I've been to this theatre once before, when they hosted Pecha Kucha - and have been so impressed…read morewith the space, staff, and plays. The building is gorgeous - the lobby is welcoming, the box office is quite handy, and the curb cut is RIGHT in front of the front door. THANK YOU. Inside, there are a few benches, and very clean bathrooms. There's also a bar, if you're so inclined. It seems that the doors to the play open pretty early, so if there are no seats available and you'd like to sit down, head on into the theatre! There is general seating, and the front row has no stairs, as it is on the floor. I think there are 5 or 6 rows, so not many stairs anyway, if this is an issue. It is an open space, small, but inviting. The staff are so kind. The actors, extremely talented. We just saw Beyond the Rainbow: The Judy Garland Musical, and it was some of the best acting I've ever seen. The plays are extraordinary. The talent, sets, direction, music - it all comes together to bring you one of the best theatres in town. GO!

In the past six years, Farmers Alley Theatre has certainly made its mark on the theatre scene in…read moreKalamazoo and in the state of Michigan. The productions are top notch, employing professional actors from around the country as well as the best of local talent. This is an intimate theatre where every seat is a good one. Each season includes a variety of musicals, dramas, comedies and special programming for children and families. Don't miss the holiday cabarets during which the theatre is filled with cabaret tables where you sip on coffee and enjoy dessert during the performance.

My wife and I went to see the Chicago show here and had a fantastic time. The seats were…read morecomfortable and the staff were all friendly and helpful. Overall we had a great time.

I've spent the last several years seeing shows at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids and I have…read moreto say I think we're a bit spoiled. They've done some renovations which have made the experience there better. Miller Auditorium could definitely use some polishing! It's a bit drab inside and feels like a high school auditorium to me. We recently attended Cats the musical there and enjoyed the performance, but there's room for improvement at the theatre. The main lobby/concourse area is super crowded and packed. Everything is on top of each other - bathroom lines, concession counter lines, coat check lines, merchandise counter lines, and box office lines - all squished into one narrow space. It has terrible flow and makes for a cramped experience. The women's restroom line was very long even when they announced the other bathroom upstairs. The restroom also has a big carpeted lounge area that seems like wasted space. There were also zero security measures in place - they weren't even checking tickets at the main entrance doors (they did check them right before you entered the actual auditorium). No metal detectors or checking of bags - something I'm just so used to at DeVos. It would be more secure and feel a bit safer to me with those measures in place. Our seats were off to the aisle side of the orchestra level. We had a pretty decent viewpoint, but I was very distracted by the ushers who were playing phone police and intercepting anyone taking photos or videos during the performance. That's totally understandable, but it was annoying when one of them rushed down our row in front of us to the middle of the section right during one of the quiet ballads. I think there should be a clearer announcement at the beginning of the performance, rather than being disruptive to other guests during the show. I would come back in the future if there's a show that I really want to see that's not in GR, but it's not the best theatre experience I've had.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!…read more It's full of history (including ghosts!), great ideas, SUPER fun photo opps, and fantastic shows. The range of performances is incredible...every genre of music, and speakers, and movies. It's wonderful! Pros: the architecture the history the art and beauty of the inside the friendly staff the photo booth! the plentiful bathroom stalls the excellent schedule of events! Cons: the seats are sometimes broken. Bring a sweater or jacket to sit on, for comfort no elevator no AC Note: ticket office is open only one day a week, plus during events. SO: to avoid the service charges, try to go in then! Otherwise, you'll be purchasing on ticketmaster, with fees.

I've been to hundreds of shows here, my favorite place in Kalamazoo! They pull in some great…read moreshows, you won't be disappointed

What a beautiful venue for music! My family and I have been here for various performances over the…read moreyears and it is just lovely. there is such a variety of shows under this roof annually and if you're in any kind of vicinity to this auditorium, please make it a point to visit and support the wonderful artists who perform here!

Chenery has really become quite a destination for the arts here in the Kalamazoo area. The venue…read morehas undergone a nice transformation from a high school auditorium to a professional venue, complete with a large lobby, set for gathering pre and post show. Backstage, there are nice dressing rooms and adequate space for dressing and rehearsal activities. The bathrooms are a bit small, but functional and the ticket windows are set up to cause lines to form where other people are trying to enter and a bit of a traffic jam can take place. All-in-all, this is a great place to see a show and I will definitely be back soon.

I am deeply disappointed by my recent experience at the Civic Auditorium. What was once a…read morerespected, community-focused venue has unfortunately declined--largely due to the behavior of its staff and ushers. The staff were rude and unprofessional, and shockingly unaccommodating toward children. This was especially upsetting given that we were attending a production specifically geared toward families and kids, Annie. Instead of being welcoming or patient, the usher we encountered was dismissive and unfriendly, making it very clear that children and teens are not truly welcome here. This venue is no longer family-friendly, despite advertising family-oriented productions. If you're bringing kids or teens, be prepared for an environment that feels rigid, uninviting, and uncomfortable. What makes this even more disappointing is my long history with the Civic. My family has donated large sums of money (we could have bought a couple homes with the amount we've donated) over the past 30 years because we believed in its mission and its role in the community. Sadly, after this experience, we will no longer be supporting it. The Civic is simply not what it once was. If you're looking for a welcoming, inclusive place to enjoy theater with your family, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Do not take your family to the Civic!

The ciivic theatre is a great place to support the local arts. The venue is decent size and the…read moreseating is great for a perfect view of the stage. The plays are well done. If you haven't been, go! The tickets are reasonable.

First time here for a private party featuring the troupe. The space was incredible with high and…read morelow top tables and seating. There was also an awesome bar set up. And of course the improv of the group was quite funny!

Crawlspace Theater Productions is a hidden gem in the heart of Kalamazoo. Live entertainment, a lot…read moreof laughs and not much more than seeing a movie in a movie theater. The Pizza is very good, though topping are a bit limited. Try the "Yes and..." bourbon drink and you are more tan ready to enjoy the show. We enjoy going as a couple, but it is even more fun with friends. I am also taking level one Improv classes at Crawlspace--Highly recommended. I have met incredible people I otherwise likely would never have met. It is surprisingly comfortable to learn, develop skills and perform improv scenes with others. I enjoy watching others perform in the class as much as being the one performing. A lot of gut laughs.

Never been to this, or even know it existed to be honest! When you walk in it's into a front lobby…read morefull of memorable photos on the walls, clothing and paraphernalia to purchase, and a quaint snack station. The bathroom has a very slanty ceiling so watch out if you're taller than 5'5! Inside the house is very cute! Little cabaret tables and chairs are set up on multi-levels for ample viewing. The sound is great since it's such a small theatre. And you can bring food and drink in while the show is going on! I saw a dress rehearsal of John & Abigail and I have to say it didn't arise the interest and love in me as I had hoped. I did feel the expression of love read by the actors, but I wasn't into the lack of movement on stage or the fact that the actors were simply reading on printed paper love letters. Perhaps some paper from the times could have been used, or acting out writing the letters while reading them could have brought me to follow it more. It was a very long hour and half for me! I will however be back to check out more!

This spot is a magical little treasure in our community, and I'm thrilled to see it's still doing…read morewell. Got the opportunity to see 'Romeo and Juliet' there yesterday and really enjoyed seeing the terrific young actors (both the title leads and the well played Benvolio and Mercutio) get to cut their teeth on the Bard. I do wish they served alcohol and a larger selection of nibbles, since the intimate house is set up like a French cafe with little bistro tables. Their fuzz drinks (pop plus ice and milk, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles) were a huge hit last night, and I did enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Pro tip: Order your Christmas Carol tickets as early as possible, because it sells out very early every year and is a beloved Kalamazoo Christmas tradition.

I do not recommend going here for instrument rentals, or for anything really. Unfortunately, we had…read morea very bad experience our first time here. We would love to support local when we can, but we will not be returning here. We were given an instrument that seemed one size too small and sounded like a toy compared to our previous rental instrument from Meyer music. Even my 4 year old said , "eeeeeew" after trying it out for the first time. We rented for one day , called to ask about the returning it and the worker on the phone initially said we could go in and get refunded, but then called back and said we would still be responsible for the charge. He seemed like he didn't know what he was talking about because he kept recommending that we go in and try out the other instruments and said they had a variety to choose from, but we were clearly told the previous day that there was only ONE instrument in stock in the size we needed. Upon returning the instrument the next day, the customer service guy shrugged it off and said "you had the chance to try it," after showing them the picture of their instrument compared to another. The rental instrument was for a very young kid who wouldn't have questioned it. My child's instructors were surprised at the size difference, and mentioned they would recommend continue renting either at Meyer music in Grand Rapids, or even Shar music. We were unable to have a successful lesson with no proper instrument so we left our lesson and went to return the instrument directly. It's been super hard to reach out to the manager at the store. The workers there seem to be untrained and when we when to return the instrument, he took it and said we were all set without even entering anything in the system or getting our name. When asked to get a receipt, he asked for name and proceeded to type something, we ended up with a receipt of our original rental $21.xx, and the receipt also mentioned next billing cycle starts next month, nothing about ending the rental agreement, or instrument being returned. In the photo: left is the actual size we are in, right is the rental. The shoulder rest that we had wouldn't even stay on the violin... it just kept slipping off.....something is clearly not right, and they are not willing to make things right or even admit that a mistake was made. Lesson learned! We hope our experience will help save you the trouble that we experienced.

The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable. I appreciate that the teachers are known,…read moretop-notch performers in the area. The location is convenient as well!