This is Everyman Theatre's mini me. Many, many pros and a con or two, Spotlighters Theatre is…read morecharming, homey, small and intimate. The seating is 4-5 rows in a circular setting. With this close-in seating you can see EVERYTHING. The acting explodes in your face, basically. My friend and I saw "The Hairy Ape," and, as a Eugene O'Neill fanatic I was set to love it, and was not disappointed. The acting was superb. The production was excellent, particularly because there is so little space and time to change/adjust the stage without being disruptive. The lead of the play was really spectacular and wish I could remember his name. (I looked it up -- Michael Leicht.) During the intermission attendees can mingle in the lobby or outside under the lights (and stars). It's really quite magical. As much as I love Everyman's Theatre, and there should be no comparison - they are very different, I find Spotlighters the ONE place I would most recommend.

I recently made my way out to the Spotlighters to see a production of The Game's Afoot - a sherlock…read moreinspired play. The play was both fun and funny, and I truly had a blast there. The theater itself is small and set up in the "round theater" tradition: Seats circle the entire stage. This means, you are no more than 3 seats back from the action, making for a very intimate theater experience. For some this may be intense, but I found myself really engrossed in the play, and feeling more a part of it than an audience member (don't worry, you don't actually participate). This is a community theater, so I had set my expectations really low. However, the energy and thought that went into this production was anything but amateur. I left really wanting to seek out more of these types of places - and I'm in luck, Baltimore appears to be filled with them. File this place under "something different to do on a Saturday night, that'll make you feel good about living in Baltimore"

I love a great dinner and a movie situation. The food is your basic bar style food, chicken…read morestripes, wings, burgers, etc. the garlic truffle fries are really good. Also, the milk shakes are really good I like how the service is where they bring everything to you or the fact that they can take your order and allow you to be comfortable. The seats are very comfortable and recline far back. I highly recommend this theater.

Ive had good experiences here with food and watching a movie. Ive always had a good and really like…read morehow it is themed as a monument to the president in independence day. Service where it consistently falls short they have forgotten orders a few times which sucks but not a deal breaker I just put up a card or cleared it up at the end.

Saw John Butler and Band 4/29 at the Lincoln Theater and I just had the time of my life not only…read morebecause of the show, but also because of the venue and staff. The venue is very intimate without feeling claustrophobic. I don't think you can get a bad seat. I was surprised that the cost for an adult beverage was only $11.50 (before taxes and tip). Now on to the staff....they were all so friendly professional. They truly went out of their way to make your experience exceptional and smooth. Shoutout to Bernard for his kindness, humor, and just plain overall charisma. Instead of making me throw away some snacks I had he had it secured in the office for pick up after the show. He was so funny and easygoing about it all and he and other staff went out of their way to not make me feel bad or stupid for the faux pas. The bartenders in the foyer were awesome and patient too when I wasn't sure what to order. They also served my drinks neatly and their welcoming demeanor made me go back for another. If you are attending an event at the Lincoln Theater know that you will be taken care of very well and that your event will run smoothly. It's a beautiful venue and I hope to be able to go to another concert again soon!

I recently saw another performance at the theater. The performance was amazing. It's seems like…read morethis venue gets rented out to various organizations. There isn't consistency in having a plan. I was with an influential family in a box suite (with extra seats in the row behind us). One of the sponsors asked a family member (who had just sponsored the vip reception we attended) to move. The sponsor did not seem to know who the person was. The family was incredibly gracious about it. The venue is great for plays, Q & A's and screenings. There just needs to be a better plan. If you have different staff for each event, it is really hard to look professional. The theater is directly across the street from U Street Metro.

The Hippodrome in Baltimore puts on great On- and Off- and Pre-Broadway productions. We recently…read moresaw the premier performance run of the national tour of Maybe Happy Ending, a Tony Award® winner for Best Musical. Ok, I'm no theater critic, but here goes. It's sort of a romantic comedy of how life flows from random meetings. Did I mention that the main characters are robots? An interesting twist that lets them highlight feelings and decisions that may be taken for granted, and what love is like the very first time. The stars of this show also performed in the Broadway production, so it was top-notch acting and singing, bold and expressive. The music was stirring, and we especially enjoyed the incorporation of jazz for one character's dialog. The staging was clever, with rotating scenery to change settings, opening out into a seemingly vast vista, with interesting effects that introduce new perspectives. I don't want to give away too much. Some housekeeping: The show was nearly two hours long, with no intermission. The seats are pretty comfy. Folks dressed from casual to night-on-the-town. This show performed for 7-days, so you don't always get a long time get to a particular show. Pro-tip: There's a volunteer-usher program! You work mostly at the start of the show. You see shows for free :-)

This theatre has become our go-to theatre to see Broadway shows. We have seen several shows in the…read morelast three years. The theatre is only a ninety minute drive from our home. It offers the quality shows as seen on Broadway in Manhattan, NYC at a fraction of the cost. The theater is located in downtown Baltimore's Inner Harbor. There is so much to do in the area. There are countless quality restaurants, hotels and venues including Baltimore Orioles baseball. The theatre is within a very short walking distance of the Baltimore harbor. The theatre is a nice sized theatre not being too large or small. Every seat offers good views of the stage with good acoustics. Seating is comfortable and not too tight with adequate leg roon. The interior is absolutely beautiful. The walls are ornately decorated along with soft and warm lighting. Water, mixed drinks, wine, soft drinks and snacks are served before the show begins and during intermission. The theatre is well kept and maintained. The bathrooms are spacious and very clean Ticket prices are affordable and a fraction of the cost of Broadway without sacrificing the talent and quality of Broadway. There is plenty of paid parking available, with a multi-level garage across the street from the theater. Parking will cost approximately $25-$30 for the event/day. For all of you loving the arts, I strongly recommend attending a show at this venue, you won't regret it.

FYI: They're no longer based at "Casa de Pueblo" in Adams Morgan -- they're "in exile" at…read moreGeorgetown University's Davis Performaning Arts Center, which is a great theater -- but it has limited seating. I just saw (May 29, 2009) a preview of "1001" based loosely on the Persian story of the woman who told stories for 1,001 nights in order to avoid being beheaded. The play weaves the original story with other stories which echo and reframe the story-within-a-story-within-a-story concept... ultimately to illustrate how the stories we tell ourselves frame how we see the world. (This seems to be a local theater theme right now -- Arcadia at the Folger and Legacy of Light at Arena have the same concepts!) 1001 was very well done... the script was excellent, the acting -- including comic moments -- was very good, and they used props and the staging (theater in the round) very well. I highly recommend going to see it before June 28, 2009. Link: www.rorschachtheatre.com

My favorite theatre experience in DC was actually a play put on by this little theatre company that…read morecould. It was held in the basement of a church at the time (2005), and was a modern adaptation of an early 18th century Japanese samurai play ("Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards"). An adorable love story with lots of Imogen Heap songs thrown in, it's amazing how the company takes their limited funding and resources and creates wonderful stories on stage with ingenuity and creativity. Tickets are always very inexpensive and their play choices are always refreshingly unique and "indie". Rorschach Theatre will always have a special place in my heart.

Pandafest travels all over. It is a two day event. Tickets range from $12ish (DC branded panda pin…read more& panda blowup headband) to $35-$40 for vip (panda pin, headband & bag, special seating) The vip area was very convenient when it rained. VIPs had trailer bathrooms only accessible to VIP. But the porta potty's in the venue were all large. No tiny cubicles while trying to hold a bag. It was lovely having a place to sit while eating. There were dozens and dozens of vendors. Panda merchandise was everywhere. The panda mascot was fun. There was also a giant panda ballon with a cherry blossom flower. The Panda stage had great musicians. We had a wonderful time. It didn't feel as crowded as the Giant Foods Battle of the BBQ ( in the same location). The food choices included fried rice $10 (yum) vegetable chow mein (so good) $15 and yummy bobble teas ($10 - $25). We enjoyed mango & strawberry. Deserts included shaved ice, sweet items, ice cream and so much more. There were skewers, soups, all types of rice, noodles and desserts. I didn't see any water filling stations. Water was $4 cash ($5 credit card). If you purchase several food items, it helps to have something to carry them in. I had a few gallon ziplock bags. I covered my items in plastic while walking to the table. It helped not having rice spill everywhere. I paid cash for everything. Some vendors charged more for credit cards. Also, you never know when there will be a WiFi issue and suddenly you can't use a credit card. It was nice sitting with the community (under a tent) and listening to the music. The artists were incredible. Just when we thought we were leaving, we were sitting through more performances. The Capitol was a great backdrop for Pandafest. Plastic stadium bags were perfect for rain. This is something I would do again. There are early bird specials. Follow Pandafestdc for future events.

Not worth it. It's overpriced, and OMG, why is every banner made with AI? I hate that you have to…read morepay to get in, and the food is definitely overpriced. The toilet was disgusting. I would not recommend it and definitely will not be coming back.

Wonderful playhouse!…read more Plenty of inexpensive street parking and garages nearby. Super easy to locate, beautiful ceilings, Intimate production area, every seat is amazing, elevated! There's no bad view in there. We went to see Fences. Great production, actors/ actresses, and costumes. I love the convenient concession, and lavatory inside of the venue. This way, you don't have to step out of the production room. I look forward to attending many more productions here at this location in the near future.

I went to my first play at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company last weekend. A friend and I visited…read morethe theater for a performance of Jane Austen's Persuasion. The theater is beautiful - very comfortable and intimate - not a bad seat in the house. They have a couple of bars and some seating areas, which made for an enjoyable intermission. My only (very small) complaint about the theater is that it was hard to find the bathrooms, and we waited a while, because the one women's room we found was a single stall bathroom. I think there was a larger women's room somewhere, but we didn't find it! The play was interesting - I'd never seen a theater adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, and the adaptation was interesting and some of the actors were really great. We had a great time. I was surprised to see and learn that not all of the Company's performances are of Shakespeare - later this season, they have August Wilson's Fences (part of the Baltimore August Wilson Celebration), Shakespeare's The Tempest, A Christmas Carol, and Shakespeare's The Tale of Cymbeline (performed outdoors in Ellicott City). I'll happily return for another performance!

It is a great place to watch a show including broadway shows…read more 1. Theater itself is quite intimate with good sound system. Some seats do have somewhat limited view of the stage, so it is one of the old style theaters. 2. Parking is a hassle. Best to just uber here. I personally had a dinner at the hotel next door and used their valet. 3. Beautiful location right next to the white house/willard hotel and all the fun places, so it is a great idea to go for a walk after the show.

Representing Feb. 2020 in my scrapbook series is The National Theatre. I'll be honest that it's…read morerare I ever go to a play, but in 2019-early 2020, it was a pretty common occurrence as I was part of INWEGO. In April 2019, my friend got me to join INWEGO. We each got a credit, which made it nearly free. On April 12, 2019, I went to Arena Stage for the 1st time, and the INWEGO era began. You'd pay $19 for 1 show a month, $39 for 3 shows, & $59 for 5 shows. This included plays, concerts, sporting event, comedy, & other various events. I visited National Theatre 4 times all on INWEGO: 1. Tuesday, December 10, 2019: Fiddler on the Roof 2. Thursday, December 19, 2019: Jersey Boys 3. Tuesday, February 11, 2020: King's Speech 4. Wednesday, March 4, 2020: Bandstand A lot of great shows. Some good vantage points from the level to upper level section seats that I got along with my girlfriend of that time. It was a cool, grand venue. Each time was its own unique experience. December 10, 2019: I'll be honest that I was upset with my girlfriend of that time on that day. I had gotten home from work to quickly eat & take Metro down. I had some couscous at home. She was making it, but she had doctored it with cannabis. She had feminine issues that day, but I was pissed she ruined our couscous that night. I barely could talk to her I was shaking with anger. Ultimately, we were committed to going, and I still wanted to see Fiddler on the Roof. It was a great show with a great first impression of National Theatre. December 19, 2019: My girlfriend & I didn't break up on or shortly after December 10th's couscous. We were pretty good for Jersey Boys. This time my friend who got me to join INWEGO was joining us for the play. I remember my g/f & I had some disagreement in the early part of the evening around dinner, but I don't remember what it was about, and it didn't spoil the night. Jersey Boys was my favorite of the 4 plays I think. February 11, 2020: King's Speech was a great play and a good night for us on the lower orchestra level. That was the only time of the 4 we were on the orchestra level. March 4, 2020: Bandstand was another funny story. We were in the upper balcony section once again. We met up with her friends another couple sitting next to them. At the time, we were taking this Covid thing with a grain of salt not realizing what we would be facing soon, saying time to social distance & fist bumping but not thinking much of it. After the show, I learned my friend who got me to join INWEGO was there too. We were texting about the Metro or something after the show, and I was like what a coincidence we are at the same Metro. He mentioned Bandstand. We realized we were in the same row. He was like 8 seats further down, but we didn't notice each other. My girlfriend & I thought it was interesting he didn't try to coordinate with me. Conclusions: National Theatre is a great venue with a lot of memories. Sadly, INWEGO went out of business in Sept. 2020 as they couldn't survive the still Covid environment at that time. Perhaps, I'll visit National Theatre again if it was ever convenient.