Went for the Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky concert, my first symphony. I didn't do much research into…read morethe actual music itinerary, so I was sad to not hear the classics (Swan Lake, Cinderella, or Romeo and Juliet), but they were absolutely perfect and it was so beautiful. They don't enforce dress codes but everyone came nicely dressed anyway, so it's a nice, comfortable setting for those who stress about dress code. There are plenty of places to get decent priced alcohol and espresso. Some snacks are available, but they aren't allowed in the main hall. There is a bag size policy that applies to non-seethrough bags, so be aware of that. Our bag was less than half an inch bigger than the limit and they were pretty set on denying entry. I didn't see it in the FAQs for dress code, but maybe I was looking in the wrong place so that's on me. Highly recommend, they were beautiful.

My girlfriends and I have a tradition of taking our daughters to see The Nutcracker every year…read more Over the years, we've seen it several times at the Orpheum and also at Arizona Financial Theatre, but this was our first time experiencing it at Phoenix Symphony Hall. The venue itself was lovely and felt very festive, especially with the large Christmas tree welcoming you as you entered the lobby. According to the ticket information, concessions were available, though food wasn't allowed at your seats. Unfortunately, the only food option offered was cookies. The girls were hoping for a few more candy-style snack options to enjoy during intermission, so that was a bummer. We ordered drinks when we first arrived, and the staff member helping us suggested ordering our intermission drinks at the same time so they'd be ready for pickup later--such a smart idea. We did exactly that, and it saved us a lot of time. Restroom lines were long during intermission, so being able to walk up and grab a pre-paid glass of wine without waiting in another line was a huge plus and made it easy to relax and enjoy the start of the second act. Seeing The Nutcracker performed with a live orchestra was very cool and added an extra layer of magic to the experience. The ballet itself was wonderful, as always, and made for a special holiday tradition.

Over the last couple of decades, I've seen various shows at the Orpheum Theatre. Parking can be…read morevery difficult, and deters me from seeing a show here if I can avoid it. I'll see shows that are touring if they have a spectacular stage presence like Anastasia; which was truly remarkable! A beautiful theatre, and for the right show, worth dealing with downtown Phoenix parking.

What an absolutely gorgeous venue! As I walked in, I felt like I was stepping into a different era…read more I was so impressed and in awe with the beautiful Spanish architecture with all the intricate murals, moldings, gold accents, arches, and hidden decorative peacocks. We went to watch The Phoenix Symphony performing with Troupe Vertigo: Cirque Carmen. It was a magnificent combination of orchestral music with aerial acts, dance, and circus style performances. The seats were very comfortable and the quality of acoustics was fantastic. Make sure you take a clear bag or a small purse (8.5" x 5.5") as they do have a bag policy. Large purses and backpacks are not allowed. They also use metal detectors and have security screening. I'd definitely love to go see another performance here.

This is one of the best entertainment values in town and I look forward to its arrival every April…read more If you have not yet checked out the local improv community here in Phoenix you will be surprised at all of the offerings by various groups affiliated with the Torch Theatre. (check their website for year round performance info.) For the annual Phoenix Improv Festival at the Herberger Theater, they jury in the best groups from around the United States for one action packed weekend. All you have to do is show up at the theater (well, get tickets first of course) and you'll have an opportunity to see some of the most interesting improv groups from around the USA all without spending a minute waiting for a flight out of sky harbor airport. Get ready to stretch your perceptions of what improv is, as these groups have so many different takes on it. Some will make you laugh, others will be wickedly irreverent or will amaze you with their talents at weaving a cohesive story line. Still others will have you thinking about them a month or longer after seeing their performance because of all the subtle intricacies woven in. Phoenix's veteran improv groups frequently travel to other major cities to perform and have a key role in teaching and mentoring some of the up and coming local groups participating in the festival. What a great opportunity for all to share the stage with groups from outside AZ and interact offstage. fantastic learning opportunities that will only make the Phoenix improv community continue to grow better and stronger and deeper. They have a fantastic vision that's come so far and deserves our continued support!

I have to disagree with Chris W., because I think that the Phoenix Improv Festival is no where near…read morethe quality of Chicago's Sketchfest. However, the prices are more than fair: how can you beat three performances for $15.00!? That is cheaper than a movie, and SO MUCH more fun! I attended both the 7 PM and 9:30 PM shows on April 18, 2009 (for a total of six performances), and without a doubt (and of no surprise to me) I was most pleased with WeirDass. Most of you will know Stephnie Weir from MADtv. I was doubly pleased because I had not expected any, what I would call, "headliners." Though I think there is a huge opportunity to market the Festival to the masses that is being overlooked...all in all, I think the Festival has the potential to become great.

Love, love, love these ladies! You walk out of class feeling like a total Goddess…read more Although I haven't been able to attend a class in a while, I know I will be welcomed back with open arms. The staff is fantastic and the shows are amazing and HOT! I highly recommend Studio VaVoom/ Romantasy Caberet!

The Romantasy Cabaret shows are not only super sexy, but also full of vaudville fun. I find myself…read moreimmersed in a whole new world and it is such a nice escape from daily life. I'm always impressed with the talent level and very entertained. I definitely recommend checking out their shows.

I checked out Herberger Theater Center for the first time for an event hosted by Fever: The Jury…read moreExperience. Located downtown, this charming theater puts on various performances (plays, musicals, and The Empire Strips Back (a Star Wars burlesque parody) to name a few. Parking is notoriously bad downtown but here's a cheat code: if you park at the Arizona Center's parking garage, the Herberger will validate your parking ticket for a deep discount off of the fee. It's not free but it's a deep discount. Just talk to the box office and they will take care of you. The theater itself is a charming, old-school theater. We enjoyed the event and the seats were relatively comfortable. We were on the upper level and didn't have any issues seeing the stage. In the lobby, you can find some concessions selling drinks and snacks. I went with a beer. You're allowed to bring it into the theater, but there are no cup holders. Upon leaving, I found out that for certain parts of the year, there are free concerts in the grassy area outside of the theater. I'll definitely have to check that out at some point, and also come back for another perfromance!

Not many styled shows make their way here that care to my liking, but recently I've seen an uptick…read moreand find myself looking more and more at upcoming events. I've been here recently now for 2 shows that I would call nontraditional, but man, they were great shows, and I had such a blast. The layout of the theater is great. I was on the 1st level for one show and on the 2nd level for the 2nd one. Despite being on the 2nd level, it still gave a personal feel and kept us engaged. If you don't like heights, make sure to arrive early to get in the lower level, as once you're on the upper level, it does go shallow & up. Getting cocktails from the bar downstairs typically has a long line, but if you go upstairs, there's usually another make-shift bar to help offset it. I didn't take advantage of any parking, as I used a ride service to the venue, as I just wanted to get dropped off at the door. It's hit or miss with parking, especially if there is something going on at the arena (basketball, concert, baseball game, etc...) Looking forward to the next event.

My most recent visit was to the Phoenix Theatre Company to watch Jersey Boys, and I must say, the…read moreperformance was truly electrifying! The talent, energy, and passion displayed on stage from the beginning to the end were incomparable. This has become one of my go-to places for entertainment...

Definitely an interesting experience, but I admit straight away that this experience is a little…read morepricey. I like the fact that there are daring enough to challenge the audience with nudity (both male and female) in a very tasteful artistic way and I'd give them high regard for that. It honestly reminds me a lot of what the Greeks used to do through the history of their plays and performances. There were a few minor things that I had disagreements about when I went. First off it may have just been that performance but the play I attended just didn't see them that well written. Again it could've been a bad play on this attendance and it doesn't mean I won't give it another chance to see if the writing of gotten a little better. On a positive side, it was good to see them use actors who are new to the acting experience to get them seasoning. So when you go you will definitely see local upcoming talent on stage. The other negative part I have was the sound quality. They had to use headset with microphone which I thought took away from the experience of watching one on stage. There are a lot of feedback issues, dropped sound quality, and the likes which took away from the experience. I think though this too could be rectified with a little work backstage for the next time. I would like to go again and see what they have to offer. Definitely This place gives you a whole new perspective to the idea of theater which I think is a good idea. It is a pricey ticket though so be forewarned.

This is the wine festival by which all other wine festivals will be measured for me going forward…read more Admittedly this is more expensive than other wine events held here in the valley (between $55-$75/person depending on when you buy tickets). But what you get for the money far exceeds any wine festival I've experienced here in the valley. It didn't hurt that this year's Grape Arizona Wine Event was held on a crystal clear 70 degree day, but this is truly the biggest and best wine event I've been to anywhere in the Phoenix area. My only criticism would be that this event should be held on a Saturday (rather than Sunday) to maximize exposure for the event and its vendors. Other than that, I have almost nothing but positive things to say for this fantastic event. I bought my ticket about a month in advance so I only had to pay $55 (rather than the door price of $75). With that ticket came a goody bag containing a wine glass, event program, 20 wine tasting tickets (that's not a typo) and 10 food tasting tickets. I counted 15 Arizona wineries at this event and 7 restaurants offering food tastings. Most of the wineries this year hailed from southern Arizona (particularly the Willcox and Sonoita areas) but also with a few from the Verde Valley area as well. Restaurants participating in this year's event included Beckett's Table, Thirteennorth, Match, Leona's Foccacia, Herb Box, Modern Round, and Vincent's Bistro. Additionally there were miscellaneous vendors selling everything to chocolate, to wine glass charms, to olive oil, to home decor. With so many tickets to use, I wanted to make sure I made use of them all. So I employed a balanced strategy. 2 wine tastings, then 1 food item, then 2 more wine tastings, then another food item, then...well, you get the picture. Thankfully a number of the food vendors had some hearty food samples to help soak up all of that wine. From Beckett's muffuleta sandwich, to Modern Round's beef sliders, to Thirteennorth's turducken meatloaf, and even Vincent's roast beef slider. Though I have to admit my favorite of the food offerings at this event was Leona's cannoli. It was so good I got two helpings. As for the wines, most the wineries were here earlier in the month at the Grand Arizona Wine Festival so I was somewhat familiar with the offerings. Alcantera (my favorite from the Grand AZ Fest) was unfortunately not one of the wineries on hand this time around. That said I still found plenty of wine varieties to love. My favorite this time around was probably from Carlson Creek (a Willcox winery with a tasting room in Scottsdale). Their Rule Of Three wine is a perfectly well balanced mix of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre. A full bodied but smooth wine that went perfectly with all those food bites. The crowd at this event, while impressive, was smaller than the Grand Arizona Wine Festival earlier in the month. No doubt in part because this event was more expensive and because this event was on a Sunday rather than a Saturday. But for me that was a good thing as I had room to move about the wine and food booths quite easily and there was plenty of tables and chairs to station myself at any given time. And unlike the Grand AZ Festival, there was an abundance of food offerings to help balance out all the alcohol. The entry price may not be cheap, but what you get for the money is truly worth every penny. I was able to make use of all my tickets in just over two hours, though I could have easily spent more time here if I were hanging out with a big group. Fantastic event showcasing both Arizona's growing selection of wineries as well as some of the Phoenix area's diverse culinary treasures. Hoping to see even more offerings the next time this event comes around as there's plenty of room for even more vendors should they decide to come to this event next year. A quick note that a portion of the proceeds from this event also goto the Phoenix Rotary 100 Club. So to recap: Drink wine, eat good food, support a good cause. Any questions?

On my birthday weekend, I went to the 2024 Arizona Strong Beer Festival on 2/17/24 with my parents…read moreand my boyfriend, who also had a birthday a few days ago. Though there were about 175 different vendors at the festival, there was no way that we were going to end up trying all of them. The festival took place at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. Because we had a wristband that we picked up at the college baseball game that took place the night before, we entered the festival at approximately 11:30, which was an hour and 30 minutes before the general admission entrance time. At the entrance, we were given 24 booth tickets and a complimentary 3 oz sample glass to use at all the booths. We later realized that some of the booths didn't ask for our tickets, so we believed that only the VIPs got unlimited samples. We had access to their VIP lounge, which was located under a giant tent in the middle of the field. Because we didn't want to lose our table at the lounge, we agreed that one person stay at the table while the rest of us went to the brewery tents. It was really nice having a table at the VIP lounge, though while the shade did help sometimes, it did get a little hot as the festival went on. Some of my favorite samples that I tried here were the brand new Monster hard tea (yes, Monster now makes alcoholic drinks), OHSO's hard seltzer, and Pedal Haus' day drinker lager. Free water was also available with lots of ice provided. We agreed to stop for water after every two beer samples. Also making an appearance at the festival were a lot of food trucks. We ended up getting a lemonade at The Funky Pita food truck and pizza muffins from Floridino's food truck. The pizza muffins were so awesome and I feel that I should find them again so I can have them again. The lemonade was also refreshing on an unusually warm day in February. Other food trucks that were at the festival were Leo's Ice Cream, Sally's BBQ, and The Corn Dog Company. Though we couldn't make it to the end of the festival because of the unusual heat, we still had fun trying out new beers and talking to new people. Looking forward to next year, if applicable!

So this is pretty much THE beer festival for AZ. All the state's breweries are there along with…read moresome from the neighboring states. You get 40 sample tickets (2 oz. per ticket) which is plenty, trust me. The beers come strong as the name implies, so pace yourself, stay hydrated, and don't show up on an empty stomach. The only real gripe I have on the festival is the organization at the point of entry. I showed up a good 5 min late and had to wait in line 20 min to get in. This should not happen when an even larger beer festival in a Denver (GABF) can get you in pretty much instantly when you show up like 15 min early. Someone needs to contact those guys and figure out how they do it and replicate it for sure. Anyways, have fun!