The Sound of Music (Broadway San Jose) --…read more We saw this yesterday and it was beautiful. The sets were absolutely stunning -- genuinely took my breath away a few times -- and the singing was extraordinary. So much talent on that stage. If you know the movie by heart (I do), there are a few differences. A couple of songs that aren't in the film, and "I Have Confidence" doesn't appear at all. There are some small changes to the story too, but nothing that took away from the show -- a few of the twists I actually liked better this way. One tip: take an Uber or Lyft. Getting into the parking garage took forever because there's only one lane in, and someone at the front couldn't work the machine and held everyone up for about fifteen minutes. Not the theater's fault, but worth knowing. Wonderful show. We'll be back.

Came here for a comedy show--Max Amini…read more Can't speak about parking because we took an Uber to the venue nor did we purchase food. The ushers were friendly and helped get us to our seats. The theater is clean, a good size though its architecture isn't particularly striking or memorable.

Intimate theater with a lively musical theater crew, and other wonderful performances…read more What a cozy theater! I got to see In the Heights and really enjoyed it. Amateur theater with an outstanding dedicated cast. What fun! I heard the productions have improved from what it was years ago. I really enjoyed it. Come support your local theater and the arts!

Most of the shows here are very good, great artists, costumes n music, well done. Theater is very…read morecozy, no bad seats. Hope to seee more shows in the future.

Re: Summer CMP camp - My child LOVED this day camp. She…read morespent two weeks learning how to sing, dance and act. The camp culminates with a show at the end of the camp. It's amazing what they can do in just two short weeks. This camp fed my child's creativity and sparked a love for performing. Great!! staff, easy registration and communication made this one of the highlights of our summer. We will definitely be back!

My family and I frequently visit this theatre for all different plays and school events. We love…read morethe energy of the staff and how the plays are organized. The enthusiasm is just mind blowing. Very clean and well maintained theatre for the young students and parents to enjoy . A big shout out to all the staff and sponsors for this theater in San jose .

A great venue and very nice management!! We had several…read moreperformances at this venue and tony ,sean and Andy did everything to make our experience as smooth and easy as possible, working with these gentlemen was a great experience.

From the owner: The Visual Performing Arts Center (VPAC) Theater is a 400-seat theater available for rent to the…read morelocal community. This theater offers top audio, video, and lighting capabilities for a variety of different performances including dances, orchestras, concerts, theatrical plays, and presentations.

I grew up attending the theater and I consider myself very lucky. Community Little Theater in…read moreAuburn, Maine is still around today. I had two brothers who both performed in the theater and one of them is still teaching theater arts now. I usually attend the Broadway musicals at the San Jose Performing Arts Center a couple of times every year and I go alone. John is not a fan of musicals. But he agreed to go to a play last year in SF with me and he enjoyed it. So, when we saw the synopsis of "Running After Shadows," we decided to check it out. The second I walked inside, City Lights Theater reminded me of those wonderful memories I had as a teenager at Community Little Theater. City Lights is smaller than I'm used to but I loved its compact, intimate space. Every seat seems to be a good one and comfortable as well! I loved that the manager spoke to the audience before the show and that they pick a non-profit to donate to that matches with the theme of the play. They also have a little get together after every performance. They have refreshments and you have the chance to talk to the actors. We didn't stay afterwards but maybe next time. John surprised me by wanting to get tickets for the next show. Maybe I can get him to try musicals one day...

It's All an Act…read more Foreword: So, it turns out I kind of like plays. I mean, I recall enjoying watching theater friends perform at school and college back in the day, but I've never actually gone out to see a real live play with professional actors. Anyway, if you're on the fence about coming to see one, then you should definitely do it once. And if you really dig it, do it twice. :) OK, onto the review... The City Lights Theater Company has been supporting local actors and theater makers for forty-five years (ca. 1982) now, and have been in this space since 1991--despite a looming threat from developers... The Good: *Very small intimate venue of ±100 seat theater. There is no bad seat in the house, as even in the back row you still feel like you're practically front row. *Tickets are fairly inexpensive at ±$50-80/ea with season passes available. There's also afternoon matinee shows available for us old farts. *Staff was very friendly *They have a small snack bar and even serve wine *A chance to interact with the performers at the end of the show. *We watched "Running After Shadows" by Vincent Terrell Durham and it was excellent. Great story telling, fantastic acting, and it takes the crowd on a wild range of emotions. The Meh: *Street Parking only but it's free on the weekends. The Ugly: *They must start cutting onions in there at some point, cuz I swear my eyes started watering for no reason. That's right. No reason whatsoever. Conclusion: Intimate venue with great storytelling means a great time out by all. Good spot for a date nite or afternoon (see aforementioned "old farts" mention above).

Partake in the Theater Arts at West Valley College. Delve into thespian world…read more One of the nicest community college campuses due to the natural settings and small rolling hills along the creek. The air seems cleaner here too. The small and vibrant theater has been a haven for budding artists drawn to the stage. Both experienced and new students can get involved along with folks from the greater community. Always joyful to seea play here. Director Bruce De Les Dernier's last show was 'The Christmas Carol' on November 26, 2023. He had been directing shows for over 30 years. A wonderful man with a full white beard and shy playful smile that lights up a room.

This is a beautiful theater on a beautiful community college campus in Saratoga…read more It's probably time to replace the chairs, but otherwise this theater appears to have kept up pretty well with stage and prop design, sound and lighting advances. This particular production of Guys and Dolls features a large, talented cast and the lead roles all had strong voices and the choreography -- especially for a college production -- was fabulous!

So lucky to have one of the few indie theaters in the Bay Area, in San Jose…read more 3Below has excellent indie film curation. The customer service is superb. And the snack bar has reasonably priced goodies! The cherry on top? FREE VALIDATED PARKING FOR UP TO 3HRS!! I'll be seeing 3Below soon, again!

Full disclosure, my friend put this place on my radar. I am a bit of a setting snob, and by this I…read moremean: give me leather seats, give me reclining chairs, and if my seat warmer isn't working, I'm going to be upset. But that's merely because life is uncomfortable and I am intentional about finding cozy pockets of joy. This theater is not updated with the fancy seats, but what it lacks in that it more than makes up in charm, service, and community cultivation. Visiting 3Below reminded me that venturing out of that corporate capitalist bubble of perceived coziness would put me in a vibrant hub of social awareness. This is where you go to see the Documentaries IG mentions, but no theaters seem to have times for. This is where you can catch live performances on the same stage that you'll watch a thought provoking film. And, as the manager/owner of the fiercest security dog I've encountered mentioned, THIS is where you could learn to tap dance. Now, I'm hoping this could be a location for some line dancing in the near future, because I think Sofa Streetfair could be the place for some of this, and 3Below seems the perfect hub for practicing. But, what a cute location, and I'm told it's locally owned, too. I didn't actually fact check that, so my apologies if I'm spreading misinformation here. I'm just doing my best to sell you on falling in love with this alternative theater as much as my friend has...I'm converted and I'll definitely be back.

We visited the tortoise ranch today with three first grade classes, and it was honestly my favorite…read morefield trip I've been on so far, and my son's favorite too! The kids and adults all learned so much about tortoises, and the whole experience was incredibly informative, hands-on, and just so cool. How often do you get to get up close and personal with giant tortoises like that?! The owners were so knowledgeable and kind to open up their home and space to all of us. You can tell how much they care about their animals and sharing what they know with kids. Such a fun and unique experience, and we can't wait to come back again with my youngest for his field trip!

We went on a field trip with a kindergarten class (ages 5-6). Everyone was really excited to visit…read moreand it felt like we had discovered a hidden gem at first. Unfortunately, the experience quickly changed due to the rude behavior from the owners. During our visit, the owner yelled at the children - YELLED. This video is just a small example of what happened. There were multiple instances where both the man and his wife raised their voices not only at the kids, but also at the parents. While the children still managed to have fun, the overall environment felt stressful and uncomfortable for many of us. We understand that managing large groups of young kids can be challenging, but the way the situation was handled made what should have been a positive field trip feel uneasy and disappointing.