I adore this place!! After my first time here I'm a believer…read more I grew up in the North Valley and have seen this place more times than I can count. As I entered my adult years I always told myself that I should catch a show here some time. I'm happy to say that I FINALLY made it in. A couple of my close friends and I caught a Leading Ladies performance. The place itself is so quaint and charming. It was a packed house for sure!! I recommend showing up earlier than 10 mins before showtime. The performance was amazing. I had tears streaming down my face the whole first half. The actors were genius. Really threw themselves into their roles and engaged the audience with every word and facial expression. It was so good that I'm going back to see the same show again and plan on going to a couple of other shows scheduled this year. It was a great experience and I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

Superior acting. Excellent variety of shows. Courteous attention to guests. Love it!read more

I've hit up The Box a couple of nights to watch their improve group. Hilarity every time! No…read moreseriously, I know we say we LOL but do you really? Come here and you will ALOL (actually laugh out loud), I promise. Our latest trek out to The Box had a special guest appearing with the troop, Mr. Bob Odenkirk. Saul Goodman to those of you who only know him by his character name. This guy is funny! He could have easily overpowered the group but each and every member of that troop is so strong and incredibly talented that it was a great blend! They have a cute little concessions corner too. Trust me check out their improve group, you will not be disapointed!

Not sure what to do on a Friday/Saturday night? Have people visiting from out of town? Then I…read morehighly recommend considering The Box for a night out. Girls night, date night, family night - whatever you chose your poison to be - the Box should be included. It was a great experience and my face was hurting from laughing so much. The performers are very talented and quick on their feet. Definitely recommend this as an ABQ experience.

Accessible seating is awesome here! Good cost, they have listening devices available by leaving…read moreyour ID with the person up front at the rotunda that allow you to hear the play from the stage mics. The chairs in Accessible area move and while they have arms, they are high enough to allow for larger behinds to sit in them. Even the main seating has been updated to allow for larger behinds, though you are very close arm and leg wise in those seats and getting out with a cane would not be advisable. Sound is great and so far every play has been stellar. From the Popejoy of my childhood the improvements are astronomical. A+ (PS they now allow the food from their little food area to be taken into the theater. No outside food. It's cookies, nuts and candies, hot drinks or sodas and water. (Baked goods and warm drinks are 'as available' and may run out or be unavailable some shows.)

An otherwise excellent NM Philharmonic concert Oct. 3 was diminished by multiple problems with…read morePopejoy Hall. It was inconvenient when Popejoy added security screening last season at the entrance to the hall. Now they've compounded the inconvenience by scanning tickets at the security gate instead of at the auditorium entrances. This slowed the line considerably.  The second-floor men's room was out of commission. And the lights were out in the entrances to the balcony, forcing the ushers to use their flashlights to guide people through.

Great venue. Glad they allow people to dance and be happy!…read moreParking is convenient. Not a fan of cocktails in a can but.

All the years I've lived in this city and I've never once stepped foot in this place. Though I've…read morepassed and gandered and the place many times I guess I always missed the fun surprises inside. Long story short as I was scrolling through the feed on that blue app I saw an ad for a horror themed circus that promised extra fright. Curiously I pondered at the date and thought why the heck not. Then as I looked at the website I discovered it was being hosted right at the Kimo. The light bulb in my head clicked on and I thought let me see if a friend wants to join so I can make a better decision. Needless to say I waited to buy a ticket. Why you ask? Well Ill be honest I wasn't quite sure at the time. Then fast forward to last weekend and the same ad appeared with a beautiful promotion setting a price I just couldn't refuse. I just knew I had to go. My friend canceled on me but that was ok because when I stepped through those door it was a refreshing experience. I couldn't help but get lost in its great grandeur. As I entered the seating area I looked around and the vibe had me so excited. The show was phenomenal. I had a really great time. I'm so glad I went. Not only did I get to see the inside of this place for the first time but I got to experience a show here which made it so much more special. I look forward to returning for the next show here!

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Albuquerque Academy puts on amazing stage productions, and Simms is a great performance space for a…read morehigh school. The stadium seating gives you a splendid view of the stage from any seat, even the wings, and some spots even give you a good view of the orchestra pit. It should come as no surprise that this school's resources are outstanding, and the attention they give their performance departments is enviable. The sound and stage lighting are awesome and the usable space is really top-notch for this type (highschool) of venue. AA kids are well instructed and spectacularly talented. We just went to a production of the Phantom of the Opera and I was moved to tears more than once. The stars of the show couldn't possibly have been highschoolers! They were very nearly as good as any act I've seen at Popejoy and their voices were simply stunning. I love Webber's Broadway score and was really pleased to find AA was putting on that same version of the legendary story. Although they didn't quite match up to the amazing vocalists' performances, the school's orchestra (+ certain wind instruments) did a not-too-shabby job for a highschool crew replicating one of the (IMHO) most powerfully moving scores ever written.

A+ fun! The entire experience was fun and exciting. From…read morethe beginning you are on the case, poking for clues and meeting new people. Each of the acts is overly cheesy but make the experience that much more enjoyable. The food is standard hotel banquet food, you pay for the experience not the food. It it good but nothing to get too excited for. My party paid for the suspect experience and it was well worth every penny. We all had a fun time and have talked about doing it again with another show.

We had soooo much fun! highmy recommend this for a date night or just for fun!! Can't wait to see…read moremore!

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to the Zoom Event for Head Over Heels. The process to get me…read moretickets to the event was super easy and several people reached out to make sure I had all the information to view the event. The show consisted of a variety of acts, plus 3 women who were the emcees of the event. I think the emcees had more fun than anyone!!! Because of the way I logged in, I was able to comment on the acts, which in this new world, made me feel a little like I was there. There was even an act that requested audience participation, and it was fun to see others chiming in. I must say that this isn't my favorite way to see a show, but I totally admire all the participants for putting their all into the show.

Without getting too involved in the history of this company, which likely isn't why you're reading…read morethis review, I want to say that I first encountered this theatre company back in, oh, maybe 2009. Two founders of Duke City Rep, Amelia Ampuero and Frank Green, made cordial, friendly small talk in the black box of North 4th about how they'd chosen Albuquerque as their home because they felt our city was the perfect hatching ground for a more mature theatre scene. Green, in particular, struck me as a passionate dude with a "look" that stuck, he was simultaneously wily and steady, the kind of guy I wanted to see on stage. Since that time they've filled their resumé with winning productions at The Filling Station and the polished, Union-supporting company, The Cell. This year I had an opportunity to catch their Halloween thriller, "Night of the Living Dead". Set in a basement during a zombie apocalypse, Duke City Rep managed to suspend my disbelief for the better part of 40 minutes. I finally got to see Green in action, too, and he didn't disappoint. This company has the gritty, ambitious feel that founded another Burque performance ensemble, Tricklock. There's no time like the present to catch this crew in action -- they're gelling and connecting, there's an energy on stage that typically won't stick around too long, that's just the way the theatre beast rolls; like bands that get signed to major labels, eventually that chemistry splinters. So right about now, you're looking at a really good garage band, you best see a show.

What a great theater for shows. We came for Poe Speakeasy and had a great time with drinks and…read morepoetry for an afternoon. The venue is small so not too crowded. I was surprised that the actors used microphones as the venue was small enough that projecting is possible. I only wish, like many places that the women's restroom was larger because there is always a crowd

Went to see the very touching movie Heartstrong at the Lobo Theater. It is part of the Albuquerque…read moreFilm Festival. I know Arianna Basco, the creator and producer, and actor in this Indie film. What a small, but great venue to see any production. Go see other movies too during this annual film festival.

I took my kiddo today to see The Best Christmas Pageant and it was really good. We sat in row O…read morebecause they were the closest tickets available. We were able to see and hear almost everything and everyone. I do wish we could've sat a little closer because it can be difficult to hear at times towards the back. I recommend going to see a play here. They are around $25 per ticket which is totally worth seeing a play! I love how they incorporate children and adults. Let support this cute little theater so they can continue entertaining. Go see a play!! Cheers!

I attended a show for the first time here. I had heard of the theater growing up but had never…read moreattended anything. The show I saw was well done with some interesting staging ideas but good. The theater itself is nice and as it is small doesn't seem to have a bad seat. I will probably keep an eye out for other shows.

Size doesn't matter, they say. Which I think is total hog wash when it comes to the size of my…read morecandy bar, and I'd have to say I feel the same about theatre. Size is everything. A production in a huge theatre leaves out that intimate experience with the stage, the set, the tiny yet beautiful team effort and transition between acts; the things you wouldn't usually get to notice. I absolutely love the heart and soul I see behind a small theatre; throw in the raw skill of these locals and you wonder why you haven't escaped your typical night from Albuquerque to join the buzz of the Vortex more often. I have been here a few times, back when located on Carlisle, but this was my first time at the new location. The production: "The Real Thing"! I had heard tale of accents and from that alone I was sold ;) There were struggles of relationships (the monotony, infidelity, - real things, indeed) as well as a bit of insight into the writer's mind. What I personally took from the play was that without continuing affection/appreciation, love can easily wither, and you or your lover may find yourself in the arms of another, but even at that point, if you both fight back hard enough for your love, you can reclaim it. I will say that the theatre was quite ablaze on this particular Friday night - some issues with the cooling, causing our poor little programs to be beaten and destroyed back and forth for that teensy ounce of a breeze it may provide. After intermission they had the cooling situation under control thank gourd, and I was able to really give the dialogue my full attention. They have waters for a buck, sodas for a buck, reasonable and nice little refreshments. Believe you me did those come in handy after the first half :P This was an extremely talented set of people for this production and I was delighted to be a part of their audience. I have special kudos to give out to the lad who played Henry, for the ridiculous amount of lines he memorized was downright crazy. Sometimes I could barely keep up, let alone imagine remembering and delivering all of those words. Whew! Way to go! See ya again soon, Vortex!

We got out of work late and rushed downtown to catch "Shakespere in the Plaza" we were 6 minutes…read morelate. We were told they "held the show as long as they could" with a bit of annoyance. They had open seats, and, after we went back down to the parking garage, paid the parking and came back up, 10 min later they had still not started. Perhaps they do something special that no other production does, that absolutely requires people be exactly on time. Or maybe it's ran by pretentious so-and-so's. Who knows. **note: I was asked about the location. This review was in reference to a production they were putting on down town**