This was my 2nd time coming to this venue. There is not one bad seat in the house. I attended the Yacht Rock show with my husband. I wish this venue did more concerts like this, I would come to all of them! The bar company they use was a bit unorganized and ran out of a lot of things. People were getting frustrated. I was fine with my order. However, maybe get a bit more organized as people want the beverage of their choice before a show. Overall, we had a great time. read more

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I recently saw Expose and The Jets (double-billing) here and it was a great experience! I never knew that this venue existed and I would certainly return for another performance. To top it off, there is plenty of free parking in the immediate lot as well as Downey High School next door. Inside, the theater is modern and not too big and not too small but just right IMO. I love how there is ample space in between the rows so that patrons are not packed in (seated) together like sardines...it's also nice that patrons can easily breeze by without stepping on toes etc. Overall, I liked the venue and hope to return soon. Plenty of food options nearby for a meal before/after a show. Porto's is literally a block or two away! read more

Downey Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Downey, California

Love coming to this theatre for events. Parking lot in the back is easy to navigate. Great seat views from both orchestra and mezzanine. Bathrooms are kinda small but well maintained. It's located close to hotels and dining establishments. The snack bar wasnt open for our event but for other events its located in the courtyard area. read more

Downey Theatre - Outside entryway - Performing Arts Near Me - Downey, California

It was a real treat to attend the Hawaiian Aloha Everywhere Concert, presented by Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC). It was also a tribute to "Uncle" Dennis Kamakahi. a Grammy Award-winning guitarist. I didn't know the history of the HIC or who Dennis Kamakahi was (born 3/31/53 - passed 4/28/2014). I feel so fortunate that the HIC concert series came to the Downey Theater. There were 8 musicians that performed traditional Hawaiian music. The first set led by Patrick Landeza and two musicians on guitar and keyboard; followed by David Kamakahi, Jon Yamasato and Kawika Kahiapo. I especially enjoyed the casual atmosphere, each musician spoke and gave little insights on the songs performed. They spoke of the history and meaning of the lyrics. The theater was founded by John Hime and built I'm 1970. The main floor has approximately 500 seats with an additional 200 in the balcony. Every seat has a good view at any angle. There are two more concerts in this series if you are interested in attending. Don't forget to tell 'em Rosemary sent ya! read more

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The Downey Theatre is a very nice small theater. It has seating for at least 1000 but not more. There is a balcony which has nice seats and the floor has has good seating. I don't suggest the front row because it is very close to the stage and your view will be a tad obstructed by that. We were in the 4th row and found it perfect. We later moved to the front row because no one in our row was wearing a mask, and I like breathing. That is how we noticed the front row is just a tad close. The seats are not comfortable and that is why they are getting 4 stars and not 5 and also because they have next to no concessions. The seats, however, are fine. They should be changed out, but they will do. They are not old. I think the theatre was redone just a few years back. Inside is cool and comfortable. The ushers are quite nice and will help you to your seats. You will need tickets for events here so just go to their website and pick what you would like to see. We saw a children's musical which was super fun for my grandson. They also have converts, lectures, and other musicals. Clint Black, a Country star is playing there soon, just as an example. The outside of the building is not special. It is rather boring with brown brick. It does have a lovely fountain through and the lobby is comfortable and they nicely decorate for Christmas. The bathrooms are average. You will find that parking is free in their lot, but that does fill up and then you will need to park, for free, across the street at the High School. It is not difficult and the way venues are now charging outrageous fees to park, I am willing to walk across the street for free and safe parking. The area is very nice. The pricing is quite reasonable for their events. There is really not a terrible seat in the house. Getting tickets is easy on line. You would need to contact them about their box office hours since I bought on line and simply printed out my tickets. At this time they are not requiring proof of vaccination, which I find troubling. They do have a mask mandate in accordance with the law here, but they don't enforce it which I also find troubling. They need to work on that before someone gets sick. The place is very clean and other than the mask issue I felt very safe. I will be back and I hope they can earn that 5th star. read more

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we had an issue with our tickets to the LA Phil concert tonight. Miles, from the ticketing department or the box office, took our call and handled it with extreme care. he let us know that the Phil themselves were handling tickets, but he would be willing to see what he could do. after a few minutes he returned my call with the news that he was able to find the person and get us access to our tickets. this was a once in a life time concert for my son to attend and miles made it happen. very grateful to them for this experience. read more

This review is for the telephone customer service representative Brandy. I had the pleasure of speaking with Brandy in purchasing tickets to an October concert. Brandy was very helpful and patient as I was navigating through the website for seats. She was able to not only find seats but also provided valuable information regarding the theater. Purchasing tickets over the phone are actually cheaper in terms of fees than the website. An added bonus was she amused me by laughing at my attempts to be funny. If Brandy is an example of the staff at Downey Theater we are in for a great night! Thanks again Brandy and keep up the great work! read more

Really cool place to be in for these kinds of events. The comadre invited us and boy was I ever so pleased to see this! read more

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I purchased tickets on the web site. I had chosen seats the were green showing available, but after I purchased them it gave me seats in the last row and also the seats were split apart. I did not notice this until the event. I complained and got nowhere. When in the theater it was very warm no air conditioning. I was actually sweating. So I did not enjoy the show. I do not think I will ever come back to this theater. read more

Had a great time here Saturday with friends and family watching our sons friend's Folklorico dance performance. Super friendly staff! Only comment for improvement would be having a second register open during concession instead of one. Line was long and intermission was short. All in all though great 1st experience! read more

I love the Downey Theatre. So many memories ! When I was in eighth grade I did a musical called happy holidays. My mom wasn't one of those moms that wanted to put her kids in activities. I always wanted piano lessons they got us a piano and they gave the lessons to my sister. Well she didn't want to do piano lessons so she quit .Just because she quit they never wanted to put us in anything ever again. Oh I had so much potential LOL ! My best friend was in dance lessons her whole life. Her mom worked a lot so she was always with us. Crystal we should try out for a musical. I said I can't I don't know how to dance. I'll show you the dance moves. My mom would never let me. Addition day came and I told my mom that Jennifer had to go to an audition and we had to take her . The only thing I had going for me was that I was not embarrassed to sing and I could belt out songs and I guess that's kind of important for musicals . We both did the auditions and somehow or another I made it. It was so hard to contain the secret for my mom when I got in the car because I still had one more audition. Second audition and what do you know somehow I manage to get picked over girls that have been doing dance class their whole life. It was a total moment for me. My mom was furious on the other hand. She was not excited that her daughter beat all the other kids she was upset that she was going to have to drive us to rehearsal every day Of the week from October to Christmas . Oh and let's not forget how upset she was to have to buy me character& jazz shoes. The whole experience was like pulling teeth. You're never gonna wear the shoes again I'm just wasting money. Till this day I still have those shoes and I refuse to throw them away because I knew how much it affected my mom to waste that money. Who knows maybe I'll wear them again. Just in case you were wondering yeah I could still fit into my shoes that I wore in seventh grade ....HAHa ! The day of the show when I handed them the tickets I felt like they didn't really even wanna go. My dad was really busy always with work but he managed to come with my mom. All the other parents brought their kids flowers not mine but after the show my dad and mom told me wow Crystal that was a really big deal. Finally! I've been to so many events here since then and I love looking down at that stage knowing in eighth grade I tricked everybody into let me be in musical! Fake it till you make it . I've worked on a bunch of events there but it was fun to go and see what a great job they did with the Day of the dead Festival. Now I'm religious and we don't believe in any of this kind of stuff but I love supporting my people. I love how creative we are . The LA Times did call Downey the Beverly Hills of Latinos so why shouldn't we have the best day of the dead festival. Be sure to check and see when the next musicals happening in Downey Theatre you won't be disappointed! #DowneyGirl read more

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For a small local theatre, Downey Theatre will fulfill your basic needs. I went here recently for a Christmas concert, but I have also been on the other side of the curtain in the not-so-distant past, performing with the Downey High School concert band! = L O C A T I O N = The theatre is centrally located next to Downtown Downey. It shares a parking lot with Mimi's, the Downey City Library, and the hotel next door, so things can get a little cramped. For the program I attended, they opened the nearby Downey HS parking lot, and all you have to do is walk across the street. = I N T E R I O R = Outside and inside, it looks pretty drab and dated. Whoever designed it clearly had a utilitarian mindset, and it doesn't look like they've updated anything. There was some attempt to dress it up with trees and some poinsettias for the holiday, but it could have looked more festive! The outdoor patio was decorated with Edison lights, but was otherwise bare. The view that we had from next to the light/sound booth was great. The seats are uncomfortable and need to be replaced. I don't think that the people at the very front would be able to get a good view of the stage because the seats are so low. You'd probably be able to see people at the very front only, and not at a good angle. Lights and sound wise, things were good! Not that I know enough about that to tell, but the singer's voices projected well to the back where we were. An A-Ok theatre for local productions, but I definitely think they could do with a facelift and attract more people to perform here :) read more

Downey Theatre - View from the last floor row - Performing Arts Near Me - Downey, California

Hate to be the one who leaves a negative review, but it is warranted. After dropping my wife off near the building and parking off-site, I returned to the box office to ask for the ticket at the box office, which was left for me. They turned me away saying that others had already picked up all of the tickets. I was certain that my ticket was at the box office, so I returned to the box office and again gave the only two names possibly connected with my ticket. Without spending any time looking for the ticket, they again stuck with the story that the ticket was already picked up. So I sat outside the theatre for over an hour until the intermission. With my wife, who had attended the first half of the event, I went back to the box office a third time and told them to look again. Looking sheepish, the box office staff member came back outside with the ticket in hand. Being completely fed up, I decided not to attend the second half of the event and asked for a refund. The supervisor refused and even had the audacity to doubt that I was actually waiting during the first half of the event. She stated that maybe I was playing Soduku on my phone instead of waiting. She is a special kind of idiot. She had the opportunity to right the wrong and made the situation even worse with that last comment. read more

Purchased tickets to see Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer The Musical for the Saturday night. What a cute show! Everyone did an excellent show! I highly recommend it for a fun evening to bring a little Christmas joy into your lives. read more

First time here and it was very nice and clean. The only problem that I encountered was the parking. Not sure if the theater has their own part of the lot to park. But if they did I could not find it. It looked to me everyone was going in circles. There were signs posted all over but none for the theater. I hope I can figure it out so I can see more entertainment here. I would definitely be back. read more

This seems like a nice venue based on my first visit here. The seats are very uncomfortable. The lighting and sound system are good. The place overall is in good shape, but the restrooms aren't so great. I definitely prefer the view from the balcony; however, if you may want to consider sitting in rows CC or higher because the railing will be a problem for your viewing pleasure otherwise. When I watched one of the DCLO's performances recently, the room temperature was nice... a little chilly, but much better than being stuffy. Finally, there isn't just a whole lot of parking that can be found easily unless you arrive rather early, but part of that issue is because there was some construction on the nearby hotel. They had quite a few spots blocked off. Coming up are some concerts that might help me better evaluate this place. They include the Four Tops (next May) & Eddie Money (November). Review #65 read more

I had a horrible experience with this establishment. The people I dealt with on the phone we're extremely rude and short with me. I ordered tickets to see my granddaughters performance and didn't get an email confirmation. I left several messages to have them please call me and never received a return phone call. When I finally got ahold of them they said they had tried to contact me(my phone showed they never did) and that they had emailed me. I never received an email from the. Overall a very disappointing experience and horrible customer service. read more

Have attended many events at this venue. One of them was MESTO. They are without doubt one of the very best. The musicians are world class. I only wish they graced us with more performances each year. The Day of the dead was interesting and entertaining. Someone said its a small a venue. It seats over 800 people, what do you expect for a local civic theatre. Have attended over 20 events here. read more

I caught GREASE (a Downey High School) interpretation tonight Amazing young talented individuals... The cast was extraordinary, Mr Nelson lead these Kids to triumph Thursday night with his 5 Star performance. My 1year, 7 month old was enchanted with the singing and dancing and bright performance they all delivered. Thanks to the theater for allowing talent flourish like that in front of a stage. 5 Diamond, 6 Star, VIP, Platinum package, World Class, Grammy grade, USDA, 91 Octane energy Love you Yesenia & Raymond (Doody) read more

I went to the Downey Theater today to see the Mad Science Fire and Ice magic show. The theater was spacious with enough room to walk through the rows of seats without putting your butt in someones face. It was nice and cold in there also, which was a nice break from the Summer heat. Every seat is practically a good one. I didn't use the bathrooms, but overall the place seemed clean. I would recommend this place to a friend. read more

Downey Theatre - Mad Science - Performing Arts Near Me - Downey, California

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If I could I would give this place NO stars!!! Its small its really not that much room. The thing I really HATE about this place is #1 you can't get a refund on tickets (like they should rethink their policy because "emergencies" do come up last minute and/or you have a change of heart) MOST normal business companies give their customers a refund but not this place they are assbackwards 100% #2 I was overcharged I dont recommend this place! read more

Went to see the Divas, an all female mariachi group at the Downey Theatre. They performed a variety of music including Christmas music. They were great! This rating is for the theater itself. I expected the theater and stage to be decorated for Christmas since it was a Christmas performance and it was December 15. I didn't feel that Christmas spirit at all. In the lobby they had a couple of Christmas trees. Inside the theater and on stage all they had were a few poinsettia plants and that was it. It would've been nice to have more Christmas decorations on stage like garlands, Christmas trees, sparkle, etc. Downey Theatre don't be a Scrooge! Bah humbug! read more

My first time at this place and it's pretty. Plus, there is no problem with parking. Another plus: there are so many restaurants nearby. I came here to watch my boyfriend's daughter's ballet recital. The stage was big and the seats were comfy. Also, there was enough space to walk in between the seats. It wasn't hard to leave if you needed to use the restroom and your seat was in the middle. The lights and sounds were good as well. It was the perfect venue for a dance recital. The little girls did so well and it was so cute watching them dance. I'm sure they enjoyed being on stage and backstage. It seems like the theater has enough space for all them. I noticed that they have other shows and you can also volunteer to help around the theater. So if you're into that, look at the website or their yelp page and you can volunteer. I read that you can get free or discounted tickets when you do! read more

I haven't been to the theater yet, but I have called their box office a few times this week inquiring about an event happening next April. I have had the pleasure of speaking with Nelly and she was amazing! Attentive, knowledgeable and extremely nice. World class customer service. I hope her manager knows what an asset she is. Thanks Nelly! read more

As a performer I love this stage. Its roomy and all the seats have a pretty good view since it is statium style seating. I love the little side stages that you can utilize also. Theres plenty of staging areas in the back, the dressing room that has 3 bathroom stalls and a shower, a big area in the back for any sets you may have, and another dressing area with mirrors upstairs. read more

Day of the dead event. not bad good food trucks nice shows and alters hopefully next year they have more better vendors.

Restroom seekers, here is another review. For all my Chrons, Irritable Bowel syndrome and Diverticulitis peeps. Here is another restroom pit stop that is both clean and modern. Clean, lit, well stocked and always plenty of napkins around to dry your hands or bum. Should cover you if you around the hotel on Firestone to the Wells Fargo and Mimi's (running distance). If they aren't clean enough for you ask for assistance. They have staff on site. read more

This was our first time to Downey civic theatre center. My husband and I went to go see Michael McDonald. So ad you can tell, we are a little older. They had what they called a pre party with drinks and "food". Well, they sold out on the wine and food ....? Chips , Doritos , pizza ... ? Come on .... have some adult snacks . They also had a DJ that had no idea what kind of music to play for a older crowd. How about playing something from the era of who is about to play ? Seating were great .... so it made up for everything else. read more

Downey Civic Theater has hosted Los Angeles High School of the Performing Arts (LACHSA) spring concert for years now and we are always happy to come back here. Good restaurants nearby, easy parking and a beautiful venue. Bravo! read more

Caught Sara Evans here last night. Parking was excellent. Plenty of free parking in the rear. Easy entrance to the venue. Only set back was they offered drinks in the patio. Beer wine coke and water. They had chips and cookies. You can not take these inside the venue. Inside the venue it is a two level set up. Plenty of leg space to walk in between seats. I would suggest based on the sound system to sit at least ten rows from the stage. I sat in the third row and left with my ears ringing. Overall great place to catch a concert. read more

Rude staff and ridiculous ticketing rules. We paid for the 4 yr olds in our group & asked about lap sitting for a 2 yr old. We were told she needed a ticket. Ok that's fine. However, our party had a TWO MONTH OLD. We were told the infant needed a ticket. Are they supposed to sit alone? Since when do infants need tickets?? read more

This place is great, I just went there for my daughter's show this weekend. The parking wasnt the best but it is connected to a hotel, restaurant, and a library! The employees there were helpful, they all have the same rules as other venues. I sat in the middle and had a great view. It was a comfortable temperature inside and I was very comfortable. They offer refreshments during the show. I enjoyed the help from the ushers and they all were very respectful and kind. This theatre is great and I hope we come back to it soon for another show. read more

Was looking to catch a show here since I was unable to catch it at the La Mirada Theater last year. After looking online and seeing that the prices here are more expensive for the same show, I called within 2hrs of show time to see if they offered any last minute or at the door specials. Their reply was a simple "No". This theatre opted for unfilled seats/revenue instead of giving a discount. Poor business practice. read more

The venue is three-stars worthy because of the very limited box office hours, the online internet fee for ordering tickets, and the extremely limited parking. Embassy Suites Downey should be ashamed of themselves for blocking off more than 60% of the parking lot by the library for "hotel guests only" when everyone knows that this hotel is virtually empty. Who the hell comes to stay in downey? It's not Anaheim, folks. Stupid Embassy Suites. I don't know since when they own the damn public parking lot that they share with the library, the theater and city hall. End of rant about ES. The other thing I didn't like about the theater is that they advertised "Happily Ever After" as a play with "paid actors." Soooo NOT true! It's a dance recital hosted by the SFS Dance Company with parent volunteers as actors. Totally different. Very misleading and false, but my son and I had a fun time watching the 75+ female dance acts...it just was NOT a dang play!!! Overall it was fine because it wasn't very expensive and it was a night out for us and the girls were entertaining and good dancers, but the theater just needs to tell the truth and advertise correctly so people know what they are buying into. read more

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Poor customer service. We paid for tickets for a performance in which the majority of the viewers are friends and family of the performers. My father made a mistake with his ticket purchase. There were 2 shows available. One show for early afternoon and the second show for the evening. Unfortunately, my father purchased 6 tickets for the early afternoon show which he did NOT attend. He attended the evening show only to realize he had purchased the incorrect tickets for the evening show. We were told there was nothing they can do to accomodate him for the evening show as it was "SOLD OUT." After much pleading to honor the 6 tickets purchased for the afternoon show Amber, Theater Manager, had made available 3 tickets available to PURCHASE! She made available 3 tickets to PURCHASE for a "SOLD OUT" show??? So on top of the 6 tickets my father purchased he now had to purchase an extra 3 tickets to watch the show in which his grand daughter is performing in. I could not understand how they could not provide the 3 tickets "gratis." In my opinion, this is poor customer service for a show that has performers and the majority of the viewers are family and friends of these performers. Customers make mistakes all the time and there are many companies that will be willing to refund or find a way to accomodate the customer in some way. Lesson learned, double check your purchase before you pay!!! read more

Morris Day and Time. Great place to see and hear a fab show. Very nice people and great parking.

The Downey Civic Theater was once the gem of the city hosting organizations such as Downey Civic Light Opera which produced quality musicals. A few years ago, the city made the mistake of hiring VenueTech to (mis)manage the theater. They were successfully able to bully and overcharge D.C.L.O. out of existence in 2013. VenueTech is a money pit for Downey and cannot fill the theater seats with most of the one night acts that they book. The safety of the performers is even an issue now as injuries have occurred on stage. Customers are not valued or respected. If a decent management company is ever put in place, this grand old theater can be saved and revitalized. read more