Great shows with talented casts, incredible set design, and a wonderful venue!…read more Loved seeing the shows when I lived in town. Definitely miss it now that I've moved away.

The self-appointed king of events is back at it with another venue review. My most recent conquest?…read moreHale Center Theater in downtown Gilbert. This charming theater is located in the thick of the heart of downtown Gilbert. As far as I could tell, they don't have a parking lot but there is plenty of free street and surface lots close by. Just a few minutes away by foot. All theaters have their pros and cons and Hale is no different. It's a intimate theater that probably can seat a few hundred people tops. Which means there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Well, let's talk about the seats. The space between seats is pretty cramped if you're tall (I'm 6'2"). Let's switch gears again. Concessions consists of snacks (no hot food) and beverages. During intermission, they bring a cart out to the stage so you don't have to go to the lobby. Nicely done! Reasonable prices too for a venue. The lobby area gets pretty packed right before the show. Rather than messing with the traffic jam, I went to the other side of the theater and went to the restroom there. It's a one person restroom (not ideal for a venue) but the restrooms by the lobby are larger. I saw Catch Me If you Can at Hale. Looking forward to my next visit!

Thank you Higley Center for the Performing Arts for hosting the graduation ceremony for Apache…read moreTrail High School at your facility! This is a beautiful facility that is quite spacious. It has aged well through the years, and is quite well maintained. The tech component of lights and sound operation went seamlessly from the point of view from an audience member. As someone who has done tech work for theatre productions at a couple Performing Arts Centers (PAC) in the area in the late 2000s, I was impressed with this facility from the front center of the auditorium. Definitely worth looking into either renting and/or booking for an upcoming event here.

My friend and I saw Toast. The best if Bread. This was a great place to see these wonderful…read moremusicians. I don't think there was an empty seat in the house. The music was great and the audience had a great time. There is plenty of parking I believe. They have a snack bar with drinks and candy. No alcohol is served. Prices were not bad. An interesting side note is the ladies bathroom line went faster than the men's. Maybe the ladies has more stalls. I would love to go see other musicians here. I think most seats are good. We were in row L and a little to the side. Great seats. Nice venue and can't wait to return.

Let me say this, I have lived in the Valley all my life. Yes, I am a full fledged native. The City…read moreof Chandler has rapidly grown over the years and this was my first visit to Chandler Center For The Arts. On this Saturday night the artist performing was Pat Metheney. At the onset before the performance we were told that this would be the last concert of the season. The Chandler Center is going to get a renovation and probably will not be open until late October or early November. This Center houses a large venue and on this Saturday night it was pretty much a sold out crowd. When Pat Metheney came out he didn't waste any time and just started playing. The crowd was really into the music and so was I. The place has provisions for the handicapped and does allow for drinks during the performance. I really don't know what else to add other than the place is impressive. When it opens up again in the Autumn maybe take a look at what they have in the concert venue. I guess we got lucky to attend their last concert of the season.

We came here for the Australian Pink Floyd show and super impressed. The facility was immaculate,…read morethe staff was super friendly and thanked us for visiting several times. I had a margarita for $11.00 and a beer for $6.00. The prices were very reasonable and service was fast and friendly. The bathrooms were also very clean and conveniently located.

My daughter has been attending Studio 3 since 2010. I've…read morehad all 3 of my children there for classes. Emma, the owner, loves these kids and goes above and beyond for them every chance she gets. I've never seen someone more committed to kids as she is. I consider myself to be a protective parent and I trust Emma and the staff with my kids wholeheartedly. Throughout 2020 they have worked tirelessly to put safe systems and procedures in place to continue providing kids with opportunities to safely rehearse and even perform on stage! Following all city / county / state guidelines and mandates. Even going beyond mandated guidelines when it made it safer for the kids, their families, and staff. Studio 3 is my daughter's "home away from home" many staff and students have become family to her.

Looking for a studio to get your child moving? Do not stop here. My child started here in 2021. Her…read morefirst year, she had a musical theatre teacher quit, a ballet teacher quit, and her Saturday class cancelled. I should have seen the red flags. But I met the dance teacher Rea who so graciously allowed my (then) 4 year old to dance up and join a class for 6+. Because of this dance teacher, my child joined the dance competition team. The team, the dance teacher, the parents have all been amazing. But the studio director Emma is the only reason why we will not be returning. Rehearsals, events, and shows never run on time and working parents are expected to get time off with short notice when Emma finally decides to send schedules out. Private lessons are constantly interrupted by volunteers that Emma has hired or even Emma herself. If you are unfortunate enough to be bumped to the back dance room, be prepared to have your child dance around props and costumes. She is also highly unprofessional, she asks her parent volunteers for far more than she should. Billing is hardly ever on time. This year she double charged my account for lessons that we were previously charged months prior. My emails and texts and stopping at the desk went unanswered. It wasn't until I told the front desk that I was not going to pay for tickets to an event, that Emma was now magically available. Instead of remaining professional and saying it was a clerical error, she chose to blame two other staff members who have nothing to do with billing accounts. And what really did it for us this year was when Emma told her older son to hide behind dance bags at a dance competition in a dressing room for girls only. Other studios complained about her son and many of us moms warned her, and she chose to try to use her daughter's bag and my child's bag for her son to hide. Since that incident she has become vindictive, even going as far as yelling at children that they will not dance at recital. Unfortunately even with a great dance teacher and great community amongst parents, we can no longer subject our child to Emma. Not when my child's is telling me she is scared of her. Find another place.

All the performances I have watched from Actors's Youth Theathe were so professional and well done…read more I can only think of Emma Stone one day one of those kiddos will be receiving an Oscar as well. They are all so talented! Please go support them. You will be amazed by their talents! Current performance Beetlejuice Jr. It was such a fun performance! I look forward watching the next show.

This is the home of Actor's Youth Theatre which has various performances throughout the year. It's…read morean aging theatre, but overall has been maintained fairly well. Love the variety of shows that happen, and it's a great plaza to grab dinner or a drink before or after the show.

Went to the Finale show and enjoyed it very much. The buffet food was tasty and plentiful. The…read moreserving line moved quickly and the food was fresh. The servers and staff were friendly and efficient. The Silver Star band put on a professional show with super fun music and upbeat dancing. The female singer was the best I've heard anywhere - and I've seen many Broadway shows. Well worth the price - will go again!

The age average is probably 70ish. I've been here now twice as both occasions were gifted for my…read morebirthday. I still enjoyed my time each time even though we were probably the youngest as someone got my husband and I tickets here for my birthday the past two years. The music was fantastic and we saw the variety show and the Grand Finale show and I enjoyed seeing multiple genres of music. The lead singers and musicians were phenomenal, and I absolutely loved the costume changes. The outfit changes really held my attention and was a great part of the show. The food, however, was just okay. I wouldn't come here for the food alone, but rather for the overall experience and to do something different. The meal included vegetables, potatoes, mashed potatoes, spinach cheese ravioli, chicken Parmesan, pulled pork dish, and a pineapple fish dish. This was the same food both times we went, so I'm not sure if they ever change it, I wish they did for a change. The pulled pork and cheese ravioli were good, but I wasn't a fan of the other dishes. The chicken Parmesan was probably the worst I've had as it wasn't at all what I expected from a traditional chicken parm. Dessert is a slice of chocolate cake that's already at your table when you arrive. I did think it was a nice touch that they pass out foil before the show ends so you can take it home and not waste it. The recommended tip listed on a sign at the table is $5 per person, so in addition to your ticket price, expect to pay at least that much extra. Drinks are also not included, so that's another added cost. Overall, this is a great experience, more so for 50+ and would make a fun gift, especially for a couple looking to do something different. I wish they had a family friendly show where it encouraged families with kids as I could see my kids who love music at 2 and 4 enjoying the show and dancing! I sat about in the middle of the theater and had a good view of everything. I really think most seats will be just fine!

I'm an actor new to the Arizona area. Laughing Pig was a dream company to work for. They are very…read morecognizant of your time and flexible. The directors of Shake Smash, Tony and Taylor, were always professional, positive and hard working. I also enjoyed the wide range of actors working on the project - some were newer to acting, and some were veterans. This company is fantastic. Get involved!

From the owner: The world premiere of "Per" by Donald Loftus is September 20, 21, 27, & 28th. Buy Tickets today!read more

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!

Such a great experience. Great cast. Like the atmosphere (welcoming and neighborly). Really liked…read morehow cozy the auditorium is (you can hear good and have a good view of the play). If you are in fountain hills and there is a play, support the local theater.

It's always good to get out and enjoy live theater. Perfect date night too since hubby enjoys it as…read morewell. Remember it's a time to really disconnect and put your cell phone away! Our theater company in AZ is some of the best you will ever see. This one is nicely air conditioned so women please remember your jacket! In the round so truly not a bad seat in the house. It's so nice to be back after I haven't been for awhile, and while we are at the start of tonight's show I have never seen a bad play here- ever!

This is a wonderful local theater with phenomenal directors and artists. The stages are well done…read more There is ample time to interact with the actors after the show..

I took my family (husband and two teens) to see Dear Evan Hanson at The Phoenix Theatre recently…read moreand had a great experience! The show was fabulous and we all really enjoyed it (even my teens who complained about going to a show in the first place) We found the theatre itself easy to access and scored a great parking spot even though we arrived just about 10 minutes before the show was set to start. It said 7:30 start time but probably started closer to 7:45. Tickets were waiting at will call as requested and all of the staff working that evening were super friendly. At the performance we saw, the role of Evan, normally played by Mason Ballard, was played by his understudy, Daniel Shain Graf and he did an excellent job as did the rest of the actors. We purchased some refreshments at intermission, which were very overpriced, but that is to be expected at all entertainment venues these days. Thanks to all of the companies and individuals who contribute to the arts to keep this theatre company going... we will definitely be back!

By far, my favorite place to see theater in the valley. They get great actors and great shows. At…read morethis point, I've seen over a dozen shows there and I've never been disappointed. Unlike some theaters *cough* Gammage *cough* there's not a bad seat in the house. I loved taking advantage of their student deals, and now I love being a member of their young adult deals club. It can be tough to get tickets to something super popular (à la Les Misérables) or their Christmas show right around the holidays, but it's always worth a trip. I recommend taking rideshare or the light rail to take advantage of their drink deals and avoid the large parking lot (shared with the art museum). It's a great area and a beautiful building, on top of its other charms.