James M. Nederlander Theatre — Attraction in Chicago

We saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child last night, and it was an absolutely amazing show. The problem is that the theater it was playing in was not. They say arrive an hour before the show, but they dont open the doors to let you in until 45 minutes before the show. So you stand outside for a while and get yelled at a lot with conflicting orders from security while being smashed into the front doors in a mad frenzy from them. The snack bars were limited but not the worst prices ever, but those bathrooms are very small, hard to find, and only 2 of them and good luck locating them because who needs signs. Finding our seats was a mess as employees throughout demand to see your tickets multiple times and normally give you vague directions (we walked up 3 flights of stairs so many times because of this). The gentleman who once again asked to see our tickets once in the hall was very rude and aggressively thrusted the play booklet on us. Now the thester itself is absolutely breathtaking and could have sat there and looked at the architecture and learned about that instead because man, there must be a crazy story with it all. We were yelled at vy the rude gentleman once because my wife had set down her pamplet and blanket on the bannister in front of her, (there is nothing posted this isn't allowed) but it makes sense as you wouldn't want to drop something and hurt someone down below, but we are adults please just ask, or post a sign no need to yell. Also be warned the whole if your late for the play you wont he seated until a break comes is an absolute lie, the play was 10 minutes in and they not only allowed multiple people in around us, but also the staff uses bright flash lights to guide them and they will shine them randomly in your face as your trying to watch the play. Not too mention they do nothing for noisy guests, as the ones who showed up late to sit behind us ate a endless bag of chips, talked through the entire play as they seemed bored, were consistently kicking not just mine but the two couples next to us very hard. They were even on their phones at points. During intermission, we mentioned this to the rude gentleman who promptly ignored us and walked away without saying a word. So naturally the people behind us did this the second half as well but now decided to eat so fast they started choking. This certainly hurt my viewing experience, which is a shame because I had spent a lot of money to have good seats here and feel like it was wasted. I loved the play, andnwoukd deffinently consider viewing it again someday but certainly at another theater. Oh, and IMMEDIATELY after the show, they will start yelling very loudly at the audience to get out they are closing. Some of us have issues with large crowds and trying to get hundreds of people out small exits all at once is not ideal, much less for someone who suffers with anxiety and extreme ptsd from tight areas and large crowds. This place is NOT SENSORY FRIENDLY. Edit as in their reply, I contacted customer service, and absolutely nothing was done but was basically told, "It...

Box Office will lie to you.

Weeks before my show, the theater emailed me stating they had changed my seat and moved me several rows back. When I called to ask why, they claimed the seats I purchased months earlier were blocked and they moved me to avoid an obstructed view. I specifically booked those dates early because I wanted to sit in Row A to avoid having anyone in front of us. I told them that I picked Row A because we didn’t want my wife to be blocked by a tall individual, as has happened at other shows. During the call, they assured me that the seats were elevated from the row in front of me and suggested I could get my wife a seat cushion. If I didn’t want that option, they could move me back to my purchased seats so I wouldn’t see part of the show. This was clearly manipulation, as nothing was blocked, and people were sitting in my purchased seats without any obstructions.

When I asked why the seats were available for purchase in the first place, the theater claimed they don’t know beforehand what props the show will use. They said that after selling me the tickets, they had to set up props that would obstruct my view—this was a total lie, as I could clearly see there were no obstructions, and those sitting in Row A enjoyed a perfect view.

I was moved four rows back and to the left. From my new seat, I could clearly see that people were sitting in the seats i purchased, and there was absolutely nothing in place to obstruct their view. Meanwhile, my new position further to the left obstructed part of my view of the stage.

The show itself was great, and the theater's atmosphere is fantastic. However, having traveled from out of state by plane and paid for a hotel in the loop, being lied to and given worse seats made it difficult to fully enjoy the experience.

If you are a couple, choose a different venue. This location will reassign your tickets to accommodate a larger group and then lie to you about it. I've included a picture of Row A, where I was supposed to be seated, to show there was no obstruction for those...

My first time here was a great experience! We saw a Sunday matinee of The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical.

The play itself was amazing! The lead actresses and actors did an amazing job, the music was awesome, and I was wowed by several set-pieces, specifically those in the scene just before the intermission and upon arrival to Paris just after the intermission. So impressive! Having not yet seen the original film, the musical told a cohesive story that was filled with dramatic and laughable moments alike. While I can't speak as to how it stacks up with the original film, this adaptation captured what I pictured it would be and then some. I'll be sure to watch the film coming up. In the meantime, I would highly recommend seeing this!

As for the theater itself, it is stunning. Be sure to take a few moments to appreciate the intricacies of the architecture and artwork throughout, particularly in the lobby and show hall. We sat in the first balcony, and were happy with the view we had (steep rows) and the size/comfort of the seating. After the show, we waited for the crowd to clear out to admire the ceiling artwork around the space.

The staff/facilities experience we had was a little less thrilling, with impossible long lines for women's bathrooms and some staff being less than helpful. Granted, the theatre has limited restrooms for its size, and the staff working them were definitely trying their best to filter people through. We didn't have a chance to get any refreshments, as we spent the entirety of the intermission in the restroom line and had to hurry back to avoid getting locked out of our seats.

We had a great first experience here! If you can make it to see Devil Wears Prada: The Musical, you absolutely should! If not, I would highly recommend visiting the Nederlander/Oriental Theatre for their...