At the Colligan Theater to see the play, Sylvia a modern…read moreromance comedy about marriage and their dog.

This is a great company! You really don't have to leave Santa Cruz to experience excellent theater…read more The choices of plays are varied and imaginative-from comedy to serious dramatic, historic, obscure stories. Lovely staff- incredibly helpful-clearly devoted to bringing their passion to Santa Cruz. Beautiful theater space, snack bar. Just a wonderful way to spend an evening or afternoon.

The TWDCC is a wonderful, inclusive place for any kid who enjoys dancing. We have been there for 3…read moreyears and my child has taken many classes and enjoys the instructors, the culture, and the skills she learns. Thanks so much to all the special people that help make this a great place!

DId I say I LOVE TWDCC? I LOVE TWDCC! It is the one dance community that truly hosts a diverse set…read moreof people who love movement, dance and music. Cat (Boss Lady) and her Crew have created a space where everyone feels welcome, regardless of income level, or any other status. The programs for dancers are tailored so that each individual dancer feels seen and honored for her/his skills. The 'companies' take the dancers to another level, where they can jump off when ready and move into the worldwide dance community with confidence in knowing they have developed themselves for more than just awesome dancers. They create leadership skills, faith in community, and a feeling of knowing they can do what they want with their lives.

I've been taking vocal lessons with Audrey and she's a wonderful teacher. Knowledgeable,…read moreencouraging and inspiring. Everything you want from someone helping you with your musical journey. The Skype lessons are super helpful as she takes video and the ability to watch and listen back to your exercises is incredibly valuable. I'm a drummer who is adding vocals to my repertoire and her assistance has been invaluable! I highly recommend!

Pulled my daughter (6 years old) out of the Disney Princess camp due to concerns that camp was…read morebeing treated more like a day care than an actual vocal camp. When we first dropped my daughter off at camp, my wife and I immediately felt a bit weird about this place. None of the instructors welcomed us in. In fact, only one of the instructors spoke to us. He actually recognized my wife from somewhere, but they couldn't remember where. After they figured out where they recognized each other from the coach's response was "Jesus F@#%$&* Christ, that's where I remember you from. Time sure flies!" Not exactly the type of language to be using in front of children. We checked in at lunch on the first day, and unfortunately, the instructors seemed to be more interested in whatever was going on with their phones than actually interacting with the kids. The scene was the same at pick up time. Coaches on the couch, kids playing on their own. When checking in with my daughter at lunch on the first day, she told us they hadn't sung anything yet. But instead watched a movie. At the end of the first day, we asked her "What songs did you sing today?" She told us she learned part of 1 song......over the course of a 6 hour camp. The following day was even more alarming when my when my wife went to pick our daughter up from camp and the coach informed her that they had a "very chill day." We asked our daughter what they did at camp and she said "We didn't sing at all today. Instead, the kids voted not to sing because there was a new kid and she didn't want to sing. I wanted to sing, but we voted. So we just watched movies and played dress up." I was dumbfounded. We had paid over $200 for a VOCAL camp. 2 days into this "vocal camp" our kid had watched Disney movies, played a lot of dress up and learned part of 1 song. After hearing all of this, I decided to call Forte. Nobody picked up the phone. So I drove down to their location to try and ask what had happened during camp that day. I proceeded to ask the lead vocal coach about the days events and why there was no singing today. Her response was (loosely quoted) "The kids decided they wanted to spend double time on costumes and so they voted not to sing today." "Also, the kids are young so they can't sing and do stage work all day, despite this being a vocal camp." I then asked when they are going to sing, and her response was (again loosely quoted) "Well they will have to spend the whole day singing tomorrow because they didn't sing today." (Wait....what? I'm confused. I thought the kids were "too young to spend all day singing...????) Never once did I receive an apology. But I did receive multiple attempts to justify why things at camp fell short. I notified the coach that my daughter wouldn't be attending the remaining days of the camp as I felt like this camp was totally misrepresented. To us, this camp acted more like a daycare. (But a daycare where the employees are more interested in whatever is happening on their cell phones than the children they are supposed to be interacting with.) We might have been able to just write this off, and chalk it up to one of those "you live and you learn lessons." But then something too coincidental happened and we felt like we just had to say something. We purchased a spot in this camp after seeing a posting on the Facebook site "Scotts Valley Virtual Garage Sale." The head vocal coach says a parent bought the spot, but their child came down with pneumonia, so she was trying to help her sell it. OK. Well interestingly enough, 2 weeks later the same head vocal coach posts on Scotts Valley Virtual Garage Sale again that a parent purchased a spot for their child for Katy Perry camp, but instead they decided to go to Hawaii, and thus she decided to help sell her spot. Coincidence? Maybe, but it sure feels more like a deceiving way to sell spots in your vocal camp. It feels unethical. I took screen shots of the two postings and uploaded them to yelp so you can review them if you want. Our daughter has attended many dance/performing arts camps for similar or even cheaper pricing. So this was not our first go-round. The other camps we have been a part of have all been professionally run. Unfortunately, Forte Vocal Academy's Disney Princess Vocal Camp felt completely thrown together. It lacked structure, professionalism, and even common courtesy.

Had to swing by after seeing Into the Woods here, it was truly an exceptional show! I've been to a…read morecouple performances of that play (it's a favorite of mine) and this crew really nailed it. The costumes were great, the performances were outstanding, everything about it was wonderful. Also, it's such a small thing to comment on, but even their snacks were good!! Being able to pick up real strawberries and blueberries with some chocolate was such a nice little treat. I really just enjoyed the experience so much I had to swing by to say so. If you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing a show here!

Going to Shakespeare Santa Cruz in The Grove is a highlight of summer in the Bay Area, and this…read moreyear's rendition of "King Lear" features Paul Whitworth, the former artistic director & a British-born actor who tackled many of the greatest roles in the canon during his tenure in the 1990s and 2000s. It's a tour de force performance, and a high point of the many performances we've attended here. King Lear closes on August 27th: catch it if you can. When coming, be sure to wear layers, prepare to bundle up, purchase tickets ahead and rent a seat cushion and blanket. Rental proceeds go to Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Even on warmer days, it can cool off considerably at night. We were here on an uncharacteristically warm day, and once the stars came out we definitely appreciated our jackets & rental blanket.

West Theater has been a life changer for my teenager. He has attended Harry Potter camps on up to…read moreimprov groups. They are kind and talented instructors and the curriculum is stellar. This program has given my son a sense of confidence and that is a gift that will last a lifetime.

This little gem of a studio offers classes for all ages and performances year round. I love the…read moreofferings, like improv and playlabs..I need a boot to the behind to motivate myself to attend but once there it's pretty magical. Attentive to details, the staff seems to have as much fun as the students. Makes me miss the SF art scene less and less. SC has the bright shiny shiny right here in my backyard..Lucky us.

Cute theater highlighting local actors and writers…read more This is the second time I've enjoyed local theater in Santa Cruz. This particular show had 8 ten minute (ish) plays. It's fun to see the creative process at work. Amateur actors mixed in with veterans of the stage are all here. Please note the theater is located in one medium sized building just beyond some businesses and an office or two. I recommend you come and see some of the shows. Support local theater!

Engaging live theatre. The annual 8 Tens at Eight has everything a theatre goer would want…read more.. drama, humor, pathos. It always sells out.

"Fences" opened last night at Santa Cruz Shakespeare and it was marvelous! Won a Tony for best…read moreplay and a Pulitzer. August Wilson's saga about post slavery generational drama in a 1950's Pittsburgh family is powerful, moving, and will touch your heart with a panoply of deep feelings. Broadway caliber acting, stagecraft, costumes. Don't miss it. 5 stars.

I have seen 2 of Santa Cruz Shakespeare's performances in the past four years when I have traveled…read moreto Santa Cruz. It is clear that a lot of theaters are struggling after Covid as much of their audience is aging out and appealing to the younger generations is increasingly difficult while constrained to Shakespeare. I came recently for a showing of "Taming of the Shrew" and was reminded of my love for theaters and how important it is to continue this kind of art. While this play is extremely outdated socially, the acting of the cast can shine through no matter the production. Having grown up in Ashland, with OSF close by my expectations are always high and it was wonderful to see some familiar faces from that festival. The variety of seating and beautiful eucalyptus background is one of those elements that make these theater productions unique and beautiful. It is clear that a lot of theaters pockets are also hurting, from having outdated systems, some mic issues, DIY projects throughout , and a variety of different types of fake foliage. But the theater still out on an amazing show. The costumes, hair, acting, and passion were all top notch and I was happy to see another personal reminder of the importance of theater:)

This is actually "Daughters & Sons of the Beach" ukulele club (basically a gathering of locals who…read morelove the nimble sounds of this stringed instrument). We attended the Ukele Jam, which according to their website, occurs every Saturday 10am-12noon behind Crow's Nest, but more accurately behind Java Junction which is perfect for enjoying the entertainment while sipping on your favorite beverages. Seating was easy to find in the back patio of the cafe right in front of the music taking place on the sand. This is a cute and casual event, where the musicians seem to all be having fun. And they don't just play ukuleles, there were other instruments being played as well including the kazoo, upright bass, mandolin, keyboard, bongo, and guitar. This past weekend, they performed songs including Three Little Birds, Twist and Shout, and Have You Ever Seen the Rain. They post their upcoming set list online early in the week, so you can actually see this in advance. This is great free entertainment on the beach if you like live music and are looking for a positive carefree environment to spend time with loved ones.