The 3-star rating is in large part due to safety concerns in this venue, as parts of the interior…read moreare stunning, and the film festival held there was entertaining and pleasantly educational. This beautiful old building is surrounded by scaffolding so you can't really see its architecture, but I didn't see any renovation happening outside or inside, where the walls are covered with gorgeous murals, other detailed artistic painting, and intricate hanging light fixtures. The old-but-comfortable theater-style balcony seats are covered with red velvety fabric. It's a visual feast. However, renovation inside is massively needed, especially for safety concerns. When the lights were turned out for the films it was almost pitch black, with no modern-day dim "safety lighting"...not even enough to navigate if you needed to. And right in front of each balcony seats there's flooring maybe 1' deep for your feet to rest on (not enough), which then drops precipitiously almost another 1' to the next level of floor that you need to reach to walk in or out of the row! While this creates a clear view of the stage for every row of seating, it's very dangerous. To get into the row you need to step down to the lower section to walk across but there's nothing to hold onto except the arm of the seat on the end, and I needed the help of the willing hand of the kind person seated there to feel safe. The stairs to the balcony could accommodate 3 to 4 people across, but you have to be on the outer edge to have a hand railing. One woman tripped at the top of the stairs to the balcony and slammed very hard into the backs of our seats, and her popcorn rained down everywhere, including on us. I don't remember how wide the space is between that last step and the seats, but it seems there wasn't enough, or much demarcation visible between the last step and the floor. We were all rattled by the impact, the noise, and the popcorn, but she was able to get up with help and get to her seat. I'm do remember thinking it would be easy to fall there, and I was glad I wasn't the one who did! The main level has no fixed seats, just very uncomfortable-looking wooden chairs set up in rows. That didn't seem like a good time during a 3-hour film festival! There were two pretty decent bathrooms available on the that floor, and I was told there was one on the balcony level, but I couldn't see it. However, I wouldn't have even tried to navigate from the dangerous seating set-up in the dark to get to any bathroom! The only open concession area was on the main level, in a small dark niche, and unlike modern theaters, there was no food, just beverages (including cocktails), candy and popcorn. The high prices on those were the most modern thing in the building! The eight or so short films in the festival were all human-interest stories of one or more persons and their interactions with and adventures in nature. All were inspiring and interesting, all had some scenic nature and landscape views, and I think all included water elements. But none were quite what I expected, as I had learned about the "Wild & Scenic Film Festival" at a viewing of the stunning panoramic "Wings Over Water" on the Extreme Screen in Union Station in KC a few nights before. Wild and scenic nature at its finest! This fundraiser for nature and environmental causes was well put-together and organized by volunteers, and I think very successful, because as far as I could see, the theater was packed, and many people had attended it for years! Water One was the main sponsor, joined by many other generous partners. Raffle tickets were sold for one lucky person to win a large kayak, and everyone received a free ticket for a prize raffle with a plethora of good items, including several wooden bird and bat houses, nature-and-on-the-water clothing items, quality t-shirts and water bottles, and many more worthy prizes winners could choose from. I was one of many lucky free ticket holders, and very happy with my surprise gift bag containing a soft "There is no lemonade without water" t-shirt, a WaterOne recycled plastic bottle that claimed it "kept 1,085 plastic bottles out of the environment," and a small zippered clip-on pouch full of First Aid essentials!

Many good memories at Liberty Hall over the decades, but if I'm keeping it real, there are better…read moreplaces to catch a show. In college, we used to rent movies here where you could find a collection unlike anywhere else. I saw movies here, using a phone flashlight to navigate the pitch black upstairs seating. I saw shows here, and the location on Mass is second to none. Came up a few weeks back and it felt good to be back here, but also.. sweatier than I remember? The place was packed and it was almost impossible to move. The sound from the band was AWFUL, I wondered if it was all the mixing board or what. I think the reality is we were under an overhang and it causes the bass to echo and reverberate. The show ended up being pretty decent, but I wasn't loving the vibe necessarily. I think if you are catching something here, getting ticketed seats upstairs is the way to go. All in all, it's fine, but I won't be scrolling the website here to find the next show to see.

Always great shows and impeccable service! Lovely and…read moreaccommodating. Mr. Ulmer is bringing a new vibe! Love it!

Formerly the Lawrence Community Theatre, it's now just Theatre Lawrence, and has been for several…read moreyears now. First things first: this is one of the things that makes Lawrence a complete city in my opinion. In a state with a poor reputation for supporting the arts, Lawrence stands out and then some, and Theatre Lawrence is one very good reason. Don't expect amateur, the productions here are quite good, reasonably priced and access and parking first-rate. No, it's not Broadway in NYC but the tickets don't cost $300 a pop (expect $20 range) and a hotel in case you need one isn't $400 a night with $20 glasses of vino. Speaking of which, nice bar and snacks in the lobby and you can take your beverage in to the show. The sound system and mechanicals are first-rate. This place was built for one single purpose, and no, it doesn't double as a church on Sundays like the old location often did. Did I mention, not a bad seat in the entire house. Get a back row ticket? Count yourself lucky, they're good seats. Everything about this venue hits the mark in my opinion. The city is lucky to have it. Can't wait to return to the next show, but first, I'd better finish my gig in the orchestra for the current run of "Quilters."

They charge $4 ... for water. That's ridiculous. Do they want people in their venue to dehydrate?…read moreAhhhhhh!

Recently went to see Sleep Theory, the show was great, but this place has been going downhill. It…read morecould really use some updates, and they need to rethink the prices.

What a lovely place! I recently took a bead making class here and it was thoroughly enjoyable from…read morestart to finish. It was difficult picking just one class because there were so many of them I wanted to take. Lawrence Arts Center has so much to offer all age groups. My class was a human hodge podge of ages and experience. The building is stunning. You are immediately taken in by the color collections and the great use of space and light of this building. Everywhere you look there is alluring and interesting artwork. Even the elevator interior is adorned with colorful sunflower art. This is a happy place, a very happy place. The classrooms are spacious and light. They have all sorts of cool equipment for the students to create their artwork. The instructors are all very knowledgeable and experienced in their craft. I was very impressed with the accommodations provided. There is ample parking and a parking garage is located across the street. There is no issue with access. All in all this is a terrific asset to the city. If you have some time on your hands and find yourself downtown, this is the place to be!

I'm not a particularly artistic person, but we stopped in here on our trip to Lawrence. I was very…read moreimpressed with the building, sleek and clean. I was also impressed by the sheer number of programs they boast here from theater and singing, metal working, pressing, painting, sculpture, etc. Many of these can be seen on display in the galleries about the building. They also have early school and learning centers attached. It makes for a very cool place for the arts crowd to gather.

We went to see Many Patinkin on April 1st. He was fantastic!…read more We enjoyed the Lied Center very much. It's a nice facility. The ushers were great. Very helpful and diligent about getting rude people to turn off their bright cell phones and watches. I loved that. The major shortcoming is that they desperately need someone directing traffic at the west exit after the show. It took far too long. People weren't bright enough to use both lanes going out of the lot, so it was very time consuming. This must be improved.

It was my first time at the Lied Center. It's a great venue for live performances. I drove 45…read moreminutes just to go see a performance. Lots of parking. Easy to find. Three levels of seating. I prefer the balcony or second level. It would be nice if they would also project the performances onto a large screen to the side for those that may not have good seats. Another suggestion, upgrade their concession area.

I was hosting a surprise birthday party for my partner which included watching Tenet on the…read more(backyard) big screen. Mike reached out from my form request from the site within 10 minutes. There was no question that I'd even need to shop around for a better deal or experience. Mike was top notch professional, knowledgeable, and accommodating. On the big day, he quickly set up the equipment, played an additional memory slideshow and music, and made a bunch of our neighborhood kiddos weeks with his popcorn machine. The sound quality and screen quality was perfect, even as a Christopher Nolan film usually demands an IMAX. For all future movie set ups for our family and probably our neighborhood, we'll be using Backyard Box Office KC

I would give 10 stars if I could, as I truly cannot recommend Michael and his amazing team at…read moreBackyard Box Office KC enough. We connected with Michael about hosting a movie night for our volunteers and staff at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and he immediately responded to our request and scheduled a time for a site visit. From our first interaction, he was friendly, genuine, on time, and communicative without fail. He has immense knowledge about his industry & equipment and has an impressive arsenal of processes in place so that his team is ready for anything. We had to postpone our first date due to weather, and Michael was in communication with us the whole time we were working to reschedule. We even had a hiccup with our planned site the night of our rescheduled event, and he and his team pivoted their entire set-up process like it was nothing. As a person in the events industry, I cannot say enough about their unwaveringly calm demeanor and creative problem solving. The night of the event, they arrived with plenty of time to set up the screen, sound system, lights, and popcorn machine. Everything was set up on time and looked organized. The screen was bright and displayed the picture beautifully, and the sound system was top notch. Michael and his team worked tirelessly to make our event seamless so that our staff could enjoy the event as well, and they thought of every little thing. They were prepared for anything & the pinnacle of professionalism, and I cannot wait to work with them again!

Watch the marquee - The Bottleneck features an ample stage hosting bluegrass to heavy metal, bop,…read moreswing, country, rock, big band horns, Disney mashups, salsa, drag parades, Zydeco, and more. I've found that bigger names and highly gifted performers come through Lawrence on their way cross country, so pay attention and research the artists scheduled on Sunday through Tuesday nights. (This is true of most Lawrence music venues). Cactus Blossom was 5 brothers from Minneapolis melding family voices like the syrupy blend of Everly Brothers harmonies; Justin Payne was originally a classical violinist who jettisoned to Nashville, got a waterfall of all other music influences, and traveled the road for over twenty years honing his skills at music and reading crowds. Look at the wall of promotional 8x10 glossies of the bands that have played here and you'll get the picture. Lots of acts you want to see today were at the Bottleneck when they were building their cred - and you may be able to say, "I saw them @thebottleneck BAE." Oh, btw - The Bottleneck is small enough that you can generally interact with the performers - and the shows get better with the energy of the audience. It's big enough to take a group of friends and small enough that the audience makes an impressive impact. (Ever notice how people respond to praise and encouragement?) Often, the musicians stick around to autograph their merch, discuss where to eat and drink, and enjoy midwestern hospitality along their grueling path to play for nameless faces in faraway places. Support the artists and inhale their blooming talent.

I had no idea The Bottleneck had a couple of skylights…read more I guess I never really visited much during the daylight hours. Anyway - the venue has gone through a small renovation. They've updated the sound and lighting systems. They've also done some work around the stage, repainted and cleaned the interior and semi fixed up the restrooms. This is a fun little venue. Whoever you come to see will look and sound good and you should have a good time.