Wow. What a cool children's theater. This was our first time here as we live North of Seattle and…read moredon't make it down to this part of Tacoma often. We were invited by a friend to see Matilda: The Musical. He is in the show and it was a treat to see him perform. All the staff we encountered from the ticket takers to the concession staff were super nice and friendly. The concession lines were well staffed and moved quickly which is important with showtime swiftly approaching. This theater is easy to find with ample street and lot parking. The lobby was adorned with festive decorations for the Holiday season. The theater seating is a bit dated and cramped but all had good views of the stage. We loved the performance and were enchanted by the acting and singing and sets. The cast came out after the musical was over and mingled with family and the audience in the lobby. This theater really has a lot of love and character and it shows. We will definitely return one day and encourage others to do the same.

I went to my first play here a couple of years ago and it was great! Been to several since and…read morehave never been disappointed. This year I purchased season tickets because I don't want to miss a single show and I want to support our local theatre. Great shows, great actors and great staff!!!

My partner and I had such a wonderful time at this theater watching the nutcracker! I was shocked…read moreat how gorgeous & timeless this theater was (as it was my first time in). The outside of the theater does not do the inside of it justice. The ornate beautiful walls and ceilings of the theater took my breath away! They had cocktails and some snacks for sale as well during the show which was a nice respite. Absolutely recommend booking a show here!

such a beautiful location. it reminded me of Vienna, Austria in Europe with the golden…read moreembellishments and intricate details on the walls. I caught myself staring at them during the intermission for The Nutcracker ballet show. the show is something else for me to review, so I will not do that her because this one is meant specifically for the location. as beautiful and grand that it was, I just disliked that the staff was not taking initiative to help with directions. you had to go up to them, and even with the directions that they provided, the reference points that they used were still unclear. I feel like the staff also could have done a better job of outlining how the show will go because they did not make clear of the intermission and how long it would be. they also did a horrible job with seating people because they moved so slow and got in the way of viewers who were watching the show. Not much social awareness from them :/ Location does a good job of running thru what they expect before you come on for your show so that you could logistically plan. lots of parking after 1800 or 6PM because no more law enforcement for street parking. also, the lights that just twinkle in front of the location make it such an awe to look at. I have not been here during daytime, but I bet you that it is better in the nighttime

This is my first theater I performed at when I moved to Seattle. I've done shows in L.A.,…read moreDisneyland, etc...so I quit my travel job to pursue my love for musical theater. I missed it so much. I heard TMP was casting for South Pacific so that was my intro to meeting Jon and Jeff. I played Bloody Mary in South Pacific, I was part of Wedding Singers ensemble plus I played Imelda Marcos, I played Madame Liang in the reboot version of Flower Drum Song. I also did shows with the Children's Theater at TMP. I played The Sour Kangaroo in Seussical, and Princess Lucille in Junie B Jones and a little monkey business. I did a couple shows outside of TmP, and also invited to audition on Broadway. But after a few deaths in my family I decided to take a hiatus from doing shows. I'm still on a long hiatus. Actually at my age I don't think I could keep up with the young ones. Like any theater it had some improvements needed. Which TMP has done over the years . I've tried to support when I could. It's not very close to where I live. It's about a 30 minute drive. After all these years I'm just now writing this review because I regret not auditioning or even performing at TMP. I always tell people life is too short don't wait. Well recently we lost Jon who was co-founder, director, and choreographer of TMP. He and his partner Jeff were a big part of the Tacoma area arts. I do hope his legacy lives on. RIPARADISE Jon!

I haven't ever walked into Tacoma Musical Playhouse after living in Tacoma for quite a while until…read morerecently. I have driven by it enough times and some of their productions caught my eye more than once but what brought us here was for a production of Xanadu. Xanadu is a movie which stars Olivia Newton John and Fred Astaire makes an appearance in it as well. The movie was a real slog for me even though the movie is a cult classic and I love those types of movies... but "cult classic" is a very broad range and not all have the same appeal. The musical play is a spoof of the film and I knew it would have a brisker pace than the movie and I enjoyed it a lot! It was lots of fun and the songs sung served as a reminder of what's in the movie and had more of a positive earworm than a slog. The performers were great and they successfully cast a positive and feel good charm which was much needed. The Playhouse is also getting The Wedding Singer from the 80's inspired movie which I know would be a lot of fun and in this case I enjoyed the film much more!

Small community theater with no bad seats. Reasonable ticket prices. Support live performances!read more

Wow!! What a phenomenal show. I couldn't be more pleased to have this gem here in Lakewood. Ticket…read moreprices are very reasonable, the staff is wonderful, and the acting was fantastic. What a gift! Can't wait to see another show here soon.

Black Lake Asylum is located in the bowels of Freight Square in a questionable part of Tacoma; the…read moreperfect setting for an asylum where unspeakable procedures were carried out. Yep, I'm in! Entrance to the asylum is granted by twin (?) patients after the usual rules are explained; with these two reappearing throughout the asylum. A closed room produces a surprise exit, and then a brief glimpse of the dreaded Dr. West is seen. As we walked through the haunt it was as if we were walking through a wonderfully evil art gallery. Walls had intricate black-light paintings of tremendous depth. It's nice to see that certain things you see or don't see in one part of the haunt are carried through to another part making for an overall much tighter experience rather than just a series of disjointed vignettes. This year's event is much longer than previous and included several "items" to catch. Be sure to talk to Mrs. West's ghost for a personal experience with the departed, look out front for "Fluffy", Crazy Karen in the ward and beware the giggling evil clown! This asylum is perfect for younger victims while still offering the scares & startles for the rest of us.

My brother and I went to Asylum on a whim and were ghoulishly surprised. We are typically jaded and…read morenot expecting much, but paid what appeared to be a steep admission price for both haunted houses (one is 18+ only) anyway since the net proceeds benefit the Children's Hospital and went to the all ages portion first. It rocked! Actor/actresses were fun, really in character and the decor was outstanding. The group put a lot of work into this haunted house and it shows. Maybe it wasn't super, super-scary, but it was entertaining and there were enough disturbing parts to give you the haunted house feel. Unfortunately, when we went to the 18+ house, they were on a break and we had a limited amount of time, so had to ask for a refund on that portion of the ticket. Not sure if that one was scarier, but we were satisfied enough by the first one that we felt like we got our money's worth. Also, zombie girls are hot.

Incredible show! Entertaining for all ages. A great diversity of skills displayed. Truly in awe of…read moreall of their talents. Check it out - guaranteed great fun!

Vernardos circus always delivers an evening of fun. Funny clowns, daring aerialists, and ringmaster…read moremake for a great time for all ages. Not only for kids but lots of couples and seniors in the audience. This was our 3rd time.

I'm leaving a review solely to say, Don't get seats in rows B or C. My siblings and I thought we…read morewere getting my mom really good seats in row C. When we got to the theater, it turns out the second and third rows aren't on a raised step like the other seats. It's behind A and B on the floor. D, E, and F would have been better choices. The seats are slightly staggered but my mom can really only see one side of the stage clearly. I feel a little miffed we paid to look at the actor through two rows of people.

I went to the Theatre on the Square a while ago to see a flamenco performance (Fanny Ara in Juncal…read moreStreet: Flamenco) and I find it odd that I have driven past this place several times and never knew it was a performing arts space. I had been to the Pantages Theater before, which is right up the street, and I guess this building fits right in with the other spaces in the square. There is a parking lot right across the street which makes it very convenient to get to the venue. The space itself is very clean throughout and modern looking in structure and paint. It is wheelchair accessible with elevators and the volunteer staff are very friendly and can answer just about any question you want to know. It appeared to mainly be made up of older ladies who probably have been patrons to the arts scene for the longest time. There is also a nice concession area with small snacks, coffee, adult beverages, and other things. I didn't purchase anything so I don't know what the prices were like. The theater itself had a very intimate setting in that it's a smaller theater with limited seating. It's quiet different from the theaters that require a larger stage for ballets, operas, or other events were there are larger in production and stage presence. I really liked the setting. The seats were easy to find and you don't feel cramped. The performance itself was amazing. The lighting and sound were also equally as amazing. I had seen flamenco at a theater in Olympia and this one was much better. I'll definitely be back to the Theatre on the Square. I will say that if you see a show you want to attend, buy your tickets early since the theater is small the performances sell out quickly.

Pros: Came here for The Naked Magicians and had a blast; was able to find free parking fairly…read moreeasily (lots of parking lots/garages nearby that were inexpensive--$10 for the evening); smaller, intimate venue; pretty much every seat is a good seat with a good view the way the venue is set up; friendly customer service--both in person and over the phone; checked in quickly; would definitely recommend/return Cons: Kind of an older theater; does not have a parking garage if its own; built on a hill, which can be challenging for some; limited food options (snacks and alcohol, but no real entrees); I believe no food/drink allowed in theater

Attended my first event there, Carol King & James Taylor musical show. Very interesting venue, it…read morewas built in 1918 and the design reflects the affluence of the time after WW1. It's a former movie theater in its time. The molding in the auditorium is fascinating. The venue seats 750, the show was sold out last night. The auditorium is white and yellow, These colors give it a sterile feeling. Whenever I go to a venue I always note the number of emergency exits. The auditorium had two on each side of the stage. This venue is located on a steep hill in downtown Tacoma, the entrance to the venue has not been altered to today's standards so it's two double doors with a several steps up from the sidewalk. When the show was over all 750 of us funneled out of the theater via the double door entrance. I was stunned, had there been a fire trampling would occur, the small lobby we funneled thru there was a set of emergency exit doors. I truly felt my safety was at risk as we were all trying to exit via a set of two doors. I was trying to understand why the two doors in the auditorium were not open as an option to exit. The show was great I just really question the exit strategy.

Everything is good. I think all seats are good. The place is small and cozy. Why do I have to…read moreleave a long review?

This is my theatre home. As a director, I've appreciated the theatre's work toward inclusionary…read morepractices and also their willingness to take risks in how to tell stories to our community. I've worked with them since COVID and found their safety practices impeccable. They supported my decisions to keep our casts masked through rehearsals and conducted regular testing providing tests to us. It's a very friendly space and I always feel welcome whether as an artist or an audience member. I always have fun there!!

Awesome performance! Great message! Better than the…read moreNutcracker, and very very entertaining, with twists and turns and lots of funny moments too!

We've attended many times over the last 15 yrs. Praises to all involved…read morein the production of Scrooge the Musical. Every show has notable modifications to audience members and Chick Perry is a one-of-a-kind performer who obviously enjoys his role as Scrooge! All cast members work so hard and are dedicated to performing their best. Prices for the tickets have risen over the years from "free"(donations encouraged), to $25.00 a ticket. This year's performance was good, but the sound system made it difficult to hear all of the performers clearly. We return every year when there are performances scheduled and look forward to another year!