My family used to work here and I used to go to these performances all the time when I was a kid,…read moreback when they used to sell boxed brownies and fruit punch at intermission (so good!). Now that I have a family member that attends here, it's nice coming back to a familiar place. Cypress College is one of those gems in Orange County for theatrical performances- they have a great set/prop team and they have a vast range of performances from the classics to the esoteric. Parking is free for performances, and during intermission they offer water and snacks for $1. Also, it's surprisingly chilly in the theater, so bring a sweater if you're the type to get cold. I recently saw the musical Carrie, and props to the set crew! I loved how they projected images of screaming girls into the trees, and how Carrie projected her telekinetic powers throughout the show. I was wondering how they were going to take a disturbing Stephen King horror novel and transform it into a piece for musical theater. I realized I was watching a tale of someone constantly bullied, pushed to the brink of telekinetic disaster. Rather than horror, what I felt was disturbing heartbreak (attested by the sniffles in the crowd) of someone struggling to fit in, and losing that battle. While the subject matter is certainly not my favorite for a musical, it doesn't take much to see the parallels Carrie and the horrific school shooting incidents in current times, and I felt this musical was a great thinking piece for today's culture. Bolstered by the strong performances of the lead singers, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed the show!

The Cypress College Fine Arts Theater has alot of potential. For having recently watched the…read moreOff-Broadway rock musical Little Shop of Horrors. (Remember the movie about the people-eating plant back in the 80's starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin?) I wasn't expecting much but I completely enjoyed myself. The cast played their roles just right, always in character and always on point. Despite the small amount of stage room, the production team did a good job on props and portraying the different scenes. The theater itself isn't as grand as the Pantages. But, it's college theater, it offers you just enough. Their seating are stadium style seats and may squeak from time to time upon adjusting your derriere but serves it's purpose well. They offer refreshments during intermission. Gummy bears, candy bars, chips, soda and water. Unhealthy and inexpensive. Their restrooms need a little updating. i.e. more stalls. Women's restrooms never have enough stalls and the line can get pretty long. All in all, this place is what it is. It's local, it's decent, it's great for the smaller productions such as this one. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ 3/5 Ambiance - The mood, character, quality, tone, atmosphere. 2/5 Service -Helpful, accommodating, efficient, delivery and speed? 3/5 Food / Merchandise - Quality, taste, presentation. 4/5 Price - Reasonable, inexpensive, high priced? (Based on Irma's review rating rubric - http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/evXt-5kyL-guqoCwxaAxtQ/l)

Theatre in the Heart of Orange County…read more Culturize and Familiarize yourself with the OC. The OC is the best place to live and small community based artsy venues with great talent bring entertainment to your footstep. A small forum with great talent really places every seat in the house as a good one. Chapman's Waltmar Theatre is vibrant and blossoming with talent. The theatre is a great option for localites to see shows, musicals and more. Yes, it is open to the public for shows. I have had nothing but positive experiences here. A few years back I even had the pleasure of seeing, in person, Supreme Justice Scalia. Overall, this is a great piece of Orange for locals to experience up and coming talent. It is a value and you can get to see great shows for reasonable prices. You can check their website for current shows, times, and prices. I am a fan! Waltmar Theatre, Orange..another reason the OC is the best place to liive!

This is my second time visiting the Waltmar Theater…read more I do love visiting college shows. In my own biased and ignorant world, I think college theatre offers more "art" than the professional world. Don't get me wrong - I love the big shows in the big theaters, too -- but it's like watching an indie film -- it's just very very good in a very very different way. The Chapman University Theatre Arts does not disappoint. The last show I saw was "The Taming of the Shrew". It was very well done with superb acting and we very much enjoyed the show. I also saw "Urinetown" on Thursday and I was equally, if not more, impressed. The quality of work that happens in this theater is absolutely spectacular. Every season bring something interesting and unique - and I wait in anticipation every year to see what Chapman has in store for myself and for my students. Parking under the football field is probably your best bet. A three-hour temporary parking permit is $3.00 and can be obtained from one of those parking permit machines using cash or credit card. Then, it's a quick 3-minute walk to the Waltmar theater. I strongly urge your attendance at this theater. There's some unbelievable quality-work that's going on here.

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.

Awesome theater and it was great to see a show on opening night with a packed crowd. This small…read moreplace was a great date and I left feeling like I needed to study the English language. Very intimate and fun experience, clearly a labor of love. This is the best way to experience Shakespeare, live and performed!

I've had the honor of being an audience member at this theatre (amazing productions of The Comedy…read moreof Errors and A Midsummer Night's Dream), performing in altheir New Works Festival (which gives upcoming playwrights an opportunity to see their plays produced) and as a guest director of their 2025 production of Richard III. The Long Beach Shakespeare Company is a wonderful gem of a theatre that truly serves the community and gives the classics (and new works) a place to shine!

Naples Strings was suggested to us by our DJ for our wedding. I am so happy he suggested their trio…read morefor our wedding ceremony. They provided wonderful string arrangements for contemporary songs for the prelude of our ceremony and provided the most romantic atmosphere during our ceremony. Elaine Tubis is so friendly and professional and communicates very clearly about timelines and expectations for the day of your event. When we had to reschedule due to COVID restrictions, Naples Strings made the process so easy and pain free. Overall, they were one of the best details added to our wedding.

Elaine and her team were amazing! I requested the string quartet for my wedding and they were the…read morebest! Very professional and they played beautifully. One of the songs we requested was 'Concerning Hobbits' and they had never played that song before and they played it so well! Better than any of the recordings I saw online. I highly recommend Naples Strings!

I have attended BCSO concerts since 2000 and I'm always impressed with how well they play. They…read moreachieve much while still being almost all volunteer. I have watched over the years as they continue to get better and better and their new conductor, Geoffrey Pope is only going to up their game. BCSO makes me want to listen to "old, dead, white guys" and that is no small feat. KEEP IT UP Beach Cities Symphony Orchestra! I highly recommend.

This community classical music orchestra, now in its 68th year, puts on four free concerts each…read moreseason, including a wonderful pre-concert lecture by the leader. Barry Brisk. Performances are all at Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College .

As a fan of both CASA 0101 and Little Casa, I think this is a great new addition to the Theatre Row…read moredeveloping in Boyle Heights on First Street. I attended their first event, "Naked" Stage Nights, to support my friends on Jan. 22nd and really enjoyed seeing young artists presenting their new and raw work. Playwrights, actors, singer/ songwriters, poets. Another monthly show offered there on the fourth Thursday of every month is Ah...Awkward! It's intimate night of just anyone getting on stage and sharing and embarrassing and or awkward experience. This show is kind of like stand-up because most of the stories are pretty fun. I've also attended the playwriting classes taught by Josefina Lopez and have really enjoyed them.

Just saw a preview production of Evita…read more Wonderful. Great staging an an amazing cast. Leads were first rate. Corus super. Do yourself a favor and support this amazing Theater Company Congratulations to Paul Garmen. He has been producing for 64 years. He looks amazing. What is your secret Paul

Why I will not be returning to the Carpenter's Center of the Performing Arts and to any Musical…read moreTheatre West Productions, or for that matter to any Live Theatre in SoCal. I will find other forms of entertainment. Before I tell the why of my first sentence. I want you to understand that for 22 years I had season tickets to a live theatre in Glendale till they went under due to Covid and owners' divorce. I've have seen a lot of live theatre what happened at the Carpenter Center is the last straw. Goodbye live theatre. First the Actors, Actress, and Musicians. Thank you for sharing your talents. As a person who can miss all the notes all the time, I truly appreciate your talents and abilities. I hold the Producers and Directors responsible for the Show. As for the Carpenter Center, Musical Theatre West, and other places and production companies. I'm done. When you advertise you are doing "Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" or any other production this is what I expect to see. If you are making a new adaption of the play, let everyone know before they spend their hard-earned money. This visual experience is part of the performance. Your new adaption was for the most part very poor. As my mother of 85 said, "I kept closing me eyes hoping it would change." I laughed, yet never having been to a "Chip and Dale" review it's the only thought that came to my mind to describe what was being presented. Last note Bruno Mars is not a King, sorry, a very disappointing part of the performance. You didn't want Elvis okay, then use a King... Michael Jackson, the king of pop or James Brown the king of Soul. I just love the Pharo as Evlis.