I moved to Jacksonville recently from California and I am always on the lookout for new places to…read morecheck out. There is a building I pass every day near my home which caught my eye right away. Its stone façade and bright yellow sign flanked by two Medieval Knights, with the words "The Arena" across it in large block lettering stood out in comparison to its neighbors, a church and a discount furniture store. I quickly put on my detective cap and began scouring the internet for any explanation or reviews but information was sparse. I eventually found the website... The Arena | Jacksonville's Premiere Concert Venue... "The Arena is definitely one of Jacksonville's premiere and edgiest night scenes. With four stages, and full audio-surround sound, you will be blown away..." I ear marked it as a place to check out in the future. As Halloween grew closer The Arena began to look more and more like an off-beat community haunted attraction. A giant, ominous, clown face appeared over the door along with some additional lights and carnival décor. A new sign was added, "Carnevil". Of course I got back on the internet and found, "Welcome to Carnevil! The darkest and final act of the circus empire..." From the description it sounded pretty scary, I don't really do scary, but it was Halloween and we had no other plans and it was FREE. Now let me tell you, the free thing immediately set off some red flags, nothing is free but curiosity got the best of us. We invited some friends, put on our costumes and headed to the Arena but it was completely full and they sent us away with priority tickets for the next showing. Sunday night just my fiancé and I went back. Like I said, I don't really do scary well and as I stood in line my heart was racing. They announce that we are about to go in and once we are inside we will not be allowed to leave until the end. Honestly, we were half convinced that this place lures unsuspecting people in and keeps them forever... how else does a "Premiere Concert Venue" have almost no internet presence and NO reviews? The whole experience started off great. Creepy ghosts shambled through the lines, small groups were let into the theatre at a time, entering through a miniature haunted maze with all the scares and screams as a professional haunted house. There were plenty of scares for the audience while we waited for the show to start. The play had a great campy/spooky community theatre feel complete with frightening clowns, quality makeup, sound and lighting effects. Over and over I kept thinking, "How is this free?" and then it started... "drugs", "sex", "rebelling against authority"... "sin". Suddenly I realized I was at church. A preacher dressed as a cop stood center stage asking the audience to raise their hands, come up and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to avoid a hell worse than the clown camp we just witnessed. I want to be clear... I do not have a problem with this being a church function; I appreciate the local church for pulling together a great community event... I do have a problem with being completely ambushed. Nowhere on TheArenaJax.com does it mention its affiliation with Victory Church. To solicit itself as one of the country's premier, edgy music venue, "showcasing a spectrum of internationally renowned artists" is more than slightly misleading. I have to say, I felt a bit violated to be lured into what appeared to be a fun community theatre, told I could not leave until it was over and then force fed a religious message while adults in scary masks and makeup stood blocking the exit. Here is the TL;DR: The production quality is great for a free event. I really enjoyed the first hour and a half of my experience. I would even encourage people to check out one of their events but be advised... this is a religious venue affiliated with its neighboring church. You will be held inside the building and asked to approach the stage to accept their message.

I have seen the Carnevil show twice now and I absolutely love it. Yes, it wasn't for the faint of…read moreheart, but it was awesome nonetheless. I am not one to like scary things but after seeing the show I had to see it again. The storyline and characters are well-made and very nice people. They put all they had into making this show work and after the show you get to meet them and get to know them personally. The theatrics of it were stunning and very luring and the sound effects blew me away. I loved how well the actors dressed up and scared people. They'd pop out of the dark, they sang along to hit songs from Slipknot and they made it a very good memorable experience. Along with the thrills they made some funny remarks during the show which made it more enjoyable and fun. If they were able to keep the show going on for more days I would go to all of them. For free it was worth it- if I had to pay, it would've been totally worth it. At the end of the show there was a part where a character made a statement about being "lost" and how he was able to come to terms with himself. Yes, they help people to believe but even if you aren't into Christianity or religion at all it didn't matter. They wanted people to remember the show and to tell everyone else back home about it. They wanted to inspire people to not be afraid and to become more than what people think of you. They don't force any part of religion on anyone and they don't force people into a prayer at all. They merely want to help people and for the people who were just there for the show, they got to see how much hard work and dedication the actors put into this to make it fun and memorable and thrilling. I absolutely loved it and would go to many more shows for the rest of my life for the experience. Amazing job well done.

Can't believe we've never been here before? Or maybe I didn't review bec I felt like I had?!?!‍ the…read morelobby is cool in that it is round and Doris Weave was a provider with it. When we walked in the first thing I noticed was the smell...now they have said they need to repair the roof and have, or near enough funds, but...should put dehumidifiers/mildew-rid bags, etc all over before shows (my opinion). Next I noticed what a greatly designed stage-really nice and professional! The 5 actors were great...I'd say perfect in their parts, they gave their hearts into the play-Barefoot in the Park. If you need reminded what it was about- young couple facing the challenges of living together with two different types personalities (which is probably is what attracted them to each other) then add in a nosey neighbor, interfering mother and 5/6 flights of stairs and you have humor!

If you're looking for a thought-provoking show for a date night, this is where to go! The show is…read moreabout empowering women who find themselves and navigate the complexity of self-esteem self-worth and relationships. The cast is truly phenomenal! Passionate about what they do they truly make a difference. This costume design, stage design and backstage crew as well as tech crew truly Put a lot of effort into producing such a great show. Hats off to all those volunteers for getting back to our community outstanding way. We need positive things in today's society and coming here You will receive it!

I attended opening night of "Urinetown" last night. Performances are held at The Jacksonville…read moreBallet on Atlantic Blvd. The theatre is small and quaint. Talent is local and volunteer. Jacksonville has talent. This was my 2nd production at this tiny theatre. If you have never been follow them and put a show at the top of your list!

What a great local theater! It is the perfect place for an intimate evening of song and dance…read more Showstoppers was my first show at this theater but it won't be my last. There is not a bad seat in the house. They have a nice lobby with a small art display to match their current running show. The lobby is a nice space to enjoy intermission where you make donations for snacks and drinks. And the local talent we have here in Jacksonville is incredible. I can't wait to see more from the singers and actors in our community.

What a spectacular night at the Florida Theatre!…read more KC and the whole Sunshine Band completely brought the house down at the historic Florida Theatre. From the fantastic horn section to the dancers, everyone was top-notch! KC's stage presence is as legendary as ever--he still slides across that stage, all the hits were spot on, and his hilarious humor made the night even more special! *:｡ﾟ \ (･‿･) /ﾟ*:｡ﾟ If you want a night full of classic hits and great vibes, this is the show to see when they are in town! #KCandTheSunshineBand #FloridaTheatreJAX #BoogieShoes #That'sTheWay(ILikeIt) #LiveMusic

Saw Ali Wong live at the Florida Theatre!…read more My recommendation is wearing comfy shoes. If your seat is located at a higher floor you will have to walk multiple stairs and there aren't any elevator to my knowledge so it was a bit of a hike. There are restrooms located all over and on various floors so no need to wait in the front long lines to use the restroom. Also, there are a ton of areas selling liquor and there are other bars throughout so no need to wait the long lines to get a drink at the bar up at the front entrance. I am someone that runs hot and it was a bit warm for me so possibly dress light or breathable cotton.

5/29 whenever we can we attend symphony programs, we do. We are lucky to have such a large,…read moretalented and dedicated symphony in Jax,; the acoustics are wonderful too! We were told about remodeling that will start soon (one reason...bigger seats...lol). Tonight we heard "the music of Elton John featuring Michael Cavanaugh" with his 4 member band; the conductor Matthew Wardell. It was entertaining and Michael could REALLY play that piano! Maybe it is why he was the working with Billy Joel (THE piano man) before. Michael's singing of Elton songs reminded how phenomenal Elton really is; hard to imitate. Being backed by symphony all the songs were wonderful !

We used to go to the Kravitz center in West Palm beach for their version of the Broadway series…read more When we moved up to this area, we just had to continue our Broadway play fix. We bought the Broadway series, which is typically 5 to 6 plays per year and if you renew your seats every year you get the same seats. You have the option to change your seats the following year if you're not happy with the seats that you have. Believe it or not we've been a VIP don't remember for two years and we've never went to the VIP lounge because we weren't even aware of it. So I can't speak about the food in there and we've never had any food outside of coffee and once we got Cookies and they were both very good. The service and staff is extremely friendly and helpful. It's a very nice small venue so pretty much most of the seats are a good view. The only thing went crazy about is their location for the parking that's included when you buy your tickets as part of the package. I wish they had a valet option or something right across the street available included in the Broadway series package. Of course you can always just pay for your own seats and not get the seating but we like to know we're guaranteed a parking spot because it's about a 45 minute drive from our house. This will be the third year in a row for us here and we really like it

It's been a very long time since I attended a performance at the Ritz!…read more Last night my girlfriend and I attended a performance by "Peabody Bryson". I love this small arena. The history of the Ritz is magical! If you have never been you need to move it up on your list. You will not be disappointed.

We enjoy that the place has a smaller more intimate atmosphere than larger venues.. the performers…read morewere locate individuals, which I do advocate for!! Staff are friendly and welcoming.. The performance started on time and after the performance the performers they greeted the patrons warmly.. Definitely, plan on returning to the Ritz Theatre .

Friday night movie and music was exceptional. Fun event with talented musicians. Encouragement from…read morethe conductor to be present with our reactions. Great way to introduce my son to live music at this caliber. Great event. With the screen, our seats were perfect - back orchestra.

Nice theatre right in the beautiful riverside area. They…read morehost many Broadway plays and we will be back in January for Mamma Mia!

They are awesome, knowledgeable and friendly in the Southern tradition. I have taken home 7…read moreinstruments form their shop, more than ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PLANET. Shane and his family are great. I will return as long as I play. I stop and sniff the acoustic room every time I am on the west side of Jacksonville. Occasionally something traps me and another one goes home. If you are a guitar player, when you know you found her, there is no question. I met my Martin favorite "Brown Dog" there and she is a lifetime keeper. They also take quality trades, great prices and service.

i don't have too much to say but this is arguably one of my favorite places to be. their selection…read moreis great, they have phenomenal teachers, and everything is super affordable. 5/5 and i love going to the all so amazing kevin's :p