Broadway Playhouse At Water Tower Place

This is a great little theater. I’ve been here twice now, and both times were nothing but pleasant.
Most recently, I went to see Potted Potter at this theater. Our seats were only three seats away from the back row, but we still had a great view. It’s a relatively small space and a small stage, and there’s really not a bad seat in the house. Plus, the show was amazing, which definitely helps.
The time before this, my sister, girlfriend and I went to see Dee Snider’s Christmas show. We were supposed to be in the back row– but the staff here is awesome. They had some no shows in the front row, and so they came to our row and asked us if we’d like to move, free of charge. So the three of us got to enjoy Dee Snider’s rock god glory from the very front and center. It doesn’t get much better than that!

I love love love this space! Not a bad seat in the house, as i have sat in the front row and the back row. Intimate setting. Of course it helps that both shows I’ve seen here were amazing!

Potted Potter was hilarious! This Harry Potter parody was entertaining for both adults and kids (we brought our 9 year old son). The Broadway Playhouse was a great venue as well. It was small enough for the actors to interact with the theater goers, and interact they did.

Potted Potter had my son hilariously laughing almost the entire time (he’s 10). The actors totally get kid silly silly silly. We loved this play. We walked out and my son said «let’s see it again!»

Great venue, greater staff! We had some problems with online ticket purchasing, and were about to give up on seeing the show with all of group, when Corwyn and Kendall saved the day (no clue about proper spellings). They helped us get tickets that were near our group, and helped us get our friends tickets at great prices. They went above and beyond, and for that alone, the theatre is worth a visit. Also, the show, Potted Potter, was a lot of fun.

It doesn’t get better than the Broadway Playhouse! From the box office staff to the show itself, we had a great experience. Potted Potter was a lot of fun and I’m so glad we went!
I’ve got a special shout-​out and it goes to Corwin and Kendall for saving the day. Our party of a few grew to seven and these two helped us get tickets. My business associate and I would have looked like a couple of knuckleheads without the help of these box office heroes. They went above and beyond.

Love this place, a very intimate setting, drinks are great and staff was pleasant, 2 thumbs up!!!

Excellent smaller venue, but not too small. Very cozy with good views from every seat. Friendly staff. Snacks and drinks at the cash bar. Good location right off of Michigan Ave.

This is possibly my new favorite venue to see a play! It’s small and there’s not a bad seat in the house. The bathroom lines weren’t outrageous at intermission. The staff was friendly and everything just seemed to go so smoothly.
You should know that the bar for drinks and snacks is cash only! But you can bring them into the theatre which is nice. I’ll be keeping an eye on upcoming productions here!

I remember when this was a movie theater many moons ago. When I heard about the production, For the Record: John Hughes (see:
), was was in town, I was really curious about the place and couldn’t wait to check out the show.
First, the show was awesome. I’m a huge 80’s music and movies fan. I’d totally go back and see if it came back into town. Second, the venue was great. I didn’t think there was a bad seat in the house. The tickets were a little on the pricy side for what seemed like a smaller venue, but after seeing the show, I think they were worth it. I was really worried about a tall person blocking my view (#shortpersonproblems). I didn’t have that issue because the place has stadium seating. In this particular show, the cast at times performs out in the audience. It was pretty cool to see them up close like that in this theater. I’d definitely come back to see more shows here.
Also, ladies? There’s plenty of stalls in the bathroom, so the line goes pretty quickly. That’s a major bonus for a theater venue.

If you are planning to see a play at the Broadway Playhouse, which is conveniently located across from Chicago’s Water Tower Place, I recommend «playing tourist» for the day: start off with lunch, do a little shopping on the Mag Mile, visit the Contemporary Museum of Art and walk along Oak Street Beach. We completed 3 of these 4 items (it was a little chilly for the beach) before heading over to the Broadway Playhouse to experience Dee Snider’s Rock and Roll Christmas Tale this past December.
Dee was in Chicago promoting this play he personally wrote. We didn’t really know what to expect from this Rock ‘n Roll Christmas Tale but, we really enjoyed it!
Dee introduces the background of the play and then quietly sits off stage during the 1^st act. This was a little weird cause, all you want to do is look at Dee who was the former lead singer of Twisted Sister during the performance.
Dee finally gets the play going and leaves the stage but, pops up here and there as the narrator and plays a small part during the production. The play centers around a band who sells their souls to the devil so, they can play on the main stage of a local bar. We loved the costumes of the band, tight pink tights, lots of denim and leather along with the long wavy hair from the 1970’s. The female costumes were a little risky for younger children, daisy duke shorts and lots of cleavage.
Our original seats were in the very back of the Theater but, good news! The play was not sold out so, a very polite usher moved us to the 4^th row. Wow! That has never happened to us and we very much appreciated the free upgrade. Another perk, free red and green flashlights to flicker when the band sang songs. How cool is that?
Dee, so sorry for writing this review so late into 2015, hope you come back to Chicago for a 2^nd Season.
Chicago, go see this play especially if you grew up in the 1970’s — 1980’s, even my 78 year old mom laughed and rocked out with the songs.

Minimalism at it’s best, as other reviewers said, everything that you need, coat-​check, bar, and not a bad seat in the house.
Great location, easy to reach by public transportation, however you can park in Water Tower and they will give you a validation chaser ticket. My last visit here I took my MIL to see 50 shades and I didn’t want to make her take a bus. Since it’s just a short walk from the Water Tower parking elevators to the theater entry I left my coat in the car, so I didn’t even have to deal with the coat check.
The other perk was the ability to stop into a couple of stores in Water Tower while using my discounted parking, there are many quick dining options on level 2, some even healthy, some not so much. I did avail myself to splurge at the reopened Crumbs Cupcake Kiosk, a perfect Sunday afternoon.

What I like about it:
1) Very good acoustics
2) Smaller and more intimate
3) Very good sight lines from every seat that I could see
4) Comfortable seating
5) Very minimal décor as it should; the performance should be the attention grabber
What I don’t like:
1) Nothing
That is all

Nice intimate theatre. The show is what made the night. Dee Snider’s Rock and Roll Christmas Tale was amazing!

Really neat little theater in Water Tower. Not a bad seat in the house, nicest ushers ever. We came to see Walking Dead the musical, which was hilarious.
Can’t wait to return.

Saw the evil dead musical. Tons of fun. Great for a fan of the source material and newcomers alike. Show was consistently funny and the songs were super catchy. Would definitely see again

I really enjoy plays at this theatre. It’s small and intimate… not a bad seat in the house. I’ve seen several plays here… all great. I’ve also taken my niece & nephews to some children’s productions here and they’ve loved it. The seating is great for them, the staff is very patient and friendly with the children, and the cast stays afterwards for autographs and photos. Love it!

Nice facility. Great location. If only they had more performances to offer.

IT GLOWS
Rudolph’s nose that is! Currently the live show «Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer» is running here. The show was very cute and basically followed the cartoon version from the 1950’s. It is the perfect show to see if you have kids.
The cast was really good. There were a few weak links but I’m not gonna call them out. The actor that played Cornelius the prospector stole the show. He was hilarious. He actually plays two roles. In the opening act he is the coach reindeer who teaches Rudolph to fly. His acting was solid but then he shows up as Cornelius and just steals the show.
The child actor playing the Elf named Hermy was also really good too. It is great to see a solid young actor on stage at that age. I’m sure there are bigger things to come in the future and I can’t wait.
The ushers here seemed nice but really didn’t know what they were doing. We were in the center section and the usher tried sending us down a packed row when our seats were actually 3,4 & 5. I looked at her and said, «It’s actually faster if I just walk down the middle aisle to the other side.» She kind of got a stupid look on her face. I thought to myself why are there even ushers here, if they have no idea where the seats are at.
I even saw a Mom throw down with an Usher too. The Mom asked for a program for her daughter and the usher said, «I don’t have enough!» The Mom in a snotty voice shouted, «My daughter has a paying ticket and I want a program now!» Can you feel the holiday love? Ho Ho Ho!!! I looked down on the floor and there was a giant box of programs. Come on lying usher its for a child!
The show had a great mix of acting, singing and dancing. There was even a giant Yeti who was really cute. I loved how they brought the lovable giant to life. There was also an accident while the Yeti was putting the star on the tree. He missed and it came crashing down. Guess who saved the show with some quick witty improv? The actor playing Cornelius. Yeah he was really good. He didn’t even miss a beat. He just rolled with it.
I must make a comment. Why do people attending broadway shows clap and cheer when a character flies? I’ve witnessed this before with Mary Poppins. When Rudolph flies at the end of the show everyone goes wild. It’s just wires. It’s not real. I almost feel like laughing because of the crowds reaction. I can understand if the character really flew on there own but we see them hooking up the cables to Rudolph. It’s just one of my crazy observations. Next time you are at a Broadway show tell me how you feel when you experience that moment of fake flying.
The Water Tower Shops also offers a bunch of options for food before or after the show. There is a bar in the lobby of the theater. Rudolph was not the only one that was glowing. After my Belvedere with soda I was glowing too and I was ready to spread some holiday cheer! So if your looking for some holiday fun, then check out this fun family show at the Broadway Playhouse.

This is a small auditorium (probably smaller than those at many area high schools), which offers a nice intimacy. And you don’t feel bad buying the cheapest tickets in the house because you’re still closer than you’d ever be at some of the Loop theaters (there’s probably more leg room here, too). At the same time, the theater is no frills. It’s new and modern, and the style of it makes you think of a multipurpose room at a community center. There isn’t ornate sculpture work on the ceiling or gold leaf anything. The set-​up lends itself to the actors jumping off stage and performing in the aisles.
There’s a bar in the lobby and you can take drinks to your seat.
I’m not sure what it is, but this place seems to attract a strange clientele – mainly drunk middle-​aged women from the suburbs. Both times I’ve been here, women have talked through the program, have entered the show maybe 10 minutes into it and caused a scene, and overall ruined the experience for those of us trying to hear what’s going on on stage. What’s worse is the staff doesn’t swoop in to stop this like at other theaters. Big disappointment.