Cool vibe at this historical theater! Located in a fun area of Madison, it's a gem to look at in…read moreboth it's interior and exterior. Despite being an old theater they keep both the theater area and restrooms clean. Great acoustics and lighting for the size. For the best views, I'd definitely recommend snagging a front balcony seat to see the show and soak up the ambiance of the theater. Prices on drinks are a little high but reasonable enough. Polite and efficient staff. You can get digital tickets or pay something like $5 to have them mailed to you, which I prefer because it's fun to keep your ticket stubs. Cons? The chairs aren't super comfortable and they manage to get just under 1,000 people in the venue; impressive for ticket sales but it does make for a somewhat cramped venue, crowded lobby for drinks/merch and long lines out the front waiting for the show. Winter in Wisconsin? Better bring some hand warmers and all the things for the long wait on the sidewalk. Very limited parking so we find it best to park a couple blocks into the residential areas and wear comfortable shoes. It's a pretty safe area. Just a few things to keep in mind if you have claustrophobia. Totally worth coming for a show if it's someone/a group you've been waiting to see. We'll continue watching the upcoming shows lineup and come back!

What a good time at the Barrymore the first led theaters style and heart make any show here amazingread more

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!

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 :)

Atwood is a very small venue that feels a little stark. But is overall a nice place. The bar is to…read morethe right of the door upon entry the opens to the floor and stage. Also available is an upper balcony. The bathrooms are downstairs. I see a lot of local shows and venues in Madison but this was my 1st visit to Atwood. We enjoyed ourselves and I would definitely see another show here!

I've come here 2 times for comedy shows and it's a great little venue. One was a sold out show and…read morewe got there right when it was starting and they helped us find two seats for the show. Drinks aren't too expensive. Parking is street so can be a bummer, but overall great intimate venue.

Date of visit: January 24, 2026…read more One of my Christmas gifts was seeing John Mulaney here at The Orpheum and it was a delightful venue, full of history and stately charm. Like many venues of this age, it was not built for security checks and metal detectors, which meant we were waiting outside to get in for a while and that normally would not bother me but given the frigid temperatures, I do wish they could have done something to streamline the wait. Once we were in, staff inside were friendly if not necessarily helpful with not one but two ushers steering us in the wrong direction to our seats, seats on the floor that were not cconsistently labeled. Thankfully there weren't any issues with our seats and we were able to enjoy the show--too bad our feet never warmed up the entire visit!

Been to the Orpheum for several shows. I have always found it to be a positive experience…read more Getting through security was easy, and quick. The lobby can get a little busy and crowded (nothing new there). If you are planning to buy alcohol, you get your wrist strap ahead of time. There's a place to get merchandise, and that can get a bit congested. Plenty of folks to help you get to your seats. For this show we were front row balcony (which I feel is the best spot in the entire place). The seats are a little dated, narrow, and might benefit from being restuffed. The acoustics were good, but not great but certainly better than most large venues (i.e. Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee). I would definitely come again.

We paid a cover charge to come to an event here in advance and we only stayed 15 minutes before…read moreleaving because it was unsafe and uncomfortable to stay. The space is divided in two parts -- where there is a stage and where there is a bar. We arrived on time for the event and it was standing room only -- well, squished room only. The place was clearly over capacity and still more people were being let in -- group after group. There certainly were not enough places to sit, but to stand was difficult too. There are some places to sit, but they need to either increase seating and make it more like a concert or take seating away almost entirely and have everybody stand. The current set up is not safe for emergencies either. We couldn't even get to the bar to order anything, it was so cramped. What a disappointing birthday gift for our friend. We will not return, but I understand other people might be okay with this kind of vibe.

OK, so people don't come here for the food. They come here because this is the best music in the…read morearea in a little town that you would not expect to have even a jukebox. Definitely check them out for live music and very friendly bar service. They have beer in cans and some, spritzer and mixed drinks, chips, and they will make you a frozen pizza. There's a big patio that I think just open recently, and the people are friendly as can be.

Super fun friendly crowd. Bring the kids for lots of activities. Enjoy s as beer with the…read moreheadliners and always great street food. DO BRING INSTRUMENTS!!!

1) The Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival features an outstanding lineup of trad music groups…read moreon two stages across 1.5 days (Friday evening/night and all day Saturday) in early August each year. 2) You purchase tickets to get into the festival, not to see any one specific group, for Friday only, Saturday only, both days, or for kids. You can also buy tickets to camp at the festival as well. Honestly, ticket prices are great, especially given how much entertainment and enjoyment you get when you pay. Order online by the end of May to save some money on 2-day tickets, or buy your tickets at the gate day-of -- either option works. 3) You're allowed to bring your own chairs, small tables, food, and alcohol! That's right, you heard me correctly. The Wife and I brought two folding chairs, a small picnic table, a few bottles of wine, and all our food so that we could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the music 4) They have a solid handful of food carts and a beer vendor if you forget to bring your own. 5) There are activities for kids through the day on Saturday. 6) No pets allowed. Although it would be fun to hang out with dogs all day, I'm totally OK with this rule since it means I don't have to watch where I walk.

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!!