Last Saturday was my first time here. I've lived in WC for years and never been until now and will…read morebe back. Last Saturday I did one of their art walks. Staff/volunteers explain the art murals in the area. It was very interesting to learn about their artist and history. The sane day I went to see the Aztec stories exhibit. I loved it! Got to talk to the artist and his wife. Great people, very humble. His art is amazing, colorful, creative, and so detailed. His wife explained it takes him about 2 months to finish one. It's beautiful, def recommend visiting if you haven't. Both of the above events were on donations. So worth it!

Came here to leave a review about A Christmas Carol and was surprised, but not surprised, to see…read moreseveral negative reviews for it. It was the worst play I have ever seen in my life! We have been coming to see A Christmas Carol at Lesher Center for the Arts for at least 10 years now. It has always been the exact * same * play, one that was known and loved by many, if not all. This year's new adaptation was so bad that we actually walked out early. I'm going to go ahead and mention the elephant in the room here. There were way too many wheelchairs in this play. There were 3-4 wheelchairs on stage at any given time and we found it really distracting. Tiny Tim was zooming around the stage in his electric wheelchair which doesn't fit into 1800s London. So there was a lack of period accuracy with this adaptation. It might have been acceptable for Tiny Tim to be in a wheelchair (but only him) IF his acting wasn't atrocious. This kid was terrible. He had no acting skills and seemed to have no interest in playing his part. It seems like he was selected for the part only because he was in a wheelchair. Next, the actor playing Ebenezer Scrooge is an old white guy but as he looks back on his life, they have multiple ethnicities playing Scrooge as a little kid, school age boy, and then a young adult. Each version of him was a different ethnicity. There was a serious lack of continuity with his character, which was really confusing if you didn't already know the story and know which part these people were supposed to be playing. They also had the same actors playing multiple parts in the play. For example, the Filipino Scrooge (who played him as a young adult) and his love interest were playing the part of the aunt and uncle later on in the play. Again, if you didn't already KNOW the storyline, this would be really confusing as to why Scrooge was acting the part of the uncle later on. Another example - the ghost of Christmas Past was a beautiful African-American woman who leaves Scrooge at the top of the stage to go to the bottom of the stage and play his sister when he was a kid. Then she walked back up the stairs and played the part of the Ghost of Christmas Past again. Really confusing. My 10-year-old daughter was totally lost and had no idea what was going on with the characters. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future USED to be a 20-foot-tall black ghost figure that silently came out on the stage. Now, they rolled out an actor in (you guessed it) a wheelchair with a black sheet over his head. We were like "Really? Is that the best they could do??" They threw a sheet over this guy's head like he was a 5-year-old! And the ghost was so rude and criticizing Scrooge the whole time (he's not supposed to talk). It was so, so bad. That's when we got up and left finally, although I had wanted to leave during intermission but had hoped it might improve some if we stayed. It didn't, it only got worse. It felt like the director was taking a cheap shot at hiring so many actors in wheelchairs, because what critic or reporter is going to watch it and criticize a play with multiple disabled people in it?? They're not going to do that, so it felt like the director used an underhanded method to force positive reviews from critics. Yet we were not the only ones leaving during the middle of the play - multiple people walked out before us. I'm all for diversity in acting, but at least keep the characters consistent. Scrooge didn't need to be played by four different ethnicities. That also seemed like an intentional cheap shot by whoever does the hiring. In years past, when Tiny Tim passed away, my daughter and I were always near tears because we were so engaged with the play and felt sad for him. This year, the actor was so bad that when he "died" we felt nothing, because it all just seemed so fake and bad. Sad to say, we will NOT be returning to this play ever again if it remains in this format. The worst piece of garbage I have ever seen. I wish I could get my $250 back.

My daughter has been with SingOut Theater throughout this entire year. She auditioned in to the…read morekids competition and performed 'Junglebook' with her team in Sacramento. An intense, exciting time! They won an award for choreography at JTF West! She also did Triple Threat and High school Musical this summer. So to say the least, We Are FANs! We feel so lucky to have Chelsea teaching our daughter! A lovely personality and mentor, a highly skilled dancer and choreographer, a patient and kind Director. The Music Director Kevin warmly and patiently builds the student's musical understanding and performances. His contribution keeps musical standards high and performances enjoyable. The Business Director/Producer Rachel adds the no nonsense behind the scenes taking care of business ballast for all this creativity. We are grateful for her expertise to keep SingOut thriving. My daughter is attending a performing arts school in the fall. We will still be attending Tue/Thurs Musical Theater at SingOut. It is top notch and she loves it!

There is something confusing about the discussions regarding the Diablo Light Opera Co & Diablo…read moreTheater Company. They were one and the same. Originally named DLOC in 1959 when they formed a company performing Gilbert & Sullivan Light Operas. Eventually they changed the name to Diablo Theater Co. They had a youth program called STARS 2000, which continues to this day to operate. Diablo Theater Co. that use to produce large scale Musicals & Light Opera productions at the Lesher Center For The Arts in Walnut Creek, is no longer in business. STARS 2000 continues as their own company. There is no other youth program that is under the auspices of the Diablo Theater Co. and in fact their studios were sold and are under the ownership of Performing Arts Academy.

We went there for play at weekend. It was Froggy and I loved it. Definitely would recommendread more

Great company! Very professional. Wonderful people. High quality performances! I'll come back again…read moreand again.

I'm really surprised to see some of the negative reviews because my daughter and several of her…read morefriends have been in Standing Ovation productions for around 7 years. Throughout this time I have never seen or heard any negative responses from the children or their families. Sometimes I sit in on rehearsals and I've always been impressed with how the participants remain focused on the projects at hand. Seeing a large group of children concentrating on their work and not "messing around" while rehearsing is impressive to me. I really appreciate the work ethic of the participants, especially since this is a behavior that you don't see much of among modern children these days. For years my child has eagerly and regularly attended Standing Ovation productions. For the past couple of years she has also been an assistant, working with the younger people. This has been a valuable experience for her and she also continues to participate in productions with her peer group. There's a certain amount of self discipline that is necessary to pursue the performing arts. That self discipline is something my daughter developed largely through Standing Ovations. This troupe may not be right for every child and family, but I am extremely happy with the way I've seen Barrett work with my daughter and her friends. His rehearsals are always open to visitors and I give him 5 stars across the board.

My boss' daughter is a student of Barrett, and I was so incredibly impressed with his production of…read more"Sheer Luck Holmes." The kids were having so much fun when performing while also learning so much about theater. My boss was brought to tears when she saw how much work everyone involved put into the production. The performance was intimate and felt like such a special event. Her daughter also works for Barrett helping the younger kids get ready for productions, and she loves it. I personally have met Barrett on a couple of occasions, and you can really tell how much he loves what he does. These kids are so lucky to have him and experience such passion. He is appropriately "hard" on the kids, but they're all life lessons they should be learning anyway. I hope I get to see many more of his plays!

[Title of Show] had me falling out of my seat laughing. All the actors were surprisingly good and…read morehad great voices. And I'll have to agree with Tara that Heidi stole the show. The story and songs were all incredibly witty and catchy. So fun and entertaining. A well spent evening.

Saw "Title of Show" last night and loved it. Very tongue in cheek and entertaining. The actors did…read morea great job. Everyone on the stage was talented, but Heidi stole the show with her wonderful voice and charismatic personality. I look forward to seeing more productions.

This drag show is the best. The queens are funny and they make you feel like you are a part of the…read moreshow and not just the audience. The owners have recently remodeled and it looks great. I highly recommend this show.

So fun. The girls put on a great show. Halotta is hilarious and always gets the crowd going. It is…read morenever boring and they always make you feel like you are the part of the show. Love coming to the show especially for fun themed nights like Disney. Beautiful costumes too!!

This place is really disorganized. We tried to arrange a first lesson for our daughter. They…read morechanged the lesson time 3 times, and then the teacher didn't even show on the day we finally got aligned. I sent an email to follow up and never heard back.

Our children have been students at Village Music School for 5+ years and love it! They have very…read morefriendly staff and our kids have always felt comfortable around their teachers. This year we started attending their new building in Walnut Creek. Their music teacher, Josh, is absolutely an amazing music teacher! He's very patient and knowledgeable in so many instruments and our children have learned so much from him. We totally recommend Village Music School!

My daughter absolutely loves Jackie! Jackie is absolutely amazing with all her students, you can…read morereally see she takes the time for each one! Hip hop class is remarkable my daughter can't stop won't stop dancing and practicing all her new and old moves! This is the first time my daughter has ever been super excited to go to dance and super pumped after she leaves wanted more! Highly recommended this studio! Thank you Jackie!

The older dancers lead by bad example, not respectful.read more

Our family has had a wonderful experience with I Can Do That! Performing Arts Center. Our kids have…read moreenjoyed being part of the program and always look forward to participating in classes, productions and showcases. The performances give students a chance to build confidence, develop their talents, and have fun while working together toward a common goal. Both of our children also completed the guitar class and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Their instructor Paul Stefani was encouraging and created a positive environment where students could learn new skills while having fun. We have been impressed by the caring staff and the welcoming community that ICDT provides. The program has helped our children grow in confidence, creativity, and teamwork. We are especially grateful for the tuition assistance our family has received. This support has made it possible for our children to continue participating in activities they love, and it has made a meaningful difference for our family. We highly recommend I Can Do That! to families looking for a supportive and engaging performing arts program for their children.

My daughter recently performed as Flounder in ICDT!'s Little Mermaid Jr. musical production, and I…read morecan't say enough wonderful things about this performing arts center. This was her first production outside of middle school, and she absolutely loved everything about the experience -- the directors, the supportive and welcoming environment, the incredible energy of ICDT!, and the kindness of the other students and families. We had explored other production programs before, but none felt as organized, communicative, or thoughtfully run as ICDT!. On top of that, ICDT! was incredibly generous in providing our family with a tuition scholarship, which allowed my daughter to have this truly memorable experience. I am forever grateful to ICDT! for supporting her, welcoming her so warmly, and making such a meaningful impact on her life journey. THANK YOU, ICDT!

I LOVED the Beginning and Back to Basics Ballet classes with Hiroko! I've been searching for adult…read morebeginner ballet classes in the area, but it was hard to find one truly tailored for adult beginners--where I could learn proper positions and fundamental techniques. I'm so glad I found Hiroko's classes. She genuinely cares about each student's form and takes the time to correct our poses and steps. I really appreciate her patience and understanding. I only wish they can add more Back to Basics class options on weekends or in the evenings so I could attend after work. Thank you, Hiroko, for reigniting my passion for ballet!

I was enrolled in an adult ballet class taught by Hiroko Shabuya. Though she seemed nice, it was a…read morewaste of money. She selected a few of the best ballet dancers in the class to act as lead dancers for a production we were to perform as a class. The rest of us were relegated to be background dancers. This meant most of us waited around for her attention or practiced simple movements, while Hiroko focused on teaching the main dancers their roles. I felt like my money was wasted since her focus was on a few of the best dancers and teaching them their intricate choreography, while the rest of us did not get much individual attention.