I've been coming downtown to Playhouse square for 30 Years. I have been a season ticket holder for the last 10 yrs. Right now is the prime experience. The Key Bank Broadway series, the other touring plays that come into town are all top notch and award winning. It's premier entertainment all around. Date night, girls night, family night. The shows are truly top notch. Plus, they have comedians, musicians all the time. It's world class and can compete with NY or Chicago any day. Check out the website to see who's coming. Holidays are especially fun. Don't snooze on this experience. You'll have fun! And for the cost conscious they have discounts and ways to save. Check them out! read more

Cat Kid the Musical I visited as part of a school event. The pricing and coordination was great. The musical itself was great for kids. They laughed the whole time and it was very on point with the dav pileky books. read more

We went to playhouse square for the wiggles concert and had the best time. The staff were all so nice and made sure to point us in the right direction. We were able to buy parking when we bought our tickets and it was seamless! It's very beautiful! The seats were comfortable and had boosters for kids/ however the booster kept falling off the seat. So it either needs to be smaller or be able to stick to the seat. The sound quality was good. Our only complaint was we had seats upstairs and it took forever to be allowed to go upstairs. Not sure why it was, as people with floor seats could go right to their seats. Otherwise we had a great time. read more

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One of a kind theater and a must visit if you're in Cleveland! I've been going to shows here for the past 10 years and it's such a fun experience every time. Cleveland's theater district is one of the top in the country, which is surprising to so many. Whether you're visiting or a local, support the arts and see what Playhouse Square is all about! PHSQ offers free behind the scenes tour of the theaters once a month (normally Saturday) in the nicer months. Find out when the next tours will be featured and sign up to reserve your spot! Tip: Arrive early, so there's no rushing to your seats. Don't make a fun, entertaining experience a stressful situation! read more

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Playhouse Square... more like Borehouse Square. There's about as much energy here as a library on a Sunday night--except less useful. There's a weird fancy chandelier that looks like it was stolen from a living room, and an arch that's basically the same thing as what McDonald's would put up. Honestly, they might as well put a McDonald's there so at least people could get a snack while wondering why they came. You'd think there'd be some kind of fun happening. Unless your idea of fun is standing around pretending you're impressed by light fixtures and empty sidewalks. What a joke of an area. I mean, may as well call it What a Joke Square read more

The production overall was really good as were the costumes, props, sets and such. What threw me off was who was casted for Maria's role. While the young lady was extremely talented and had a beautiful voice, I struggled with the choice of using someone non-Caucasian for this iconic role. There are some things that just should not be messed with and I think the whole DEI thing has simply overstepped in this case. Interestingly enough I wasn't the only one that shared this sentiment. read more

A colleague and I saw Hamilton at the Keybank State Theater. We had balcony seats. An older usher named Chuck was very helpful with seating and finding restrooms. Great venue. The balcony seats were $95 but the view was good. As for the lines for merchandise and drinks and popcorn? Forget it. read more

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Playhouse Square is a really cool. I hadn't expected all of the theaters to be connected like that, I was expecting more of an outdoor strip. I like that the parking is connected, and the theaters are really beautiful. The lineup is generally great, and it's definitely a good experience . read more

We had a wonderful time. We went to the MiMi theater to see The Screwtape Letters and it was really a great production. We had a great time. The theater is beautiful and the tickets were a great value for the quality of the production read more

During the film festival last year 2024, I was in this building. And it was so beautiful of an experience. It was so fun to experience the capacity of playhouse square. The event was wonderful my friend invited me and I had a good time supporting the films I watched. Wonderful experience glad I went. read more

Beautiful theatre. We saw Company which was hysterical. The venue is well maintained considering the age and the vast number of people that have been there it looks great. We did have some wine. You received a bottle probably 2-3 pours. But it's served with a plastic cup. Lost its luster with that. I was surprised you were able to bring your cocktail into the venue. I don't recall doing that historically but maybe that's something new. The bathrooms are a bit of a walk but they do have handicap ones closer. Cleveland is lucky to have such a wonderful theatre district. read more

Playhouse Square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! A+ The history and culture of these buildings is amazing and how much detail is in the construction. My family had a great time at THE PRICE IS RIGHT! Amazing atmosphere! A+ The staff are so nice and welcoming. I love it read more

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We had a great time at the children's series seeing The Gruffalo. The play was about 1 hour which is about the attention span of my children. It started 13 minutes late which was rather annoying since we arrived 20-25 minutes early. read more

Playhouse Square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I was talked into going to the Michael Jackson musical by my neighbor. I felt like the tickets were very expensive after they told me what I owed for my ticket. We went as a group and the musical was worth every penny. I loved the show. I loved the building. Parking was easy. They had plenty of bathrooms. They had a ton of workers to help answer any questions. My only complaint would be the seats are just okay comfort and need cup holders. I would definitely go again and pay the price. read more

Playhouse Square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Playhouse Square is one of the gems of the city. From one of the biggest outdoor chandeliers to the beautiful architecture of the variety of theatres! There are always a wide variety of shows/plays/etc. You don't have to be into plays or musicals to enjoy. I appreciated security, but did not appreciate being wanded from front to back by a male. There should be at least one female wander for the females. I also appreciated it more back when masks were required, as attending a play with everyone very close/squished together is a recipe for disaster. Pre-pandemic, I would've probably rated it a 4. But with the poor wanding experience and lack of safety precautions I'm leaving my review as a 3. read more

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Excellent experience at Playhouse Square. We love going to Playhouse Square for shows during the holiday season because of all the care taken to decorate it so beautifully. The greeters and ushers were very friendly and helpful per usual. Also, the quality of the shows usually can't be beat! read more

Playhouse Square - Christmas themed decor in the lobby area - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Online tickets are not emailed or sent over, they have to be printed there which is a hassle. Overly aggressive and rude ushers who will get in your face. Parking is confusing to say the least. Sound during performance is poor quality and the overall performance was low as well. Save your money! read more

Shows have always been good. Easy to get tickets. Easy to enter. Good value. Just could not find the Playhouse Square parking garage I paid for. read more

I feel so lucky to have gotten to experience my first musical here at the Playhouse Square's Keybank State Theatre. The square is already so beautiful, especially at night with its lights, but when I entered the venue my jaw just dropped! Everything about it is gorgeous-- the walls are covered in ornate murals lined with pillars, the ceilings are adorned with chandeliers and decorative structures, and even the stairs to the balconies were something to look at with its double entrance and carpeting . My eyes could barely find the time to take everything in! At the Theatre I watched Les Miserables and thought the venue fit the musical. The lighting was meticulously directed and the set changes were seamless. The music carried well throughout the venue and the seats were laid out so that even as a 5'2" person I could see what was transpiring onstage. However, I'd say that the seats were surprisingly compact. There was enough space for someone to squeeze past in front of you when you stood up but I think sitting here for a whole production would be uncomfortable for anyone tall and wide. read more

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I may have been to this venue before - possibly in the 70's or 80's when I was a kid. But as an adult, this was my first time. The reason for the visit - taking Mom to see Cats for her 89th birthday. Both first time viewers of the play. It started with a phone call to the box office. Day 1 of calling - LONG hold so I left my phone number - promised a call back in the order calls received. Never happened. Day 2 - stayed on hold and call was answered relatively quickly. From there, I was lucky to get a delightful sales rep. I knew I wanted the last Sunday matinee in November and that they wheelchair seats were sold out. Mom's in a wheelchair but can kind of walk a little. So I knew wheelchair seats were $100 - so I was prepared to pay top dollar. The rep found us 2 seats on the aisle in the 12th or so middle aisle row. She explained how I could get Mom from the garage to her seat - PERFECT. She said an usher would stash the wheelchair once Mom was seated. Sure enough- worked like a charm. I went ahead and bought the garage pass so we were ready to go! I was to go up to Cleveland the night before play and stay at Mom's. We'd go to church, lunch and then the play. Unfortunately, a HUGE storm was forecast which would kill our plans. I waited until Sunday to see how much snow Mom got. GOOD NEWS - she got NONE of the west side. But downtown supposedly got hit (per Mom). Knowing how much $ I dropped on the outing, I was determined to make it happen. I drove up, picked up Mom and we headed downtown. Lo and behold - NO SNOW! The line to get into the garage was long, but we had time. Then the walk from the garage to the seats was long. Thank goodness I'm in good shape and we had the wheelchair for Mom. We made it to our seats which were AMAZING! And the wheelchair was whisked away by the usher. We only had about 10 minutes until the program started. Now I grew up in a middle class family with an appreciation for the arts but without the money to buy good seats. So all the ballets, plays, and orchestra programs I'd been to had to been experienced from the last row in the theater. Still, I understand I lived a blessed and privileged life when compared to others. However, the couple we sat next to had season tickets, a notion I can't really wrap my head around. But then again, I refuse to spend the money it costs to get into professional sporting events or musical concerts. I find value elsewhere. So the details we could see from our seats was simply beyond belief. The costumes extravagant and orchestra fantastic. Neither of us had looked into the story being told - so we were a bit lost in following it. Regardless, the dancing was so complex and done perfectly. So when the play was over, I went back to get the wheelchair. Mom being pig-headed insisted upon starting to walk to the rear of the theater, grasping each seat to hold her up as she worked her way back. I couldn't really get the wheelchair moving against the crowd - so I got her as soon as she hit the back row. Then we worked our way back to the garage. It was a little tough getting inline to leave as I had not backed in. However, I was able to manuever and get in the outflow. It moved very quickly and we were on our way. I highly recommend this venue as a place to see a show. I would give it five stars if it weren't so darn expensive. But well done and thank you to the sales person who prepared me to host Mom there! read more

Why is it , when I purchase two tickets for $120 each, and parking for $20, (total $260), that the total at checkout exceeds $360 !!!!!! The added fees are ridiculous. The online website has no provision for guest checkouts. I'm speechless...... read more

I recently attended a variety of films at Playhouse Square during the Cleveland international film festival. Maybe I'm making this up, and someone can correct me if I am, but I felt like some of the seats in some of the theaters have been updated. This would certainly explain why the theaters felt more comfortable than usual. Some of the theaters are still not updated, but for the ones that are, the cushions have clearly been replaced by newer ones. I thought Playhouse Square did an excellent job hosting the film festival, and it's always a solid reminder of how grateful I am to have this literal architectural and artistic gem in our community. I used to be very resistant to the Playhouse Square parking garage because it's expensive, but the truth is, when the weather is gross, it is so nice to have an attached garage that is well lit and easily accessible from all the connected venues. If you've never seen programming at Playhouse Square, it should always be on your Cleveland bucket list. No older venue will ever be perfect, but this one comes pretty close in most ways. read more

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This review is for KeyBank State Theatre the attached photo shows my view from my seat Row J seat 105 which is off to the side not the middle. I would strongly advise if you're getting tickets to also get the parking option because in the winter you don't have to go outside you just walk a corridor from the parking garage to Playhouse Square. This theater is gorgeous just like all the others it would be great if they had additional restrooms but I don't think that's possible every play I go to is a wonderful experience read more

Playhouse Square - ROW - J SEAT - 105 - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Just passing through! Lots to do. Maybe we will check it out another time when visiting Cleveland Ohio. read more

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This theater district in Cleveland is supposed to be only second to Broadway. The chandelier the lights clock it's rather impressive. There's even a fire pit and some outdoor seating. read more

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I'm embarrassed to say, that despite living a few hours from Cleveland, and being a theatre nerd, I didn't realize that the city had such an incredible theatre district! Coming up on its centennial, Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York. The area is a beauty with tons of marquees, light up signs, and more. Now, it's no Times Square but it does make for some lovely photos when it's all lit up! The theatres themselves are opulent and stunning. Broadway touring companies, one off tour stops, and regional productions can all be found upon their stages. Now that I'm no longer sleeping on this, I look forward to coming down here more often to catch a production that isn't coming through Detroit! read more

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Saw Wicked here and it was UNBELIEVABLE! My husband got us tickets for my birthday and it couldn't have been better! read more

Playhouse Square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I visited Cleveland a few months ago and everyone kept telling me to visit Playhouse Square. I finally took the time to visit and now I understand why everyone says it's the place to be. First of all, the architecture and design of the building- its absolutely gorgeous!!! Secondly, great set up of the theater. I bought a $10 balcony seat and felt as if I had a great seat because I was able to see everything and the acoustics were great! The employees were all very nice and I love the contactless pay! I love just being able to just tap my phone and go! Also, just a tip, I highly recommend parking at the venue, it made everything super quick and easy, but I will say it did take some time to leave the venue, so don't be hurrying out in a rush because your going to be waiting for a good 10-20 minutes. While I was at the theater I saw My Fair Lady, which was a fantastic performance! I am looking forward to seeing more shows here soon! read more

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There's nothing like a night out at the theatre. Being a huge fan of musicals, I am fortunate enough to live near the second largest theatre district in the U.S. I have attended around ten shows at Playhouse, my favorite being Hamilton. It is currently showing in Cleveland! Every theatre here is gorgeous and unique in their own way. I've never had a bad seat here. I would definitely recommend everyone to come out and support live theatre. If you are not a fan of musicals or plays, they also have comedy shows, concerts, and etc. here. There is something for everyone! read more

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This is the largest theater district in the US, outside of NYC. It is very lovely inside. We saw the traveling production of Phantom of the Opera. Being opening night, they had a minor issue with one of the sets towards the end of the play (the steps were not attached to eachother, so they had to stop, close the curtain, and figure out what to do). These things do happen, and it really wasn't that big of a deal. It actually gave me a chance to take my own personal intermission and run to the ladies room. A couple years ago we had a Yelp Elite event here, and we got a full tour of Playhouse Square. So awesome. And tonight I was a lucky winner in the Yelp Contest for tickets. I was so grateful and happy to have had this opportunity. Loved the show. Loved the theater. My only (minor) critique is the queue for the will-call windows. The sign on the outside door leads you to the windows. But the line forms on the other side, which is confusing, since the door tells you to enter there, and there is a rope, which appears to hold the queue. The usher working that area was yelling at people for entering from the wrong side, but the signs indicated otherwise, opposite from what she was commanding people to do. Other than that, everything is fantastic here. read more

Playhouse Square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I was at the playhouse square for the opening night of Cleveland film festival and I learnt that going forward CIFF WILL BE ALWAYS AT THE PLAYHOUSE SQUARE AND I AM SO EXCITED!!! I absolutely love that a significant program to CLE will be forever home at another significant location. They compliment each other. The playhouse square has a parking garage right behind that is bridged through the building next to the restaurants. A good variety and delicious options! The building is gorgeous itself which makes each program so unique. read more

Playhouse Square - CIFF Opening night at playhouse square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Beautiful venue- awesome music ! For Mother's Day, my son gave me tickets to come see these guys. Excellent evening with my son and excellent musicians ! read more

Playhouse Square - Apocalyptica plays Metallica by four cellos - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio is the 2nd largest performing arts center in the United States. The first is in NYC. How amazing is that? I found out about this when I was reading about Playhouse Square. I'm so lucky to live in Cleveland where so many financial contributions are made to the art and theatre scene but also where amazing Broadway shows happen every year. While here, you can't miss the stunning outside CHANDELIER that centers Playhouse Square. It is the world's largest outdoor chandelier and absolutely beautiful. There are plenty of theatres to choose from. I was lucky to visit the Connor Palace theatre for the first time on Saturday, December 1st when I got a free ticket to the Broadway show "CHICAGO". The Cleveland show was an amazing show that lasted for about 2.5 hours and there was one intermission. Eddie George, a former college football player at The Ohio State University and also the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner who later went on to play in the NFL, was an actor. He performed outstanding. It was so cool to see him perform on stage. So many other renowned performers have graced several stages at Playhouse Square. If you are in the Euclid Ave. area of downtown Cleveland then you should definitely stop by one of the theatres in Playhouse Square. You won't regret it. If you are visiting during the winter holiday season then don't forget to stop by the CHRISTMAS TREE DISPLAY inside the Allen theatre. All the decorated Christmas trees are beautiful to look at (see my attached photo). FUN FACT - Michelle Obama, an American Lawyer and the former First Lady of the United States (she married President Barack Obama), is coming to Cleveland, Ohio. In March 2019, Michelle will be at the KeyBank State Theatre in Cleveland's Playhouse Square discussing her new book titled "BECOMING". She will be in Cleveland as part her book tour. Tickets are already sold out. *** - This is my 190th total Yelp review. - I have written 144 Yelp reviews in 2018 read more

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My first visit to Playhouse Square was to see the Cleveland Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. There is a nearby paid parking lot and an attached paid parking deck. Seating is pretty easy, they have ushers. Seating space is kinda standard for performance houses...basically just enough. The building we were in was beautiful and the performance was fantastic especially given the Cleveland Ballet company is not huge. There is a lot of clever use of space and stage props. Highly recommend going to a show if you have an opportunity to support a local performance group. read more

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Playhouse square sits in the heart of the new cleveland theater district (the old theater district is further on the west side, and also a nice area to hang out). The new district is actually the second biggest theater district in the USA (after Broadway in NY) and the shows are definitely reflective of that. There's a show for anyone there - they have cheaper tickets to smaller shows like "Passage," which when I went cost about $10-15 and was put on in a smaller theater by graduating performing arts students from case western university and playhouse square's own program. The show was great! And on the other hand, they have opera performances like La Boheme, and major theater shows like Book of Mormon (both of which I've seen -- they were lovely). They also had a special tour day where (as a student) I was able to sign up and get a tour of playhouse square's main building and stage. It's expansive and the tour was very informative! I would definitely recommend it if the opportunity comes up to do it. read more

Wow! What a fantastic theater district with such rich history. The offering of quality plays and musicals at Playhouse Square is the best you can get outside of Broadway. We were fortunate enough to get a private tour of the theaters, including backstage and underground. Our tour guide, Tom, did an amazing job on providing the history of the facility and sharing the story of how it became what it is today. There were several times the owners thought it was best to turn the location into a parking lot. Thank goodness that never happened! If you haven't checked out a show at Playhouse, you're missing out. Most shows offer "Smart Seats" that are as low as $10 per seat. Take advantage of this offering! Fun fact: Cleveland's Playhouse Square is the largest theater district outside of New York, and has the most Broadway season ticket subscribers in the world! read more

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The playhouse is an awesome place to take a date, family or just yourself! The shows are always interesting and fun. They usually start between 7:30 or 8pm. I have been here to see the Nutcracker, Showboat, Hamilton and Hello Dolly and "So you think you can dance" here. They offer snacks such as candy , pretzels, and cookies. Drinks such as iced tea, pop and beer can be bought in the main lobby and the willcall line isn't all that bad if you order tickets on line. They check your bag so I don't recommend trying to sneak snacks in. There are also a few close restaurants that are delicious. Beware that parking for this place can be a pain in the butt so come at least 30 mins early so not to miss the show! The bathroom lines can also be long so I also suggest you use the bathroom at the restaurant you are at or if you can wait to go when you get home. read more

Playhouse Square - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Having been a REDCOAT at this historic theatre district for 21years, I have first hand knowledge of the place... THIS IS THE 2nd LARGEST THEATRE DISTRICT IN THE USA...only 2nd to NYC! Did ya even know??? The very best plays, concerts, performances and shows you can catch! Sure, people have been flocking to PSF for weddings, receptions, graduation, parties, fundraisers and .... live art! During the winter holidays (usually in December) you even have the option of finding a forever friend when the animal shelters come in to share love and showcase fur babies looking for forever homes...keep that in mind and fall in love or at least remember to go back and get your love after the show! The history is on the walls, in the ceilings, the chandeliers and the elegance is unchallenged! You may come for a free tour and learn about the ghosts that linger in the bowels of the theatre as well as on the stage. MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN and EXPERIENCE IT AT THE SAME TIME! If you cannot afford or do not want to spend top dollar, you can always grab Smart Seats or last minute release seats. Plenty of fabulous eats surround this memorable place, so come ready to enjoy your evening. read more

My family and I attended the Nutcracker yesterday. This is an old building my sister said she was told it's over a 100 years old. While beautiful inside you can tell it's old. The seating reminds me of old movie theater seating where the seats flip down, they were ok comfort wise but there is limited room to stretch your legs (I'm 5'4) and not much arm room. But other than that the seating wasn't bad. You do need to stand up for someone to pass unless they want to climb over you to get in and out. So if you are elderly or a bigger person it might not be too comfy. They did allow myself and one other person from my party to sit in the handicap section (just in case)!but I was able to sit in the regular section so we moved to our regular seats. The handicap section is stand alone chairs with ample leg room but they were off to the side of the stage where as our regular seats were center stage. Anyway the performance was amazing. They do have the stands for you to buy souvenirs or food and drinks. I don't know the price point as I didn't buy anything. The ushers (red coats as they were called) did allow myself and my niece to go on first for seating. The restrooms were clean, I believe they have one that has two stalls and one stand alone bathroom. At the end of the performance we waited a bit before leaving to let the crowd die down. Unfortunately they let the dancers out shortly after the viewers leaving so there were a few bottle necks getting out. Over all it was really nice, I would attend a performance here again. Oh make sure you have your mask and vaccine card handy. They check when you first enter. read more

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I attended the 46th CIFF at PHS. We had a wonderful time watching the opening day movie "Peace of Chocolate." Followed by a q&a session and chocolate gifts. read more

Playhouse Square - 46th CIFF - Performing Arts Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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