Amazing show! I honestly did not know what to expect and was really surprised! Sure, the show may…read morenot have the same production and gadgets as Cirque du Soleil in, say LV, but the troupe really knows their arts and the acts are, in my opinion, just as incredible. For me the tickets are worth the show several times over. Seriously! Check them out!

What a fun event! I haven't gone to a circus since I was a kid, so I honestly wasn't sure what to…read moreexpect. The performers were all really talented and it was impressive to see how tall they would stack themselves! There were drink and food options for purchase at the front, which are allowed in the event area. This particular set-up offered ample parking at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. I noticed they had a lot of different show times, too, depending on everyone's preference for when to attend.

Rockabilly lovers need to watch Million Dollar Quartet at least once in their life!…read more The heat started and the flame never dimmed in the nostalgic classic rock sounds honoring Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins. The actors and actress were extremely talented and never missed a beat.

I've seen several shows here, and it is a great theater! The actors are incredibly creative and…read moretalented and make use of the small stage, and every seat is a great seat in this intimate space. Worth every penny, such a wonderful and beautiful venue.

Definitely recommend going to the solvangfestivaltheater! I was really interested in going to see…read moreFrozen at the solvang theater but wasn't sure how it would be and even if my hubby would want to go. We were going to solvang and then to the beach and only had one day we would be able to attend the show. Luckily they had availability and once I told him they had $25 tickets available My hubby said go ahead and by the tickets...if we don't like it we can leave during the intermission and at least it wouldn't be a lot of money wasted. The show was awesome! We were really impressed, the singing, the acting, the choreography, the sound system and the costumes were all really good. About as good as any Disney production we've seen. Our seats were the cheapest you could get and weren't horrible. They were on the first row and we had less leg room than other rows. Also our view was more at the foot level of the stage but nothing was blocking our view. I ordered the tickets online and received them by email . It was easy to show and scan at entry. The theater is outside and as recommended we brought sweaters and glad we did. They offer drinks and snacks to purchase during intermission but we opted not to get anything. We both enjoyed our evening watching Frozen at the solvang festival theater. So glad we chanced it and went! If we get the opportunity to go again we will.

(Attended 07/23/25 WE @ 7:30pm): Would I be able to solve the case behind the play's mystery at…read morethis local festival theater!? This was my first time attending a performance let alone hearing about the Solvang Festival Theater when I researched anything to do this evening. Under the bigger banner of Solvang Theaterfest and the Pacific Conservatory Theater (PCPA), this 700-seat open-air venue opened in 1974 (just past its 50th anniversary!) and has since garnered countless live performances from concerts to plays, while they continued to expand the programming to include other types of entertainment. On this fateful evening, I had the pleasure to experience the play, "Holmes And Watson", as I was a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories and had never heard of this. Would I check the theater's schedule for something festive the next time I was in Solvang!? PURCHASE Ticket - Section 3 Row C Seat 3 + Fee ($72.00 + $3.00): A last-minute buy, I totally scored with this single seat nearly in the front row among friendly guests! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=48&select=83_WgH5VVPmXXjv_CzodHA 2024 Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine 4floz Pour ($12.00): Real cork, deep red color, bold berries jammy aroma, medium body, berries earthy jammy flavor, drying finish, berries earthy jammy sweet aftertaste, and medium astringency. A lovely wine that paired well with my dessert. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=48&select=qdLD2rHUPW9bpvk6zn2eDg Santa Maria Sweet Street Warehouse Tiramisu ($8.00): This was an amazingly lovely dessert with multiple layers of sweet goodness heavily covered with a dusting of cocoa powder. The large portion size was also a surprise for the price. Value all around! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=72&select=5XlcRq7PLNv-YAvHBH_TlA THE SHOW A murder, an isolated asylum, and the fallout from a dismembered criminal organization was the setting of this new mystery play with intrigue and plot twists from start to finish. Sherlock Holmes has been missing for two years (presumed dead - no body was found - after he fell off the Reichenbach Falls at the hands of Professor Moriarty), and his partner Dr. Watson has been called to try and identify the real Sherlock Holmes among three patients claiming to be him. With subtle clues, the mystery unfolds on stage with the blend of comical and dramatic roles of each of the actors. Don't spoil the ending! SERVICE The online ticket purchase was seamless, the check-in line outside the venue went swiftly, there was little to no line when I bought my beer/snack, I didn't recall seeing any security, and the volunteer staff was friendly and nice - easy-peasy! PARKING (FREE): Generally speaking, all of the many public lots throughout the town were free and spacious (I found a spot steps away), in addition to free parking along all of the surrounding streets - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE Once you walked through the front entryway, you found yourself in an open grassy area https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=72&select=DeJYP2D1HX_aq1-SVY7BkQ with seating throughout, the concession stand, the merchandise booth, and a large leafy tree. Once inside, you looked among the tiered rows of seats as they faced and curved toward the stage. The sound quality was very nice. Plenty of natural lighting since you were outdoors while the electric house, stage, and street lighting filled in the rest. I didn't recall any monitors or pre or post background music. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=72&select=qkmSKrGwWmhebCkMUx5ovg ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL I had a very enjoyable time with the performance of "Holmes And Watson" at the Solvang Festival Theater and would definitely consider another visit the next time I was doing an overnight visit! The drive from L.A. was more than two hours, so I wouldn't recommend a daytrip. However, the various convenient parking options, and the town of Solvang were major pluses. The intimacy of the theatre should prove favorable to both patrons and performers. And, there were plenty of things to do in the immediate area. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $95.00 BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, although I was only allowed to pay with a VISA card to buy the ticket online, they accepted my credit card of choice for the concessions... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

We have been at Westside Dance for 10 years and absolutely love the boutique feel where the dance…read moreteachers know all the students and their names. The kids also have a sense of belonging because it does feel like a community...especially when everyone comes to together for the special productions like the "Nutcracker Sweet" and the Spring recital. Miss Jen and Miss Kat and Miss Ashley are all incredibly talented dancers in their own rights, but more importantly- they are fabulous role models especially to young girls and they care so deeply about each student. We couldn't be happier and higher recommend Westside Dance to anyone consider a ballet studio for their child.

This will be our eleventh year with Westside Dance, and we feel truly blessed to have found such an…read moreexceptional dance studio. Our daughter has blossomed into a radiant ballerina under the guidance of Ms. Jen and Ms. Kat, whose extraordinary teaching gift has been a constant source of inspiration. We are deeply grateful to be a part of this beautiful ballet journey. Thank you, Westside Dance!

This review is for the performance offerings that UCSB's Theater and Dance program is providing…read more(free!) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department has been doing a great job of continuing to create a season of work despite physical and social distancing requirements. By migrating productions to an online format, the show goes on! Last night I had the pleasure of watching "Under Ordinary Circumstances," the last theater production of the Fall quarter portion of the season. The piece, written by Brian Otaño and directed by Shirley Jo Finney, saw members of an AA group for young people working through their recovery during this year's quarantine. Cast and crew--many of whom are by now well-versed in Zoom theater--did a fantastic job. In addition, this season has so far included a whopping eight other productions. Spanning across Department projects and affiliations from Naked Shakes (a Shakespeare performance company) to Launch Pad (which produces new works), these events have presented diverse storytelling styles and subject matter. Yet to come is the Fall BFA Dance major Capstone show. Winter and Spring promise an exciting menu of stagings. You can find performance information and an event calendar on the Department's website. I've also signed up for the emailing list to get news, and if you want to sign up you can do so here: https://www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu/news/announcement/807 Disclaimer: I am a Department PhD student, so this review may be biased!

First and foremost, this is a UC. Meaning that is of the highest academic standards. I was thrilled…read morethat two of my daughters were able to continue to dance, while at the same time get a world class education. UCSB is not a dance school. It is a highly ranked research university and education comes first. Those wanting a school solely because of its dance program should not go here. Not because it isn't good, but because the focus will be on educating the student to become a future leader in whatever field they choose. Although UCSB is a large school, it acts more like a smaller school with staff and professors that care about each student and their success. I am a UCLA Alumni and I can honestly say that my girls get treated way better here at UCSB than I ever did at UCLA. Anyone would be lucky to be admitted to the dance program here at UCSB and I am blessed that two of my daughters were fortunate enough. Go Gauchos!

The Goleta Valley Community Center is a great local venue for local concerts and other…read moreperformances. The center also has pickleball courts that are available to the community. These are few of the many activities and resources available which include opportunities for kids to seniors to partake in.

My senior band members and I have been volunteering /performing at the Senior Center for more than…read moreten years now. We feel so welcomed and so at home at this place. We enjoy singing oldies but goodies music to the delight of our senior friends. I'm personally grateful that we have this place available to fellowship with seniors. ( Thursdays from ten am to one pm). I am giving a commendation to Charles who manage the center and to Claudia who is the Activities Manager ( she is efficient and amiable). Now that the global pandemic is over, I call on fun loving and healthy seniors to come to GVCC senior center (after it's renovated) and have fun with us.

We hired the Santa Barbara String Quartet for our wedding in Nov 2025 (SO sorry it took so long to…read moreleave a review!) I just want to say if we had to do our wedding all over again, of any/all the vendors we got for the day, the Santa Barbara String Quartet were the ones we would rebook no-brainer EVERY SINGLE TIME. Everything about working with them was a delight. Emily worked me me on what songs I wanted and was helpful in walking me through what arrangements would work best for each piece. Every part of the day where they played was personalized and so so special to us! They even adapted songs that were probably really tricky to do in quartet form (they did "Everytime we touch" by Cascada for example and it sounded SO GOOD) But perhaps most importantly, when we and guests were looking back on the day, almost everyone commented on how much they loved the music. It really became a personalized and memorable part of our day and I really dont think it would have been the same without them! To Emily and the group, we really can't thank you enough for making this the best and most lovely day of our lives! (Also not sure where to put this part but, our very high energy little 3 year old nephew just sat there in awe listening to them so I really think having them is also very diverting for kids )

I'll be honest -- as the groom, I was a little preoccupied during the ceremony. You know, trying…read morenot to cry and making sure I didn't lock my knees and pass out. So did I personally absorb every note that Emily and Katrina played? Not exactly. But here's what I do know: every single guest told us how beautiful the music was. My wife was beaming. It just felt magical. Emily on violin and Katrina on cello were absolutely stunning. If you're getting married and want music that moves your guests -- book the Santa Barbara String Quartet. Five stars from me, and probably six stars from my wife.

I love The Luke! I follow them on Facebook but I also live nearby and can see upcoming events. The…read moreLuke brings an amazing amount of unique events, and many are free! The Luke is a historic theater at Santa Barbara Jr High School with lots of parking a large lobby area. I've attended church services, award ceremonies local dance productions, lectures, symphonies, operas, folklorico performances, etc. at The Luke. The Luke hosts many local groups, which I love, but also brings national and international groups to Santa Barbara. There is always something new and interesting happening at The Luke. The Luke was recently renovated, but still has a vintage feel. It's a gorgeous theater and very comfortable. By request, you can tour the theater and see the ins and outs of The Luke. I was able to go on a tour hosted by the house manager himself and had no idea of the fascinating history of The Luke. I would highly recommend this tour.

Your average nice school theater. Everything was very clean. Very dated, but the history and…read morearchitecture seem well preserved. Let's see...The bathrooms are clean. The theater seats feel a bit small, like hard wooden airplane seats, but this is kind of expected being that it is an old theater. Recitals, award ceremonies, graduations, speaking engagements...they all would be nice here, but I think theater and music performances might be best enjoyed elsewhere, especially if you're seeking an exceptional acoustic experience. You won't get it at this theater. But it still can serve many delightful purposes. Lots of parking on the mountainside of the building.