The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra made its debut in 1984 under the name Musicians of the Cloister…read more In 1987, the organization changed its name to Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. In 2007, ICO joined the Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival as Orchestra-in-Residence - this is an honor that continues to this day. In 2012-2013, it also became Orchestra-in-Residence for the Butler University Schrott Center for the Arts. In 2015, ICO released its first commercial CD "Momentum 21." I've seen ICO more than once - most recently at Garfield Park, an ideal location for this smaller orchestra as they played beautifully surrounded by the sounds of nature and an absolutely stunning day. ICO has nearly 2,500 supporters, nearly 40 seasons, 235+ performances played, and 34 musicians. ICO's mission is to advance and promote music composed for the small orchestra through professional concert performances and education programs. They have a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on their website and in their practices. As I began exploring their concert season for this year, I was impressed that they openly had references to accessible seating. As a wheelchair user, I'm often used to the idea that I have to go hunting for the information. The Schrott Center for the Arts is quite accessible. You can buy season tickets or individual concerts. They also do educational programming including virtually. Matthew Kraemer is the music director and principal conductor. While ISO gets an awful lot of attention here in Indy, I actually really love ICO with its smaller orchestra and more intimate sound. There's a passion that comes alive that I really appreciate and these artists have unique programming and a true sense of adventure in terms of what they'll perform. If you've never been to an ICO performance, I highly recommend it.

We went to a performance at Butler of the ICO. They played three sets (sorry if it is not called a…read moreset). Each set was with a different mix of instruments. Our favorite was when the grand piano was on the stage, but they were all great!

I had the chance to experience Indy Baroque Orchestra this past weekend as they offered a couple of…read moreperformances at Second Presbyterian Church as part of the holiday season offerings. First, they offered a delightful introduction to Handel's Messiah aimed at children and families called "Getting a Handel on Messiah." This was followed up the next day by a performance of Handel's Messiah with the Beecher Singers and under Dr. Michelle Louer, Second Presbyterian's Director of Music and Fine Arts. Indy Baroque, officially known as Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, performs and promotes music of the 17th and 18th centuries using period instruments and historically informed performance practices. Indy Baroque was founded in 1997 and is an ensemble-in-residence at University of Indianapolis. They typically alternate performances between University of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Historical Society, though they also have arrangements with Second Presbyterian, Eskenazi Health, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis Public Library, and Indianapolis Suzuki Academy. Barthold Kuijken serves as the orchestra's artistic director. They offer concerts and educational performances. The orchestra is in the midst of a 4-CD recording project with Naxos Records. The music was inspired and pristine. The orchestra members were enthusiastic and delightful and just wonderful with the children. It was such an incredibly educational, engaging, and entertaining experience for everyone. It was such a wonderful way to experience Handel's Messiah and to also learn more about it. The orchestra has announced its 2021-2022 season. They do have COVID-19 protocols in place. They do have a Youtube channel where you can check out some of their selections. Indy Baroque has also been named a Top 25 Ensemble by Early Music America. I honestly enjoyed this considerably and will definitely be considering future attendance during their season. I'm not sure why it took me so long to discover Indy Baroque - but now I'm definitely hooked.

I recently had the positive experience of producing an evening of stand-up comedy with fellow…read moreYelper Rick G., an event that also benefited a non-profit effort that I'm putting together and was held at Khaos Company Theatre, a small but growing operation out of the Near-Eastside's Brookside Industrial Centre at 1775 N. Sherman Drive. A new professional theatre aiming to provide emerging artists both production opportunities and an affordable venue, Khaos Company Theatre was birthed out of the academic experiences of Kaylee Spivey Good and, in fact, derives its name from a play she scripted called "Khaos." Incorporated as an LLC in 2014, Khaos Company Theatre began life in the Rivoli/East 10th Street area before moving into its current home a little over a year ago. While an office park may seem like an odd location for a growing theatrical company, the location offers Khaos the urban feeling that it desires while also providing the option for ample free parking and room to grow. Khaos offers three stage options: 1) The Cabaret Theatre seats 30 plus offers standing room and rental starts at $50. 2) The Elevated Stage seats 50 and rental starts at $100. 3) The Mainstage seats 75 and rental starts at $150. Generally, Khaos rentals start at 3-hour blocks with additional hours incurring additional fees. In our case, we rented The Mainstage for 5 hours - $190. Added to this cost? They sell snacks and light refreshments with all proceeds staying in-house, while Khaos also keeps 20% of the door receipts. While the 20% is potentially a bit steep depending upon how you handle your tickets, it does include the fact that Khaos supplies tickets, has online ticketing and also has someone at the theatre during the show to handle ticket sales. I was a tad concerned given that we were doing tickets by donation, an approach that could have led to a large chunk being taken out of donations intended for charity. In fact, I will note that I consider the ticketing aspect to be Khaos's major flaw as a business concept. Khaos is largely wheelchair friendly with a couple accessible parking spaces, a curb cut and a wheelchair accessible restroom available. As near as I could tell, only one of the three staging areas was truly accessible, the Mainstage, though it would take very little to make the Cabaret wheelchair friendly. As one can tell from the photos, there's a raw, urban feel to the staging and these spaces really are geared toward the indie artist. As we were recording the event we held, we had a near disaster when the electric went out in the Mainstage, but much to their credit the folks at Khaos had their tech folks respond quite quickly and the problem was resolved. I enjoyed this experience, though I'd be more likely to return to Khaos either for one of their own shows or for a more straightforward production. While Khaos does host benefits, I found the fee structure less friendly to smaller non-profits and doubt I would host one of my typically smaller events in the space. This may change, however, as the organization grows and better defines itself. Still, Khaos Company Theatre is a very welcome addition to the Indy stage scene and offers emerging artists opportunities for performance and exploration of their talents. The people were terrific to work with, the space affordable and the spaces easily adapted to a wide variety of staging needs. Khaos already offers a variety of shows including Shakespeare, an alt-facts improv tour, an annual playwriting competition and much more. If you're an indie artist looking for opportunities, I'd check them out.

Khaos is both a venue and a production company. They put on plays (including Shakespeare), improv,…read morecomedy, and open mic. Check out their web site. They have real artist type people. You can tell they are artist type people because they wear black. BTW, Yelper Rick Garrett will be performing humor Fri Aug 4th, 2017, at 7pm. You ought to go see it. Www. Rick Garrett. Net

Outstanding production and performance of Shakespeare's King Lear! Great play in a lovely setting…read morefor picnicking and enjoying Indy Shakes.

We rode our bikes over to this awesome event space in riverside park. Taggart center is a state of…read morethe art performance space. The park is getting an extensive rework and the performance area is really nice. A bike trail is currently underway to link Taggart with other areas of Riverside park. Construction on 30th street bridge is sure to make the side of Indy a popular destination again.

This is the second year attending DCI World Championship. I…read moreabsolutely love this show! I never played an instrument other than the guitar for a couple years in jr high. I did Pom and cheer in jr high and high school, but that was nothing compared to what these performers put on the field. This venue is perfect for this event. The stadium is comfortable and accommodating. We attended the entire show Friday which was amazing. Saturday we attended the SoundSport show. It was so much fun. There were a lot of fantastic groups performing. I especially liked the Calgary Stampede and the Free Players special needs group. Phenomenal!!! Saturday night were the final 12 drum corps performing for placement. I loved loved loved it!!! The performances were amazing! I can't wait to come back next year! This event is a must for anyone interested in something entertaining providing music, drums, brass, dance choreography, marching, costumes, props and so much more! It's such a fun and exciting show. If you're looking for something entertaining and fun......this event is a must!!

DCI lost the Drum Corp part and is now an entertainment theatrics on the field with a Marching…read moreBand. Please call it what it is. The singing, the synthesizers, the theatrics are not drum corps. Now there are brief moments of slide trombones and wood winds to follow if you read the corps websites. If marching arts are what you want then fine go for it but please do not call it Drum and Bugle Corps.. That stomps on the heart and soul of the millions that had marched in a D&B corps and did it for fun with out auditions and most people not from where the corps is based. I could go on for a lot longer but will let others take their turn to express what they feel

Jeff and the First Impression Band were our wedding band at Laurel Hall in May 2009. They were…read morefantastic. Jeff was very easy to work with, took a list of requests in advance, and set a great mood for our evening. He also offered to play a CD during their break, so we were able to put a few special songs that weren't exactly their style of music. We met with Jeff before our big day to plan out where the dance floor would be and where his band would set up. We wanted to use the beautiful terrace if it was nice and Jeff was all about it. We considered the angles of the sun and things and got a big patio umbrella from our neighbors to keep the band protected. I recommend going to their site to hear the samples they have uploaded. You'll be dancing at your computer! The only downside was a storm rolled in at the end of the evening and we lost an hour of them playing, but I blame the unpredictable thunderstorms of Indiana!

The band was amazing! We booked their 8 piece band for our wedding Sept 2015 in Indy. Jeff Reed is…read moreso easy to work with and he learned all the songs we asked to perfection. We keep getting rave reviews from our family and friends even weeks past our wedding saying the band was awesome and the wedding was a blast! First Impression Band truly made our wedding memorable for everyone!! The dance floor was packed until the very last song- so much so that the last shuttle couldn't fit everyone back to the hotel and we had to start calling ubers and taxis! If you have any hesitation- don't. They play oldies and modern songs and interact with your guests. Phenomenal!!

I had no idea this was here! I saw a pop up ad on Instagram for a ballet show that I clicked on…read more Then I realized they had Anastasia playing and that is one of my favorites. Tickets were super affordable so I got a few for me and my family. There's plenty of free parking around the building. They also have some concessions in the lobby including popcorn, candy, soda, beer and wine, and a few basic cocktails. The volunteer ushers were so cheerful and helpful. My mom was concerned about accessibility but there are a few handicapped spaces around the back of the building and all automatic doors. I purposely picked seats in the back row of the orchestra seats since there was just one step down. But I believe they have seats along the side that are wider, more comfortable chairs and no steps to access. Plus there is an elevator to the balcony level. I thought the show was great. The costumes were fantastic! My family loved our visit and we'll definitely be back.

I'm very impressed with this venue! Hendricks Live is a Plainfield gem. It's big and new enough to…read morefeel spacious, but small enough to feel intimate and friendly. I visited Hendricks Live to see a children's play. I should say, the venue is officially called Hendricks Live! With an exclamation mark. As a rule, my fingers will not let me type any word or phrase containing extraneous punctuation. So, henceforth, I will be writing Hendricks Live without an exclamation. I really like that they let you eat inside the theatre. I mean, I didn't eat in there, but I like that they give you the option. They have a concession stand with things like frosted cookies, popcorn, candy, wine, beer and soft drinks. The seats have cup holders. The theatre seems relatively new and well-taken-care-of. The seats were comfy, and even though my son, who is on the shorter side, sat in back of two adults, he could still see the stage. The people who scanned our digital tickets and showed us to our seats were very friendly. The whole experience was pleasant, and we had a nice time at the theatre.

Good. Went to see a religious act/play and loved it! Staff are very nice!…read moreThey have some food and drinks you can buy before you go into the theater. Outside of the theater is loud when busy. (Not a complaint! Just putting here because of Yelp lol)

I came to see The Wiz and absolutely loved it! I've been to…read moreold National Centre and Indiana Performing Arts Centre and this may be my favorite one so far. Ended up with box seats with just me and my family and enjoyed it. We did have to sit up in our seats a little to see, but that may just be my height. However , I loved how I was able to see every part of the stage and that I didn't have to look over anyone's head to try to see. The line for drinks/snacks went by quickly and the staff were very friendly. I will definitely be looking into more shows at this location.