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.

We got to downtown Norfolk at 6:15pm for a 7pm Josh Johnson show. I decided to park in the…read moreMacArthur garage which was less than a 10 minute walk from Chrysler Hall. I thought we were really running late and were going to l be rushing to get in before doors closed but we got in with 20 minutes to spare. Getting through security was a breeze. Allied Universal did a great job getting people through efficiently. I had a clear bag so they didn't even have to search through it. The staff was very friendly and helpful from the security at the door to the usher who helped us find our seat. We purchased our ticket on Ticketmaster and they were super easy to quickly pull up and scan using the Apple Wallet feature. The show was fantastic and Josh Johnson was hilarious. I do recommend that if you want to buy merch or have to use the bathroom you do so before the show ends because it's quite chaotic with everyone trying to leave at the same time. The location of the men's bathroom on the second floor goes against the flow of the crowd of you're on the first floor like we were. All in all though I highly recommend this venue and would not hesitate to see a show here again.

The service is great and location is great!!! However the seating within the venue is rather small…read morefor a larger person. Most people fit confortable but if it a person is tall and/or large they may not be comfortable. They lots of options for food and drinks and the prices are what is expected for a place like this at least $5 for water.

An interesting and historic venue, but one with a serious safety issue. Do not under any…read morecircumstances sit in the balcony. The seats there are cramped and uncomfortable with no leg room. Evacuating the balcony in a timely manner in the event of an emergency would likely be difficult at best.

Amazing display of Black History and the accomplishments made by African Americans. It highlights…read morethe impact on the state, national and the world. The curator was knowledgeable, resourceful, and enthusiastic.

My husband and I were introduced to Little Theatre of Norfolk many years ago by a dear friend who…read morewas very active with LTN. We had happily volunteered as ushers for many productions from plays to musicals and made it one of our favorite dates for several seasons. We always enjoyed the remarkable talent, time, and commitment this local theatre brings out to share with the community from the fantastic stage designs and sets to its diverse and talented casts of performers. The Green Room offers light refreshments for purchase and has fundraising raffles, too. It's a neat place to stop into during intermission, and you're now permitted to bring your beverage into the theatre now, as long as you're mindful to remove and dispose of your trash when leaving the theatre. The theatre's name might include the word little, but it has a large heart! Let's keep it clean! While we are big fans of Broadway in New York City, and have purchased season tickets to Broadway in Norfolk, the Little Theatre of Norfolk provides amazing shows and performances that we highly recommend. So, when a friend saw that LTN was offering 'In the Heights, A New Musical' by Lin-Manuel Miranda, we couldn't wait to join them for the show. It was their first time at LTN. We're all big fans of Lin-Manuel and this weekend's performance did not disappoint. We were moving to the beats and humming in our seats. The set designs were vivid and bright, and the lighting used on and off stage, along with the cast singing and dancing in the aisles were electric. Job well done LTN!

This was our first visit to The Little Theatre of Norfolk, but it certainly won't be our last…read more Conveniently located in the Chelsea section of Norfolk near Lambert's Point, just off Hampton Boulevard, the theatre is easy to reach and welcoming from the moment you arrive. The staff were friendly as we checked in and found our seats, and the Green Room bar is a nice touch if you'd like to enjoy a beverage during the performance. As for the show--Gaslight--I was genuinely impressed. The acting was superb, the set design captured the period beautifully, and the tension of the story was carried expertly by the cast. This classic psychological drama tells the story of Bella Manningham and her manipulative husband Jack, whose strange behavior slowly convinces Bella that she may be losing her sanity. Without giving away the mystery, the production builds suspense masterfully and delivers a powerful payoff that keeps the audience fully engaged. If you enjoy live theatre performed at a high level, The Little Theatre of Norfolk is well worth a visit. Not only will you enjoy a great evening of entertainment--you'll also be supporting a wonderful part of Norfolk's local arts community.

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.

I liked it. Only $5 and had all funny actors in the skits. Audience could suggest topics and they…read moreimprove. I parked in the street then moved up closer at halftime break. They have a little bar so you can get a beer. They teach improv classes there also which sounded neat. A guy played the piano during skits with music going up and down and adding suspense. It's a cute little neighborhood place in the Neon district. Enjoyable affordable evening entertainment

We purchased tickets for the August 23rd "Til Death Do Us Part" show. The show was supposed to…read morestart at 7:30. We arrived at 7:05. No one was there. The doors were locked, and the lights were off. There was nothing on the door about the cancellation of the show. They had cancelled the previous night's performance. However, we received no information about the Sunday show. Quite a disappointing experience. Now we have to wrestle with them to get our money back.

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!

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!

First time at this theater located on the campus of Norfolk State University. I was not expecting…read moreit to be so nice and spacious. The performing arts center is located off 460/264 and was built in 1996. Parking is off Park Avenue. There is a guard gate that is manned. On weekends no issue with parking and reserved is available. The exterior of the building is all brick and has an attractive entrance and lobby. Flowers that appear fresh planted are in front. Some debris was spotted around the grounds, however walk up clear. A good size lobby w/ a small concessions area is to the right. Restrooms are Womens to right, Men to left. I found the mens room tidy. The theater is straight back. Access to the balcony is by stairs, or elevator in front of grand staircase. The dressing rooms are ups stairs which can be a limitation depending on timing of numbers. I attended the Star Talent Dance Competition with my daughter. She was not participating and was a spectator as I. She had friends in her company Dance Space that were competing. I found the seats comfortable and the space in between roomy. The stage is large, but not as big as say Sandler Center in VB, or Ropper in Norfolk. No food, or drink is permitted in the auditorium. A great first experience at the L Wilder Performing Arts Center.