We saw "Come From Away" on 5/9/2026 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Not only…read morewas the performance fantastic, parking was easy to find and free. The staff was extremely helpful in finding options for a comfortable, accessible set for me. Thank you! We are looking forward to seeing upcoming shows.

I recently looked online for tickets to a show at the Mountain View Center. I didn't purchase the…read moretickets at the time since I had questions that I needed answered from the box office. In the 2 days that I delayed purchasing, the price of tickets changed from $69 to $79. For me this represented paying an extra $40 since I was buying 4 tickets! There was no advance warning that this was going to happen and when I spoke to the box office they were not interested in honoring the original price I'd seen. Very disappointing.

The M-A Bears are bringing music and the performing arts to Menlo Park in a big Roarin' way!…read more Back when I was in high school at M-A, (no, I'm not divulging my graduating year date!) the site of this theatre was known as J-Building. It was a dingy reflection of an era that was in love with asbestos and that horrid color, mustard yellow. I remember looking up at that nasty ceiling and seeing all the paper airplanes that had made it into oblivion. Forever stuck in that chemical wasteland, these paper wads were a credit to whoever had the best muscle and aim. Not me. I was a band geek...well, a Jazz Band Geek! With the recent retiring of 39 year M-A veteran and band teacher, Frank Moura, the PAC Band/Rehearsal Room is now officially named in his honor, "Frank Moura Hall". He will forever be a legend at M-A, having brought award-winning jazz bands to Europe, Reno and beyond since the 70s. Frank was, of course, my favorite high school teacher! No longer on the fringes of the school grounds, the Band Room is now combined with the Performing Arts Center. From the practice room, which is big enough for sectionals, is a hall way that leads to the backstage. Walking through, I felt like the football team must feel entering the field--like a super star (even without an instrument in my hand!) What is so phenomenal about its creation is the architectural design, worthy of any college campus. Not only is it built with state of the art sound technology and lighting equipment, but it holds 492 seats, an 80 musician orchestra pit and has a ticket booth. Its public performances serve the cities of Menlo Park, Atherton and surrounding communities. Lucky me, I got to meet the Center's new manager, a M-A grad and talented vocalist. It must be awesome to work at the school where you grew up. It's "almost" enough to wish myself back into my teens. Uh...almost! Its beautiful, metal "mesh-like" structure on the inside strongly reminded me of what it's like to sit under the filtered light of the campus oak trees. They really have done an excellent job combining modern touches and school spirit. The carpeting is a tasteful nod to M-A's colors: Maroon and Gold. (Go Bears!) My favorite detail, however, was a graffiti-like painting of a bear that greets visitors in the entrance. It's all about funding...this is a beautiful, physical representation of something that an affluent community has done that many places probably can not afford to do, but wish they could: Support the Arts! Here's to you, Frank!

The Center for the Performing Arts is the new performing arts center located at Menlo-Atherton High…read moreSchool. For it's grand opening event, Music@Menlo hosted a chamber music concert. I was able to see the venue while I was working to host a reception for the event. From the outside, the building is very abstract looking, and there are stadium style steps that lead to the main entrance. Once you enter, the walls are painted a deep and bold red color, with pictures highlighting the building process hanging on the walls. The theater itself is very nice and has a contemporary uniqueness to it. In the theatre, the ceiling is in angular shapes and all of the equipment in the ceiling is able to be seen by the audience through mesh metal coverings. Some of the cool things I noticed was that this new building has a great heating and cooling system, and the theater is virtually soundproof once the doors are closed. This was very beneficial to us who were working because we were able to set up, clean up, and break down without worrying about disturbing the concert. Overall, this is a very cool venue, and hopefully one day I can come to watch a performance.

This served as venue for Black Commencement and Civil/Environmental Engineering Department…read moreCeremonies for the 2025 graduates.

I've been here twice for dance performances, sat in both orchestra and second tier. Seats and…read morespacing are good -- I'm not tall and my view is not blocked. Parking is mostly in nearby streets (along Jane Stanford Way, Memorial Way, Lasuen Street, Museum Way, and Roth Way). I came once on a pre-covid weeknight and once during COVID weekend evening for international/professional dance performances. Standard COVID practices: they are checking vaccine cards and ID at the door. Why the deductions? It seems common for people to be late and the show to start T+20 min. This to me is absolutely horrendous. I haven't been a huge fan of the repertoire that were selected either... I'm a huge dance person but I've yet to stay for the entirety of a production.

Such a cool space for recording. Super friendly staff, well-stocked fridge. Solid equipment…read more Came here to record for a podcast, would definitely use them again.

The best social club anywhere! Musicians now have a place to gather and create together thanks to…read moreSound Union.

Love concert series as well as the Studio (caberet) downstairs…read more As a musician who has performed there many times with full orchestra, I especially appreciate their willingness to correct the accoustics because in the beginning we could not hear our fellow musicians let alone ourselves. Ditto as an audience member. Couldn't live without Bing!

This concert venue is gorgeous, acoustically stunning, and designed so there isn't a bad seat in…read morethe house. Make sure you buy your tickets directly at the Box Office to avoid additional fees!

excellent music. Played the Mahler 2nd. Very well done…read more excellent music. Played the Mahler 2nd. Very well done.

We are so fortunate to have this wonderful music collective in the Bay area. Thank you to each and…read moreevery orchestra member for bringing great music to us!

The Pear has gone through a lot of change past few years, needless to say COVID was a tough time…read more They have a new artistic Director, the new season looks promising. The 2025 Annual production of Pear Slices (short original plays written by local playwrights) was fantastic. The upcoming season looks really interesting. The theater is just off of 101 / Shoreline, plenty of free parking. Thepear.org

It's incredible how much things can change. I used to love this theater -- in fact, I gave it a…read more5-star review six years ago. Unfortunately, my recent experience was a real disappointment. While the actors were talented and delivered strong performances, they didn't seem well-matched to the roles they were cast in, which made it harder to connect with the story. More importantly, I came to see a Shakespeare play, but was disheartened by the insertion of modern political messaging that felt out of place and unnecessarily polarizing. Sadly, this no longer feels like the theater I once enjoyed. I won't be returning.

We attended a show last summer, and I wanted to write a review because I was looking for more info…read morewhen I was looking online for live folk music and found Dala's. What a delightful place! A charming garden in Palo Alto. The hosts were warm and welcoming. A unique experience how the hosts organize an opportunity for artists to perform and for people to enjoy an afternoon listening to them. Felt like a community to be in someone's back yard with a group of like-minded people who were there to enjoy music. Check out the video of the hummingbird! Generous table of snacks and drinks. We enjoyed the performance and are excited to attend other performances when they open again in the spring/summer. This is a gem! Special what they're doing.

Dala's Nest is a wonderful microvenue, specializing in acoustic music generally based in the Bay…read moreArea. It's an intimate, comfortable space for listening to music. Being close to the musicians makes the experience more like a conversation rather than a monologue. Kudos to the host Aimee Campbell, whose hospitality makes the concert goers feel at home.