I am not an extremely sentimental person. I don’t gush very often, and I am fairly matter-of-fact when it comes to parenting. This is why I was so shocked at how moved I was by a simple date night with my son. This little guy is 5 years old, and I am finally to the point that I can take him places and actually enjoy the event instead of monitoring his every move.
We started the night at Cesar’s Killer Margaritas on Broadway in Chicago. Ok, not the most obvious choice for a mother-son date night, but it turned out to be the perfect choice. Many of my friends have (somewhat blurry) memories of nights spent at Cesar’s, sipping (gulping) fruity margaritas and scarfing Mexican food. I had a different view of Cesar’s when they hosted a tasting at a recent ChicagonistaLIVE! shot- the food was delicious, and their mango margarita? Divine. All of the delectable dishes at Cesar’s are handmade- no frozen or store-bought items. And the selfie below? I tagged it #CesarsChicago, posted it to Instagram, and we won a $50 gift certificate!
They truly cater to children as well. My son had a non-alcoholic pina colada/strawberry daiquiri swirl that came with an umbrella. The menu had his favorite characters on it that he colored with provided crayons. The kid’s menu featured extremely affordable items, including healthy selections such as grilled chicken breast with steamed veggies or tilapia. At the end of our dinner, a hostess brought over a little turtle figurine with a bobble head for my son to take home. You can also show your Blue Man Group tickets for a complimentary dessert or appetizer with purchase.
We made our way over to the Briar Street Theater, which is around the corner from Cesar’s. My son didn’t know what to expect from the Blue Man Group performance, which made it even more enjoyable for him. I have personally seen the show a few times and was excited to see what they added since my last viewing.
The show starts with comedic commentary regarding actual audience members, which my son thought was hilarious. The lights finally dimmed and the show began. If you have never seen the Blue Man Group, there isn’t an accurate way to describe the visual and auditory spectacular. It appeals to ALL ages, although this is the first year my son has proved himself worthy of sitting in one spot for more than 10 minutes. I think it appeals to adolescents because it is silly at the core.
It beckons you to laugh, clap, cheer and grin wildly throughout the 90 non-stop minutes of pure entertainment. You will be on your feet, jumping, pumping your fist, participating in group activities (no spoilers here!).
But the best part of the show was my son’s reaction. We are talking perma-grin for 90 straight minutes. He loved participating in all of the goofy motions, cracked up at the sometimes wacky humor, and even entertained all those around us in the audience with his stream of commentary throughout the show. I haven’t seen my child react to something like this…well…ever. I would pay any amount to see this type of pure joy.
If you have seen Blue Man Group before, don’t hesitate to go again! They frequently add new content- the recent addition of the “GiPad” will crack you up. Blue Man Group has introduced the iAge to the audience, and you will never find creating a new password as hilarious as this.
If you are staying in town for spring break, they have a slew of packages to help you become a local tourist. Packages include Skydeck Chicago, 360 Chicago, Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Company. Drews on Halsted and Yoshi’s Cafe offer dinner packages; both restaurants are steps away from the Briar Street Theater where Blue Man Group is located. For more information, check out their About the Show Page here!
Thank you to Blue Man Group for hosting Bryson and me, we can’t wait to come back!
All show photos property of Blue Man Group, used with permission.
