Location: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Phone: 847-634-0200
Dates: March 14-May 18, 2013
See the full schedule on the Marriott Theatre website.
Performances are some Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays; and all Fridays & Saturdays (except April 4 & 5). All performances are at 10:00 am
Admission: $15 a ticket
Parking: There is free parking in the attached lot.
Bathrooms: There are public bathrooms with changing tables. In the bathroom we were in, the changing table was above the sinks, making it difficult to use if the bathroom is crowded. The sinks and soap were too high for Dexter to reach so he had to be lifted up.
Nursing: There is no designated nursing area.
Handicapped/stroller accessibility: The theatre is handicapped accessible. I would not bring a stroller if it could be avoided.
Food: There is no food available at the show. There are restaurants in the attached Marriott Resort.
We paid: We received four complimentary tickets to the performance. Our tickets would have cost $60 for our family to attend.
Our experience:
We attended a Saturday performance of Alice in Wonderland. The show started a few minutes late so the remaining members of the audience could find their seats.
Alice in Wonderland is a classic story and the Marriott Theatre group tells it well. The important parts are the same, but there is enough variation to keep in interesting and a bit unexpected. There are songs throughout the play and the songs are very catchy and entertaining and the costumes and set pieces were impressive. The actors walk and run down the main aisles and even through the seat aisles during the show, and often ask the audience members to answer questions or sing along. During the trial near the end of the play, four volunteers are brought up from the audience to act as the jury.
All of the characters were wonderful, but my personal favorite was the Mad Hatter. The kids and the adults in the audience couldn’t help but laugh during the tea party. After the show is over, the cast comes onto the stage to introduce themselves and the crew and take questions from the audience. In response to some of the questions they explained how several of the cast members play more than one part, how long they rehearsed before the show started, and how they change costumes quickly.
This is the second show we’ve seen at the Marriott Theatre and I’ve been impressed with both of them. Both have been appropriate and entertaining without being condescending or taking shortcuts because children are the intended audience. They are genuinely entertaining for children and adults and it’s obvious that a lot of work goes into creating the show. My only real complaint is that the seats are a bit cramped and close together, but because the show was only about an hour long it wasn’t too bad.
We all enjoyed the show and look forward to future shows at the Marriott Theatre.
