Went to watch the Virginia Symphony. Acoustics are wonderful and the seating is comfortable. There is a pleasant look and feel to the place. Unfortunately the security with the wand was not very nice to the senior citizen in front of me when she didn't understand to put keys and phones in your hand and raise them above your head. She also asked someone where our seats were and the first female usher just pointed ( we were outside of the house) and said" you'll go through that door and down and to the middle". Another nice female usher at the other door helped my friend. The performance was phenomenal and it was relatively easy to exit the property. I'd definitely go here again for another symphony or musical. read more

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Not super big inside but the seating area was nice. Sitting in the back you're still close enough to the stage to see what's going on. I got a double vodka cranberry in a souvenir cup... it was $35. Wouldn't recommend buying alcohol here but would go back for an event. Parking was $5 on-site. read more

Harrison Opera House - $35 double vodka cranberry in a souvenir cup. - Opera & Ballet Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The Harrison Opera House is a decent place to see the opera. I've never seen an opera anywhere else, so I have nothing to compare it to. The view from the balcony section isn't bad. The music was great in my opinion. read more

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Well, parking is a nightmare, but it is what it is. We got an amazing deal on box seats, and i couldn't pass them up. It's definitely worth the drive and effort. So get there EARLY for good parking!! There are elevators if you have trouble with stairs. The seats are actually quite comfortable, I wasn't bothered by them the entire show. Some times I get a little fidgety. There are drink and snack selections which is a nice bonus. Staff was friendly. Super fast and efficient getting people in and through the doors, and directing guests. This is out third show and will most certainly return read more

This opera house offers ample space, including a balcony with a great view. We recently attended a stand-up comedy show and had no problem finding seats. The venue is well-maintained, and the seats are comfortable. Two bars on the 1st and 2nd floor serve alcoholic beverages, but they tend to be a bit pricey like any other event concession. There is plenty of parking available on the side for $5 for the duration of the show, and it's conveniently located within walking distance from stores and restaurants. read more

I'm just learning they host other events like comedy shows, but I've been here for no other reason than for operas. My first experience was Aida over 11 years ago and I sat pretty close to the stage but I don't remember having difficulty reading subtitles. Last year I saw The Valkyrie and last night, La Traviata. I sat row G, right in the middle and had the most difficult time seeing both the subtitles and the stage at the same time. I like being close but not at the expense of my comfort and understanding. May be trying box seats next season. read more

Harrison Opera House - Opera & Ballet Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The lost and found & customer service here is nonexistent. We lost a wireless charger when we were there watching my daughters dance recital. We know exactly where we left it. I called and spoke to someone who said they will email the lady that's always there in the morning and that they would get back to me. 1 week later, no call back. I reached out again and caught the lady that's there in the mornings. I asked if they had a lost and found and she checked for me, but it wasn't there. I then asked if I could come in and look where I was seated. SHE SIGHED. Audibly sighed. I was shocked. She put me on hold to ask someone else and they said I could NOT come look in the area I was seated but that they would look for me. They put me on hold to go look but at this point I'm 99.9% sure they didn't. read more

Attended the first night of the Sound of Music at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, Virginia on May 13, 2022. The venue is old and could use some painting evident by some peeling paint on the ceiling. The acoustics were reasonable but an opening in the ceiling right above the stage probably does not do good since the orchestra pit is right in front of the stage. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra did a superb job and so did the cast. Mikaela Bennett (Maria) has a beautiful voice. The production followed roughly the movie story. The cast is just incredible. Gretl (Stormie Trevino) was just very funny and even as a six year old captured the heart of the audience. Captain Von Trapp (Edward Watts) performance was solid and convincing. While I am partial and biased to the Chesapeake Soprano singer Aundi Marie Moore who played Mother Abbess, her voice was indeed powerful and beautiful. While this venue is labeled an Opera House there were things that would be detrimental for an opera. First I resent being charged to park my car. After paying for tickets, the least they can do is provide free parking. The seats are not comfortable and the seats in front of you were too close. I sat at the Right Mezzanine front and after three hours my legs were killing me. My biggest complaint if I am watching a real Opera is that unless you are seated at the Mezzanine, you will not be able to see the orchestra. The orchestra pit is also too small for a full production orchestra. All in all, I enjoyed the performance. read more

Harrison Opera House - The Sound of Music, Harrison Opera House, May 13, 2022, Norfolk, VA - Opera & Ballet Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Parking was good because we got there way early. Wish there was signage at the front door guiding to mezzanine/balcony.

Purchased tickets months in advance and picked box seats to accommodate my disability. Upon arrival the seats were not labeled and we Al were told our seats were behind two seats in front which were 75% blocked from other patrons large heads sitting in front of us. We were told by usher to go to box office to accommodate us and the box personal offered us cheap seats in middle of many other seats. We asked for our money back($85) per seat and we were told they wouldn't allow. We noticed that there were many other seats unoccupied that we could have swapped. I had to sit on top of seat using my coat as a cushion causing extreme discomfort. I couldn't believe this place wouldn't accommodate someone with a disability . read more

Harrison Opera House - Opera & Ballet Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Sound of music was fantastic! The Opera house accommodated us fairly quickly and smoothly. I was in the edge of the theater and can still see and hear everything! read more

Our family visited for the first time the Harrison Opera House. We went for our niece's ballet recital. The facility was excellent. The sound, lights, and especially the employees were exceptional. Each employee was very helpful and truly interested in making our experience a great one. The parking lot was not very well lit. Person in a car was collecting two dollars for parking. It did not look legitimate. If the facility is definitely going to charge for parking they should make it look legitimate. read more

Harrison Opera House - Opera & Ballet Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

BEWARE THE PHONE GESTAPO! I was at a show this weekend and multiple ushers were CONSTANTLY walking back and forth watching the crowd. They walked directly through our line of sight blocking the performer throughout the ENTIRE show. Additionally the ushers would shine their flashlights directly into our faces while directing people to their seats LONG AFTER the show had started. Seat numbers are on the arm of the seats instead of the actual seat. I consider myself a pretty smart guy, but me and the six people next to me were all in the wrong seat and had to slide down one when some latecomers finally showed up. Inside does not match the outside. Inside steps are bare concrete with steel handrails - looks more like the Scope than an "opera house." As mentioned above, a SIGNIFICANT number of people were VERY late to the show which was also very distracting. I've never been to a show where this many people were this late. It was completely unreasonable. In summary, it looks nice from the outside, but the rest of the experience was god awful. WILL NOT BE BACK. read more

It's a nice small, clean venue. We went to watch Whose Live anyway? You know, the old show called "Who's line is it anyway?" It was a great show, however it is rather an odd choice for an improv show that's interactive with audience participation. The comedians made it apparent of the physical and metaphorical gap that was created with the orchestra pit. Hence, the odd choice for an improv show and it's pretty nice in there. I like the fact that it looks huge outside but it's actually quite small inside. I like more intimate venues as I get older. Regarding the tech person with the lighting. I'm not sure if they were trying to save money or if they just didn't catch on to the comedians making comments regarding "it's difficult to see the crowd, can we have some house lights on?" This was repeatedly requested. Dave Foley, Jeff B Davis , Greg Proops and Joel Murray were great and luckily good sports about it. Regarding the venue, I've only been there another time or so. Once for my nieces' ballet recital and the other time long ago to see Westside Story. I would give the venue 3.5 stars Save your money and eat before or after. The snacks are paltry and the high prices expected. I was put off by being charged $5 to park. I don't understand that. read more

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Well I didn't visit here for a performance, but I attended the Seven Venues Wedding Open House that was held here yesterday (02.21.16). The Opera House is a beauty with a lot of open space to host an event for about 150 or less. They may accommodate more, but those numbers are specific to my event. Our tour guide showed us all three floors and the event space that would be utilized on the 2nd floor. If interested in renting the venue the cost is $2500 for ten hours, which isn't bad at all. There are a few stipulations but nothing outrageous. The tour guide seemed very knowledgeable of the venue. But I must say, I happened to Google the venue after the open house and read the Opera House is in debt. This makes me a little leary in booking an event here for the near future. I want to be sure if I plan something here it will be a go with no problems of closure and that they're aware of. I like surprises, but not a surprise of this magnitude...I'll look into this more. But this seems like something that should be discussed during a one on one meeting before an event is booked here. Nevertheless, the venue offers ample free parking in a lot that surrounds the Opera House. Now ample meaning for my event we should fit everyone in without hassle. Now the nights of performances of 500 + guests I'm sure parking may be an issue then. Beautiful windows and chandeliers are on the 2nd floor where the event would take place. I can imagine it's gorgeous at night. Getting exited to host an event here despite the debt trouble... It's conveniently located downtown amongst several hotels, restaurants and loads of entertainment for everyone. During the open house, the Opera House had a few of their preferred caterers present which was a great gesture. And I'm sure this is due to the fact they stress using a caterer from their preferred list rather than use someone not listed. If you chose to use a non preferred caterer there is a fee of close to $1000 or $1000 is the fee. Caterers present: Gourmet Gang, Farm Fresh, Chesapeake Bay, Sweetwater Cruisine, Carriage House and one or two others. Overall, this event was nice and informative. This venue and two other venues participated in this open house. However, this venue was my favorite of the three. Have fun :) read more

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We came to see the Tom Segura show. Very very beautiful building. I never even knew it was there. Lots of room. But also a lot of stairs! With large bathrooms. Only annoying part is the male and female are completely one each side of the building no where near each other. Once you leave the lobby and enter into the main room it's very big lots of seats good lighting and nice size stage. The only major down fall is the seats are so small and so packed in tight! Every time someone had to use the bathroom the whole row had to stand up. And if someone is tall in front of you there is no seeing the stage without being right in the persons face beside you. The other major down point is you have to turn your phones of once you leave the lobby. Which is fine no big deal. But they workers have to constantly walk up and down and with flashlights looking for people on the phone. So disappointing and distracting. Overall the building is very nice but just be prepared to sit extremely close to strangers and to be ready for them to constantly be on the look for phones. read more

Parking was a nightmare, took 45 minutes to get in a lot. The parking staff only charged half the cars then let cars continue to pile in after the lot was full... cars double parked.... they sold the same seats to multiple people.. overall terribly organized and ruined the Tom Segura show for my date and I. read more

Watched the play "Panties in a twist" and it was good. I wish they had more food variety during intermission, but they did have a good drink selection. The staff was friendly and helpful, opening doors and greeting you with a smile. This was my first play and i would like to attend more. read more

Harrison Opera House - Intermission - Opera & Ballet Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Nice venue to check out a play. Concessions could be a little more vast but, I guess/I hope, that depends on the event you're attending.

Went to see Tom Segura, good show but entry was poorly planned. 1st show hadn't let out so no place to park, so we had about a 1/4 mile walk. Then going thru metal detectors took a very long time and people were still coming in 20 minutes into the show. Seats are extremely cramped and small so if you're over 5'6 be prepared to be uncomfortable. Over 6' like me and you're really cramped. By end of show my back was killing me and knee almost locked up. Will never go back to this venue. read more

Just saw Rigoletto here (highly recommend it) last Saturday to kick off opera season and overall this is a great venue. There were some minor issues with the staff; however, I assume most of them are volunteers so I won't knock off a star - though it would be nice for the bartender to go run and get tonic and/or soda (neither of which she had at the station I was at) prior to the intermission instead of pointing to another location with a massive line and telling me "You can try over there". Okay I vented - Yelp can be so cathartic at times. The building from the front is quite striking with an almost completely glass façade framed by towers on either side. Inside the theater is quite intimate. I would say there are only a few sections that wouldn't be worth it, so plunk down a little extra for the better seats. There is digital supertitling above the stage to help you along with the story - and if you need to read them, I would recommend sitting either in the boxes, or slightly further away from the front as your neck would be in serious pain after 3 hours. I've been here a couple of times but I can't recommend the box seating enough! It's just a nice experience to be able to see the Virginia Symphony from a bird's eye view, look down on the commoners, and be able to sneak out without being noticed if you need a break. I will say that the acoustics take a slight hit in the boxes, but nothing worthy of avoiding them. Parking is $5, but if you get there early you can park on Llewellyn. Great intimate opera experience, now get off your butt and go get your culture on. read more

This is a wonderful venue. Much more intimate than Chrysler Hall. I've seen multiple different types of performances here, from several operas to a dance recital to the Virginia Symphony's holiday concert and there don't seem to be any bad seats in the place. read more

I came back here for a 1920's engagement. I was invited by a friend who had two free tickets for this event. I tried finding the event on Facebook, but I wasn't successful - I'm not sure how much it would've cost to attend. It was a nicely decorated event, and the celebration did stick to the theme very well. There was a band playing swing music upstairs, and swing and Jazz would continue to play if they weren't performing. It was well set up with a dance floor there. Offering plenty of space for dancers to do their thing! The food and drinks were absolutely fantastic. The drinks were nicely priced at $4 for bourbon and whiskey mixed drinks. Needless to say, my friend and I took advantage and tried all of the drinks they had on their menu - don't worry it was like 8 drinks. The finger food they offered was great too. I loved that they had poker tables downstairs. Of course, we played with printed off fake money. My friend and I both received $500 of fake money at the door to play with. We both played some blackjack, but I wish I knew as soon as we walked in the door that the "money" we won can be turned into vouchers for prizes. They were offering Pearl Jam tickets, passes to the bacon festival later this year, a recipe book, and other stuff. It was a lot of fun, and I did not realize the opera house had events like this. I highly recommend read more

The Magic Flute was the "Opera" this evening. Let me say this only one time - a broadway musical is tonights show NOT AN OPERA! Beside the fact that the young man in front of me was a foot taller and I couldnt see the entire show before intermission, this would have been better as a musical than an Opera. Upon requesting different seats we were offered to be put in the row in front of the offending giant. Was then offered seats not any better. Will be calling next week to find out where my original season tickets are! If this is the direction that the Virginia Opera is going guess I'll be going somewhere or some state different. read more

I had never been to an opera before and was pleasantly surprised by it. Even in the nosebleed seats I could see and read the subtitles. The seats are a bit small but it was ok.The afterparty was awesome as well with dancing, drinks and food. I look forward to coming again in the future. read more

The exterior of the Harrison Opera House is much like the Chrysler Art Museum. The building is beautiful from the front but all the parking is on the sides and in the back. That's not awful except when it's 20 degrees outside. It must have been the best functional use of the land at the time. I went to watch a very good friend's daughter receive her short white coat as a student to the EVMS PA program. We were well received upon entering. The auditorium seating is tight, like airline seat tight. Fortunately, as a short person, I was able to see... there was a short person in front of me. Here's what I don't get. The incoming class of 2017 were seated in the front 4 or 5 rows. They had to stand and sit, as a class, several times. Jeezum Crow.... get out the WD40! The squeaking of those chairs was louder than rats in a Detroit burnt out factory. It was vocally laughed at. At the end students A - K were to meet on the second floor for reception and appetizers. L - Z met on the first floor. There was not enough space for all of them to be together as a class. Fairly tight quarters. read more

I came here for the first time last night for a party and admittedly I only got to see the lobby, but it was beautiful :) High chandeliers, long elegant windows and plush carpet throughout. Wait, I'm starting to sound like a Realtor...lol. Anyway, can't wait to go back and see the rest of it! read more

Visited this location Friday night, for La Bohème. The place is beautiful and big! Parking lot was pack by 7:30 the play was at 8pm. The play was good, I wouldn't watch it again but I did enjoyed it. I am looking forward to go back in February for Romeo & Juliet . Overall good experience, I wish they had more parking, and more Windows to get your tickets. read more

Great place for a wedding reception. August 2010 we had our wedding reception on the 2nd floor and it was great. The building is beautiful and staff was very very helpful and accommodating. We were even able to set up the day before for free. My guests also were able to park free. If you are looking for a great downtown Norfolk location check the out. read more

Still recovering from sitting in those old, worn seats from the Lauren Daigle concert. Concert was great but we couldn't enjoy it due to how uncomfortable the chairs are and for the persons in front of us that paid all that money to have sit in fold out chairs I'm so sorry!! Never again... Diamond VIP what a waste!! read more