We went to see Hand to God play for a Sunday matinee on opening week. This was our first time…read moreattending the Generic Theater. After doing the ceremonial walk around the entire Chrysler Hall looking for the entrance door. We finally found the red doors on either side of the Chrysler box office that go down into the garage and then followed the signs. We were really impressed with the set design and how quickly the crew changes in between scenes. The stage is small and the audience is seated within few feet of the performance. We will definitely be coming back.

Descending into the labyrinth depths of the dark, dank parking garage to access the theater is an…read moreexperience in itself - but well worth the effort! We saw "Hand to God" for our first Generic Theatre production and were incredibly impressed by the quality production. I am a NYC transplant who loves the experimentation and risk of off broadway shows and this show delivered on all counts from the welcoming greeting at the front of the house to the imaginatively clever and versatile set design and the outstanding acting. The detailed dressing and props and musical accompaniment (Van Halen anyone?) all enhanced this terrific show! It is the acting that impressed the most and, as would be expected, it's Brenden Hoyle's portrayal of Jason/Tyrone (his evil hand puppet) that made this production a must-see. Since this review is about the theater experience itself I won't go into detail, however, the director was able to really evoke feeling and character from each actor in an intense, dark play about grief and religion and sex. This play was funny and had LOTS of laughs - only talented actors and directors can straddle this edge! Every member of the cast and crew was exceptional and definitely deserving of the heartfelt standing ovation they received! We can't wait til the next Generic Theater performance!

Our family is in love with The Hurrah Players. We support shows they produce and camps they offer…read moreevery year. Our children have yet to take any classes to date, but my daughter may do so in the near future. The Hurrah Players began back in 1984 with humble beginnings in a church basement in Ghent. The founder and Artistic Director Hugh Copeland has led his team of thespians for almost 30 years. It has taken years of work, strategic partners that believed in them and ultimately Town Bank to put them in their beautiful new historic building in 2010. Hurrah now calls the original Old Norfolk Academy Building off of St. Paul's Blvd in Norfolk home sweet home. A few unique items about the building. It's architect is Thomas U. Walter, the same man who was the architect of the U.S. Capitol Dome. Also Edgar Allen Poe gave his very last speech here. A 100 seat Perry theater for smaller productions is located in the building. Lager productions are a few blocks away at The Roper Theater. The purpose of The Hurrah Players is not only educational in nature through classes offered at their home, but an appreciation for the arts and dance is instrumental to their mission. Through stages show big and small, Spring Break camps and Summer camps they full fill this mission. Hurrah staff builds confidence in the children they work with and at the end of the day a quality, affordable product for the paying audience when the curtain goes up. The show that is currently in production is Hurrah for the Holiday and tickets are on sale now.. Performances are Dec 13,14,15 at the Roper. This is an annual show and never disappoints. The kids do a great job and you will be into the Christmas spirit after attending. Even if you are not a thespian, or into theater yourself, I urge you to give a Hurrah show an opportunity to impress you. Most of the actors are children and put blood, sweat and tears into their productions. I doubt you will be disappointed and most likely will fall in love with The Hurrah Players much like our family has.

For the past three years, my 13-year-old daughter has been attending summer camps at the Hurrah…read morePlayers. Despite her lack of interest in becoming an actress, singer, or dancer, she continues to ask to return. These summer camps are taken seriously and are challenging. The aim is for each age group to put on a play for their parents at the end of two weeks, so the teachers are very dedicated. The kids are kept active and engaged from the moment they arrive until they leave. Though it can be intense, it is worthwhile if they stick with it after the first three days. The students learn about every aspect of the stage, including singing, acting, dancing, and stage production. Many of the previous camp attendees have gone on to start their careers on Broadway or television. I have enjoyed all of the end-of-camp performances, but the most recent one in June 2023 was exceptional. The Hurrah Players is amazing, and I highly recommend it for your children, whether they want to attend summer camps or classes throughout the year. They will gain a lot of knowledge and make great friends along the way.

So much fun! Audience participation! Actors were incredibly quick witted without knowing who &…read morewhere the audience was going to decide the scene to be!!

We grabbed tickets on a whim for a Saturday night, and it ended up being the best decision! The…read moreshow was incredible, and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. Definitely don't miss out on this spot!

I honestly forgot the Roper center existed lol. As a student I came here quite often for shows and…read moreevents but that was years ago I came to see the champions of magic show and fell back in love I adore how they have kept this theater up and running the decor is beautiful and the building is clean and well taken care of The bathrooms are clean and the staff are generally nice and helpful The seating is a bit outdated the chairs are awfully snug and smaller than most theaters. My friends had a hard time getting comfortable and their legs kept falling asleep The views was amazing. From any seat you could see the stage and hear everything the show itself was mind blowing In my opinion parking at MacArthur mall and walking over is the easiest but there are a few street spots and even a small parking lot across from the roper center I will be back

This was a great forum to see the first showing of the King's Choir, "A Celtic Christmas ". The…read morefacility was very large and accommodating. We had one family member who had handicapped issues, and they quickly seated her, so as not to have her standing in line for too long. The atmosphere was pleasant. The acoustics were wonderful. I would highly recommend seeing this show, but any show in this setting will be perfect!

The Virginia Stage Company's "A Very Merry Christmas Carol" at the Wells Theatre has become a…read moreholiday tradition for our family and this year did not disappoint. The entire audience seemed excited for the performance, with the Christmas spirit felt throughout the lobby and theater. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The available concessions were tasty, though the spiked eggnog was sorely missed this year. One recommendation would be to improve communication regarding drink availability at the bars. If certain beverages are not served at the theater entrance bar (like hot cocoa and coffee), they should not appear on that menu, or guests should be informed before waiting in line. I witnessed dozens of theatergoers being told after a long wait that hot drinks were only available at the side bar by the front windows which created a lot of unnecessary frustration. The Wells Theatre has a wonderful antique nostalgia while remaining well maintained and very clean. We were fortunate to experience the show from a completely different seat location that previous years, on the opposite side of the house, and the updated writing and script changes were enough to keep the production feeling fresh and engaging. We also appreciated the intermission being placed after the First Spirit rather than after the Second, as in previous years, as it made the acts feel more balanced. Additionally, the return of the Third Spirit's in-audience entrance was definitely appreciated.

The VA Stage company continues to delight, surprise and push some boundaries. I love their…read moreadaptations of old classics, the most recent being EMMA. It was a knock-out! Completely fresh, funny and musical. A better production by far than the Broadway version and way more enjoyable. The theater is a 100-year-old gem with upgrades, including great seats and acoustics.

I did not particularly love my first visit to The Norva. The upstairs was blocked off for…read moremembers-only but that wasn't communicated in advance. There's no re-entry, and my boyfriend was hoping if we arrived early, he could find a seat up there. Instead, we had to wait for the concert to start an hour later while absolutely freezing our tushes off. It was absurdly cold. Even through the main act, the entire night was frigid. He's a bigger guy and he even said he was chilly. I purchased a long-sleeved shirt from the headliner, and that helped a bit but not enough. And yes, we were in the heart of the crowd. I've really never experienced that at a venue before, and hopefully it was just a fluke? I'd return but only if it's a band I really-really-really want to see.

The Norva is just going banger after banger. Had to come see Hippie Sabotage! Transformational…read moreshow. Great security team. Very courteous staff and very clean. Still didn't eat here but the vibe was fantastic!