The Academy of Music is a lovely, historic and intimate venue. There is so much history here, there…read moreare so many stories--I think my favorite is Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton attending a James Bond film here. The truth is, I attended a show here by accident. It was the weekend of The Back Porch music festival and I intended to see the show of Maine musician Griffin William Sherry. It was super difficult to get anyone on the phone, but I finally did, and was told that Griffin would be among the musicians playing at the Friday night show at the Academy of Music, which was also going to be a tribute to Willie Nelson! How exciting! So I hung up the phone, bought tickets, booked a room at Hotel Northampton, and then drove down from Maine on a Friday after work. It was a beautiful venue, and a marvelous show, performed by a who's who of western Mass musicians. The only downside was that Griffin William Sherry did *not* play in the Willie Nelson tribute. His show was at The Parlor Room, at the same time as the Willie Nelson Tribute, so we missed it. Very disappointing *and* although I wish the person I spoke to on the phone gave accurate information, we saw a pretty amazing show at a lovely venue, so four stars.

I loved the historical and classic vibe of the Theatre. The upper section gave me a bit of vertigo…read morebut it's a pretty common set up. It was big but still felt intimate. Great location - so many awesome bars and restaurants in the area (shout out to Packards and The Tunnel Bar). Parking was easy to find (and free since it was Sunday!). Minus one star because the traffic flow wasn't super well organized - you have to wait in line for drinks where people are shuffling around to find their seat section. It also did not feel accessible for those with mobility issues. Not sure if they have an elevator (didn't see signage) but the basement was a bit of a haul down the stairs (especially coming from the upper level).

Great local theater group. Thoughtful productions, quality sets, skilled actors and a wonderful…read morevenue! There is street parking right on Green Street, as well as a lot diagonally across from the Mendenhall Center. The front door of the Mendenhall Center is on Green Street and opens into a comfortable lobby with seating, some tables, and a handful of vending machines along the back left wall. Restrooms are through the door to the right of the vending machines. Just in front of the vending machines is a cool spiral staircase (hard to tell that's what it is until you're right up on it, that's why I'm mentioning it!) that leads to the second floor where the New Century Theatre box office and theatre entrance is located. There is not a bad seat in the house, but I will caution you that shoulder room can be a bit tight so either surround yourself with friends or get ready to meet your neighbors :) Oh, and the theater is VERY air conditioned so you may want to bring something with sleeves even if it's sweltering outside.

From the owner: Sam Rush and playwright Jack Neary founded New Century Theatre in 1991. NCT's artistic goal is to…read moreproduce new works, area premieres and classic dramas and comedies that may not have been produced in a while. Since its inception, NCT has been in residence each summer at the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts at Smith College. NCT is an Equity theatre that takes pride in providing employment opportunities for area professional actors, designers and technicians. NCT is a training ground for many students and emerging professionals who gain valuable experience by working on our productions.

Tom Rush and his associate, who was great. Nice people! Great show! Intimate setting. We loved it!read more

Great new performing arts venue in Florence MA. Situated in a church conveniently located to…read moreNorthampton Ma.

Love joe such a classy guy never felt ashamed for my poor guitar playing around him and i'm quite…read moreapreshiative of such as the experiense as of this

Joe is a great guitar teacher! Whether you're a beginner or a highly experienced guitarist, Joe is…read moreeffective at advancing your skills. He incorporates in a theory in a way that accessible. You can play whatever style of music you're interested. Joe will use the songs you want to learn and teach you how to play them and how to play them better.