staff works hard at The Second City. If you go, don't forget to tip!

This was my first visit to The Second City and I can't wait to go back!…read more WHAT IS IT: This Chi town staple is a creative and fun theater that offers a rotation of improv and sketch comedy shows. The roster of well known Second City alumni includes greats like Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Amy Poehler, Chris Farley, Bill Murray and more. We saw Improv Supernova and what's great about this show is that no two performances are ever the same. WHERE IS IT: The Chicago location is in the historic Old Town neighborhood which has cute shops, cafes, and restaurants in the surrounding blocks. They also have locations in Toronto and NYC. PARKING and ACCESSIBILITY: There is a garage attached to Piper's Alley. They do not validate. There is also metered street parking which can be limited depending on the day and time. The building has elevators and escalators and the theater has wheelchair accessible seating. FOOD, DRINK, and MERCH: They offer fun cocktails, mocktails, wine, food items, and a selection of candy and snacks. You can also pick up cute merch such as mugs, glasses, shirts, sweaters, and hats.

This theatre is a welcome alternative to its larger-scale counterparts in the Loop. It is smaller…read moreand newer, so it has modern amenities, for whatever it lacks in old-school grandeur. Location is excellent, right next to/under Water Tower Place. Please be aware that parking underneath this building is feasible, but only a few doors are open at Water Tower Place after hours, and there are no signs or pieces of helpful info to alert you to this. It gets a bit crowded, nothing serious, but I think I went to a show on a night when few people had any spatial awareness...you say "excuse me" and nobody sees fit to move...weird! The bar lines seemed pretty long, but the bathroom lines were quick. There are multiple entrances to the women's bathroom, so it was a bit of an awkward "zipper merge" that we all laughed about, but this could've been planned better. None of that is enough to take stars away, because the overall experience is amazing. While watching Titanique (a hilarious, unhinged, brilliant parody-style musical), my friend and I found our seats comfortable and with easy sight lines. We are both very short, but our view was not blocked one bit! The stadium seating here is very intentionally done, so it's hard have a bad view. When you're short, it is rare to have this, so I really appreciated it. Also, the theatre is small enough, so even from "far away," you still feel close to the action!

Fabulous theatre we discovered quite by accident. We had a few hours to spare and discovered this…read moretheatre had a few seats for its showing of Titanique. This is not a huge theatre, but we found it the perfect size with all seats accessible and modern. The full bar up front and the welcoming staff here were also much appreciated. Highly recommend this theater for all.

We came here as something to do while in town for the evening with no plans and we didn't have a…read morelot of hope for the event, but thought it would be fun... We didn't know it would be GREAT!!! We decided to buy stage-side seats and we were seated right next to the area where the king & queen would sit and watch. This play is absolutely incredible! The actors and staff were all great and hilarious! I don't want to give too much of it away, but we did it all and had a great experience. Definitely worth visiting!

Had an absolutely amazing time. Hilarious, fun, amazing music, and so much talent in one room!…read moreStrongly recommend you stop in and see a show- you won't regret it!!

I have seen the magic of Dennis Watkins prior to The Magic Parlour even opening so when he…read moreannounced this theater as part of the Goodman built for magic, I was all in! I have been there for Dennis's solo show with my daughter and cousins and I treated my dad, my mom, and my family to Three Card Monte for his birthday as a way to spend time together. Three Card Monte was where the audience was seated at three tables and three different close up magicians rotated through. The magic was literally happening in front of your eyes! The variety in the three magicians was great--they had a variety of tricks, varying levels of sarcasm and humor, and overall, made it one of the best Sunday evenings I have had! Your ticket comes with a drink ticket--I don't drink, but they made me a mean Shirley Temple. My daughter bought a 2nd one at intermission and it was very reasonably priced. I made sure to have cash to tip my bartender. With Dennis's solo show, there was an option to pay to be a VIP where we got a taste of close up magic right after the general show. It was very cool and I recommend adding it on. If you love magic or even if you just know someone who loves magic, I recommend! A classy venue with top notch entertainment!

Been a couple of times, the magician is a great entertainer and makes you believe in real magic…read more I tore a dollar bill into 8 pieces 2 separate times without letting go of bill and as you can see I still have it. Great mentalist as well.

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!