Last weekend, my daughter and I had the opportunity to go see--or should I say experience--Grace and the Hanukkah Miracle, Chicago Immersive's inaugural performance.
Grace's family has lost a treasured family heirloom--a menorah that has been passed down from generation to generation. The last time it was seen was in the 1930s. Your mission is to travel through time (with a guide, of course), find clues, solve puzzles and help Grace and her family find their beloved heirloom.
I honestly had no idea what to expect. I am not Jewish, and what little I know about Hanukkah, I most likely learned in elementary school years ago. I didn't know if I should do some research and try to explain Hanukkah to my daughter or just wing it. Well, I decided to wing it with a simple explanation that some people don't celebrate Christmas and celebrate Hanukkah instead. I knew that the performance was interactive at some level, and I was hoping I knew enough. And I did.
Each performance is an intimate group of twelve people (plus the actors of course). But don't expect to just sit back and watch--this is a participation performance. You actually move from room to room, scene to scene. In each time that we traveled to, from Nazi Germany to the 1980s to the present, the audience was asked to participate in some way. It wasn't hard, but it kept us engaged. This is the kind of performance that sticks with you, because you were part of it.
Besides being a great learning experience for my daughter and I, she and the other kids thoroughly enjoyed participating. The clues and puzzles were easy enough to solve, and the kids really felt like they were helping solve a mystery. Grace and the Hanukkah Miracle is engaging and fun for the whole family.
Performances run December 1st through January 5, 2020. There are two performances on Saturdays at 1 pm and 4 pm and Sunday performances are at 2 pm (with no performance on December 15th). Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased online here or by calling 773-236-2172. The performance is 55 minutes long and is recommended for all ages.
*I was provided with complimentary tickets in exchange for this review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.*
