My daughter has been with SingOut Theater throughout this entire year. She auditioned in to the…read morekids competition and performed 'Junglebook' with her team in Sacramento. An intense, exciting time! They won an award for choreography at JTF West! She also did Triple Threat and High school Musical this summer. So to say the least, We Are FANs! We feel so lucky to have Chelsea teaching our daughter! A lovely personality and mentor, a highly skilled dancer and choreographer, a patient and kind Director. The Music Director Kevin warmly and patiently builds the student's musical understanding and performances. His contribution keeps musical standards high and performances enjoyable. The Business Director/Producer Rachel adds the no nonsense behind the scenes taking care of business ballast for all this creativity. We are grateful for her expertise to keep SingOut thriving. My daughter is attending a performing arts school in the fall. We will still be attending Tue/Thurs Musical Theater at SingOut. It is top notch and she loves it!

There is something confusing about the discussions regarding the Diablo Light Opera Co & Diablo…read moreTheater Company. They were one and the same. Originally named DLOC in 1959 when they formed a company performing Gilbert & Sullivan Light Operas. Eventually they changed the name to Diablo Theater Co. They had a youth program called STARS 2000, which continues to this day to operate. Diablo Theater Co. that use to produce large scale Musicals & Light Opera productions at the Lesher Center For The Arts in Walnut Creek, is no longer in business. STARS 2000 continues as their own company. There is no other youth program that is under the auspices of the Diablo Theater Co. and in fact their studios were sold and are under the ownership of Performing Arts Academy.

I'm really surprised to see some of the negative reviews because my daughter and several of her…read morefriends have been in Standing Ovation productions for around 7 years. Throughout this time I have never seen or heard any negative responses from the children or their families. Sometimes I sit in on rehearsals and I've always been impressed with how the participants remain focused on the projects at hand. Seeing a large group of children concentrating on their work and not "messing around" while rehearsing is impressive to me. I really appreciate the work ethic of the participants, especially since this is a behavior that you don't see much of among modern children these days. For years my child has eagerly and regularly attended Standing Ovation productions. For the past couple of years she has also been an assistant, working with the younger people. This has been a valuable experience for her and she also continues to participate in productions with her peer group. There's a certain amount of self discipline that is necessary to pursue the performing arts. That self discipline is something my daughter developed largely through Standing Ovations. This troupe may not be right for every child and family, but I am extremely happy with the way I've seen Barrett work with my daughter and her friends. His rehearsals are always open to visitors and I give him 5 stars across the board.

My boss' daughter is a student of Barrett, and I was so incredibly impressed with his production of…read more"Sheer Luck Holmes." The kids were having so much fun when performing while also learning so much about theater. My boss was brought to tears when she saw how much work everyone involved put into the production. The performance was intimate and felt like such a special event. Her daughter also works for Barrett helping the younger kids get ready for productions, and she loves it. I personally have met Barrett on a couple of occasions, and you can really tell how much he loves what he does. These kids are so lucky to have him and experience such passion. He is appropriately "hard" on the kids, but they're all life lessons they should be learning anyway. I hope I get to see many more of his plays!

Came here with my six-year-old son and wife. We watched the Beauty and the Beast Jr play. It was a…read moregreat experience. The young people did very well. I was intrigued by the stage and how they managed to appeal to people no matter where they sat. I'd love to come see another production.

Just enjoyed a performance of The Little Mermaid here today! The staging was wonderful and everyone…read moreknew their lines and where to go. Most importantly the kids had an amazing time! Covid precautions were maintained. Well done!

Last Saturday was my first time here. I've lived in WC for years and never been until now and will…read morebe back. Last Saturday I did one of their art walks. Staff/volunteers explain the art murals in the area. It was very interesting to learn about their artist and history. The sane day I went to see the Aztec stories exhibit. I loved it! Got to talk to the artist and his wife. Great people, very humble. His art is amazing, colorful, creative, and so detailed. His wife explained it takes him about 2 months to finish one. It's beautiful, def recommend visiting if you haven't. Both of the above events were on donations. So worth it!

Came here to leave a review about A Christmas Carol and was surprised, but not surprised, to see…read moreseveral negative reviews for it. It was the worst play I have ever seen in my life! We have been coming to see A Christmas Carol at Lesher Center for the Arts for at least 10 years now. It has always been the exact * same * play, one that was known and loved by many, if not all. This year's new adaptation was so bad that we actually walked out early. I'm going to go ahead and mention the elephant in the room here. There were way too many wheelchairs in this play. There were 3-4 wheelchairs on stage at any given time and we found it really distracting. Tiny Tim was zooming around the stage in his electric wheelchair which doesn't fit into 1800s London. So there was a lack of period accuracy with this adaptation. It might have been acceptable for Tiny Tim to be in a wheelchair (but only him) IF his acting wasn't atrocious. This kid was terrible. He had no acting skills and seemed to have no interest in playing his part. It seems like he was selected for the part only because he was in a wheelchair. Next, the actor playing Ebenezer Scrooge is an old white guy but as he looks back on his life, they have multiple ethnicities playing Scrooge as a little kid, school age boy, and then a young adult. Each version of him was a different ethnicity. There was a serious lack of continuity with his character, which was really confusing if you didn't already know the story and know which part these people were supposed to be playing. They also had the same actors playing multiple parts in the play. For example, the Filipino Scrooge (who played him as a young adult) and his love interest were playing the part of the aunt and uncle later on in the play. Again, if you didn't already KNOW the storyline, this would be really confusing as to why Scrooge was acting the part of the uncle later on. Another example - the ghost of Christmas Past was a beautiful African-American woman who leaves Scrooge at the top of the stage to go to the bottom of the stage and play his sister when he was a kid. Then she walked back up the stairs and played the part of the Ghost of Christmas Past again. Really confusing. My 10-year-old daughter was totally lost and had no idea what was going on with the characters. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future USED to be a 20-foot-tall black ghost figure that silently came out on the stage. Now, they rolled out an actor in (you guessed it) a wheelchair with a black sheet over his head. We were like "Really? Is that the best they could do??" They threw a sheet over this guy's head like he was a 5-year-old! And the ghost was so rude and criticizing Scrooge the whole time (he's not supposed to talk). It was so, so bad. That's when we got up and left finally, although I had wanted to leave during intermission but had hoped it might improve some if we stayed. It didn't, it only got worse. It felt like the director was taking a cheap shot at hiring so many actors in wheelchairs, because what critic or reporter is going to watch it and criticize a play with multiple disabled people in it?? They're not going to do that, so it felt like the director used an underhanded method to force positive reviews from critics. Yet we were not the only ones leaving during the middle of the play - multiple people walked out before us. I'm all for diversity in acting, but at least keep the characters consistent. Scrooge didn't need to be played by four different ethnicities. That also seemed like an intentional cheap shot by whoever does the hiring. In years past, when Tiny Tim passed away, my daughter and I were always near tears because we were so engaged with the play and felt sad for him. This year, the actor was so bad that when he "died" we felt nothing, because it all just seemed so fake and bad. Sad to say, we will NOT be returning to this play ever again if it remains in this format. The worst piece of garbage I have ever seen. I wish I could get my $250 back.

[Title of Show] had me falling out of my seat laughing. All the actors were surprisingly good and…read morehad great voices. And I'll have to agree with Tara that Heidi stole the show. The story and songs were all incredibly witty and catchy. So fun and entertaining. A well spent evening.

Saw "Title of Show" last night and loved it. Very tongue in cheek and entertaining. The actors did…read morea great job. Everyone on the stage was talented, but Heidi stole the show with her wonderful voice and charismatic personality. I look forward to seeing more productions.

My daughter (10 years old) recently joined a Starlight theater for the second time. First time, she…read moreloved, however her experience with the new audition process this time was very disappointing and traumatizing. Because of this, we will not be coming back, and my daughter has decided to drop out. The program now uses a new "audition without auditioning" model. But from a child's point of view, this was not clearly explained at all. My daughter thought she was coming to her first class to get to know the teacher and other kids, not hidden audition that would decide casting. It was also her first class, which is already stressful for a child, especially who needs a bit of time to get familiar with new situation. After I raised my concerns with the management, they told me that this was my fault because I was "notified" by email about their new system. But notified of what, exactly? A 10-year-old does not read emails. My daughter was never told directly that she was being auditioned for casting. When she later found out that those activities were actually her audition, she was very upset! This was not about the role she got. She has auditioned before and understands disappointment. What hurt her was feeling unprepared and misled and cheated. It felt like sending a child to their first day of school and then telling them afterward that they just took an important test that will decide their grade for the whole semester. That kind of surprise is unfair and very stressful for a child. We are not comfortable continuing in a program where expectations are not explained directly to the children and are instead pushed onto parents to manage. Our money and time was wasted, and even a partial refund was DENIED. I am glad that I got to enrol my child at great Berkeley Playhouse for the spring and her schedule is not completely waisted.

My daughter has been part of this incredible program for nearly six years, beginning as a 1st…read moregrader in the "Minis" program. After a pause during COVID, she returned to participate in a couple of shows with the Kids program, then successfully auditioned for the Junior Competitive theater program in 4th grade. Now entering 7th grade, the growth we've seen in her has been nothing short of remarkable. Her singing, acting, and dancing have all improved exponentially--but even more importantly, the program has helped transform her natural confidence into real poise and presence. She's also built lasting friendships along the way. As part of the competitive theater program, she not only performs with a team but has also chosen to do solo competitions, which have helped her grow as an individual artist. These experiences have pushed her in the best way and have taught her discipline, collaboration, and how to shine on stage. I'm so grateful for the leadership of Chelsea and the entire team. The amount of care and effort they pour into the students and the productions is truly impressive. From "SpongeBob the Musical" to "Alice in Wonderland," the quality of these youth performances is extraordinary--complete with fantastic costumes, imaginative sets, and professional-caliber direction. The instructors are passionate, talented, and committed, and it's inspiring to see former students--many of whom have gone on to study theater in college--return to help with current productions. If she ever tires of theater, they have a solid dance program that offers competition opportunities as well! I'm so glad my daughter has the opportunity to grow within such a creative, supportive, and high-quality program for years to come.

"Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble."…read more I had the good fortune of seeing "Macbeth" recently, on a warm summer evening. The theater is just a short (and beautiful!) walk up the hill, but they have a free shuttle if you prefer to ride. The resident dramaturge, Philippa Kelly, gives a scholarly lecture before the show. She set the historical context for the play. I appreciated getting the background on Macbeth, and especially the purpose of the 3 witches. The amphitheater is a comfortable venue, and suits either the comedies or the tragedies. (I have seen both here.) For Macbeth, the stage had clear partitions, behind which the characters (and the witches) could traverse. This was also a handy place for the witches to toss "blood" in several scenes. I sort of knew it was coming, but the red gore still had a big impact on me. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Macbeth. The actors had clearly studied hard, and the play was professionally executed. I was especially impressed with Lady Macbeth, played by Liz Sklar. Of course, she has a meaty role, sleepwalking in one scene, and trying to get the blood off her hands in another. For cold nights, the staff has blankets for a nominal charge. I was delighted to also see many food options, as well as beer and wine. There are lots of wood tables to sit at and enjoy your meal. The only criticism I have is that for Macbeth the audio was spotty in a few places. For instance, the loud, background effects drowned out the 3 witches in one scene. I thought the ticket was pricey, but of course, buying a season pass is a better value.

"WAR OF THE ROSES" - FOUR SHAKESPEARES' PLAYS INTO ONE…read more My last class I ever took as an undergrad at UC Berkeley was Shakespeare. In fact my final semester Shakespeare was the only class I took as I had completed all my courses for my Art History major the previous semester. So I wanted to really enjoy learning for my final semester at UC Berkeley. From that Shakespeare course I read and studied plays such as Twelfth Night, Othello, Merchant of Venice,Taming of the Screw, Hamlet, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Richard III. I came here to watch the "War of the Roses" last month. One of my co-worker she saw the play "War of the Roses", which comprises of 4 Shakespeare's plays - "Henry VI (Parts I, II, and III) and Richard III - into one. I've read Richard III but never read Henry VI - Parts I, II, and III. That was a unique concept as each play can be at least 3 hours when performed. The snipets from each play resulted the play of "War of the Roses" 3 3/4 hours performance. A little history note "War of the Roses" is about the English Civil War between two branches of the Plantagnet family - The House of York and House of Lancaster. Also the "War of the Roses" influenced the HBO show "Games of Thrones." The magazine at the theater provided an insight for the summary of the play. This was helpful to understand the flow of the play. One thing I was fascinated was the stage as it was a two-story stage. Most of the acting was the first level stage, but the upper stage was also used as The Tower of London for "Richard III". During the play I was fascinated how the actors were playing two roles where in "Henry VI" they would play one role and "Richard III" in another role. That shows skills from the actors learning lines of two characters. Since the theater is small you can a great view of the play - there are no nosebleed seats. As an outdoor theater I recommend bringing a jacket as the weather tends to get cold at night. Another recommendation is instead of paying tickets online where the prices can be over $40 depending on the seats call the ticket office to get $20 tickets on the day of the show. As stated before since this is a small theater the seating is close to the stage so it's better to call the ticket office on the than order online. If you like Shakespeare and want to watch one of his plays I recommend coming here to this theater.

This is the place you want to have your next function at! My girl got married ladt weekend and…read moreeverything was a hit....a little crazy...but mostly fabulous. I wish I had taken more pics to highlight the facilities but let me tell you this one of the best community centers Ive been to. Ample parking, hugh kitchen with mulitple refridgerators, dining and dance floor areas, dressing rooms and restrooms. Best days to rent ..Fridays or Sundays.....check it out for yourself. Ciao for now....

My first time attending an event at this venue and what a beautiful venue! Located in Pleasant…read moreHill, next to a police station but also a near an outside area that has a gazebo. They have a pavilion area, dance floor, mirrors, tall ceilings and huge windows. I attended a 50th birthday, parking was easy, they had a kitchen, staff was super friendly and helped with the garbage when it got full. I bet it gets busy trying to rent out this venue for events but I enjoyed it and if you're looking for a venue in the East Bay/Concord area, this is a great spot!