As the self-appointed king of events, I'm back at it with another venue review. This time, for an…read moreintimate theater in Fountain Hills, a lovely suburb of Phoenix. I stopped by for an Agatha Christie play on a Thursday at 7:30. First off, parking won't be an issue in their complimentary lot. I came straight to the theater for the performance, but if you're looking for some food and drinks before the show, there are a good number of bars and restaurants within close proximity. Once you arrive, there's a small lobby area to check in. From there, walk to the back to reach the theater. It seats roughly 100 people or so, so it's definitely a small theater. Which I love. You're right there in the heart of the action with a great view of the performance. With that being said, you won't get as elaborate of a set design as bigger theaters in town, but they make up for it in other ways. E.g. affordable ticket prices. Before the show and during intermission, they sell water, soft drinks, and snacks. Not a wide variety of options, but at $2 a pop, you've gotta love the prices. I for sure was the youngest person at the performance (kids these days don't know what they're missing), but that's totally fine by me. Looking forward to stopping by for another performance in the near future!

This review is for the Fountain Hills Theater located at 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd. in Fountain Hills,…read moreAZ. This was my first time at the theater and I saw Private Lives the Musical. This is a Noel Coward play and since I enjoy Noel's style, was looking forward to going. The performance was the second day on the calendar the Musical was presented. Here are my impressions overall: Location: There is a sign on the road advertising the performance so you can easily find the theater for the first time which was appreciated since it was quite dark this night and we had never been in the area before. Parking: Plenty of free parking is available in the lot and because the theater is small finding a parking spot was not an issue. Access: There were sets of stairs to access the front door. I will update this review to include if there is wheelchair accessibility or a ramp somewhere for people who are unable to do steps because I do not recall (I was not looking for it). If you have a wheelchair I suggest you call the theater ahead of time to find out about accessibility. Restrooms: Men's/Women's are one stall, so you have to be a bit strategic about when you use the restroom during the intermission because there is a line for both. Lobby: There is a Will Call and a Ticket Purchase area (opposite sides of the lobby). There was bottled water, cans of soda and candy for sale to the right of Will Call. I was impressed we got a little Play Bill from the host who seated us. This was nice since small theaters are trying to save costs when possible. Main Stage Seating: The seating was a bit "tight" meaning, if anyone went in or out of an aisle, the person sitting in front of them had to lean forward so he/she was not bumped in the process. Two children behind us got up while the play was going on and we all had to move forward in our seats to let them out so we were not bumped, therefore we lost this part of the play (lines) of the actors. The seats are not staggered/positioned in a manner to allow for what I call "in-between" visual access of the two people sitting in front of you. Therefore, if you are under 5'5" be aware of the seats you are selecting so you can see above the person in front of you. Also, if you are very tall, your legs may be cramped. Sound: The actors in the play we saw did not wear microphones. We were seated toward the left of the stage. When the actor was on the far right of the stage (facing the door to the lobby opposite us) we could not hear what they were saying. This was disappointing. Performers: The performance we saw had four performers. The stage is small. In our play, half the stage was a backdrop during the first scene, making it even smaller. Since the stage is small it felt like some of the actor's talents had to be "stifled" a little because there was no room for the actors to be animated. We noticed the performers looking down to where the end of the stage was several times so they did not fall off which forced them to act in a conservative manner for that portion of the scene. The play was a musical, and I would give the actor singing a five out of ten, some songs were definitely better than others. Impressions: My guess is the quality of the plays will fluctuate from "great" to "okay" largely because of who is cast in roles, the actor's experience, and the type of play the cast is involved in (musical or not). I am going to give the theater another try in May. I have tickets to a different performance which is not a musical to see how straight "acting" at the Fountain Hills Theater compares to the available musical talent. Enjoy! Lynn

First, this place is situated a little weird. You can't really see the front of the building…read morebecause there is a parking garage immediately in front of it and immediately behind it. If you didn't know where it was you could miss it. That's the only negative thing I can say about this place. The lobby has plenty of seating areas with sofas, which is a really nice touch. There is a gift shop with many lovely gifts, and the concession stand with cocktails, wine, so does, and water is incredibly reasonably priced compared to other venues. What really makes this place stand out is that there is not a single bad seat in the house. The show we were at did not have a lot of choices left when we we're looking for tickets, and I was concerned that we would have bad seats. That is impossible here. This is a great venue and I'll be looking into more shows here because of the fantastic seating arrangement.

Derek the bartender is the friendliest face and warmest energy you'll feel when you step into this…read moretheater, whether you're grabbing a drink, a snack or simply saying hello. The shows are great, parking can be a challenge when busy but the garage just outside Az88 is a great option. Acoustics and theater layout are great.

I had the opportunity to visit the concert side of the Hale Center Theater and was thrilled with…read morehow cozy and pleasant the experience was. The entire space holds maybe 250 or so people and each seat has a good view of the stage. The performers are fantastic (I was there for the Yacht Rock show) and I loved how enthusiastic and expressive they all were. You can purchase snacks from their portable concession cart either before the show or at intermission. If you have the chance, be sure to check it out!

My parents, especially my dad, are huge Bee Gees fans. So, when I saw that Hale Center Theater was…read moreputting on a tribute show while they were visiting, I knew I had to get tickets. We purchased tickets for the Thursday, January 8th show. We arrived a bit early on the day of the show. It was our first time at Hale and we wanted to be prepared. We were directed to a side entrance where they usually have their music shows. I knew the theatre was small, but was still surprised to see how intimate it was. I didn't mind it. The theatre sells concessions before the show and during intermission. We didn't purchase any. The show was phenomenal! The band and the singers were very talented and put on a fantastic performance. They nailed the original voices, which is not easy, and even hit some of the high notes. It took us back to the disco days of the 70s. We can't wait to catch another show at Hale Center Theatre!

42nd street blew us away, coming from New York we have been to many Broadway shows and some shows…read morehere in Arizona. This show was outstanding. Dinner was delicious the serving staff was fantastic too. Don't wait pick a show and get tickets.

The long-admired musical "42nd Street" is not to be missed at the Arizona Broadway Theater! I…read moreattended opening night last evening and had an experience I'll never forget. The show was top-notch on every level: scenery, lighting, costumes, choreography, acting, singing, and the live orchestra in the pit. Everyone on stage was bursting with talent that is rarely seen anymore. Specifically, the rhythmic sounds of tap dancing, with the whole troop loudly stomping their heel and toe metal plates with stunning speed in perfect unison. This production absolutely nailed the emotional real-life message. Presented on stage was something everyone can relate to: laughing, crying, dreaming, and touching the human soul in its endeavor to never let dejection permanently impede our hopes for unrealized happiness. In our troubled times, this classic musical offers a dazzling and superb stimulus to recommit ourselves to maintaining happiness as an ongoing goal at every stage in life. The words from one of the iconic show songs state it better than I can: "Come on along and listen to, the lullaby of Broadway. The hip hooray and bally-hoo, the lullaby of Broadway!" On a final note, meals are often described as a "rubber chicken dinner," where food is merely an accompaniment to the main event. This is not the case at the Arizona Broadway (dinner) Theatre. The food easily competes with any remarkable restaurant!

Incredible evening with stellar performances! A magical…read moreevening filled with rollicking fun & excitement. They are Stars of comedy and improvisation. The ambiance was cozy and the food was incredible! If you are looking for a memorable evening, look no further! Would very highly recommend and can't wait to go back!

We went to Mystery Mansion Dinner Theater to celebrate my dad's birthday and it was such a fun…read morenight. The setting is intimate, which makes the whole experience feel really interactive and personal. We were laughing out loud the whole time. To quote my dad, "I've had a lot of birthday dinners I don't remember, and this one I will." That pretty much says it all. We'll be talking about this night for years. Highly recommend if you're looking for something different and memorable.

Comfortable seats. Clean and cozy venue. The Sweet Delilah…read moreSwim club was so so funny. 6 friends enjoyed it thoroughly.

Wonderful community theater, shows are high caliber and staff is very welcoming. We saw Wizard of…read moreOz- the lobby was decorated and there was a fun scavenger hunt to find characters from the play, great way to engage patrons.

I previously reached out to Stage Left Productions months ago regarding tickets to a different show…read moreand never received a response. I let that go at the time, assuming it was an isolated issue. Unfortunately, I am now having a similar and even more concerning experience. I recently purchased tickets for an upcoming production and only discovered that the company is listed as "temporarily closed" when I visited the website to confirm the address. No notification was ever sent to inform ticket holders that the production would no longer be taking place. Since learning this, I have reached out multiple times to request information about when I would receive a refund for my ticket. To date, I have received no response. The lack of communication, accountability, and basic customer service is extremely disappointing. Customers should not have to actively investigate whether a paid event is still happening, nor should they be left without responses regarding refunds for canceled productions.

Update: February 2025: New venue! 5930 West Greenway Road Suite 1A, Glendale AZ 85306--Certainly a…read moremore intimate theater so you will almost feel like you're part of a command performance. I really enjoyed "Grand Horizons" with its well written dialogue and the perfect casting. Layers of each character peeled away as more and more was revealed about them, and I gained a deeper understanding of each. My "loyalty" to certain characters kept shifting which made it interesting and just like life and its complexities. Much success in your new home Stage Left!