Lazzara Performance Hall seats 1300 for shows, has plenty of parking either in the parking garage…read moreadjacent to the hall or the lot across the entrance road. I had the opportunity to see The Nutcracker Ballet here and will now keep a look out for future performances! The seats are spacious, the theater feels more intimate than others in the area. They do have a small concession stand, however food and most beverages must be consumed outside the actual theater. Only bottled water is allowed inside the theater. The Florida Ballet performed the Nutcracker with guest ballerinas from the Boston Ballet- the show was lovely, spectacular and elegant scenes with so many dancers. Even the youngest of the show were amazing and very cute. Compared to other venues in the Jacksonville area- this was one of the better theaters I have gone to a show at. I look forward to returning for more!

We came here to see a show and let me tell you, I don't think there's a bad seat in this theater…read more It's more intimate than other theaters I've been too, which I love. The space is perfect to take in a show, as you have a great seat whether you're sitting right up front or in the balcony. The staff is wonderful, they were kind, and showed us to our seats. Parking is also a plus at this theater, as you don't have to pay for parking and the parking garage is pretty close to the theater, which is great. All in all, I'd return to Lazzara to see another show. Pros: -Clean facility -Great seats wherever you sit -Nice bathrooms -Intimate -Helpful staff Cons: -None that I can recall Tips: Arrive early to get a good parking spot.

My children have been going here for years. It is both family owned and female owned which is…read morealways a huge plus for me. The people who work there are very kind and the people who go there have always been kind and helpful. They offer a variety of dance styles (tap, jazz, ballet etc.) for a variety of ages. If you are in their Company they have competitions a few times a year, as well as some local events. This is optional. Parents that just want to have their children enjoy the experience can sign up for whichever class their child wants to try. I will say when I pick my girls up and see the little tots in their ballet outfits it's adorable and very reminiscent. They do offer a discount if you take multiple classes. We are there 5 days a week so I take full advantage of this, lol. They also offer adult classes. I believe it changes at times. I know they have done line dancing and are currently doing adult ballet. (I will get in there one day!) So whatever the age is you should come and check it out if you want to try a non-judgmental place that truly sometimes feels like a second home! Hope to see you there soon!!!

Dance mania is a good dance studio that has classes Monday-Friday. Every day is a different dance…read moretype ( ballet, hip hop, tap, gymnastics, drama) and they do pickup from schools close to the studio! Classes are based on students talent and experience. My biggest negative of this studio is their EXTREME LACK OF CONTROL OVER THEIR STUDENTS AND DISCIPLINE. My child was in a after school program before that was very structured and they thrived in that environment. Whenever I pick up my child from Dance Mania, the kids are running wild, yelling, touching each other, fighting over toys/tablet; the owner is always at the front desk not doing anything except glaring at however walks in the door to pick up those kids. IT IS TOTAL CHAOS. They need to get their act together if they want to expand their client base.

The cast did an amazing amazing and worth repeating amazing job with this show! Not only the…read morecomedic timing being flawless, but the physical demands of their roles were spectacular! A special shout out to Neil and Chris , who were beyond words outstanding! If you want a good laugh, you must come see this show

I was very impressed with how this little theater presented Disenchanted. The setup was minimal…read morebut perfect and the sound was crisp and clear. The ladies in the play, the Princesses, were amazing and so very talented! Hearing their beautiful voices echo in the room was a treat to the ears. The characters were hilarious as well. I totally got lost in their story. If you haven't seen it, go get tickets before they sell out. It runs until 1/28. I plan to return to support and watch other productions. We had such a good time.

I attended opening night of "Urinetown" last night. Performances are held at The Jacksonville…read moreBallet on Atlantic Blvd. The theatre is small and quaint. Talent is local and volunteer. Jacksonville has talent. This was my 2nd production at this tiny theatre. If you have never been follow them and put a show at the top of your list!

What a great local theater! It is the perfect place for an intimate evening of song and dance…read more Showstoppers was my first show at this theater but it won't be my last. There is not a bad seat in the house. They have a nice lobby with a small art display to match their current running show. The lobby is a nice space to enjoy intermission where you make donations for snacks and drinks. And the local talent we have here in Jacksonville is incredible. I can't wait to see more from the singers and actors in our community.

5/29 whenever we can we attend symphony programs, we do. We are lucky to have such a large,…read moretalented and dedicated symphony in Jax,; the acoustics are wonderful too! We were told about remodeling that will start soon (one reason...bigger seats...lol). Tonight we heard "the music of Elton John featuring Michael Cavanaugh" with his 4 member band; the conductor Matthew Wardell. It was entertaining and Michael could REALLY play that piano! Maybe it is why he was the working with Billy Joel (THE piano man) before. Michael's singing of Elton songs reminded how phenomenal Elton really is; hard to imitate. Being backed by symphony all the songs were wonderful !

We used to go to the Kravitz center in West Palm beach for their version of the Broadway series…read more When we moved up to this area, we just had to continue our Broadway play fix. We bought the Broadway series, which is typically 5 to 6 plays per year and if you renew your seats every year you get the same seats. You have the option to change your seats the following year if you're not happy with the seats that you have. Believe it or not we've been a VIP don't remember for two years and we've never went to the VIP lounge because we weren't even aware of it. So I can't speak about the food in there and we've never had any food outside of coffee and once we got Cookies and they were both very good. The service and staff is extremely friendly and helpful. It's a very nice small venue so pretty much most of the seats are a good view. The only thing went crazy about is their location for the parking that's included when you buy your tickets as part of the package. I wish they had a valet option or something right across the street available included in the Broadway series package. Of course you can always just pay for your own seats and not get the seating but we like to know we're guaranteed a parking spot because it's about a 45 minute drive from our house. This will be the third year in a row for us here and we really like it

I moved to Jacksonville recently from California and I am always on the lookout for new places to…read morecheck out. There is a building I pass every day near my home which caught my eye right away. Its stone façade and bright yellow sign flanked by two Medieval Knights, with the words "The Arena" across it in large block lettering stood out in comparison to its neighbors, a church and a discount furniture store. I quickly put on my detective cap and began scouring the internet for any explanation or reviews but information was sparse. I eventually found the website... The Arena | Jacksonville's Premiere Concert Venue... "The Arena is definitely one of Jacksonville's premiere and edgiest night scenes. With four stages, and full audio-surround sound, you will be blown away..." I ear marked it as a place to check out in the future. As Halloween grew closer The Arena began to look more and more like an off-beat community haunted attraction. A giant, ominous, clown face appeared over the door along with some additional lights and carnival décor. A new sign was added, "Carnevil". Of course I got back on the internet and found, "Welcome to Carnevil! The darkest and final act of the circus empire..." From the description it sounded pretty scary, I don't really do scary, but it was Halloween and we had no other plans and it was FREE. Now let me tell you, the free thing immediately set off some red flags, nothing is free but curiosity got the best of us. We invited some friends, put on our costumes and headed to the Arena but it was completely full and they sent us away with priority tickets for the next showing. Sunday night just my fiancé and I went back. Like I said, I don't really do scary well and as I stood in line my heart was racing. They announce that we are about to go in and once we are inside we will not be allowed to leave until the end. Honestly, we were half convinced that this place lures unsuspecting people in and keeps them forever... how else does a "Premiere Concert Venue" have almost no internet presence and NO reviews? The whole experience started off great. Creepy ghosts shambled through the lines, small groups were let into the theatre at a time, entering through a miniature haunted maze with all the scares and screams as a professional haunted house. There were plenty of scares for the audience while we waited for the show to start. The play had a great campy/spooky community theatre feel complete with frightening clowns, quality makeup, sound and lighting effects. Over and over I kept thinking, "How is this free?" and then it started... "drugs", "sex", "rebelling against authority"... "sin". Suddenly I realized I was at church. A preacher dressed as a cop stood center stage asking the audience to raise their hands, come up and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to avoid a hell worse than the clown camp we just witnessed. I want to be clear... I do not have a problem with this being a church function; I appreciate the local church for pulling together a great community event... I do have a problem with being completely ambushed. Nowhere on TheArenaJax.com does it mention its affiliation with Victory Church. To solicit itself as one of the country's premier, edgy music venue, "showcasing a spectrum of internationally renowned artists" is more than slightly misleading. I have to say, I felt a bit violated to be lured into what appeared to be a fun community theatre, told I could not leave until it was over and then force fed a religious message while adults in scary masks and makeup stood blocking the exit. Here is the TL;DR: The production quality is great for a free event. I really enjoyed the first hour and a half of my experience. I would even encourage people to check out one of their events but be advised... this is a religious venue affiliated with its neighboring church. You will be held inside the building and asked to approach the stage to accept their message.

I have seen the Carnevil show twice now and I absolutely love it. Yes, it wasn't for the faint of…read moreheart, but it was awesome nonetheless. I am not one to like scary things but after seeing the show I had to see it again. The storyline and characters are well-made and very nice people. They put all they had into making this show work and after the show you get to meet them and get to know them personally. The theatrics of it were stunning and very luring and the sound effects blew me away. I loved how well the actors dressed up and scared people. They'd pop out of the dark, they sang along to hit songs from Slipknot and they made it a very good memorable experience. Along with the thrills they made some funny remarks during the show which made it more enjoyable and fun. If they were able to keep the show going on for more days I would go to all of them. For free it was worth it- if I had to pay, it would've been totally worth it. At the end of the show there was a part where a character made a statement about being "lost" and how he was able to come to terms with himself. Yes, they help people to believe but even if you aren't into Christianity or religion at all it didn't matter. They wanted people to remember the show and to tell everyone else back home about it. They wanted to inspire people to not be afraid and to become more than what people think of you. They don't force any part of religion on anyone and they don't force people into a prayer at all. They merely want to help people and for the people who were just there for the show, they got to see how much hard work and dedication the actors put into this to make it fun and memorable and thrilling. I absolutely loved it and would go to many more shows for the rest of my life for the experience. Amazing job well done.

Quaint little theatre experience! Went to ACT with a MeetUp…read moregroup to see "A Dickens Carol" - an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel. Cast, crew, front end personnel - all operated very professionally, regardless of their age. It was very charming & we truly felt the Holiday spirit throughout the evening.

This is a wonderful little theater. Took my grandson to see Oliver for his birthday. Very nice…read moreproduction. Talented cast and colorful costumes. Orchestra was spot on and performed in period costume as well. I know this production inside and out and this is a hit!

The teachers are very knowledgeable, make sure everyone wears masks, & checks temperatures. Range…read moreof classes: hip hop, acrobatics, ballet, theater, & many more. Reasonably priced! Recommend Mr. Kyle but everyone's great!

My daughter has been dancing at Bravo for six years and has loved every minute. I cannot say enough…read moreabout the owners, Hailey and Kyle. We moved an hour away from the studio this year, but I refuse to change studios because Hailey and Kyle get to know each child individually and know just how much to challenge my daughter and how to support her. She is very shy but has found a family in her class and teammates, and she truly trusts, not just Hailey and Kyle, but all of her instructors. Since joining their competition team last year, my daughter's skills have improved exponentially, and I can see her confidence has, as well. Hailey and Kyle are both unbelieveably talented, passionate dancers and extremely genuine, kind human beings. I am so proud that my daughter has the privilege of learning from them.