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    State Theater

    4.5 (22 reviews)

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    entrance to the Keybank theater
    Arlene M.

    My best friend and I went to the Keybank State theater to see Hamilton. Due to overwhelming popularity of the show not only was the theater packed but practically the entire long lobby was filled with people. After clearing security screening we had to wait until 30 minutes prior to entering. The long lobby is beautiful! Adorning the walls with art deco paintings, and ceiling architecture, there was so much to look at. We had to pick up our playbills before entering. Apparently the people in the "red coats" that served as ushers don't hand them out to you if you are trying to find your seat. Once inside we found our seats and were grateful we were on the end towards the center and the walkway aisle was behind us. This definitely came in handy for us to get up and leave once the show was over. We seemed to have leg room since I had made a purchase inside and was able to sit my recyclable bag in front of me. Since we were under the balcony overhang I was not able to view that area. Box seats were filled to capacity on side and although my friend asked me how does one go about getting those seats, I told her that box seats are really not the greatest. They are more giving in comparison to regular seats but your views of the stage are the same as if you are sitting to the far right or left. We were more centrally located and about 24 rows back from the orchestra. Acoustic quality was very good and with my girlfriend wearing a hearing aid told me she was able to pick up most everything without the need of an assisted device. During intermission we were ushered properly to the restrooms downstairs which helped facilitate our return for Act 2 in plenty of time. The Keybank State theater is the largest of the theaters comprising Playhouse Square (reviewed separately). Hamilton continues to remain an outstanding show even though I have seen the original Broadway cast and have been to other venues to see it as well. Each time I see the show I am fascinated with how each actor gives their own interpretation to the roles they are playing. It is still the hottest show now touring and well worth it if you are able to secure tickets. FYI-having just returned recently from Washington DC-there are two Hamilton touring companies. The one we saw was called the "Philip" cast and it was like seeing it on Broadway again. The other company is the "Angelica" cast which is currently playing in DC. After the show was over we were ushered out via a side door that led to the parking garage. There was a big tented gala out front which was closed to pedestrian traffic while the show was in progress. We were both grateful for them guiding us back to the route leading to my car. The people in the red coats were friendly and hospitable. I have subscribed to their upcoming season and will be seeing "Miss Saigon" in this same theater next year. I definitely want to focus more on the beautiful architecture of this theater on my next visit.

    State theater. Nose bleeds.
    A.J. C.

    Saw current show at State Theater.. Lion King. It was a visual explosion of colors & patterns from the African cultures. The choreography of animals dancing & the elements of earth supplementing (like wind & water & stars) was dynamic & bustling. Plus their great use of unique costumes that incorporated multiple animals in a special suit or moveable vehicle was ingenious. We loved the giraffes since they were so life like. The simple circular flying birds were great too on the long sticks. Only lousy thing was the nose bleed seats we had. Least the AC was cranking nicely to the dismay of all the old lady shivering.. haaa! The one thing I could of done with less of was the music. It was a bit repetitive w/ the tribal themes and yelling. Not my favorite show but if you liked the movie then check out the show.

    Lower level chandelier near the soundstage
    Chelsea E.

    Beautiful theater located in the heart of Cleveland's Playhouse Square! My sister and I came here to see The Lion King on a Friday night. The place was PACKED but they do a great job of moving everyone along. They have multiple associates/volunteers working to ensure everyone knows where to go. I love the ornate detail on all of the fixtures. There was even a super fancy drinking fountain. I wish I would have gotten a pic! I also love the chandeliers that are over the main entrance as well as the lower level seating. All in all, it's quite an experience to get dressed up and head to a play in the State Theater. A Playhouse Square gem, for sure!

    Miss Saigon. Grab the Kleenex....
    Mary G.

    Cleveland theater district is second to New York's! Waiting with baited breath to see this production of Miss Saigon.

    Great seats thanks to Yelp!!!!
    Mathew P.

    They say next to broadway, Cleveland has one of the best theater districts in Ohio! I concur fully with that. Having been in this theater only once before (before yelp) I am always impressed. Comfy seats, beautiful atmosphere, and always friendly redcoats. Another reason to live Cleveland! Also special thanks to the Yelp community for making tonight at phantom of the opera possible!

    Ceiling murals
    Brittany V.

    Came here to see Hamilton this past weekend and it was extremely packed with people which was unsurprising. What was surprising was how easy and hassle free parking, lobby navigation and seat finding was despite all the people. We were able to park in the playhouse lot that connects directly to the theater and walk straight into the lobby, we were greeted with complimentary water and candy, we then were able to join the short line for photos at the Hamilton branded step and repeat. Every employee we interacted with was so friendly and helpful and I couldn't believe how fast they got people through the ticket line and into their seats. One of the red coats even ran back downstairs for my family and I after we expressed our dismay of missing the handing out of programs. She brought them to us in our seats and we were so grateful. I had been to this theater years ago and this most recent experience confirms that I will continue to return in the future.

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    7 years ago

    I really enjoyed the tile floors here, and also the sweet mashup of the music at this wonderful theater.

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    Ask the Community - State Theater

    Review Highlights - State Theater

    We were recently lucky to have taken in the fantastic showy, Miss Saigon, at the State Theater.

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    Cleveland Play House - Random award?

    Cleveland Play House

    4.3(9 reviews)
    0.1 miPlayhouse Square, Gateway District

    Jazz Hands If you're…read morelooking for a night of entertainment, look no further than CPH and visit this theatre. This place is the bees knees. We'll start off with the building and facilities.... All the theatres include exquisite architecture. From detailed lobbies, to unique art, they have it all here. Grooving through the Allen theater for the CPH performance of A Christmas Story, I was throughly impressed with the cast, sets, and audio quality. The show was full of energy and the cast executed the plot wonderfully. I hope all those cats make it big. The only negative to my experience was the two women who drinking wine in front of me. It was quite strong and stimulated my gag reflex during the show. One would get tipsy just by sitting in their section. And they kept purchasing the drinks from the concession stand. Maybe CPH should consider having an "Friends of Bill W" meeting room if they continue to serve alcohol. Speaking of the concessions, buyer beware, it's cashless. In addition, and most important, they still have the soft pretzels from my childhood . Bottles of water are expensive, so bring your own, or maybe just plan on being dehydrated. Regarding the comfort of the Allen Theatre, specifically the seats in Allen were much more comfortable than the nasty red tiny velour ones in the large Playhouse Palace Theatre. There's enough room in aisles to stretch your legs and not feel like you need a knee replacement, after sitting through a show. The Allen Theatre is the perfect sized theater, with great angles from all seats, not too small, or too big. Dancing back to the lobby, you will find some rather tacky white pleather sofas... similar to the pants you may have owned in the 70s. These sofas look clunky & out of place, and I feel these need to be removed immediately to preserve the old time feeling of the building and historic culture of the venue. I understand the importance of providing seating, but these don't match. Whoever approved these sofas, killed the vibe and is trying to eliminate a natural historic element of Cleveland. It's a disgrace to all architects and historians. But with great history, comes great responsibility, and if you review my photos, you'll note each photo is blurry, probably due to the theater ghosts. (Except the photo "Stinky Wine.") personally, I felt a positive theatre ghost presence, but wanted to set the scene. In the lobby, you'll also find various awards, which I'm not sure what they all are, or if they're real, but it's cool. Additionally, there was a family room, located near the Facenmeyer Lobby, but I'll be darned if I could find an entrance. But to be fair, I didn't want to see Uncle Joe or Aunt Millie so I didn't bother to look around too much. I also like to run in the other direction when children are near. Accessibility wise, Playhouse and CPH are great, with a plethora of elevators, ramps, rails, and seats, making the trek a little easier for folks. I didn't bring my tape measure to ensure all the ramps were 10' and 2' but the incline didn't seem as nuts as other ramps in town. Bathrooms are also plentiful, with vanities and stalls to ensure large intermission crowds. When I visited, it was Christmas season, thus everything was adorned with holly and most people were jolly. Redcoats are available to guide guests to their viewing throwns and ensure etiquette in the theatre. They were very kind and passionate for theater. Overall, great night out, but watch out for women obsessed with wine, theatre ghosts and ugly sofas.

    CPH has tons of free events and discounts to make theatre affordable. The $25 under 35 partnership…read morewith SCENE allows young people to see quality theatre at a fair price. If you want to see up and coming artists, I recommend checking out one of the MFA student shows! $15 ticket or $7.50 for students. These kids have crazy talent.

    Photos
    Cleveland Play House - Pretzle

    Pretzle

    Cleveland Play House - Lights, camera, action, ghosts!

    Lights, camera, action, ghosts!

    Cleveland Play House - Lobby and ghost

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    Lobby and ghost

    Allen Theatre - One of the directors/producers

    Allen Theatre

    4.2(10 reviews)
    0.1 miPlayhouse Square

    We were gifted tickets to a production and it happened to be "Pride and Prejudice". My teen son and…read moreI went and I was interested to see his reaction to the play and he enjoyed it. Upon entering the Allen theater we were greeting by the "red jackets" ushers and it's always smiles and pleasantries. Everyone is always helpful and friendly. We took pics in the rotunda as it's very hard to overlook the beauty and detail there. My son even commented that he could tell the history with the architecture (he's not really into these things, so it really stood out). The seats were a soft tangerine velvet, clean and comfortable. The bathrooms were impeccably clean and there are plenty to use. I always enjoy visiting the CPH.

    I walked through Allen Theatre in December 2018 to see the Christmas trees displayed in the lobby…read more The theatre is connected indoors to some other theaters at Playhouse Square and I came to watch a Broadway show at a different theatre 46th ANNUAL CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL -- I finally visited Allen Theatre again but this time, I actually got to watch a film here, in April 2022, as part of the film festival. I was blessed to get a free pass so I didn't have to buy a ticket to watch the films (thanks to a friend). At Allen Theatre, I watched 14 short stories on 8 April 2022. Each ranged from 5 minutes long to 25 minutes long. There were some really excellent short stories shown. I got to watch other films on different days at the Connor Palace theatre. OSCAR QUALIFYING FILMS -- I was so happy that I finally made it to the Cleveland International Film Festival in 2022. It only happens once a year and it is very difficult for films to get chosen for the film festival. Almost 100 international films and short stories, including local American films (made in USA) were shown over a span of 11 days, ending on 9 April 2022. THEATRE (Inside) -- Historic and charming building. I love all the beautiful and intricate details up on the ceiling. The theatre seats 500 people which includes a balcony. It's one of the smaller theatre's on Playhouse Square. FOOD/DRINKS -- There is a small concession stand here that sells snacks (chocolates, popcorn, and pretzels) and drinks. It's highway robbery and a serious crime (LOL) that the snacks are so expensive here, similar to prices at an airport. My friend bought a bag of popcorn for $6 which for is expensive for a "naturally and artificially" flavoured snack. The theatre needs to make money too, I suppose. There are so many different events and shows here, weekly, so I highly recommend that you visit. If you live in Cleveland or are visiting from out of town, you need to stop by Playhouse Square, whether it's Allen Theatre or one of the other theatre's. **** - 43/150 total reviews in 2022 - 521 total overall Yelp reviews - Reviewed on 9 April 2022

    Photos
    Allen Theatre - First time at the Allen Theatre

    First time at the Allen Theatre

    Allen Theatre - Ready to sit back relax & enjoy

    Ready to sit back relax & enjoy

    Allen Theatre - Rotunda

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    Rotunda

    State Theatre - Hamilton round 3!

    State Theatre

    4.3(4 reviews)
    0.1 miPlayhouse Square

    This place makes any night magical. I love being downtown for whatever occasion, but there's…read moresomething about the state theatre that just warms the heart. The architecture is stunning and the red coat staff is always eager to please.

    The Keybank State theater is the first and largest of the Playhouse Square theaters constructed…read more Known for it's extremely long lobby you can see huge and beautiful murals on all 4 sides. The theater's history dates back to vaudeville where live stage shows were presented featuring long gone celebrities such as Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny, and Judy Garland. It later became a movie house before transforming into what it is today. Due to it's size it is able to present musical extravaganzas such as "Hamilton", and "Miss Saigon" which was the reason for my visit. My husband and I had great seats but they felt hard and we were cramped. Seems like they should have updated these as well. Before entering the theater you pick up your Playbill or whatever they call it here near the end of the lobby. Friendly people known as "red coats" are extremely willing to help you with whatever you need. I was excited to see the updated production that dated back to the 90s. The performance started out okay but we had difficulty hearing part of the opening scenes. Were it not for the fact I'm familiar with this production I would have been lost. Miss Saigon is an outstanding production of survival during the last days of the Vietnam war. We meet 17 year old Kim, forced to work in a bar run by the notorious Engineer-expertly played by Red Concepion. She meets and falls in love with Chris, an American GI but torn apart during the fall of Saigon. She, for 3 years tries to find her way back to him, who has no idea he has fathered a son. The story is heart-wrenching since one can only pity the fates of the mixed breed children as emphasized in the number "Bui doi." The songs are phenomenal but the best part is the use of special effects. The famous helicopter scene is recreated with such authenticity it makes you wonder how it is done. Along with a Chinese dragon and a Cadillac on stage, exceptional singing and solid acting, the show itself is definitely a 5 star rating in my opinion. The restrooms are in the basement right outside the doors leading into this theater but they have first floor handicapped facilities available. Since this theater sits behind the Connor Palace theater you can exit via a side door instead of waiting a long time once the show is over. That works if you have orchestra seats and you get out fairly quickly. The Keybank theater is one of many theaters which are all connected which is better known as Playhouse Square. Preshow talks are given in the "Allen" theater about an hour before showtime and in addition to a parking garage you can find street lots nearby as well as places to eat. With the exception of the cramped seating and some poor acoustics this theater hosts some of the finest productions I've seen during my visits here. Definitely recommend "Miss Saigon" if you are here or if it comes to your city. Take the time to check out the architecture and the beautiful murals in the long lobby from the 2nd floor food area. It's worth seeing if you have the time.

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    State Theatre
    State Theatre - State theater

    State theater

    State Theatre - Hell's Kitchen

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    Hell's Kitchen

    The Dinner Detective - Matt welcoming those who have arrived.

    The Dinner Detective

    4.0(9 reviews)
    0.4 miGateway District

    We recently hosted a murder mystery dinner with the actors of The Dinner Detective, and everything…read morewent perfectly! This was by far the most fun corporate event I have attended through all my years in business. The actors were phenomenal and thought of every little detail. There was very minimal that was needed from us as the business, which meant that all guests were able to participate and not worry about ensuring the evening went smoothly. I can't divulge the details of the murder, because I would hate to ruin it for anyone. Just know that it wasn't incredibly easy to solve, but ultimately many of us did get the correct culprit. The actors were more than I could have imagined. They did a fantastic job of getting all guests involved, and they made the evening highly entertaining. The gentleman that played the lead detective role was hilarious! I would definitely recommend attending an event at The Dinner Detective, or hiring them for your next event. Their advertisement said they do corporate events, parties, and even weddings! I can't imagine that, but I will say it would be a reception your guests would talk about for years to come!

    A birthday dinner gift from the hubby. I had fun though I guessed the wrong murderer considering he…read morewas right under my nose. But it was still much fun. My husband enjiyed his pork chops, my chicken piccata was rather bland (hence the 4 stars). The rest of the course was great, there was more than plenty of food. i would like to add that - the staff was in compliance with Social Distancing and Mask Wearing at all times as well.

    Photos
    The Dinner Detective - Murder marker

    Murder marker

    The Dinner Detective - Our packet

    Our packet

    The Dinner Detective

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    State Theater - theater - Updated May 2026

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