California Theater is a gorgeous old historical theater with distinguishing beauty and exquisite details. 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. read more

California Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

Gorgeous theatre, nicely preserved, and a great place to see some theatre, music, opera, et al. I visited one night to see an opera, and really had a great time. Sure, it was nice that the opera was NOT nine hours long, but that's me. Your mileage may vary. The outside of the building blends in so well to its surroundings, you may not notice it at first. But, the California Theatre is easy to find, and perfect to walk to from parking or a restaurant. Even in the entrance way before you walk in (where there's the Box Office for will-call or day-of tickets), you see the elegance and grandeur that awaits. Still, there's nothing stuff about it at all. Every staff member or volunteer I encountered was helpful, friendly, and welcoming. There happened to be live music in the Lobby before and after the performance. Refreshments are found on each floor. We had Orchestra Seats. The opera looked and sounded crisp. The singing, the set, the orchestra, the costumes all radiated excitement and serious fun. This particular opera, by Bela Bartok, is rarely done and having some familiarity with the composer, I was excited to check it out. Very much enjoyed the opera, and the venue. If you are an SJSU student, ask about tickets and/or big discounts available at the Box Office. read more

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Brava! Bravissima! I had such a lovely experience at Opera San Jose for the performance of Madame Butterfly. What an extraordinary opera. The architecture of the building is gorgeous and very well maintained. The seating was comfortable and the staff was very welcoming and helpful when it came to finding our seats (and also directing the people to move that were sitting in our seats). This is one of those venues were any seat is a good seat, we could see the stage just fine from where we sat in Row Q. It was a three act opera that ran for 3 hours with two intermissions. I loved everything about this performance, stunning voices that gave me goosebumps, good sets and props, and I was surprised at how smooth the subtitles scrolled across the screen above the stage, it was not distracting at all from the performance and was easy to follow! read more

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This place was really unique in terms of a theater. The seating and the sound system was really nice and the movie we were able to watch was interesting. I wish I didn't have work the next day in order to stay for the q&a but it was really cool to be able to see the main actress in person. I was late so I didn't get to see the premiere read more

California Theatre - Main cast plus writers - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

Always enjoy the old school ambience of the California Theatre. I attended symphonies, opras, 49ers Foundation event, film viewings, fundraisers, and most recently a SJ Jazz festival event. Ushers are always friendly and clearly can see their joy. Whether in casual clothes or formal wear, the theatre is comfortable. At the most recent Jazz Festival, it was fun to experience the performance in the gathering space near the concessions. Made for an intimate and casual affair. The acoustics were fine for the classic jazz music performed by Summer Camargo. We enjoyed it so much that we bought her CD and I'll be following her on Spotify. read more

California Theatre - listening to Louie Armstrong by Summer Carmago at 35th San Jose Jazz Festival - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a beautiful theater, the interior and exterior have been completely renovated to its old glory. The seating is fantastic (probably not a bad seat in the house) we sat at the front of the upper deck. Unfortunately the sound quality is lacking, they turn the sound way up but I still had a hard time understanding what the actors were saying in the movie. (Turning up the sound to death con 10 doesn't make the sound quality any better, it just hurts your ears) I would recommend investing in a better sound system. Over all it was a nice experience "seeing the inside of the theater. Sound quality and level.... Not so much read more

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Came here for cinequest film festival. Great place to watch a movie. It can get cold inside so make sure to bring a light jacket.

Pretty cool theater on the edge of downtown San Jose. Beautiful and well kept. The perfect size for comedy, music, or dance shows. Decently spacious aisles and foot room. Comfortable seats. Easy to walk to from wherever you park downtown. I only wish the bar/ snack area was stocked with a few more items. read more

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I went here for a cinequest grand opening event for the first time and it was amazing! I loved the collaboration between Yelp and Cinequest at this iconic venue! This 1920s theater is well worth a visit. Take a look at their site for any upcoming events and shows. I was fortunate enough to experience a solo concert with the artist using an old organ before the premiere of the movie "The Luckiest Man in America". I'll be back! read more

California Theatre - Gorgeous detail in the architecture. @thefoodhigh - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

This was my first time visiting the California Theatre and also my first time attending a symphony orchestra performance. Let me tell you there's nothing like hearing classical Christmas songs live with an orchestra and chorale. I love theatre and now symphony is right there with it. On this occasion I was invited by my daughter to come and see her best friend perform. Her BF is a classically trained singer and performed with the chorale as one of the sopranos. We had seats in the upper mezzanine and still had a great view. The theatre is elegant and the staff members were all so friendly. The orchestra, chorale and ballet performers were amazing. Shout to the conductor Elena Sharkova and amazing guest baritone Nathan Stark. His rendition of Mr. Grinch was fabulous! Pro tip: To mitigate theft from your vehicle, bring cash to pay for $30 parking near the theatre. This is downtown San Jose! read more

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It's great to have a venue so close to home so I don't have to drive all the way to San Fran. Came here for a comedy show and it was a wonderful experience. Beautiful and stunning venue. Solid five for housing a comedy show that gave me the best medicine- laughter. Great sound system. Located on first street in downtown surrounded by a variety of restaurants ranging from upscale to food hall.  The theatre has massive arched entrance, exquisite prints on ceiling, and exotic looking hanging lamps. Red velvet chairs are luxurious and comfortable. Mesmerizing staging. Exuberant vibe with clean environment. Friendly and courteous customer service. Drinks are sold on site. Everything seemed organized and well maintained. Will love to come back for shows. read more

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Explored California theater as part of the Cinequest events. Beautiful architecture from the 1920's. read more

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Great place to see a play or a movie. I was there for opening night of Cinequest. It's a beautiful venue. My only complaint is that Street parking is hard to comeby. Not the theater's fault, but a bit od a nusance. I did think the live organ music was cool. read more

California Theatre - Lobby - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

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They don't build theaters like this anymore. Really beautiful old theater, if they had more than one screen that would be even better. Thank you yelp for having partnering with yelp with cinequest for the showing of the Island between Tides. The bathroom are clean. They have a downstairs entrance for the main room seats or balcony seats. I didn't see a snack bar. They host ballet, symphonies, and plays here. Even walking past the front gothic gates walking to Nirvana soul is so pretty. read more

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Beautiful theater has a nostalgic feel to it, while still maintains modern amenities. Apparently they are famous for their warm chocolate chip cookies. Definitely got one and it was a great treat before the show. read more

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This was my first time on California Theatre and I'm really happy I got to visit it! The inside of the theatre was so beautiful and clean. The movie premiere I got to watch was "Breakwater" and it was quite a good movie, followed by interviews with the people who worked on the movie. I loved everything about this experience even though had some issues with scanning the tickets to get in. The after-party was a lot of fun as well: starting with a great location, very nice staff, and ending with really good food and nice DJ. I'd love to come back again read more

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Saw a fantastic flamenco performance here last night through the Royal Opera of Madrid. This is a beautiful theater with a grand design. It's intimate enough that I don't think there are any bad seats. The staff were all incredibly gracious and friendly. Please support them and check out their other events. read more

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I went to see Nancy Pelosi and expected a huge line. Instead, we walked through the security point and were directed to the waiting area for our seats. Shortly, thereafter, we were given the okay to go to our seats. The ushers were helpful and cordial and knew what they were doing. The seats were comfortable, the stage was visible from any seat, and the acoustics were fantastic. The old theatre has been renovated and is classic. Parking across the street made for a short and convenient walk. read more

This is a beautiful opera house with nice architectural features. It's not as big as the San Francisco (War Memorial) Opera House but the interior design is admirable. Located in downtown San Jose. I'm just grateful there's a beautiful building in Silicon Valley rich in art and history where visitors and locals can soak up some culture. I enjoyed the performance I watched here. The only thing preventing me from giving it 5 stars, and no fault of the opera house, is the streets surrounding the building are absolutely filthy. The city should do a better job of cleaning up. read more

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We bought tickets for Henry Cho tonight, October 16 through StubHub and StubHub never delivered the tickets. I spent almost 2 hours dealing with their customer service over the span of about five hours, and they never resolve the problem. The couple in front of us at line at the box office had the exact same as she was StubHub the box office staff, the clerk and the manager are my guess they figured out how to find our tickets and let us in. They are amazing.!! read more

First time visiting the California Theatre. Walking in, you could the historic decor and grand nostalgia of it all. Before the movie showed, we were entertained by an organist who played some old familiar tunes. Wonderful place to come enjoy some shows, plays, musicals, or films. Concession stands are limited and pricey. $6 for a 16.9fl oz soda or bottled water. read more

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Came here to see Ali Siddiq back in January and it's my 1st time here. The seats were very comfortable. Couldn't believe this theater is almost a 100 years old. The interior looks modern. They only take cards payments at the bar. read more

California Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

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I visited the California Theatre this past Thursday to explore galaxies far far away... It's not as exciting as it sounds depending on what kind of nerd you are... but it was cool. Professor Brian Cox, an English physicist and former musician, was holding a lecture and visual light show type of presentation titled Horizons, which explored images and topics related to cosmology, the big bang, black holes, atoms, space, time, and the origin and evolution of the universe. I was in awe AND confusion as I listened to Brian Cox explain Einstein's theory of general relativity, the existence of black holes, and distortion in time by presence of a star. The audience seemed pretty into it, and I was too, as the sound and stage at the California Theatre are amazing! The giant screen on stage had a great effect as Brian Cox presented magnificent visualizations of the galaxy and the sun and the earth... but also the first real image of a real black hole 3 years ago, 6 billion times the mass of the sun, 55 million light years away where time ends! It looked like a blurry red dot (but magnified obviously). The most distant galaxy looked like a red blob too. Not that I don't appreciate science, but it's not exactly one of my strengths in academia. Yet the overall topic made me curious and provided an opportunity to pay the California Theatre a visit. So despite some of the science... and math.. and visualization of data being way over my head, I thought it was a decent setting for such a performance. Sitting in the grand tier section (first 5 rows of the balcony), I was able to appreciate the  beautiful details throughout the theatre including the decorated ceiling, as well as a perfect view of the stage... though I think most of the seats provide a pretty good view. And it isn't cramped either, so legroom's not a problem (unless you are oversized), and the seats are comfortable too. My only complaint is that the seats don't have cup holders for drinks. The hall toward the restroooms opens up to an outdoor area where guests can take in some fresh air before the show or during intermission. The lobby is clean and spacious with lovely architectural touches, there's even a beautiful pipe organ on display near the entrance. The concession stands had a small variety of typical theatre snacks and beverages -- juice, coffee, beer, wine, mixed drinks, chips, candy, cheese plate (okay that last one is a little less typical). I had a glass of red wine (Santa Julia Malbec), not exactly one-of-a-kind, but pretty good, and it helped me get through all the science during the show. They strictly do not allow outside food or drinks inside (we had to go back to the car to put food away after going through security). There was a line out front when we arrived, but they eventually told us that was the will call line. There was no line to get in if you already had tickets. The outside of the theatre doesn't look like much when there's no current showings (in fact the entire front entrance is caged off until an hour before showtime). But when it opens up and the lights turn on (especially at night), it has more curb appeal and looks more like a classic theatre. It's a simple yet charming venue for catching unique performances. read more

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Went for a comedy show, the venue is gorgeous inside! Drinks are way too expensive, grab a drink next door first. Paid $40 for a margarita, sprite and a bag of gummy worms. read more

Beautiful venue! I had the pleasure of attending Cinequest Film Festival happening at the California Theater over the past two weeks. This theater had plenty of seating and there are multiple parking structures nearby. The event also validated parking by providing a QR code to use at the pay station. Overall, great experience! read more

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Came here to watch west side story and we had some middle orchestra seats - overall really enjoyed my experience - the audio quality was good and we had a good view from our seats. The play was also good, and they had lots of ushers and staff on site to make checking in and finding our seats easy. read more

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Such a beautiful old worldly place. Perfect for operas,stage shows and movies. It is very well maintained and the staff is very friendly and polite. Went there as part of a yelp event and was blown away by the place. read more

I've been wanting to write this review for a long time due to having the pleasure to experience the sublimity of opera at the wonderful, ornate California Theatre. My aunt gave us tickets to see Marriage of Figaro. Luckily these days operas all include subtitles with the original (Italian, English, Spanish) so we can enjoy the language and drama of the opera . The actors and actresses here are phenomenal and truly become their parts. You will find the performances have had a modern make over, with attention to diversity, while maintaining the elevated art of opera (dramatic performance and arias). There is something to be said about the raw, performativity of the emotion these performers present and leave on the stage. You'll be moved to tears, to laughter and back during the 3-4 hour performances. As for dress, it can range from extremely formal to extremely casual and depends on you and/or your group. Seating choices will vary. You can do floor level with excellent views of the stage and sounds of the opera band, or you can get balcony seats for a more big picture feel. Loved it and hope to go again! read more

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Come here periodically for dance and performing arts performances. Pretty good seating arrangements, the acoustic quality is really good and the location is top notch. There are two entrances- one in market street and another on first street. Contrary to people's suggestions, the nearest and cheapest parking spot is the Southhall parking lot on San Salvador and Almaden. If you want a covered parking, you can try the convention center parking lot, but I have found it overcrowded and hard to find parking spots when other events are happening at the same time. Would definitely recommend attending shows here read more

This theater is incredibly nice! My husband and I came here for the Cinequest film festival going on and saw the movie, The Longest Wave. We weren't sure what sort of theater we'd be in, but wow, it was beautiful! The building had so much character and we felt important by getting to attend such a lovely event! The bathrooms are clean and there are attendants all around to direct you in the correct area. I noticed that there were signs for the "orchestra", so I'd be interested to watch one of those performances as well! This is not a theater that you want to wear light wash jeans and a t-shirt to - dress up slightly (even just dark jeans will work) and you should fit in! read more

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Further Up & Further In with Max McLean is a must see event this weekend only. Beautiful venue showcases his unique presentation from the life of C.S. Lewis. read more

The Cedar is absolutely beautiful. The only disappointment was their snacks cause of Pringles and more Pringles, but as far as the theater goes fabulous, highly recommended. read more

Cinderella ballet was great. The lines to the cafeteria was long. Street parking is tough.! read more

California Theatre - Cinderella ballet - Performing Arts Near Me - San Jose, California

One of those classic theaters whose design looks like a marriage between a classic baroque castle and magical movie theater from the 1950s. Built in the 1920s hosting vaudeville and films, this theater opened its doors ra few years before the start of the Great Depression in 1929. Originally known as the Fox Theater it eventually changed its name to the California Theater. This venue is great for live theater, music, opera and even film. The Cinequest Film Festival has shown films here for the last few years including it award presentations. It is a beautiful theater and the entrance hallway inside is a work of art by itself. The theater itself is intimate, all the seats are great. I always find it a treat to go into this piece of art and history. read more

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What an amazing venue! This is one of the places that Cinequest uses every year. My mom treated my dad and I to a performance held this afternoon. It was a group from Beijing visiting the Bay Area. It was the first of many places that the group was visiting. It is a very historic theater which has been around since the 1920's. Very high balcony. Everything inside was spectacular. I plan to be back in the future for Cinequest events. read more

A beautiful, old-school venue, reflecting the cultural ambience of an earlier era. Gorgeously decorated, great visibility from all seats, and a classic pipe organ in the lobby. We very much enjoyed our granddaughter's symphony concert here. read more

On 11/12/17, we came to see the Opera San Jose perform La Rondine. A live orchestra performed along with the singers. The sound system was excellent. The theatre's beautiful and meticulous architecture is from yesteryear. The theater was originally built in 1927. From 2001 though 2004, the theater was totally renovated. If you check into sanjosetheaters.org under "Additional Information" it quotes: "It is recognized today as one of the best-preserved examples of 1920s-era motion picture houses in the United States". Other very interesting information is available on that website. The ushers were extremely helpful. Seating was very comfortable with lots of legroom. The seating layout was very well organized so you would never have someone blocking your stageview. Seating for people who have disabilities is available. In regards to restrooms, there were many stalls. Ladies (as you know) there's always a long line. However, in this theater the line moved quickly. I really didn't take notice parking facilities as we had Lyft. Street parking appeared to be available. Definitely, I would recommend one to see a program at the beautiful California Theatre. They don't make theaters like this anymore. read more

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We saw West Side Story yesterday afternoon. Absolutely superb! The two main characters had incredible performances as did the entire cast. The dancing was spot on as was the orchestra. I have seen West Side Story numerous times over the years, but this was the best by far. Also, no masks and we could bring refreshments to our seats. Ben F Tarsitano, DDS, MD read more

My husband treated me to the symphony a few weeks ago, and this theater was old school gorgeous! We had wonderful seats in the orchestra section so that was a plus. I haven't been in years so what a treat! The theater is located downtown San Jose right on a major street. We were able to have dinner before which was very nice, I'll get to that place later. read more

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A great venue for seeing movies. Too bad it is hardly used for that except during the annual film festival. But tonight they are showing the award winning classic movie "Amadeus" ! What a treat starting with live organ music onstage with cool sound effects. read more