Over the past two weekends I've attended live performances in three different regional theaters…read more Of the lot, Fort Myers Theater ranked lowest. Here's my take: They have stadium seating, which is good. But some rows aren't properly staggered. When a tall kid with a long neck sat in front of me, my view was obstructed. Luckily, I snagged a vacant seat down the aisle. Performers make good use of the floor and a small stage. If possible, sit towards the front, preferably in the middle. Several rows up there are seats to the side, with the stage visible at an angle. You'll likely get a crick in your neck after a two hour show. What you face with those side seats is one of two restrooms. They're both singles, so be sure to do your business before the show starts! If there's something going on at a neighboring business, parking could be tricky. My husband drove around before finding a spot in a different strip mall. We were there to see "Gypsy," an ambitious musical for local theater. Unfair to compare with the Tyne Daly production I saw on Broadway, they did a pretty good job, with one exception. The singing! Acting was fine, singing -- an important component of a musical -- was weak. The two performances I saw last week were both musicals; I commented that there's indeed talent in Ft Myers / Cape Coral. Having grown up with off-off B'way and makeshift theaters, I realize productions like this operate on shoestring budgets, reliant on donations and volunteers. With that said, Fort Myers Theater did a pretty good job, and patrons appeared pleased with the production.

I went to this theater to be in High School Musical 2 jr. and Beetlejuice and both the performances…read morewere not great. Confusing choreo didn't let you sing in your range only in what it says in the script and kids there were rude to me and brother when this was our first show!

We attended the Music for Life Fest, at Mango Rita's. It was the first time we saw a performance…read morefrom School of Rock. These kids were AWESOME!!! They were as good or better than most of the adult groups! So memorable were their versions of CRAZY TRAIN and WHOLE LOTTA LOVE and INTO THE FIRE!!! All the band members were fantastic. But a special shout out to the girl guitarists!! They were amazing. School of Rock should be SO proud of their students!!!

Nathan Ross is a fantastic instructor. He has taught my…read moregranddaughter 10 times more, in a few lessons, about playing piano than she had been taught previously over the last two years. Quality people are far and few between and he one of the top.

Charming little theater in the heart of McGregor corridor. Conveniently located in the plaza with…read moreNorman love cafe and a few other options to eat if you're there during the matinee performances. You're also next to two plazas with nice dinner options if you're coming for the evening show. Love the intimate size of the theater which really means there's no bad seat in the house and I love the seats on three sides of the stage. We have seen two shows there so far - one a play and one a musical - and both have been great! Highly recommend checking out this little local gem with reasonably priced tickets and amazing membership options and supporting amazing talent!

Growing up in NYC I was an avid fan of Broadway, Lincoln Center, and a myriad of concert halls,…read moredance troupes, museums, and independent movie theaters. Since moving out of state, I keep my eyes open for cultural events that my husband and I might enjoy. I haven't struck out yet. Players Circle is a theater in the round. Actually, the square. Uncertain about where to sit, we bought tickets in the east section. Since productions are staged for the venue, I don't think anybody loses out, but take note of the different price points, which is likely a gauge. Our seats, while not the most expensive, were great. I was impressed with the two-person production of "Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks." Funny, sad and poignant, the show bravely touched upon topical subjects like the tragic outcome of backroom abortions, religious hypocrisy and more. The performers were perfectly cast, with acts cleverly separated by vintage film clips. (Amazing how the actors were able to change costume so quickly!) If Saturday's performance is typical of Players Circle, they're now on my radar. In fact, before writing this, I went online and purchased tix for Godspell, which artistic director Robert Cacioppo said is their most ambitious musical yet!

It is so fun that there is a murder mystery train here in Fort Myers! It seems a bit expensive…read morethough you are getting a train ride, dinner, and show. I felt the train ride itself was a bit unnecessary. There was one nice section of the train ride over water, otherwise there wasn't much to look at. Also the train was swaying back and forth causing me to get a bit nauseous. The food itself was all pretty good! The cheese and fruit plate, potato and leek soup, pretzel roll, and salad were all great starters. I was satisfied with the meal before my entree even arrived! My family and I tried all of the different options (prime rib, salmon, and chicken) and thought they all tasted good. Though I could have done without cranberries in my rice... The dessert was small and light for a cheesecake. Food was surprisingly better than we thought. As for the show, I definitely didn't get how we were supposed to deduce the killer. But the actors did a great job and it was overall a fun night.

My friends and I wanted to try the murder mystery train after seeing some of their billboard…read moreadvertisements along 75. We were able to get individual tickets online but still make note that we wanted to sit together, and that all worked out really well. The tickets are expensive (makes sense...you're getting a show, a 5-course meal, and riding a train) and being able to buy separately was really helpful for us. Everything the night of the event ran like clockwork. Boarding the train was easy and fun. We had a table in the Gasparilla train car with lovely servers who took care of us all night. Drinks are pretty reasonable (ice tea and water are included, but you can purchase soda, beer, wine, cocktails) and you can even get a full bottle of wine for your table which you can take home if you don't finish onboard. The meal was better than I expected. It started with a fruit and cheese plate, then we had hot pretzel rolls an butter, a delicious potato leek soup, a salad, and then the appetizer. Our choices were prime rib (friends said it was delicious), chicken francese (I loved it) and salmon. Dessert was a cheesecake. The performers were very animated and enthusiastic. These murder mystery shows are always hard for me to actually follow and figure out. I appreciate all that goes into it, but I wish I was a better sleuth. My only issue is that the train ride itself is VERY long at 3 - 3.5 hours. I love a nice train ride, but I wonder if they could shave a little time off the ride.

Great evening great talent will definitely go again the venue was beautiful with hundreds of…read morecandles surrounding the string group

Heard the performance on Saturday night at Barbara Mannn and the repeat concert at Shellpoint on…read moreTuesday. Now I am living with Beethovans 5th play in my head as I do my life things. What a wonderful world. Both performances were great but I enjoyed the one at shellpoint more. Don't know why.. Thank you to all the nice people who play for us. xxx

We went to see A Christmas Story at Broadway Palm and honestly, it felt like being dropped right…read moreinto the movie--minus getting my tongue stuck to a pole (thank you, science and good parenting). The food was delicious -- classic comfort dishes that would make even the Old Man put down his lamp prize and dig in. And I cannot say enough about the terrific staff, especially our server Dee, who was absolutely outstanding. Friendly, fast, and knew exactly when we needed refills... and dessert... and maybe more dessert. The show was hilarious, nostalgic, and full of heart. The cast nailed the humor, and the set took me right back to childhood Christmas chaos. Highly recommend if you want a night of good food, lots of laughs, and zero BB-gun accidents. (You'll shoot your eye out... with JOY.)

Went to the recent performance of Legally Blonde for the Saturday night dinner showing and it was a…read moregreat experience. The Palm is located in a strip mall so there is plenty of parking and it is easy to find. Dinner seating was a 5:30pm, with the show starting at 7:30. When you arrive, you are seated at a table and then drink orders are taken. Alcohol and soft drinks are not included in the ticket price. For Saturday dinner, you have the choice between the hot food buffet or 3 plates meals. Both options include access to the salad bars, soups and dessert buffets. Our party all opted for the plated meals and I got a seafood pasta that exceeded expectations. Portions are also large and they will wrap leftovers. The salad bars and soups were pretty standard, but the desserts had a lot of variety. The staff does a good job at making sure meal service is done in advance of the show and the buffet area does close before the show begins, with servers bringing bills and taking drink orders during intermission. The show itself was amazing with a talented cast that would inspire me to check out other performances at the Broadway Palm!

The Cirque Italia Water Circus is entertaining, but just about every act made an error. One of the…read moreperformers actually fell off the stage during their performance and landed on a guest. And another performer looked like he was hurting on his error, but did go on with the show. This show is a bit misleading on what it is all about. And the water aspect only makes the stage slippery for the performers. It is pretty, but I would think again about calling it a water circus. Lots of circus foods and fresh squeezed lemonade were in abundance. No adult beverages. Their price point is a bit too high. They have a funny guy who comes out intermittently for soft humor, gets the audience involved, etc. and he is entertaining, but he is used too many times. By the end, it just isn't funny anymore. Overall, the performers really need to tighten up their acts or tone them down. I have never seen a live show with so many errors. And we did feel sorry for those performers, because they do everything...sell concessions and seat people before the show and during intermission. It is a good concept, but in reality, they have a hard time pulling it off. As Gordon Ramsey says..."What a shame."

Lovely restaurant and service by Madison…read more The lobby and quaint bar are great fun but the lobby and expanded area have intense synthetic plug-in scents auto expelling so I got a terrible migraine- if you are not allergic you will be fine but if you get olfactory migraines like I do and if you do not have asthma like my friend- then you will be sick and the unfortunate thing is scent affects the taste of the beautifully prepared food. Darn! For wine lovers who like CA wines you can enjoy a variety but if you like other options they are not available- I am excited to see Italian or French reds soon and Willamette Valley, OR too- if that is true -per a manager with whom I spoke a couple months ago- I will be thrilled- except for the plug-ins hmm- Still recovering unfortunately Tasty great options for appetizers too love the decor You will love it

Totally NOT worth it…read more The service was great! The "show" was hard to hear due to the noise from the train. They need a sound system. The actors have to yell and at the same time try to do the accents for their characters. It makes the story hard to understand, and follow. This is disappointing since part of the fun is supposed to be figuring out who done it. They also should not cover up the mirrors that really do help you see the show when the actors are behind you. Now for the food. Having the appetizer try on the table when you sit down is GREAT. The soup tasted like it was out of a can. The salad was a complete fail. It was overdressed and tiny with no choice of dressing. The salmon was cooked perfectly but had too much orange glaze. The green beans were good but cold. The rice pilaf was very good. The prime rib was very good but the horseradish was weak. The cheese cake was very tasty. The wine list did not offer any bold reds. Finally, as far as the price tag for this just OK experience. $418.07 for 2. Totally NOT worth it.

The food was decent. The atmosphere was friendly. The cast was good. The price of the ticket…read moreincludes a 4 course meal. It's a cash bar. I recommend doing this at least once.