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Albuquerque Academy puts on amazing stage productions, and Simms is a great performance space for a…read morehigh school. The stadium seating gives you a splendid view of the stage from any seat, even the wings, and some spots even give you a good view of the orchestra pit. It should come as no surprise that this school's resources are outstanding, and the attention they give their performance departments is enviable. The sound and stage lighting are awesome and the usable space is really top-notch for this type (highschool) of venue. AA kids are well instructed and spectacularly talented. We just went to a production of the Phantom of the Opera and I was moved to tears more than once. The stars of the show couldn't possibly have been highschoolers! They were very nearly as good as any act I've seen at Popejoy and their voices were simply stunning. I love Webber's Broadway score and was really pleased to find AA was putting on that same version of the legendary story. Although they didn't quite match up to the amazing vocalists' performances, the school's orchestra (+ certain wind instruments) did a not-too-shabby job for a highschool crew replicating one of the (IMHO) most powerfully moving scores ever written.

Major admission prior to the review, here: my wife teaches at this school. She's finishing her…read morefirst year as a Special Educator. So there's that. And obviously the rating must be balanced by this admission. But the place deserves a solid review, and I'm approaching this on two fronts: 1) the reputation of the school at large and 2) my perceptions of the learning environment and kids therein. Albuquerque has a storied, especially difficult history with public school education. As one of the poorest states in the Union (we're always battling Mississippi for that crown), our educational system tends to take the brunt of this unfortunate reality. I'll leave it at that. If you're new to the city, be especially wary of the system you plan to enroll your child in. We have major issues. Charter schools aren't the perfect solution, by any means, but they're a great start. Most Charters, if not all, choose attendees via a lottery system since they receive far more applicants than they have room to receive. This is a sad truth, and definitely not what our Founding Fathers envisioned regarding universal public education. Our kid won out on the lottery. She attends another stellar Charter. But it isn't fair. In my personal view, the worth of any populace is best measured by the education of their citizenry. Last I checked the great U.S. of A. was ranked 13th, behind Cuba, if you can believe it. Locals call this place PAPA, rightly so. It's an endearing institution that mentors students in the arts and sciences with a critical eye toward the creative spirit. I've walked the "halls" and witnessed the collective talents of these kids, they're rather extraordinary. Dancers, science geeks and guitarists, singers and mathematicians, all of these kids manifest a fabulous energy that keeps them connected with education, which should be the goal in the first place. Great, amazing kids. So there's my second point. The first point, regarding the reputation, plays out in state-wide rankings. PAPA typically scores at the very top of the Charter school rankings on a yearly basis, as measured by test scores, attendance, and post-graduate success. It's one of the best. If not The Best. So enroll your kid in the lottery, take a tour, and let one of the students tell you why PAPA rocks. Charter schools aren't the ultimate solution; great public schools are. But while we work this stupidity out, schools like this make the grade. (One star off for the facility itself. At this time, it's all portable classrooms; I know they're searching for a new home, but for the moment the place is quirky, just like the kids that attend it.)

I fit in perfectly , and I am surrounded by creative and innovative people. The education I am…read morereceiving is amazing. The performing arts classes are really amazing, no other school I have ever seen or been to has such an amazing performing arts program! I love this school and never plan on leaving and would highly recommend this school to aspiring artists!

We had soooo much fun! highmy recommend this for a date night or just for fun!! Can't wait to see…read moremore!

This was one of the best company events I have ever attended. I would highly recommend them for a…read moreteam building activity or just a fun date night.

A fine little playhouse in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque at a convenient location in the…read morecenter of town, The Desert Rose seems ideal for small productions with its cozy theater that seats about 50. I'm here tonight watching "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" on an appropriately stormy night. This play, written about twenty years ago by Paul Rudnick, has been brought back at a perfect time in American Cultural history by director Dagmar Garza. The play is a reinvisioning of the creation story familiar in the Bible in the expected way for a queer-revisioning: with Adam and Steve. The play is much more complex, however, than just making a statement about homosexuality. We the audience watch as the characters discover the world and grapple with philosophical questions as if they were children, unaware of dogma. The play also includes an interesting narrative style, with the "Stage Director," a character in the play, providing the kind of narration traditionally supplied by a chorus. The play is mostly funny and bawdy. As far as being philosophically insightful, it lacks any powerful punch that might elevated it beyond the level of entertainment. Nevertheless, the show is well acted, timely, and interesting. I recommend you see it before it closes on the 28th. PS. Billy Mallard really stole the show as gay Santa. And as for The Desert Rose: I'll be back. :)

Michael Montroy told his acting classes he was Reg Pressley from the Troggs and he wrote "wild…read morething." Why does he feel the need to lie about who he isn't?

Not sure what to do on a Friday/Saturday night? Have people visiting from out of town? Then I…read morehighly recommend considering The Box for a night out. Girls night, date night, family night - whatever you chose your poison to be - the Box should be included. It was a great experience and my face was hurting from laughing so much. The performers are very talented and quick on their feet. Definitely recommend this as an ABQ experience.

The Improv show was very funny and entertaining. A great weekend date spot and very affordable…read more Highly recommend supporting this local arts theatre!

Rumble Productions puts on a great performance! I hired Rumble to perform an April Fools Day prank…read moreon one of my co-workers. A very talented accordion player and song writer showed up in her Elvis wig to perform the Elvis song that I requested. She switched up the lyrics to the personalize it to the guy that we were pranking. The videographer captured every moment. From the initial inquiry, to discussing the logistics and the execution it went off without a hitch! I highly recommend Rumble. I can't wait to hire them again to put on another show. Thank you guys!!!

Don't believe in fairy tales? Rumble Productions will change your mind! The amazing artists at…read moreRumble create memories - special memories that last a lifetime because they make the recipient feel like the most important person in the world! I recently called Rumble to create a special birthday singing telegram for a Crossfit coach. It was extremely last minute but they jumped through hoops to make it happen. He was surprised, embarrassed.... And absolutely blown away by the gesture! I challenge him to ever forget that time he received birthday cupcakes at the box by singing telegram! Amazing performers, amazing customer service, and even more amazing memories! Thank you!!

Superior acting. Excellent variety of shows. Courteous attention to guests. Love it!read more

I adore this place!! After my first time here I'm a believer…read more I grew up in the North Valley and have seen this place more times than I can count. As I entered my adult years I always told myself that I should catch a show here some time. I'm happy to say that I FINALLY made it in. A couple of my close friends and I caught a Leading Ladies performance. The place itself is so quaint and charming. It was a packed house for sure!! I recommend showing up earlier than 10 mins before showtime. The performance was amazing. I had tears streaming down my face the whole first half. The actors were genius. Really threw themselves into their roles and engaged the audience with every word and facial expression. It was so good that I'm going back to see the same show again and plan on going to a couple of other shows scheduled this year. It was a great experience and I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

Size doesn't matter, they say. Which I think is total hog wash when it comes to the size of my…read morecandy bar, and I'd have to say I feel the same about theatre. Size is everything. A production in a huge theatre leaves out that intimate experience with the stage, the set, the tiny yet beautiful team effort and transition between acts; the things you wouldn't usually get to notice. I absolutely love the heart and soul I see behind a small theatre; throw in the raw skill of these locals and you wonder why you haven't escaped your typical night from Albuquerque to join the buzz of the Vortex more often. I have been here a few times, back when located on Carlisle, but this was my first time at the new location. The production: "The Real Thing"! I had heard tale of accents and from that alone I was sold ;) There were struggles of relationships (the monotony, infidelity, - real things, indeed) as well as a bit of insight into the writer's mind. What I personally took from the play was that without continuing affection/appreciation, love can easily wither, and you or your lover may find yourself in the arms of another, but even at that point, if you both fight back hard enough for your love, you can reclaim it. I will say that the theatre was quite ablaze on this particular Friday night - some issues with the cooling, causing our poor little programs to be beaten and destroyed back and forth for that teensy ounce of a breeze it may provide. After intermission they had the cooling situation under control thank gourd, and I was able to really give the dialogue my full attention. They have waters for a buck, sodas for a buck, reasonable and nice little refreshments. Believe you me did those come in handy after the first half :P This was an extremely talented set of people for this production and I was delighted to be a part of their audience. I have special kudos to give out to the lad who played Henry, for the ridiculous amount of lines he memorized was downright crazy. Sometimes I could barely keep up, let alone imagine remembering and delivering all of those words. Whew! Way to go! See ya again soon, Vortex!

We got out of work late and rushed downtown to catch "Shakespere in the Plaza" we were 6 minutes…read morelate. We were told they "held the show as long as they could" with a bit of annoyance. They had open seats, and, after we went back down to the parking garage, paid the parking and came back up, 10 min later they had still not started. Perhaps they do something special that no other production does, that absolutely requires people be exactly on time. Or maybe it's ran by pretentious so-and-so's. Who knows. **note: I was asked about the location. This review was in reference to a production they were putting on down town**

LOVE! This has been the best music experience. My children love it and look forward to going each…read moreweek. It's a different concept than your traditional classical music lessons, making it FUN and exciting. The instructors are all wonderful, the owner is awesome and they work with your schedule making it convenient to attend.

From the owner: School of Rock Albuquerque provides both in-person and online music lessons for students of all…read moreages. Our programs, camps and workshops for toddlers, kids, teens and adults make learning to play music fun and create great communities of musicians. School of Rock is the leader in performance-based music education. We combine one-on-one drum, bass, keyboard, vocal, and guitar lessons with group practices. Students learn to play music from day one and put on live performances at local venues. Our experienced instructors are local musicians themselves who combine the performance-based School of Rock Method and programs with individual music lessons to get results for your student.