My husband and I went to a performance at the center Stage yesterday. We saw the play "Pray"…read more The play kept everyone engaged , we clapped, we danced , and we laughed. The performers were great! I would recommend this play forever everyone!

Friday Night 7:30pm Laura Benanti…read more One woman show "Nobody Cares" Date night and this was my choice. I originally wanted to see BOCKY but the play was over. So as I was looking at other shows and miss thang Benanti was damn near sold out ! I was like who is this lady ? So, I bought 2 aisle seat tickets on the mezzanine level. Now , let's get into these seats. Mezzanine is a great place to sit in the Pearl Theater. You can see from every angle as long as there isn't a tall person in front of you. What I don't understand about the theaters is LEG ROOM. If a show is over 30 min with no intermission , the audience is slowly dying. We are cramped and hoping that the alcohol will soothe the pain. Most of the theater audience is elderly. I'm not sure what center stage can do about it but no intermission is pushing it. What else ? The bathrooms were clean Drinks and snacks over priced. Top me off if the cheap wine is $14 . Parking ? Surprisingly reasonable. The parking garage was $8 Street parking was probably cheaper than that if you could get it. Laura Benanti was really funny and sang like a cathedral choir angel. I'm glad I chose her show $70 a ticket Picked up tickets from the front desk. I think I want to come back for the Nygel show...Oct 10

Illusions Magic Bar is truly one of the gems of South Baltimore! We recently hosted a private event…read morethere, and the entire experience was fantastic from start to finish. The booking process was incredibly smooth, thanks to Nicole's responsive and helpful communication. On the day of the event, Nicole and Spencer were flexible and accommodating, making sure everything played out exactly as we had hoped. Our guests had an absolute blast and were left in awe. Spencer's performance is engaging and interactive. He involved many of our guests in different parts of the show. We also appreciated that it never felt rushed and we weren't hurried out. Spencer and Nicole took the time to chat with our guests after the show and answer our many questions. Whether you're hosting a private performance or attending a regular show, you'll come away impressed not only by the magic but also by the genuine sense of community Spencer and Nicole create during the few hours you spend inside the bar.

I love this place. I've been twice. Once as an invite Elite Yelper and another time as still in…read moreAhhh fan. The show never disappoints. The theater is cool and the decorations are all so interesting. I love the history of the family and how he continues on. It's a two person run show, husband and wife. The wife is an awesome bartender. They have a fantastic drink menu but I always order the same thing no matter how much I say I want to try something different. She makes a salted caramel espresso martini that is out of this world. I'm so addicted. They do not serve food but you can bring in outside food to enjoy up until the show starts. Everyone gets involved in the show. I think that's my favorite part. I got pulled up front and was truly amazed by what he did. I mean how does he know?? Treat yourself to this local in plan sight hidden gem. You will not be disappointed but you will be bewildered.

Nestled right in the station north area, this is an awesome nonprofit theatre that is such a…read morewelcoming and supportive community! Recently finished Mike Harris' Intro to Improv 101 course (7 week course)- it was a blast. Had fun and learned a lot. As a student you get to go to all BIG's shows for free which is nice, good learning opportunity. They have various types of improv shows every Thurs-Sat nights, been to several and enjoyed them. Highly recommend taking a course or seeing a show. Am now in Michael Furr's standup comedy class which has been amazing so far. Aesthetics wise, it's no luxury theatre (they rely on donations and grants to stay operating, so this is understandable!) but it gets the job done and is homey. Convenient location near a few local bars. Parking Tip: If attending an evening show, get there early if you want to find easy street parking right out front (cheap, pay via kiosk or Parkmobile app). There's a parking garage across the street that's $5 if you tell them you're there for the theatre.

I recently took a class with Carlton and it was great! I'm thinking about signing up for a 101…read moreclass if I can find one that fits with my schedule. Carlton was a great instructor! He was super attentive to his students, encouraged everyone to set their own boundaries and promoted open communication through games and improv. I'm an introvert and this was my first time ever doing something like this. I'm happy I didn't back out at the last minute (like I normally would).

Love Everyman, one of the most consistently good theaters in Baltimore. Know before you go:…read more * It is cold(ish) in the theater, take a sweater. (65F) * The specialty drinks at the bar are mid, stick to wine/coffee. Water is free. * There are lots of Pay-what-you-can opportunities, we usually can grab $10 tickets. If you loved what you saw, put some money in the donation box or buy a drink. * If you are from Baltimore, you know you can park for free near Lexington Market and walk, do not interact with the guys holding and they will leave you be. If you can't handle that, park in the garage.

My 400th review was reserved for a very special business. I'm thrilled to showcase Everyman…read moreTheatre! After Sunday brunch, my partner took me to see Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains. This 1 (wo)man play was highly entertaining and inspiring. It's a story of self-discovery at a time when racial tension & ignorance were at an all time high. We sat front and center but there is no bad seat in the house. Everyman Theatre has been delivering high quality performances over 30 seasons. They have a professional cadre of actors who perform on a regular basis throughout the season. Additionally, community access & engagement are also cornerstones of this theatre. Each play has "pay what you choose" tickets available so finances won't be a problem. Sad, I'm really late to the party. However, Go! Check out a play, take a class, become a sponsor, and donate!!! You will thank me later.

The Hippodrome in Baltimore puts on great On- and Off- and Pre-Broadway productions. We recently…read moresaw the premier performance run of the national tour of Maybe Happy Ending, a Tony Award® winner for Best Musical. Ok, I'm no theater critic, but here goes. It's sort of a romantic comedy of how life flows from random meetings. Did I mention that the main characters are robots? An interesting twist that lets them highlight feelings and decisions that may be taken for granted, and what love is like the very first time. The stars of this show also performed in the Broadway production, so it was top-notch acting and singing, bold and expressive. The music was stirring, and we especially enjoyed the incorporation of jazz for one character's dialog. The staging was clever, with rotating scenery to change settings, opening out into a seemingly vast vista, with interesting effects that introduce new perspectives. I don't want to give away too much. Some housekeeping: The show was nearly two hours long, with no intermission. The seats are pretty comfy. Folks dressed from casual to night-on-the-town. This show performed for 7-days, so you don't always get a long time get to a particular show. Pro-tip: There's a volunteer-usher program! You work mostly at the start of the show. You see shows for free :-)

This theatre has become our go-to theatre to see Broadway shows. We have seen several shows in the…read morelast three years. The theatre is only a ninety minute drive from our home. It offers the quality shows as seen on Broadway in Manhattan, NYC at a fraction of the cost. The theater is located in downtown Baltimore's Inner Harbor. There is so much to do in the area. There are countless quality restaurants, hotels and venues including Baltimore Orioles baseball. The theatre is within a very short walking distance of the Baltimore harbor. The theatre is a nice sized theatre not being too large or small. Every seat offers good views of the stage with good acoustics. Seating is comfortable and not too tight with adequate leg roon. The interior is absolutely beautiful. The walls are ornately decorated along with soft and warm lighting. Water, mixed drinks, wine, soft drinks and snacks are served before the show begins and during intermission. The theatre is well kept and maintained. The bathrooms are spacious and very clean Ticket prices are affordable and a fraction of the cost of Broadway without sacrificing the talent and quality of Broadway. There is plenty of paid parking available, with a multi-level garage across the street from the theater. Parking will cost approximately $25-$30 for the event/day. For all of you loving the arts, I strongly recommend attending a show at this venue, you won't regret it.

Easily the best independent theater in Baltimore from my experience. We've been lucky enough to…read morecatch two plays, The Starlight Barking and The Flower Queen both of which were excellent! We've also been able to attend their David Lynch celebration Wonderful and Strange: A David Lynch Appreciation Festival which was one of the most interesting and lovingly crafted events related to Lynch or any director that I have ever experienced. Bottle Episodes was another great monthly event they ran which featured their awesome group of performers acting out television shows, I only hope one day they'll return as seeing shows like Unsolved Mysteries and GI Joe get acted out this way was extremely fun. The theater isn't huge but does have a clean bathroom and excellent setup for visual effects via projection. There is a lot of passion that goes into the playwriting, acting and musical performances at the Mercury Theater and it's a venue that helps define art in Baltimore.

Not a big theater, but I still enjoyed! I went for a Baltimore Improv show and had a blast! The…read moreshow was very entertaining, and by it being a smaller theater the actors was able to interact with the crowd! If I'm ever in Baltimore on the weekend again, I'll check them out! And you can't beat the price!

The venue is excellent, acoustically amazing. I'm elated to have experienced it for the first time…read morein the world class euphony of the Aspen String Trio. It was a singularly ideal experience!

Wonderful playhouse!…read more Plenty of inexpensive street parking and garages nearby. Super easy to locate, beautiful ceilings, Intimate production area, every seat is amazing, elevated! There's no bad view in there. We went to see Fences. Great production, actors/ actresses, and costumes. I love the convenient concession, and lavatory inside of the venue. This way, you don't have to step out of the production room. I look forward to attending many more productions here at this location in the near future.

I went to my first play at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company last weekend. A friend and I visited…read morethe theater for a performance of Jane Austen's Persuasion. The theater is beautiful - very comfortable and intimate - not a bad seat in the house. They have a couple of bars and some seating areas, which made for an enjoyable intermission. My only (very small) complaint about the theater is that it was hard to find the bathrooms, and we waited a while, because the one women's room we found was a single stall bathroom. I think there was a larger women's room somewhere, but we didn't find it! The play was interesting - I'd never seen a theater adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, and the adaptation was interesting and some of the actors were really great. We had a great time. I was surprised to see and learn that not all of the Company's performances are of Shakespeare - later this season, they have August Wilson's Fences (part of the Baltimore August Wilson Celebration), Shakespeare's The Tempest, A Christmas Carol, and Shakespeare's The Tale of Cymbeline (performed outdoors in Ellicott City). I'll happily return for another performance!

This is Everyman Theatre's mini me. Many, many pros and a con or two, Spotlighters Theatre is…read morecharming, homey, small and intimate. The seating is 4-5 rows in a circular setting. With this close-in seating you can see EVERYTHING. The acting explodes in your face, basically. My friend and I saw "The Hairy Ape," and, as a Eugene O'Neill fanatic I was set to love it, and was not disappointed. The acting was superb. The production was excellent, particularly because there is so little space and time to change/adjust the stage without being disruptive. The lead of the play was really spectacular and wish I could remember his name. (I looked it up -- Michael Leicht.) During the intermission attendees can mingle in the lobby or outside under the lights (and stars). It's really quite magical. As much as I love Everyman's Theatre, and there should be no comparison - they are very different, I find Spotlighters the ONE place I would most recommend.

I recently made my way out to the Spotlighters to see a production of The Game's Afoot - a sherlock…read moreinspired play. The play was both fun and funny, and I truly had a blast there. The theater itself is small and set up in the "round theater" tradition: Seats circle the entire stage. This means, you are no more than 3 seats back from the action, making for a very intimate theater experience. For some this may be intense, but I found myself really engrossed in the play, and feeling more a part of it than an audience member (don't worry, you don't actually participate). This is a community theater, so I had set my expectations really low. However, the energy and thought that went into this production was anything but amateur. I left really wanting to seek out more of these types of places - and I'm in luck, Baltimore appears to be filled with them. File this place under "something different to do on a Saturday night, that'll make you feel good about living in Baltimore"

This is a painful review for me to write because I am a Cirque du Soleil fanatic. I have seen 13…read moredifferent shows, some of them multiple times. I normally can't get enough of them but we were all disappointed with this show. With the exception of Ka, all of the shows I've seen have a general theme but don't have a rigid story they are following. It's just one amazing act after another. Before the show started they were playing audio that constantly encouraged you to download the smartphone app so that you could interact with the show. As I write this it currently has 46 reviews with an average rating of 1.5 stars on iTunes. I think 1.5 stars might be a little generous. It's such a cool idea but the execution is terrible. Supposedly I could interact with the fireflies that were buzzing around the stage before the show, but I didn't notice any difference when I did it on my phone. Even worse, the app makes your phone notify you during the show to use it. How completely distracting. I hated the app. This is usually what my thought process is during a Cirque du Soleil show: "That was incredible!" "How are they doing that???" "WHAT!" This was my thought process during Toruk: "I can't understand what the storyteller is saying." "That was nice I guess. I wonder when they're going to do some acrobatics?" "The lights on that tree look pretty." I think that my biggest frustration was that I kept waiting for the Cirque du Soleil acrobatics that always blow my mind and they never showed up. Because the show had to follow a set storyline there wasn't really a way to incorporate them apparently. During one part of the show a giant net got raised towards the ceiling and I got excited thinking it was finally time for some high-flying. Unfortunately the net was just part of the storyline. It took the place of a mountain that the characters were climbing. Sigh. Another part of the show had multiple people swinging kites in circles from the end of long poles that went on for far too long. I'm not paying this much money for tickets to see something I can do myself! I'm giving the show three stars because there were some interesting set pieces that looked good. They had giant cloth flowers that would "grow" out of ground and some water effects simulating a river that looked impressive. I also enjoyed the tree of fife and the giant flying puppet. Did I enjoy them enough to justify spending this much on tickets? Hell no.

One of the worst Cirque du Soleil shows I've been to. And I've been to about ten…read more This one wasn't that much of a cirque show. It was so disappointing! It was more of a theater show where they told a story. (Not a very good story). So, unfortunately there weren't that many acrobatic performances, The only thing Toruk had going for it was the cool light show. Even the music for this performance was not that good. There were a few people in my section who just walked out during the second act. I would not recommend this show. There was none of that Cirque du Soleil magic in this. I would not recommend this show.