The Sound of Music (Broadway San Jose) --…read more We saw this yesterday and it was beautiful. The sets were absolutely stunning -- genuinely took my breath away a few times -- and the singing was extraordinary. So much talent on that stage. If you know the movie by heart (I do), there are a few differences. A couple of songs that aren't in the film, and "I Have Confidence" doesn't appear at all. There are some small changes to the story too, but nothing that took away from the show -- a few of the twists I actually liked better this way. One tip: take an Uber or Lyft. Getting into the parking garage took forever because there's only one lane in, and someone at the front couldn't work the machine and held everyone up for about fifteen minutes. Not the theater's fault, but worth knowing. Wonderful show. We'll be back.

One of my least favorite Broadway tour stops in the Bay. I have been here about 5 times now and I…read moredo not know why I keep coming back expecting a better experience. For many reasons: 1. Parking is non-existent. Very expensive garages nearby and difficult to find street parking. It is downtown San Jose after all. However, I noticed that for very popular shows, like Disney musicals, expect the parking prices in the private garages to double or even triple. It's as if they know there will be a lot of people desperate for parking. The caltrain station is nearby so that can be an option instead, but I wish it was BART-friendly like the Orpheum theater in SF. 2. The sound system. Like many reviewers are saying, it is a little off and hard to hear if you are seated in the middle, away from speakers. 3. The seating design. There is no middle aisle so if you are seated in the middle, you have to go through so many people to get to your seat, which is a concern for me if there was a fire emergency. If you are in the aisle, expect to stand up and have to let everyone through. Also, the stage curves inward, so your view on the side is not the best, you miss a section of the stage, but I will still choose aisle for safety reasons. 4. The hallways are tight, there is so much going on during intermission that there is so much traffic. The line for food, the line to the bathroom, the line for drinks. All in that tight hallway in the first floor. I do not feel this way with other Bay area theaters like Curran where hallways are wider. Going from one end to the other is a nightmare. You are better off not buying anything and staying in your seat. 5. The theater etiquette is poor. The ushers do not care if you are texting on your phone or your child is screaming. I watch at least 2 shows a month all over the Bay area, and I have never been to a theater where so many people are taking pictures, texting, whispering to each other throughout the show, etc. Going back to the no center aisle issue, the ushers cannot do anything to the people all the way in the middle. But even when I was seated on the side, ushers just do not pay attention and people do whatever they want.

I've been dancing with A Polynesian Performance for a little over 2 years now. I absolutely love…read moreit! Lokeanna is a fantastic instructor. She's so patient and genuinely loves teaching the class. It's her passion and it shows when she teaches us the moves. Dancing has now become my passion as well. I always leave the class feeling like I've had an awesome workout!

Aloha, They did an amazing job. It was well worth the money. The dancers arrived on time and it was…read morea hectic day for me. I've been running around preparing everything for our engagement party. I swear everything that day seemed to go wrong (another person tried to take our advanced ordered roast pig, etc etc). Then the Polynesian dancers came to rescue by relaxing me and started the fun luau. They got the groom, uncles, dad to dance on stage as well as me, my mom, aunties, cousins to dance. It was so fun and it was truly a ONCE IN A LIFETIME experience that we will never forget. The family (old & young) still talk about it. The kids were shaking their bums all night long and running around. After the performances, they also didn't rush me at all. We had about 100 people at the party and everyone was able to take pictures. I would totally hire them again! Mahalo!

It looked like it got a 4.6 star review but they say doors open at 6:30 and it didn't. I thought I…read morewas in the back of the place so I walk to market street to find the front but it turns out I was at the right place. It is at first street. I didn't think I showed up early but then someone told me they changed the time and they'll let everyone in at 7 pm. I waited and we didn't get in until 7:15. I don't know; maybe I'm strict with time but it threw me off. We had plenty of time to get to our seats so we got beer for one of us. I was expected an open space to get to my seat because I had a cane. They blocked the open space so I had to scoot in to the aisle to get to my seats. I guess the show was packed and they had to add seats. Seats were not bad but not comfortable. I did have good seats so I can see the people performing.

California Theater is a gorgeous old historical theater with distinguishing beauty and exquisite…read moredetails. It's the type of place you go to where you spend just as much time ogling over the venue as you do the show itself! I went there for a film festival and loved it. The location is also pure perfection because it is within the same block as several restaurants and bars for those who want to grab a bite or drink before or after their show. The only (small) downside is finding parking. We parked in an outdoor lot 2 blocks away for $20. It is about the average rate for the area but still seems steep to me for a 2 hour show. *breathe* Trying to not sweat the small stuff, so I say pay for the steep parking and enjoy the gorgeous theater and watch a nice show! It will be worth the experience.

We love everything about SBDC! Really friendly dance teachers and staff. My daughter is always…read moreexcited to go to her tap/ballet class with Miss Katherine. She is very engaging and the kids make good progress. She even has a second helper teacher that is a very skilled dancer step in to most classes. Overall, the attitude of the studio is very warm and the community is very welcoming. They just had their first showcase performance and I was so impressed with the production. Everything was very organized and smooth. The dancers all seemed to have a great time. Thank you South Bay Dance Company.

Love seeing my child develop coordination while having fun. She recently completed her first…read morerecital and she had a blast dancing to Win nice the Pooh. Cannot wait to see the next one.

My daughter has been taking piano lessons here for the last two years, and it has been a great…read moreexperience. Ms. Hye Jeong Ahn is fantastic, and my daughter has grown tremendously during this time. An added advantage is that Ms. Ahn also teaches for ABRSM, and it is rare to find teachers who are conversant with the curriculum. I would highly recommend this business for music lessons.

We love Almaden Academy of Music. Ms. Hannah is amazing with the kids. She is so kind and talented…read more My son took classes with Ms. ginger and Ms. Hannah and they're both amazing. I'll consider taking more classes here as my son gets older.

My husband and I just hosted the masquerade-themed party at our house for my birthday…read more Communication with the company was perfect; we received an automated response saying they'd be in touch soon since we reached out initially on a weekend, someone got back to us on Monday, booking was easy, all questions were answered, and our actress (Diane) called us before the party as planned. Diane was right on time to set up the props she brought, which really added to our own set up and made everything look awesome. She was flexible when I mentioned we had people not interested in fully playing or who potentially needed to leave early--but those people ended up staying for the whole game because they were having a great time. The game is set up so everyone present can still feel involved and enjoy figuring out the mystery. When it was done, Diane quickly and quietly had everything packed up and loaded. We've never hired a company for this before but would definitely do it again with The Clue Collective and I feel confident in recommending them to others for a fun and creative activity!

From the outset, the Clue Collective team was nothing but professional. Booking was straightforward…read morewith clear descriptions of the shows offered, the cost, and the agreement. Email replies were prompt, pre-show instructions were clear, and the team provided a detailed outline of how the show would proceed during dinner. There was a check-in by phone twenty-four hours in advance to review details and any changes I may have needed to share. Lace and the entire team of actors arrived on time and quickly got to work organizing the props and selecting guests to assume characters. The clever show proceeded in a smooth and timely fashion. The room was filled with laughter. They created a delightful and engaging evening for everyone present, including the waitstaff. Bravo, Clue Collective!

My kids love to be in the environment of the Jam Center. The staff are kind, supportive,…read moreencouraging, and super amazing instructors. We love the culture and heartbeat of the center and the vision that kids of all ages can learn in a welcoming environment.

I wanted to leave an update because we are still students of The Jam Center! My daughter is now 11…read moreand still takes piano here and got to participate in one of their rock bands a couple of years ago. She hopes to join the worship team at the junior high church service and Victoria, her piano teacher, is helping her prepare. I still take drum lessons with Amrit and have been able to improve greatly over the last few years and now play on my church's worship team. We are all still happy with our lessons, instructors and the service we've received for the last 5 years!

So lucky to have one of the few indie theaters in the Bay Area, in San Jose…read more 3Below has excellent indie film curation. The customer service is superb. And the snack bar has reasonably priced goodies! The cherry on top? FREE VALIDATED PARKING FOR UP TO 3HRS!! I'll be seeing 3Below soon, again!

Full disclosure, my friend put this place on my radar. I am a bit of a setting snob, and by this I…read moremean: give me leather seats, give me reclining chairs, and if my seat warmer isn't working, I'm going to be upset. But that's merely because life is uncomfortable and I am intentional about finding cozy pockets of joy. This theater is not updated with the fancy seats, but what it lacks in that it more than makes up in charm, service, and community cultivation. Visiting 3Below reminded me that venturing out of that corporate capitalist bubble of perceived coziness would put me in a vibrant hub of social awareness. This is where you go to see the Documentaries IG mentions, but no theaters seem to have times for. This is where you can catch live performances on the same stage that you'll watch a thought provoking film. And, as the manager/owner of the fiercest security dog I've encountered mentioned, THIS is where you could learn to tap dance. Now, I'm hoping this could be a location for some line dancing in the near future, because I think Sofa Streetfair could be the place for some of this, and 3Below seems the perfect hub for practicing. But, what a cute location, and I'm told it's locally owned, too. I didn't actually fact check that, so my apologies if I'm spreading misinformation here. I'm just doing my best to sell you on falling in love with this alternative theater as much as my friend has...I'm converted and I'll definitely be back.

Now that my girls are not participating at Infinity Dance Studio any longer I feel comfortable…read moreleaving an honest review. My girls really did like their time at Infinity for the most part. For younger children and for recreational dancers I think that it can't be beat - we tried other studios years ago and they never felt as comfortable in any as they did at Infinity. They had a lot of fun, especially in tap and jazz, and the recitals are wonderful to participate in and watch. Mine did end up doing some of the competitive level dancing and that is where I found issues. It's very cliquey, not so much with the children/teens, but with the teachers. There are some very talented dancers who have competed with Infinity for years and they definitely take precedence over other dancers. I understand why this happens, however, when you speak with other parents you certainly see that when dancers who are not in this particular group make a competitive team they: Are moved towards the back of the dance and ignored Are asked to stay in a lower level of a comp team for "more practice" until next year...then never moved up In my time there I witnessed many parents moving their children to different studios so that they were pushed to the next level and did not remain stagnant. It's disappointing to see your children trying so hard to advance themselves but not having the teachers push them or give them constructive criticism/feedback. I think this could be a great studio if the teachers and the owners were willing to really work with all students, and not just the "star" dancers. It's too late for mine but I hope they take this feedback to heart.

I had to write a review for our dance studio that we absolutely love! Miss Jen has such a way with…read morethe little kids that my daughter has looked forward to every class since the 1st one almost a year ago now. The value is really good for the quality of lessons that they receive, and most importantly she has so much fun and enjoys class. There is a very welcoming and positive atmosphere for all of the dance members to feel comfortable. We've had such a positive experience from communicating with staff through email and staying in-the-know with pertinent studio information from the start. The studio staff are also very informed and good at organizing all of the many details that go into putting on an exceptional recital. I'm so glad she is part of Infinity. Thank you for providing such a great environment for kids to grow a love of dance.

I grew up attending the theater and I consider myself very lucky. Community Little Theater in…read moreAuburn, Maine is still around today. I had two brothers who both performed in the theater and one of them is still teaching theater arts now. I usually attend the Broadway musicals at the San Jose Performing Arts Center a couple of times every year and I go alone. John is not a fan of musicals. But he agreed to go to a play last year in SF with me and he enjoyed it. So, when we saw the synopsis of "Running After Shadows," we decided to check it out. The second I walked inside, City Lights Theater reminded me of those wonderful memories I had as a teenager at Community Little Theater. City Lights is smaller than I'm used to but I loved its compact, intimate space. Every seat seems to be a good one and comfortable as well! I loved that the manager spoke to the audience before the show and that they pick a non-profit to donate to that matches with the theme of the play. They also have a little get together after every performance. They have refreshments and you have the chance to talk to the actors. We didn't stay afterwards but maybe next time. John surprised me by wanting to get tickets for the next show. Maybe I can get him to try musicals one day...

It's All an Act…read more Foreword: So, it turns out I kind of like plays. I mean, I recall enjoying watching theater friends perform at school and college back in the day, but I've never actually gone out to see a real live play with professional actors. Anyway, if you're on the fence about coming to see one, then you should definitely do it once. And if you really dig it, do it twice. :) OK, onto the review... The City Lights Theater Company has been supporting local actors and theater makers for forty-five years (ca. 1982) now, and have been in this space since 1991--despite a looming threat from developers... The Good: *Very small intimate venue of ±100 seat theater. There is no bad seat in the house, as even in the back row you still feel like you're practically front row. *Tickets are fairly inexpensive at ±$50-80/ea with season passes available. There's also afternoon matinee shows available for us old farts. *Staff was very friendly *They have a small snack bar and even serve wine *A chance to interact with the performers at the end of the show. *We watched "Running After Shadows" by Vincent Terrell Durham and it was excellent. Great story telling, fantastic acting, and it takes the crowd on a wild range of emotions. The Meh: *Street Parking only but it's free on the weekends. The Ugly: *They must start cutting onions in there at some point, cuz I swear my eyes started watering for no reason. That's right. No reason whatsoever. Conclusion: Intimate venue with great storytelling means a great time out by all. Good spot for a date nite or afternoon (see aforementioned "old farts" mention above).