How have I never reviewed the Ordway?! I come here often enough and for long enough…read more This is one of my favorite venues in the Twin Cities for theater. Seats are comfortable and have good leg room and not really a bad seat in the place. I also love the addition of the concert hall for smaller events. Staff are always helpful and friendly. The bars always do a fun drink that rotates for the show at the time. Do yourself a favor and pre-order a drink for intermission if you plan to have refreshments at that time. The one drawback here is parking. The ramps aren't super close (although, they're within an easy walk) and street parking in this area is always chaos, so give yourself plenty of time before your show to find space. If you haven't had the chance to enjoy and event here, get yourself to the Ordway!

We've been coming to the Ordway for years! It's definitely my preferred theater in the Cities!…read more Parking is a bit of a toss-up...here are my go-tos: hope for a miracle and get street parking, pay a little more and get a spot in a nearby garage, get a bite beforehand at the St. Paul Grill and use their Valet :) The space itself is very modern and clean! I actually like that it is updated and not a "historic" theater. You don't have steep staircases, old bathrooms, or impossibly tight leg room! Tickets are usually reasonably priced, and my favorite "cheat code" is to buy the "limited view" seats in the front corners, as they are significantly discounted, and often only have a minimal disruption in the view. Staff is always friendly and excited to welcome you to the show! They have snacks, coffee, and alcoholic drinks available for purchase, but often frown upon you bringing it into the theater with you, so plan ahead and get there before the show to enjoy!

I am sure I really can't add to all the thoughtful superlatives heaped upon this MN landmark…read more Basically, it is all true. Incredible Art Deco interior that will occupy your mind while you are waiting in quiet desperation for the act you came to see. Beer, wine and a limited bar offers the patrons something to enjoy your event with. The audio is generally pretty good, depending on where you sit. The same goes for event viewing - no obstructive view in the theater.

Recently came here to see Purple Rain. Felt familiar... later on I realized I seen Miguel in…read moreconcert here years ago. The theatre itself is nice, has an old charm to it. The seats are extremely tight, not much leg room and a bit uncomfortable after a while. I feel like the guides weren't very helpful at getting people to their seats. I I'm still not sure where they label the sections, I had to ask several people and that made some other people realize they were in the wrong seats/section. The lobby opens 1 hr before the show but the doors to be seated don't open until 30 min prior. I suggest getting there 15-20 min before the show starts for smoother entry. You will still have time to grab a drink and find your seats without the hassle of the pre show crowd. It was so chaotic. The drinks are spendy for what you get but they don't take tips so I guess it somewhat evens out. You can request a lid for your drink which for me is a must in these crowded spaces. Not my fav theatre but the if there's a play I'd like to see, I'd go here!

This is such a great space to see a local production done by kids. There isn't a bad seat in the…read moretheater. If you have toddlers, they have booster seats available to use, just ask. The tickets are reasonably priced and you can usually get one last minute of needed. The staff are really helpful and friendly in my experience. The seats are comfortable and there really isn't a bad spot to sit in order to have a great view of the stage. Parking is all street parking, so it can be a challenge on a busy night to find a close spot. After the shows I've been to, the actors all line up to say hello and sign your program. It is fun to congratulate them and say great work!

We LOVE the Stages Theatre! The 1st show we went to was Maltida and my older son loved it and we…read morehave been taking our two boys (ages 6 & 3) to shows since then. Great plays with mostly children actors/actresses tailored for kids. The cast also does meet and greets after the shows - my kids love getting to meet them! Madagascar today was our 4th show and we went a group of almost 40 people. The group discount rate is amazing and it's fun to go enjoy a show with a group of friends. FREE parking ramp super close to the Stages Theatre which is very nice. They also have lap child passes for $5/kid (age 4 and under) for younger kids who want to sit in the lap of an adult vs having their own seats. Highly recommend checking out shows here!

I've seen several shows at The Lab. It's a fantastically beautiful space. The openness and dramatic…read morehigh ceilings are very cool. Live music sounds fantastic. Recorded music sounds fantastic. The lighting effects that they can create on the back wall are gorgeous and can create many different moods. I love that they have a little bar just off to the side of the theater, so you can grab a cookie and an adult beverage before the show or during intermission. As far as sightlines go, there isn't a bad seat in the place. It's sufficiently sloped that the heads of the people in front of you don't get in the way. Even on the mezzanine level, it's further away from the action but you can still see everything. However, this is about the only negative thing I can say about the space: they pack the seats tightly together, and they're narrow. For one show I attended, I was wedged in between two men and their shoulders were touching me for pretty much the whole show. If you're claustrophobic or just need your personal space, spring for the VIP tables in the front (if the show you're seeing offers them). Make sure to allow plenty of time for parking (and optionally walking from wherever you park). The lot across the street is convenient, but there can be a line to get in and/or pay at the pay station.

I saw Rent at the Lab Theater last night with some friends. What a cool venue--very close and…read moreintimate to the stage, and perfect staging for this production. I felt the $50 ticket price was a little steep (you can get tickets at the big theathers for this price), though I suppose our seats in the 6th row left center were far better than what I could get for $50 at the Orpheum. Be sure to get there early (30-45 minutes) if you want front row seats in the middle--tickets are general admission and seats are first come, first serve. The cast was phenomenal (with one exception). The characters were cast perfectly, vocals rocked, and the band was great. This was actually my first time seeing Rent, but a few friends have seen a it a few times and felt this was the best "Maureen" performance. We were all disappointed with Mimi--she wasn't a bad actress, but for a such a major role, her singing was weak and her fellow castmates overshadowed her. She sounded out of breath, quiet, and missed her high notes in "Let's go out tonight". Definitely worth checking out. Lots of great restaurants/bars within walking distance if you want to grab a drink after--Club Jager and Toast to name a few. http://thelabtheater.org/

I always love seeing shows through the Hennepin Theatre Trust. They are always so well organized…read moreand well done.

The current line up of plays is not one I'm interested in and once they switched to using…read moreTicketmaster it has become more difficult to use.

Gorgeous and intimate theatre! I didn't realize this stunning spot was nestled in the middle of…read moredowntown Minneapolis! I've driven by it several times but never realized how beautiful it was internally. We appreciated the usher's passion for the theatre itself. They shared insight into some of the historic figures who have graced this stage as well as their excitement for what's to come in the coming months. Prices on beverages were a little wild considering the amount we received ($16+ for less than half a glass of Sauvignon Blanc) and the additional 18% automatically tacked on. I wish expectation for photos was more clearly marked. I didn't see anything when I went in (I definitely could've missed it). The instructions provided by the security (?) of no video but ok with photo was confusing when they came back a second time to say no more photos.

Caught the Craig Ferguson stand-up here. It was funny AF and the nearly two-hour show flew by. No…read morefood at issue here, though one pro tip I can share is the line for cocktails was significantly shorter downstairs. A gorgeous old theatre, the Pantages is a fine venue but with an entertainer with a heavy Scottish accent, it was occasionally hard to make out Craig from our balcony seats. He could have benefited from close-captioning. No matter - it was a wonderful show.

Appreciated my friend and her husband spontaneously taking me here on our way home from dinner…read moretonight. Just outside the Walker Art Center, this Sculpture Garden is both a greenspace and a celebration of artistry. Some of the pieces are newer but a couple have been since the beginning like the Spoonbridge Cherry and the blue rooster. You scarcely notice the highway close by as you walk amongst rabbits and geese and robins and people walking their dogs. It's peaceful, and fun, and free (except for parking, which was $1). Well worth a visit!

To find a place like this across from a busy highway and near downtown Minneapolis is special…read more You see the images and think wow that's interesting, but once you're on premise and walking around the sculptures, it's a different experience. As you walk into the park, a beautiful glass house greets you, then a small community house with different languages stenciled on catches your eye. Walking towards the pound where the spoon and cherry bridge is, you pass a beautiful circle installation. Then when you get to the main attraction, you realize how big spoon bridge is and how awesome it looks from every direction. It helps that the cathedrals are in the skyline behind the art installations too as it adds a beautiful juxtaposition of art with urban. The other sculptures just look cool like the blue rooster, the liberty-ish bell, the steam punk swing. It's all a great experience. I'm glad the garden is there, really well maintained and free.

This joint was a block from my Air BnB and a colleague of mine suggested for our last night as our…read moreconference had come to a close. It happened to be a Marvin Gaye Tribute night, which was fine by me as I love me some some Marvin Gaye. If you are from the Bay Area, this place is like Yoshi's. I got there early and got the table my colleague picked was up stairs and a good view. Our server was great. There is a little coaster that is at the table that you can turn over for service or not if you don't want to be disturbed while watching the show. I ordered my food while waiting as I know there were two showing and I kind to eat or have most of my food eaten so I can enjoy the show. I started off with the jalapeno bacon wrapped poppers and the focaccia bread. the popper were not big and bulky and had a great smokey flavor to the bacon, which were probably put the on grill and not pan or oven cooked. I'm not a big bread person, but when I am out I'll usually eat and the foccacio was great and I needed to soak up the wine I was having with my food. For the main course I got the Shrimp and Grits, because it's a jazz club and southern joint. Oh my they were good. Just the right amount of spice to the gravy. The music was also great and the ambiance was really good too. I think I'll be heading to Yoshis a little more as it's been years that I've been to a venue like this. A chill way to end the conference week.

I have been here several times and definitely recommend it…read more Let's start with parking...there are several parking garages close by but you can also valet. I recommend pre booking the valet for $15. Then you check in at the front table and someone takes you to your table. For first times be aware some tables are communal. The food here is just alright. We had the chicken sandwich with fries. It was fine but nothing to write home about. As for the shows we have never had a bad show here. The performer's always are into the show and we have left happy with the performance and sound quality.