The Gem Theater in downtown Garden Grove has to be the coolest little theater in Orange County…read more It's an intimate room with only 158 seats. There isn't a bad view in the house. The staff are dedicated to theater and always courteous. The productions they put on range from Broadway fare to unique rarities. Fun fact- back in the 90s I volunteered as a stage manager for a time. It was a lot of fun.

An I N C R E D I B L E Musical production of GREASE on a Saturday afternoon! I took Nama fir her…read morebirthday! The theater is charming! They had a cute car fir photo ops! The Manager was personality plus! The singers and dancers extraordinary! A darling theater in Garden Grove! Celebrating 21 years there! Very clean restrooms! A cute bar/snack bar with popcorn and fun theater snacks! Just a super enjoyable afternoon! We will definitely come back!

First time seeing a performance here! I didnt know what to expect, but knew I had "nose bleed"…read moreseats. But, there are no bad seat. Small quaint venue where every seat is great!!! I was 3rd row from the top and loved the view of the stage and performer!! The sound was great! The seats are padded and fairly wide. I did not feel crowded by my neighbor. Parking is free and 100' away next to the Vietnam War Memorial. I would not hesitate to see another show here!!

Very nice staff and plenty of parking, especially when the courthouse isn't open. The concessions…read moreare cheap and the seats are very comfortable even in the back. No fuss and no hassle. Metal water bottles were okay and everybody was very relaxed. Definitely recommend.

These shows are beyond anything you can imagine! For 40 years they have put on shows that are…read moreastounding and mesmerizing. It is hard to imagine what they can do to top the last show that you see but they do not disappoint. The nice thing is that they have many traveling shows and resident (Vegas) shows so you will not be bored with the many acrobatic, juggling, contortionist,comedy and unique music.

Cirque de Soleil rarely disappoints. I have seen about ten of their shows in So Cal and Vegas and…read morethis one was simply stunning from a visual and style perspective. It's a tent in a parking lot, folks....how good can it be? Well, once you walk in, you get that they spent some time, money and effort transforming it into a wonderful show place. The stage is a real highlight transforming from water to trapeze to giant treadmill to rotating waterfall...it was spectacular. Great music, great costumes, great talent. Easy parking for only $10. Lots of souvenir, snack and beverage choices...pricey, but available and clean portable bathroom trailers. Just a killer show at the conveniently located OC Fairgrounds.

I went to the Golden West College Mainstage Theater to see an on-stage production of Herman…read moreMelville's classic American novel, "Moby Dick." It was great!: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/golden-west-college-mainstage-theater-huntington-beach?select=T8CKz6UQoLckecoKqeincg#T8CKz6UQoLckecoKqeincg So as not to ruin or spoil the play's narration or momentum, I won't, however, spend much time reviewing the show. If you've yet to experience the book, you'll be enlightened: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/golden-west-college-mainstage-theater-huntington-beach?select=T8CKz6UQoLckecoKqeincg#xcpkDky8g78aToWGiJ7upQ . But if you have read "Moby Dick," don't let that stop you from attending. While the enigmatic, white whale certainly occupies space in this imaginative adaptation, the spotlight is instead directed upon the depths of character development and the relationships among the Pequod's crew. Awesome performance notes and applause go to the intriguing Elijah and Father Mapple. As a venue for experiencing community theater, I whole-heartedly recommend GWC's Mainstage. The seating is intimate and comfortable, the ushers are helpful and all smiles, and the direction of the theater is completely supportive of its cast. In fact, the programs themselves open the college's doors for available enrollment, course offerings, and audition information. Makes you wonder... Have you yet had your 15 minutes? For a listing of upcoming events and shows, visit their website: www.gwctheater.com . ***Tips*** * The address listed is the main address for the college. The theater is not facing Goldenwest St. It actually faces Gothard St., which parallels Goldenwest. Parking is also located off Gothard.

Easy parking and a nice size theater. Every seat is a good one. I saw Evita here and while I…read moredidn't enjoy the musical I was comfortable. The sounds was a bit off so it was hard to hear the cast; the mic kept going in and out on some folks. There were refreshments (cheesecake and coffee) for purchase in the lobby during intermission. Restrooms are outside, but clean. If there was something here that I really wanted to see, I'd return.

Very entertaining and very cozy... Talented performers...I'm done with my review this is just…read moreextraneous random stuff to appease Yelps lame minimum character policy

This is a good group for community theater. There is not an excess of talent but there is a lot of…read moreenthusiasm. We have seen several plays here and we know some of the cast members. It is a good venue and there is not a bad seat in the house. It is a tad bit overpriced, but compared to a movie, it is not bad. They have a lot of shows and they seem to have a good following. I think if you take the best talent from the Junior Colleges that is what you will find here. Overall I recommend.

South Coast Repertory is an intimate, mid-sized theater. We've enjoyed plays and a musical there…read more Since it's small, the view has always been good from any section we've sat in. I enjoy when the actors or musicians are interviewed and we can hear their story. The staff is very helpful and friendly. There are snacks, drinks and photo ops available.

Nice theater- not too big where you get lost in it or where the stage is so far away-not a bad seat…read morein the house- staff were so welcoming and helpful - purchased tickets at the box office and that was a smooth transaction. Large clean restroom with plenty of stalls. Seats were comfortable. Covered drinks allowed in theater- no snacking in theater but ok in lobby. Paid Parking structure - theater is across from south coast plaza. Had a really nice experience.

Garden Grove has a brilliant Shakespeare Company bring well staged modern versions of the…read moreplaywright's ancient classics . Your high school play is a poor comparison and so would be most of the stodgier tradition stuff that you would imagine. The Tempest in this version takes place on an exotic island perhaps in Asia and performed with music, dance, rhythmic drumming and imaginative staging as with most of new theatrical companies. I can not say that I am a fan of Shakespeare's art but I enjoy good live performances of all types of theatrics & music. This Shakespeare Company does do that very well.

Amazing inexpensive Shakespeare, right here in downtown Garden Grove, CA of The OC…read more I have seen super star Hollywood actors plus actresses perform a radio show here. Then we went to their phenomenal production of William Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream featuring a local OC-based Thaitian dance troupe. Pluses: An abundance of FREE Parking! They only have a very small dedicated parking lot. But no worries. You can readily park on the street for free all right within 1 block of the theater. Bring a picnic lunch and get here early. You can spread out and enjoy it on the grass of the park which is right outside of the theater. They sell beer, wine, and soda. Bring some singles with you. You won't be disappointed.

We absolutely LOVE this little theater!! We've been to several plays here over the years and none…read moreof them have ever disappointed!! I want to say that the theater holds maybe 75-100 people...? Comfy seats and every seat is a great view. Prices are great, our last show was $39 each. The actors are fun and you can tell they absolutely love doing what they do. They are there to make everyone happy including themselves and their fellow castmates. There is a bar with drinks and snacks, we've even seen shirts for sale! We are considering purchasing a "B Season Pass" so we don't miss out on the shows this coming year, some sell out fast! I hate to even give a great review because I don't want people to buy up all the seats from under us, but yet I want to also give this theater a huge and happy round of applause for being FANTASTIC!! We will see you again soon! Cheers!

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians never ceases to disappoint. What really makes this show is the…read morerecurring cast members that come back each year to make us laugh and exhibit their improvisational skills. Everyone is amazing and gracious in spite of doing this over and over and I'm certain no two shows are the same. I would only change one thing and that is that the theater request all guests to have a slight bit of theater etiquette. I understand this is an audience friendly show with interactions between cast and audience, some of these families do not prepare their children for how to behave nor correct inappropriate behavior during the performance. At last night's show a young boy hit "Billy" so hard with the stuffed rabbit that his glasses flew into my lap 5 feet away. We noticed "Billy" had a band aid on the rest of the show. Whether that was a joke or real, the boy should have been reined in by his parents long before because he was also talking or shouting out through the performance. The cast handled it with ultimate professionalism and rolled with the "punches" as it were. This truly shows how amazing they all are and why The Maverick is a great place to see a show. Now if they would just do Clue on stage again ;-)

Just attended the Blood, Sweat, and Tears tribute band last night. Overall excellent musicians,…read morehowever the lead singer's voice was a bit weak and his voice was perhaps 50% quality of David Clayton-Thomas. Jeff Coffey came on the stage later with the weak-voiced guy and had a strong performance. The show started off below average but ended quite well, with many Chicago classics performed. I would give this review 5 stars if not for the average weak-voiced Blood, Sweat, and Tears singer.

It was my first time at this beautiful venue. The lovely…read moreushers were older ladies who were welcoming, helpful and friendly, making sure we got to our seats. Was in box seats, which had a great view & felt exclusive. It is perfect for those who don't like to be in close proximity to others. The show was great and I had a nice time. Parking is close by and free!

The academy was excellent, offering a welcoming atmosphere.The customer service was…read moreoutstanding--staff were attentive, friendly, and made the entire experience enjoyable

This is just sharing my experience with voilin lessons I received here. They assign you a person…read morethat knows violin, but is not specialized in it. The person we had nit pick time with us. You start at exactly the time you are suppose to be there at and you end at that exact time, not a second earlier. The service and lessons feel very impersonal and it was not a good vibe to start lessons. Also, you cannot reschedule your appointment if your child is sick or you cannot attend for a reason. You get a online lesson sent to you, not the one on one you paid for. WAA does explain this to us in the beginning, but at the end, this was one of the many reasons we didn't move forward. If you are looking for violin lessons, look for someone that specializes in only that instrument. We did not get that here.