David and I recently attended a performance by Noam Pikelny and Friends at the Reser. I really…read moreenjoyed this performance, of which Noam's Friends who played Fiddle, String Base, Acoustic Guitar, and a "kick ass" Mandolin. Noam is widely recognized banjoist. We deeply appreciated his journey through "War Ravaged" Portland to get here. The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts is stunning venue. The auditorium had nice acoustics and sight lines, and I don't think there was a bad seat in the house. We actually sat next to Patricia and her husband, who happened to be one of David's old High School Teachers. Outside the Auditorium is a pretty multi-level lobby space, teaching rooms, an interesting art gallery, and great light. There's also a spacious outside plaza and an inviting entrance. Reser staff were all very professional hand helpful. The Reser was also an easy walk from my Hotel and the Max Light Rail, for those not driving. I'd love to come back, and maybe for the Stop Making Sense Tour?

This is a beautifully modern venue, featuring polished concrete, glass and wood details, with…read morethoughtful accessibility features throughout. The staff is welcoming and helpful. The building is clean and well maintained and the auditorium is inviting and intimate. I appreciate the design aesthetic and attention to detail. And as a Bay Area native, I was pleasantly surprised to attend LaRussell's performance, which is part of the Rhythm + Revolution event series that has an amazing line up of hip hop culture events. I also viewed the Black Matter and ReENVISIONED exhibits showcasing Black artists. Very grateful to The Reser for hosting these types of events, artists and artwork - thank you!

Small theater that never ceases to entertain. My wife volunteers on occasion as stage manager…read moreand/or lights. If you enjoy live theater, I can tecommend any BCT production.

We've been season ticket holders for several years now and have enjoyed their productions. From…read moremusicals to comedy and drama, the players and crew are enthusiastic, involved, and energetic. Last night we attended their first performance in their new adjunct, The Playhouse, located in the Cedar Hills Crossing Mall, of a short play called "Anybody for Tea?" by C.B Gilford. Done in improve style, the cast was, according the introduction, given scripts and some time with the director before the presentation, but they'd not met each other and had no idea who was in other roles or how it was going to play out. We recognized several of the actors from previous productions, including the play's 'coach,' the always talented, Les Ico. The only down-side was a bench that broke during seating, but the folks looked to be fine and the bench was quickly replaced by chairs. I hope they do more of these smaller productions along with their main stage plays. We'd definitely attend. It was great fun and the Peachwave just down the mall has a non-dairy frozen dessert offering that's pineapple and not vanilla.

I've been coming here for many many years. Usually I see performances at the Newmark Theater for…read moreWhite Bird dance performances, opera, or ballet performances but I have also seen plays and musicals in the smaller Brunish and the Dolores Winningstad theaters. All three theaters have a great array of different seats for able body and ADA. I have sat in various spaces throughout time in each and I have never really had a "bad" seat. I only had one "yuck" experience at the Newmark because I had a seat in between a guy and a lady. Our whole row was empty... guy basically "ordered" us to move over.... so that his wife at the end seat could have "more room". The woman next to me said a solid NO. they started arguing over me. I interjected saying to the fella, "Hay, so the ENTIRE row seems empty... How about you and your lovely wife grab the center so she has plenty of room AND a way better view!" SOLVED... Next up was then getting the NO lady to stop wanting to talk to me....oomph.... Folks, go to all of the shows! Support the arts, share the space the best you can. If you start talking to the stranger next to you, try not to inflict your ick on them.

I got to go see one of my favorite food and travel stars from Netflix's Somebody Feed Phil. Phil…read moreRosenthal is also the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. What a fun night and wow what a gorgeous and classy building. The seats were pretty comfortable and the staff was so kind and helpful. Great experience!

A True Local Gem Worth Supporting!…read more In my quest to support local small businesses, I've driven past Joy Cinema many times while heading down 99W toward Tigard -- always thinking, "I really need to stop in one of these days." Fast forward to the 40th anniversary showing of Back to the Future, and I finally did it! Sure, I could have gone to one of the big movie chains nearby, but I wanted to support a locally owned theater -- and I'm so glad I did. While Joy Cinema doesn't have its own parking lot, there's plenty of parking in the shopping center just behind it. The lobby is small but welcoming, and you'll likely be greeted by the owner himself -- who runs everything from ticket sales to concessions to the movie projector. It truly feels like a one-man show, and that personal touch makes the experience so special. Plus, the prices for both tickets and snacks are refreshingly affordable compared to the big chains. The theater itself has one large screening room, and it's impressive -- spacious, comfy seats, great surround sound, and a large screen that makes for a perfect movie experience. They don't drown you in endless previews, just a couple quick ones before the feature starts. I also appreciate some of the fun movie history and facts they presented prior to the screening. I also appreciated that they have clearly marked spots for wheelchairs in prime viewing areas -- a thoughtful touch that shows care for accessibility. Unfortunately, one rude family arrived late, talking loudly and even letting their kids run around, which disrupted the movie for a bit. The owner handled it as best as anyone could -- even stepping in multiple times to address the situation. It's tough when guests behave poorly, but I really admired how he tried to keep things under control while protecting his business. After the show, the owner greeted us again and asked how we enjoyed the movie -- that kind of personal connection is rare these days. I'll absolutely be back to Joy Cinema. It's a local treasure run by someone who truly cares about movies and the community. If you're in the area and want to enjoy a film while supporting a small business, skip the big chains and check this place out!

A community isn't a community without a movie theater, and Joy Cinema really makes it happen. Along…read morewith first-run movies they also have special events like Weird Wednesday and SCARE-A-THON before Halloween. These are the events I like going to. Local vendors share their wares in the lobby and it brings a local cinema-loving group of people together and gives them a home.

Do hidden gems apply to non food places? If so then HART is definitely one! The outside doesn't…read morelook like much but the inside is full of talent and dedicated volunteers. It is community theater, run and managed by a team of volunteers. Prices are amazing for seeing a show here. They definitely are helping the local downtown Hillsboro community by offering affordable shows on a routine basis. Since after COVID, they have been upping their game. Concessions are better, production value is better, and the variety of fun/classic shows is better. I can wait to see what's in store for them next!

Continually impressed with their creative game and sweat equity. This company works hard and works…read moreit hard! I am so proud to have had 2 original productions at HART: Damselfly and Almost All About Eva. WTG team HART! (I love how they love their audiences too!).

We went the other week to see the Third Rail Repertory Theatre perform at the World Trade Center…read moredowntown. I am pretty sure this is their normal location. The play was called "The Lying Kind". They perform in an intimate theater with very comfortable seats and the play was hilarious. The whole audience was laughing and having a great time. Single tickets are all under $30 and if you buy a subscription it's cheaper. We have friends that had a subscription last year so we went again and got one for this year. Really happy we did after only one play. There are three plays total this year and if they are even half as good as this one we will get our money's worth. It's great to check out the local talent of both actors and writers in a great venue. I highly recommend checking them out!

I am have been a season subscription holder for the last four years and I love it!…read more Third Rail just moved from the World Trade Center to the Winninstad Theatre. The Winninstad is an amazing Theatre and is perfect for the cutting edge performances and stage sets that TRR can produce. My only disappointed was discovering that as a student, I can save more by buying tickets individually over buying the season package's..they really need to fix that. Otherwise, great production, great group, great selection of plays and always a great time.

My son love this dance studio. There are so many lessons and kind instructors. He has lots of fun…read morehere

Fun | Great for all kids…read more My daughter expressed an interest in doing dance this past year, so I thought I'd enroll her in a class here. I was recommended to also join this school from one of our neighbors. If you're looking to enroll your kids, they go by the academic school calendar, so enrollment begins around the time school starts. When schools are off on holidays and snow days, it applies to this dance school as well. It's something to keep in mind. My 6 yr old is enrolled in Miss Megan's Tap-Acro-Jazz Dance once a week. This age range is 5-6yr olds. She's about 4 months in into this class and enjoys it. Parents are not allowed to sit in and watch. However, there are two dates when parents are allowed to sit in and watch how much progress the kids have made since the start of class. It's a popular class, so it seems like a full class. They start off with tap warmups then work into their choreographies and switch to Jazz. They end the hour long class with acro, and this seems to be the favorite part of the class. My daughter tells me she loves acro because she gets to do fun exercises, like walking on a balance block. Everything is safe and appropriate for their age. Miss Megan has the class flowing well and transitions all of the kids onto the page somehow. Sometime in December they do measurements for performance clothing/ costumes in June. I believe it is about $100. Every month, the tuition is $72 paid through their website. For this particular class, kids need to buy jazz shoes, tap shoes, and a leotard or something similar. Communication is great, as Miss Megan sends a monthly newsletter with important events and dates coming up. We're excited to watch the showcase in June. So far, we recommend this activity and this school.

I highly recommend Innovative Dance to parents who are looking for a dance classes for their kids…read more Prior to Innovative, I had no experience with dance studios. I signed my daughter up in second grade, which is pretty young for a structured activity, especially for my then dreamy, imaginative child. Within a few weeks, she was loving it. Eight years later, she had taken most of the classes and levels, including three years of performance company and was ready for a steady stream of high school theater productions and classes at NW Dance Project in PDX. Now that she is in college, she is a teacher and choreographer herself at places like Willowbrook, Musical Theatre camps and dance classes. Campus organizations and professors invite her choreographic input. What's nice about dance is that it is not only a physical outlet but also a musical, theatrical and collaborative experience. Dancing is one of my daughter's greatest joys. I appreciate the whole extended team at Innovative from the past decade. Their collective work makes the world a better place.