Clackamas Repertory Theatre is remarkably good for a local/regional theatre. The current play Ja…read moreJa's African Hair Braiding Salon is well worth seeing. It's a funny, energetic, poignant slice of life involving the conflicts, hard work, hopes and distinct personalities of a small group of very interesting women - and a series of "men" who move in their lives. It's also peak into the culture that created the whole hair braiding fashion. We drive a distance to get southeast of Oregon City, but have never minded the trip and usually leave surprised at the quality of the acting, singing and choreography in their shows. The theatre is a real asset. Mary K

This was my first time attending a show here. I almost missed out because I was a bit overwhelmed…read moreand didn't know where I was heading. My GPS was sending me to the wrong end of the community college and apparently, that is common for people, according to the staff. Be mindful and look for the little signs they put out when they have performances. I would have preferred getting there early especially since I completely missed getting an ADA parking spot. The parking lot is rather large but, for sold out shows - that's a challenge. The theater is pretty great! There's many seats, a creative layout and I was shocked, they could tuck the orchestra above the stage so we could see the conductor a touch. With the layout it feels almost intimate.

I think I've found my happy place! I attended my first Northwest Children's Theater production…read moretoday, and I loved everything about the experience. The bright and cheery environment, the excellent customer service, and the outstanding production left me feeling elated for hours after leaving the theater. I watched a brilliant jazz musical version of Alice in Wonderland today. What stood out to me most is the production didn't begin and end with a traditional raised and lowered curtain. Patrons experience the magic of theater from the moment they step foot in the building. Actors hand out stickers and welcome folks into the building. There are costumed characters in the lobby, and today, the Mad Hatter did crowd work in the audience for a full 15-20 minutes before the production began. By the time he walked up to the stage, the audience consisting of adults and children alike, were smiling and laughing and fully swept up into a joyous experience. I don't remember the last time I was this happy. The production was everything I'd hoped it would be. The costumes and set design well first-rate, the live music was exceptional, and the performers sold me on the fact that I, too, had found myself in Wonderland. It was truly heartwarming to see the actors mingling with the crowd in the lobby after the performance. To be six years old again, and have a chance to meet the Mad Hatter or Alice in person? It's just too precious! Northwest Children's Theater... I am a fan!

Daughter attended 2 weeks of summer camp here with a couple of friends and absolutely loved it. It…read morewas very well organized. The teachers were very good with the kids. And they put up a wonderful production at the end. I was worried that parking would be hard at rush hour in downtown. But you can park in the structure attached to their building and they'll validate the parking for you. We'll be returning next year for sure.

I have visited the Arlene schnitzer concert Hall many times. Last night I attended the Oregon…read moresymphony. The concert hall is beautiful and a great venue for seeing a performance. Like most venues, there is a lack of women's restrooms, so plan accordingly. As the concert hall is in the heart of downtown. It's a great spot so you can get dinner before show.

This is a fantastic spot for a concert. The staff team is always incredibly kind and helpful, and…read morethe ambience cannot be beat. We've been here for a few different concerts, and the acoustics of the space are wonderful. Would recommend seeing a myriad of types of things here. Come check it out!

A great place to go and get food, drinks, and of course, comedy! Their flagship show, Showdown, is…read moreusually about PG-13 and always hilarious! Getting suggestions from the audience, they play short-form, Whose Line Is It Anyway type games for the first half, then transition to Director's Cut, making up full length movies on the spot!

I came here on a date twice to see an improv show. It was a super chill vibe with tons of laughs…read more I had two cocktails while here but nothing stood out. They also offer a free improv class to trial before signing up. If you always wanted to try it out, I recommend signing up. It was not for me but it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone.

Wow, what a fantastic show! It's like the circus and ballet had an elegant child together that went…read moreto school in the Cirque du Soleil college. Tremendous grace and talent all around. This temporary pop-up show is by the south waterfront (in the big white tent - you can't miss it). It includes live musicians/vocalist (I don't think she sings words though), lots of live horses, fantastic acrobatics, and showmanship of the people on top of the horses. I do have to say that everything is quite spendy... from the tickets themselves (and fees) to the drinks and food. Certainly considered to be a 'treat' night out if you have extra $$ to burn. The show was a bit over 2 hours with a 30minute intermission where you could go buy a bunch of Cavalia themed merchandise (tons to choose from!) Overall, the strength of the horses and the people were phenomenal. You could tell that they practiced for hours and train seriously to put on a quality show. Highly entertaining and if you can, worth the splurge!

We went to this not knowing what to expect, we got there and we were thrilled…read more The VIP package includes a buffet meal before the show - with an open beer and wine bar. The food was really top notch - I typically shy away from buffet food because the quality seems to be seriously lacking - not the case here. The food was fresh, hot, very tasty and several options to choose from. The "pre-show / intermission" lounge is very comfortable - a nice option compared to the seating inside the arena. The show itself - amazing - trick riding that would impress anyone. One of the biggest surprises was the different scenes with horses without bridles or saddles - performing with human "partners" in choreographed settings that was nothing short of amazing. They have no mares here - only stallions and geldings. I was surprised at how smoothly things went. They go out of their way to point out that the humans spend a lot of time with their four legged partners and when the horse isn't feeling a particular part of the program, the humans "go with it". I saw one horse who wasn't feeling one of the events and his partner followed him out of the central part of the arena and gave him time and space until he was ready to rejoin the herd, so to speak. I really appreciate that kind of sensitivity. Getting to go into the stables after the show is another perk of the VIP pass, something that was a real treat all on it's own. This was nothing like a circus- and that's good - my wife is no fan of circuses. I recommend it.

This is somewhat about the Keller Auditorium as well as the Back To The Future show I went to. It…read morewas one of the best live performances I have been to (and I've seen some good ones). I almost didn't stay for the second half because of some early morning obligations I had the next day, but so glad I did- because it was amazing! The likeness of the performers to the actors in the movie wasn't exact but accurate. The dialogue was fun, had spurts of relate-able content to the modern-day audience, but didn't veer off of character too far. And the DeLorean + lights show! Seriously and unexpectedly loved it. And the Keller staff did such an amazing job of herding us all around before & after, while getting drinks, and during the intermission. It was a bit miraculous. What show is next? ;-)

I flew in to see Phantom with my daughter. It was my first time here and was assigned parking about…read morea 20 mins walk. I didn't know there were parking right across the street! It was a little intimidating walking in the dark by ourselves. But at least I now know there are parking closer to the Keller Auditorium for the next time. We got to the door about 10 minutes before curtain call. I was surprised that the line moved quick and with ease. Once we got in, we decided to stop by the souvenir shop after the show and opted to use the restroom on the left side. There was a line of 9 people ahead of us. We stood in line only to find out that it was ONE stall. That explained the long wait. Wish the ushers or staff let people know that there was a ladies lounge on the other side with more stalls. All I heard was that there's restrooms upstairs but it's the same. My impression was that this venue was not equipped for a big crowd. It wasn't a humongous venue and it looked like all or most seats has a good view. We sat on the left side, 7 rows back on the aisle. I think those seats was perfect because we were close to the stage but still far enough back so we can absorb everything. My chair was comfortable and was roomy. I think the lady behind me wasn't too comfortable. She was kinda tall and kept bumping her knees on the back of my seat. My suggestion to taller people, try to get the end seats. That way you can kinda stretch out a little and not be uncomfortable during the show.

' 2026 Grand…read moreFloral/Starlight Parade:I thought it would turn out horrible a projected 4 hours combining 2 parades. but IT WENT PRETTY SMOOTH.It turned out to be closer to 3 hours(I checked my watch) which was just right.It flowed just right one to the other.Even the one float that stalled was pushed by half a dozen men(bravo to those guys)who received applause. At 74 I kinda miss the old way it was run but as a physically handicapped person in a walker..it was VERY ENJOYABLE....but if you repeat it 3 HOURS ONLY.....BRAVO. ROSE FOU

Ferris wheel and Fireworks and Parades, oh my! As a new Portlander, I wanted to learn about the…read morehistory of the festival to feel more connected to my experience. Here's what I learned: Portland used to be the biggest in the PNW. When Seattle started gaining on us, we hosted a world's trade fair to show them up (1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition). Queue the roses: after a fancy lady in our town (Georgiana Pittock), got back from vacation in England where she saw pretty flowers, she hosted a rose competition that turned into a party followed by a city parade where blooms covered horses, floats, wagons, surreys, floats, and a whopping four automobiles. Portland Rose Society starts popping (now the oldest and largest rose society in the country). To prep for the Expo, a bunch of rose nerds sprinkled their seeds all over the city and then some dude proposed an annual festival of roses + carnival to keep up the momentum from hosting the '05 Expo and "brand us the summer capital of the world". Bam! Portland Rose Festival, established in 1907. The non-profit foundation was formed to fund future extravaganzas. I heard The Grand Floral Parade is currently the second largest all-floral parade in the country, and with 500K spectators - it's the largest single-day spectator event in Oregon. I'm told the children's parade is the biggest in the world. If you see people all decked out in white suits with straw hats (the big wigs wear capes), that's our Royal Rosarians: official greeters + ambassadors of the city. They created a scholarship for a royal court made up of high school princess from each school in the metro. The queen is titled Queen of Rosaria during the festival. I was curious why there were so many people dressed in costumes and learned that the Starlight 5K kicks off the Starlight Parade and costumes are the thing. I loved the night parade (super fun) which started as an illuminated parade when electricity was pretty fresh in 1907. I hope learning about its roots helps you appreciate all of the festivities like it helped me. It's not just a carnival (which was OK I guess), it's a way for our community to participate in celebrating ourselves together. ~The more you know~

Performance quality, authenticity, passion, live orchestral music, dedication to the craft!read more

I simply have to catch Shakespeare in the Park at least once during the summer. This year we saw a…read morelovely version of Romeo & Juliet in the Lone Fir Cemetery - what is more Gothic then seeing Shakespeare in the Park? No really - that's a genuine question or quest for that matter. There is always plenty of space and rarely do you suffer through "those people". There are a few folks who do not understand what the lines mean and still park their oversized epic camp chair right in front making it a challenge to see over them but only once did I get stuck next to a couple who sucked down a bottle or two of wine in a half hour and LOUDLY WHISPERED sweet nothings to each other the rest of the night. We did move that time.....as did the whole back area. The Actors Ensemble has neat snack packs for people to buy so if you are running behind they almost always have one or two left right at time of the show start! BUT, I personally have my theater in the park pack which is my little wheelie pull cart which I load up with my stadium chairs (invest - you can get them for stupid cheap at costco - worth every comfy penny), my woven throw for ground cover and some takeout since usually I am running pretty tight on time. This last one I just ran to Panera which packed up beautifully and is pretty quiet to eat during the play too...unless you get there Kettle Chips - you are on your own for that. I did have to attend a show in a wheelchair last year which was very much doable and these plays are always in accessible parks. I always love seeing the diversity in attendance - from the old to the young, in performers as well. They usually also offer matinees to offer to all audiences though I warn you that the night shows get out after dark and places like the Lone Fir are pretty much pitch black after dark so you may want to bring a small flashlight to get back to your car or bus stop.