Chicago Symphony Orchestra — Attraction in Chicago

Great Performance, But Rude Ushers

My wife and I took her mother to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of The Wizard of Oz as a special celebration for her birthday. We purchased excellent seats at $150 each and were very excited for the evening. Let me start by saying that the performance itself was outstanding—truly deserving of five stars. However, the experience leading up to the performance was chaotic, and several ushers were incredibly rude and disrespectful, which significantly impacted our overall experience.

We arrived early to ensure we had plenty of time before the show. The pre-show lecture was taking place when we got there, and we were greeted and allowed into the lobby. As I approached the door, an usher handed me a program and asked if we were attending the lecture. I said no, thinking we’d get drinks and wait instead. She rudely snatched the program back and told me to return to the main entrance. When I pointed out that other guests were waiting in the lobby, she mocked my comment and dismissively said she had forgotten to tell them. Her behavior caught me off guard, but we complied.

We decided to grab a drink at the lobby bar, but another usher approached us aggressively, stating the bar was closed. This turned out to be incorrect—the bartender had to step in and clarify that the bar was indeed open, and we were able to get drinks. We got our drinks and returned to the entrance area to wait. This unnecessary hostility could have been avoided with better communication.

After the lecture ended, we re-entered the main lobby. My mother-in-law, who was celebrating her birthday, wanted to take the elevator to our third-floor seats. We asked an usher for permission, and they said we could use it. However, as soon as we entered, another usher yelled at us to get off, claiming we couldn’t use it. I explained that we had been told otherwise, but we exited to avoid further conflict. Eventually, we were allowed to use the elevator, only to have another usher on the third floor chastise us for not using the “other side.” This made no sense, as there was only one elevator.

At our seats, I noticed additional instances where ushers reprimanded guests—for placing belongings on the edge of their rail or resting coats on the banister. While rules are important, the way they were communicated was unnecessarily rude and condescending. People spend a lot of money to attend these performances and deserve to be treated with respect, not hostility.

Overall, we left the event feeling disappointed, despite the exceptional performance. With tickets and drinks, we spent over $500, yet the disorganized entry process and rude ushers overshadowed the evening. I strongly recommend that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra invest in workforce development and customer service training for their staff. A little professionalism and politeness go a long way in creating a positive experience for patrons.

While I want to emphasize that not all the ushers were rude, it wasn’t just an isolated few, either. Until these issues are addressed, I’d hesitate to recommend attending, especially given the many other entertainment options available in Chicago.

Performance: 5 stars Organization and...

We visited the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall to see Weird Al in concert, and we're very happy with the venue, it's layout and it's performance space.

Right in the heart of the Magnificent Mile, there is so much to see and do while waiting for the theater to open. On the night that we visited, then process of checking our tickets was efficient and we were able to find our seats without issue, though there were plenty of ushers on hand to provide help. The seating on the main floor was comfortable enough and not too narrow (which is especially important for gravitationally challenged folk like me), and their cushions were plush, allowing me to enjoy to concert without my posterior complaining.

While I won't go into details about the show, I will say the sound quality of the Hall was fantastic, really capturing deep bass and preserving the richness of the sound even at our seats, thirteen rows back.

At the end of the show, I needed to use the facilities, which were located in the lower levels away from the lobby. The wait wasn't too long and, given the foot traffic, was well maintained.

If I had another opportunity to see a show here, I would certainly take that opportunity (maybe to see the orchestra perform music scores in time with a featured movie) This was definitely a landmark Chicago experience well...

I have been attending events in Chicago for years, and visited the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the first time recently to attend their CSO at the Movies series, featuring Return of the Jedi.

It was my first big outing in the pandemic era, and I felt incredibly safe, as it was made explicitly clear when you purchased your ticket that masks were required at all times within the venue. Sure, there were people who attempted to skirt the rules, but the staff handled it effectively and professionally.

The orchestra themselves were simply amazing. It was a fabulous performance, and I would absolutely attend again to experience this tremendous group of performers.

As someone with audio processing issues, I appreciated the inclusion of captions on-screen for the movie.

Orchestra Hall was beautiful, as many others have called out in their reviews.

The only reason for the deduction of a star is for the lack of inclusive seating - something all older event spaces really need to address. Anyone larger than 200 lbs and 6 feet tall cannot sit comfortably during a performance here, as experienced both by people in my party and many patrons around me. If you have to wedge yourself into a seat built for the average-sized person a century ago, you are likely to think twice about attending a future...