Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles offers intimate, cabaret-style entertainment

St. Charles has long been an entertainment destination in northern Illinois with first-class restaurants and venues, and now, Moonlight Theatre, a recent addition to the city’s thriving nightlife scene, gives patrons a unique option for a night on the town.

The theatre brings live music, comedy, improv, plays, musicals and more in an intimate, “cabaret-style” atmosphere. The theatre only seats between 125 and 135 people, bringing patrons up close and personal with the performers.

“The ambience of how you experience the entertainment [in our theatre] is different than a big theatre,” said co-owner Joseph Mennella. “We have tables with candles, so everyone has their own table, except the front row, which is fixed seating.”

The theatre is a professional theatre that brings in international, national, regional and local touring artists, and works with industry professionals to produce their plays and musicals.

“People like a variety and Moonlight has something for everybody,” Mennella said. “There’s a lot of great music and great theatre out there, and with Moonlight, you’ll get everything in one place and experience it in a different way.”

The theatre, which is owned by Mennella, a St. Charles resident, and his mother, Batavia resident Nancy Fioramonti-Mennella, opened in June 2023 in the former Idle Hour Theatre.

Idle Hour was a Vaudeville theatre from 1900 until it closed in 1926. The building was then home to various offices and businesses after the theatre closed until it was put up for sale. Mennella and Fioramonti-Mennella purchased it in 2019, but their plans were put on hold due to the pandemic, as well as the extensive renovations needed before opening to the public.

“We had to gut the whole building and redo it. There were no public washrooms, so we had to build those, and build a bar and kitchen, plus all the seating,” Fioramonti-Mennella said.

Fioramonti-Mennella and Mennella are no strangers to the entertainment business. Mennella has worked as an actor, director and in several other roles in theatres throughout the Chicago area, while his mother has extensive experience booking talent. Both said they had been contemplating opening their own venue for a while, and when the Idle Hour Theatre building became available, they jumped at the chance.

“We were just talking and thought, ‘We could do this.’ We know the ins and outs [of the industry], we could open a theatre. We both have a hospitality background, so it just made sense,” Fioramonti-Mennella said.

“It started off as a dream, we thought it would be fun - but then the opportunity came to open it,” Mennella added. “I wanted to work with other artists who can come together and put on fantastic shows and quality entertainment for the community.”

The theatre’s first show was the Broadway musical “Rent,” and have since featured “Cabaret,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Rock of Ages” and “Murder on the Orient Express.”

Upcoming shows include “Moonlight Comedy All-Stars” on April 18; “Mulberry Street Presents: A Night of Tony Bennett” on April 19; comedian Gabriel Rutledge on April 25; “Supernatural Soul: A Tribute to Santana/Latin Rock Celebration” on May 3; Jack Aiello and the Crooners Club on May 4 and much more. Moonlight also hosts “Improv in the Moonlight” at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, which features the area’s best improv comedians.

“People love the experience [at Moonlight Theatre],” Mennella said. “No matter what show you come to see, you know every time you come to Moonlight, you’ll get a beautiful, wonderful experience of comfort, warmth and intimacy. Our slogan is ‘For an unforgettable night, make it Moonlight.‘”

Moonlight Theatre is located at 7 S. 2nd Ave., St. Charles, and offers a full bar, menu and table service.

For more information about Moonlight Theatre or to see the full schedule of upcoming shows and to purchase tickets, visit moonlighttheatre.com.