Never been to this theater and I was very impressed by the building and the theater. There are several other theaters in the performing arts building.First off we parked in the garage parking it was $5.00 flat fee it just around the corner of the theater. Also, you can find parking on the street. We came here to see Alantiss Morsiette Jagged Little Pill Musical. You can immediately go in the building and ther is a nice lady welcoming you and directing you to go upstairs or use the elevator for the show. There are bathrooms on the first floor and a wonderful art gallery as well. Going up the stairs in a spiral and on the second floor there were 2 entrances. Make sure to ask where your seat is for the right door to go in. There is plenty of seating with a table outside the theater. While in the theater it was small, but intimate as well. There wasn't a bad seat in the theater. There are no flat seating on the floor just goes up so all can see the stage. You can see and hear the actors clearly. There was a 15 min intercession and you can use bathroom on 1st and 2nd floor. They had drinks soda, beer and cocktails, but not too much of a menu. They also had some candy as well. It wasnt much of a selection. Everything went well and best part you could meet the actors after the show as they were outside with any meet and greet or questions. Would come back again and see a musical. It's not big like broadway audience seating but definitely some great shoes here. read more

ATTENTION! This is an update to a previous review from December 2025 on the disastrous "A Christmas Carol" production. Lescher Center did you not listen and learn. People WALKED OUT AT INTERMISSION of the performance I was at and less than 50% of the audience was in attendance for the second act. So between December 9th through the 23rd I know where my family will NOT be attending... this God awful performance of Dickens Classic. It's truly not even the same story. The same actors and actresses take on dual roles mid scene! "Like, huh, what just happened?" Please tell your friends, neighbors, families, enemies, strangers to AVOID THIS LIKE THE BUBONIC PLAGUE. It's that bad! I feel like in December I should ride through the neighborhoods of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Danville, Alamo, San Ramon, Dublin & Lafayette like a modern day Paul Revere... and shout "A Christmas Carol" is coming! Avoid at all costs! There's no Christmas Spirit at Lesher Center this year. Again, nothing against the actors but when 25 reviews say the same thing (don't believe me? Go look please... my review with all the others is there for you to peruse) and the powers that be don't listen we speak by NOT BUYING TICKETS! PLAIN AND SIMPLE. MAYBE YOU'LL LISTEN AND BRING BACK THE TRUE "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" PERFORMANCE WE HAVE ALL GROWN TO KNOW & LOVE IN 2027. This... this ain't it. Boycott "A Christmas Carol" 2026! Thank you for reading. read more

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For those that were similarly highly disappointed in last year's Christmas Carol production, it looks like this year will be more of the same. After reading another review, I reached out to see if Lesher would be adjusting this year's production, and received the following: "Yes, this year's show will be the same version as preformed last year in 2025." If they're this insistent on maintaining such a badly created and reviewed production, I'll unfortunately be looking for another location to get my classic holiday entertainment fix. Sad to see, as the 2024 production was probably the best I'd attended. read more

I went and saw the production of Alice in Wonderland and it's such a beautiful venue! I got there early so I wandered around looking at the art exhibit and it was really cool and it was free! The people that worked there the ushers are really nice as are the ticket checkers. I would advise not sitting in the lodge seats, though in the balcony because you might be with a family and that's no fun. read more

Lesher Center for the Arts - Beautiful inside - Performing Arts Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Last Saturday was my first time here. I've lived in WC for years and never been until now and will be back. Last Saturday I did one of their art walks. Staff/volunteers explain the art murals in the area. It was very interesting to learn about their artist and history. The sane day I went to see the Aztec stories exhibit. I loved it! Got to talk to the artist and his wife. Great people, very humble. His art is amazing, colorful, creative, and so detailed. His wife explained it takes him about 2 months to finish one. It's beautiful, def recommend visiting if you haven't. Both of the above events were on donations. So worth it! read more

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I came in for a production of "Our Town," because I was walking in Downtown Walnut Creek one day, and happened to pass by Lesher. I talked to the ticket office about plays and shows, and they told me to take a look at the list of shows they had on the wall. Our Town immediately caught my eye, because I read it for a drama class I took in high school, and I absolutely loved it. I'd always wanted to see a live production of Our Town, so this was a perfect opportunity and to escape the heat the Bay Area has had this past week. They certainly added more dialogue that the play originally had, like a scene between Dr. Gibbs and George and Emily and Mrs. Webb, but it was still a pretty good recreation of Wilder. I noticed the performers were teens, which I didn't know beforehand, but they were fine. One thing that grew on me as the play went on was how they broke up the Stage Manager's lines and gave them to several kids. Granted, the Stage Manager is a huge role to play in Our Town, so letting multiple kids recite lines fit in nicely, like how the guy who played George got to finish the play with the Stage Manager's final lines at the conclusion. read more

Reviews of last season's A Christmas Carol have unfairly lowered the rating of this fabulous theater. They tried something different and it didn't work for people who want to see the same thing over and over and over. Please don't let these reviews deter you from visiting. read more

I'm reviewing the new Christmas carol play in 2025. IT SUCKS. Terrible acting accept for Scrooge. He carried that play. Please for the love of god bring the old one back. Me and my family would go twice every year to see it and went with extended family and friends. We were a group of around 20 one year. We will never return if this play stays the same. I have already warned so many people to never see it if it doesn't go back. It sucked please change it back I was robbed in 2025 read more

The venue was beautiful and the ushers were extremely friendly and helpful. The show was also well done - great singing, staging and acting. read more

Went to the Lesher Center for the Arts for another session of Improvised Dungeons and Dragons (Synergy Theater) and have to say that it was fan-tastic! Lesher has its own parking garage with event parking for only $5 for the event, and while parking is a bit too tight (there's always some jackassery where some people take two spots on purpose), it's still really nice. The Lesher Center is great and on the corner of Locust which is also the beginning of Walnut Creek's restaurant row. So dinner and a show isn't out of the question. There are two smaller bathrooms on the first floor and there are concessions. Will call and tickets are right there at the door so it's hard to miss. This was the second time i've been to a Synergy Theater event at Lesher and it's been great fun to be a patron of comedic entertainment. Definitely recommend it 100% for some great fun. read more

The lobby is on the plain side and appears a bit dated along with the seating inside the Synergy Theater, one of three theaters at the Lesher Center. We attended the Spontaneous Hitchcock improv comedy show in this theater over the weekend (see my separate review on the "Synergy Theater" for more details on the show). The performance was great, and the small auditorium was just the right size for the improv show with a good view from almost any seat. Staff at the venue was helpful too. The drinks being sold in the lobby were pricey, roughly $25 for one glass of wine and a hard seltzer, both small pours served in disposable plastic sippy cups, the lids ideal for bringing them inside the theater for the show (even though there are no drink holders at the seats). read more

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Just wanted to give a heads up to those of us who were extremely disappointed in the 2025 version of the Christmas Carol. I followed up with Lesher and was advised there would be minor changes but essentially the original version we all enjoyed for years will not be returning to Lesher in 2026 and likely never will. So, please plan accordingly when booking tickets for the 2026 Christmas Carol at the Lesher. Personally, I will find another venue to enjoy the play as it was meant to be presented and won't waste my money on this one. read more

Came here to leave a review about A Christmas Carol and was surprised, but not surprised, to see several negative reviews for it. It was the worst play I have ever seen in my life! We have been coming to see A Christmas Carol at Lesher Center for the Arts for at least 10 years now. It has always been the exact * same * play, one that was known and loved by many, if not all. This year's new adaptation was so bad that we actually walked out early. I'm going to go ahead and mention the elephant in the room here. There were way too many wheelchairs in this play. There were 3-4 wheelchairs on stage at any given time and we found it really distracting. Tiny Tim was zooming around the stage in his electric wheelchair which doesn't fit into 1800s London. So there was a lack of period accuracy with this adaptation. It might have been acceptable for Tiny Tim to be in a wheelchair (but only him) IF his acting wasn't atrocious. This kid was terrible. He had no acting skills and seemed to have no interest in playing his part. It seems like he was selected for the part only because he was in a wheelchair. Next, the actor playing Ebenezer Scrooge is an old white guy but as he looks back on his life, they have multiple ethnicities playing Scrooge as a little kid, school age boy, and then a young adult. Each version of him was a different ethnicity. There was a serious lack of continuity with his character, which was really confusing if you didn't already know the story and know which part these people were supposed to be playing. They also had the same actors playing multiple parts in the play. For example, the Filipino Scrooge (who played him as a young adult) and his love interest were playing the part of the aunt and uncle later on in the play. Again, if you didn't already KNOW the storyline, this would be really confusing as to why Scrooge was acting the part of the uncle later on. Another example - the ghost of Christmas Past was a beautiful African-American woman who leaves Scrooge at the top of the stage to go to the bottom of the stage and play his sister when he was a kid. Then she walked back up the stairs and played the part of the Ghost of Christmas Past again. Really confusing. My 10-year-old daughter was totally lost and had no idea what was going on with the characters. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future USED to be a 20-foot-tall black ghost figure that silently came out on the stage. Now, they rolled out an actor in (you guessed it) a wheelchair with a black sheet over his head. We were like "Really? Is that the best they could do??" They threw a sheet over this guy's head like he was a 5-year-old! And the ghost was so rude and criticizing Scrooge the whole time (he's not supposed to talk). It was so, so bad. That's when we got up and left finally, although I had wanted to leave during intermission but had hoped it might improve some if we stayed. It didn't, it only got worse. It felt like the director was taking a cheap shot at hiring so many actors in wheelchairs, because what critic or reporter is going to watch it and criticize a play with multiple disabled people in it?? They're not going to do that, so it felt like the director used an underhanded method to force positive reviews from critics. Yet we were not the only ones leaving during the middle of the play - multiple people walked out before us. I'm all for diversity in acting, but at least keep the characters consistent. Scrooge didn't need to be played by four different ethnicities. That also seemed like an intentional cheap shot by whoever does the hiring. In years past, when Tiny Tim passed away, my daughter and I were always near tears because we were so engaged with the play and felt sad for him. This year, the actor was so bad that when he "died" we felt nothing, because it all just seemed so fake and bad. Sad to say, we will NOT be returning to this play ever again if it remains in this format. The worst piece of garbage I have ever seen. I wish I could get my $250 back. read more

The 2025 Christmas Carol casting & production is woke trash. Masquers Playhouse in Richmond, CA is much better. The bar buys glass-bottled Modelo, then pours it into plastic cups "for safety." Apparently they think their customers can't be trusted not to throw things. read more

bring back the old christmas carol please that old show would bring me to tears every time, such a beautiful story and an amazing adaptation of it. your new one stunk so bad, it strays from the original story too much and it's just terrible, please change it back old christmas carol gets 100 stars new one 0 stars read more

I am writing this review in the hope that Lesher will revert back to the pre-2025 version of A Christmas Carol next year. The 2025 rendition was a disaster. If Lesher doesn't revert back, we will sadly have to end our decade long family Christmas tradition of going to the Lesher production. The old production was faithful to Dickens' great book, well-directed, often funny and often moving. It stayed true to Dickens' wonderful prose and the beautifully paced plot. The 2025 production, based on Harrison David Rivers script, seemed like the author had read the book 30 years ago in high school, forgotten most of it and decided to write a new version filled with sermons that would earn him a lot of thumbs up reactions from his friends. To anyone at Lesher reading these reviews, please go back to the pre-2025 production. read more

I have seen several amazing symphonies, a play and ballet here. It is a great venue to watch shows and not have to trek out to SF or SJ. There's a parking structure next door and it's $5 for even parking. I advise building in extra time for getting to and leaving the theater especially if someone in your party needs extra assistance. The ushers are great in helping to find your seats and answering questions you might have. Check it out! read more

We had been going to see "A Christmas Carole" every year for the last 10 years, until December 2025. The new "version" took over the tradition version that was in place for 20+ years. Luckily we were made aware of the woke version and dodged a bullet by NOT going in 2025. The reviews are abysmal and highly negative. The new director is to blame for this change. People who went walked out at intermission. I highly recommend that the traditional version return in December 2026. read more

I loved watching the Little maid ballet here. I would absolutely go back for more events.

I have been coming to the Lesher Center since I was 6 years old - more than 3 decades. I was excited to begin bringing my own children to the traditions my family have carried on for all that time. The 2025 production of Christmas Carol was a complete travesty. Gone are the timeless words of Charles Dickens, replaced by the abomination created by Rivers and Lobel. A complete remake that loses all the magic held by Ebenezer and his three visitors. While Mezzocchi is directing, our family will never be back. Bring back Caywood, James, and Denison, and we will be there with bells on. What a disappointment. read more

NOT EVEN IF THE TICKETS WERE FREE, WOULD I COME BACK TO SEE THE 2025 PRODUCTION OF 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL' What did I actually just watch? I came last year for the first time ever and actually felt such deep regret I had not made this a Christmas tradition in the past. I was amazed at the stage pyrotechnics, the way the classic Charles Dickens story was told, the magic of it all. By the end, I was in literal tears of amazement. I couldn't wait to get my hands on tickets this year. I bought them as soon as they were on sale in July. The new production misses in more ways than one. 1. Cheap costumes 2. Cheap stage setup 3. Multiple actors, playing multiple roles in the same scenes causing confusion and breaking down the storyline's continuity 4. Removing bits of the story and modernizing certain parts, but why?! Why change a classic?! I could go on and on. This is not it! I am only writing this review in hopes that I'm not the only one who does, and maybe the Center REP will bring back the old production. I know I am not the only one who was disappointed. People walked out never to return during intermission, not to mention I overheard multiple people make similar comments to mine. This is a huge miss and major disappointment to our community! Please bring back the old production! read more

A Christmas Carol at the Lesher Center is a family holiday tradition for so many of us, everyone loves it, even that one year when most of the cast got sick and the replacement actors had to read lines from their script, it was still festive and enjoyable, those actors still conveyed Charles Dickens' masterpiece.... But this new re-imagining of a classic is terrible in every way and most of all in how it has ruined a holiday tradition for so many of your long time patrons. There are plenty of other times in the year for exploratory theater, but do not mess with people's Holiday traditions during the Holiday season. Christmas Future is pointing to empty theaters next December if someone in charge doesn't fix this mess. And now a review from my daughter who insisted on sharing her thoughts: "We have been coming to watch the Christmas Carol at the rec center for years and it has become a timeless tradition, but we will not be coming back, due to the horrible remake of the classic story. It was a complete abomination, it honestly felt like mockery of Charles Dickens' masterpiece.The actors felt unfit for the act, some actors were playing multiple characters in the same scene, which made it very confusing and hard to follow, there were disco lights, even though we are supposed to be 1800's, and the ghost of christmas yet to come was literally a guy with a cloth on his head. They changed lots of classic lines, such as "Marley was dead to begin with," and "God bless us, everyone". The special effects seemed unprofessional with flashlights, the singing was off key and horrible, key elements were missing, and there was barely any "Christmas" vibe to it. There was also the added theme of " wishing on a candle to the cosmos", which makes no sense at all! There were far too many goofy, immature scenes. A Christmas Carol is supposed to be a little dark and scary, not this complete garbage. Fred's lines were over the top and completely obnoxious, as were many of the characters and lines. There was a lack in story setting props, and there were far too many kids screaming off key. The new director took it in a completely new and unrecognizable direction that I can't even call art. Me and my family will not be returning until the original story returns. I was completely devastated and disappointed by this abomination and by the loss of my beloved tradition being replaced by this horrible mockery of Charles Dickens' beautiful Christmas story. Please bring back the original story!" read more

My family and I have attended A Christmas Carol at the Lesher Center for many years, and we've always loved it. Unfortunately, this year's version was a disappointment. The production felt forced, and the changes to the script and casting didn't add to the story or its emotional impact. Instead of enhancing a timeless classic, they distracted from it and weakened what has traditionally been a very strong show. I fully support diversity and inclusion, but those values work best when they elevate the quality of the production. In this case, the overall execution fell short of the high standard the Lesher Center has set in past years. I hope future productions return to the storytelling quality that made this a must-see holiday tradition for our family. read more

I have attended A Christmas Carol for nearly 30 years. It has been a cherished family tradition--one that I eventually brought my own family to--because the show has always been uplifting, joyful, and filled with warmth and nostalgia. Unfortunately, this year's production was a complete departure from everything that made this musical special. The director did a terrible job portraying the spirit of the musical and, frankly, succeeded in dismantling decades of goodwill and tradition. What should have been fun, energetic, and emotionally uplifting was turned into something mundane and boring. Talented performers were clearly present, but their abilities were wasted on a direction that felt flat, joyless, and oddly satirical--almost like the show was being treated as a joke. The music was especially disappointing. At times it felt more like background spa music meant for meditation than a Christmas musical. One moment even sounded like suspense music from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire while waiting for an answer--completely pulling me out of the story and the holiday atmosphere. This production was a complete 180 from the Christmas Carol experiences I've grown up with and come to love. Instead of leaving overwhelmed with joy, I left extremely dissatisfied and disappointed. Please do not bring this director back. Bring back the fun, heart, and nostalgic magic that made this show something families looked forward to year after year. read more

This comment is only for the 2025 Christmas Carol revision. Flashing strobe lights, and a somewhat changed dialogue was done well, but. We went to see A Christmas Carol, Dickens's classic Victorian story. We did not go to see a modernized, rewritten version. Bad idea. read more

This review is not in any way a reflection of the effort put forth by the many volunteers and staff who work for the Center. The total abomination that happened this year with the Christmas Carol was upsetting to say the least. My family and I have come to see this show at this venue for 25 years and this year was by far the farthest from satisfied we have ever been. The production team needs to bring back the original script and show for the sake of the audience. I would advise anyone who came to see this show this year and had not seen previous years productions, do not lose hope - the community can tell you that this year was by far the least successful rendition of their performances. read more

This review is regarding the 2025 version of A Christmas Carol. This year we bought our tickets more than 5 months early to insure we had the best seats for our grandchildren. Our middle grandchild had waited 2 years to finally be old enough to join us and we had all looked forward with anticipation to including him in this annual family tradition. Yet instead of joy and color and excitement the opening scene was drab and somber. The play went downhill from there. Marley was bland, gone were the "ponderous chains" and rising from the dead of past performances. The ghost of Christmas Present was also Scrooge's nephew and he was onstage in a scene in both roles. He was a good actor, but it didn't begin to work. The ghost of Christmas Future was a joke. He had a cape over his head as he moved around and talked instead of pointed which left the audience cold and disconnected with the character. There there was no bedroom scene nor the pivotal cemetery scene where Scrooge typically asks if these are visions of what will be or what may be. No sense of mystery. There were times when the gap in dialogue was so long that I wondered whether actors had forgotten their lines. And the interpretation to have Tiny Tim, now just Tim, be the focus of the entire play was too much for the soft spoken little boy. It was impossible for him to carry that role. In years past the enthusiasm on stage connected with audiences from beginning to end with costumes and color and confetti. This year it was flat and not how we want to expose our grandchildren in the hopes of fostering a love of live theater. Lesher, please please in 2026 bring back the traditional interpretation that your audiences love. We would have been better off watching Mr Magoo's version on tv. This production was a waste of our time and $400. read more

The only positive about the 2025 Christmas Carol was the original Scrooge returned. He is the best! This is meant to be a Christmas classic for a reason. It has been our family's tradition at the Lesher but that may have just come to an end. read more

Yesterday, after seeing the abomination of their A Christmas Carol adaption , I walked out during intermission, grateful to end the suffering. It was such a shocking contrast from earlier high quality performances there, it appeared to be deliberately sabotaged to agitate those that value and treasure this annual tradition. Humbug indeed. read more

This review is based on 2025's cringe-worthy production of A Christmas Carol. The ticket prices were approaching Broadway level, but I bought them anyway remembering 2023's excellent, classic production. This year turned out to be more like community theater rather than a regional theater-quality show, and paying hundreds of dollars for my family to see it felt like a forced act of charity (instead of moving the audience to WANT to give to charity, which is the point of the original story). My parents had driven down from the North Bay to see this after I had hyped it up based on my experience in 2023. It was disappointing for them and embarrassing for me. We would have been better off staying home and watching the Muppet Christmas Carol, which actually hews closer to the original than this butchering of the Dicken's classic. All of the changes to the original story were worse. Some were obviously "woke" but others were just mystifying. Why mess with a good thing? Going to see the Christmas Carol every year is a tradition that people want to share with their kids. The old Lesher Center production used to deliver that experience; this one made me never want to go back the the Lesher again (which is a shame, because it is a beautiful venue in a great location). The only good thing about this production was the actor who played Scrooge, who delivered a classic performance (luckily we saw the male actor: I read in the program that Scrooge's understudy was female. What the heck?). All of the other actors were mediocre to poor. If the four wheelchair-bound actors had actually been good I would have been willing to accept ability-blind casting in the spirit of theater, but it was clear that they were there as a statement and not on their merit as actors. The 2023 production value was high, with a towering ghost of Christmas future and Marley popping out of a trap door in the floor. 2025's production had none of that. The ghosts weren't spooky. The ghost of Christmas future was especially disappointing, who turned out to be just a man in a wheelchair with a shroud thrown over his head, and who spoke even though the role is traditionally silent. It also completely omitted the iconic graveyard scene near the end of the play (WHY?). In 2023 I was moved to tears by the scene in which the Cratchet family tries and fails to maintain their positive attitude during the future Christmas dinner without Tiny Tim. This year I felt nothing-- nothing except anger at a botched adaptation and a waste of money and an evening. read more

2025 Christmas Carol is a terrible remake of a classic my family enjoyed every year. Would never go back to this show again. We all left disappointed and confused as to what had just happened. All of the wow moments were gone and so much of the iconic classic story were twisted and ruined. Bring back the amazing classic play you had been running for 20 years!! read more

Noise. Noise. Noise. Went to a Mariachi Concert, over 90 dB sound for extended amounts of time. This means permanent hearing loss. Unacceptable. We walked out and were greeted by other people leaving for the same reason. Registered a complaint, greeted by crickets. At least that didn't destroy my hearing. read more

This review is for the 2025 performance of A Christmas Carol... well at least that's what I thought I bought tickets for. Plain and simple, this year's show does not deserve to be called "A Christmas Carol." I am highly disappointed at what this year's performance turned out to be. I have seen this show here numerous times and look forward to seeing it each year; however, this year's story was absolutely butchered. Remember playing the telephone game as a child where you whisper something to the person next to you and so on, then the last person says out loud something complete different than what was first said? Now imagine writing a script that way. I understand making slight changes year to year, but this is not the time or place for a professional act to experiment, especially by removing the most iconic moments and completely altering the storyline! Here are the major changes/complains I have that come to mind (yes, it's a long list): 1. No mention of "Marley was dead as a doornail" or anything alike to set the scene. 2. The grave robber scene was completely cut out and replaced with Tiny Tim (played by a girl in a wheelchair) being handed a candle and told to make a wish. 3. Scrooge (also played by a woman) never saw Marley's face on his door, and I don't recall hearing the bell ringing. 4. No grand entrances. Marley walked in from the side, barely restrained by the chains. Both the Spirit of Christmas Past and Christmas Present just stood up from behind the bed. 5. Too much forced "comedy," like the kids screaming as they sang. That was obnoxious, not funny. This story is supposed to be a mix of dark, scary, and heartfelt, with moments of festivities, cheer and joy. 6. The Spirit of Christmas Present danced to disco music with club lighting, twice! He wore the iconic, modern day, bright red Santa outfit that we all know today, which came decades after the story is set. 7. The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come being played by a person in a wheel chair with a sheet over his head, that he then lifted AND SPOKE! This role is supposed to be completely silent and only points, guiding Scrooge. The use of flashlights here was extremely corny too. 8. After it is implied that Tim has died, (s)he immediately shows up alive and well while still in the future setting. 9. Scrooge is never shown the grave with his name on the tombstone. 10. When Scrooge visits Bob Cratchit's house, (s)he offers him a partnership instead of a raise. 11. It wasn't even Tim that said, "Merry Christmas to us all. God bless us everyone." 12. Practically all of the singing and dancing was cut out, yet this is called A Christmas "Carol." 13. Scrooge was played by a woman that could not deliver the bolstering, room shaking vocals to yell humbug. I couldn't tell if they were saying Mista (Mister) Scrooge or Misses Scrooge. As previously mentioned, Tiny Tim was played by a girl in a wheelchair. A total of four cast members were in wheelchairs. 14. The writer really let their ideology shine by adding "if more men cried, the world would be a better place." Some cast members played multiple speaking roles, not just as background extras, which led to a lot of confusion. Some even changed role and outfit while on stage. For example, the Spirit of Christmas Past told Scrooge that they (his younger self and others) could not see or hear him because they are just shadows of the past. The spirit then walked over and interacted with them playing as another character. The Spirit of Christmas Present did the same. The writer seemingly acknowledges their own confusion by adding in the line, "come over here whoever you are" to a guy that played multiple roles. This year's performance left a bitter taste, and I will be reluctant to return next year. If I knew they were taking the story this direction, I would have ended our annual tradition last year on a good note. I am far from happy with the price I paid, even though we had the least expensive seats, still $53 each. read more

Lesher Center for the Arts - Performing Arts Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

A Christmas Carol has been our family's tradition for years. I have treated family & friends & twice, even arranged for my book club to attend. This year we even had family fly in from 2 states to see the show together. The remake of this treasure has been a total failure. Others have expressed their shock & disappointment which matches my own. What an embarrassment to us to have family fly in to see this catastrophic flop. At intermission, everyone was sharing their horror & disappointment. We saw an entire row walk out & would have done the same if we didn't have out-of-state guests with us. Shame on everyone involved in the re-writing, directing, producing this beautiful timeless classic, & transforming it into unrecognizable trash. read more

Our family has made attending the Christmas carol at lesher center an annual family tradition but I'm sorry to say we won't be returning. This was our big holiday outing and was sorely disappointed. Would've just liked a traditional production :( read more

Our family and friends went to see the 2025 A Christmas Carol again this year and it was absolutely disappointing. I have attended A Christmas Carol at the Lesher Center for over twenty years, and this year's production was unacceptable. The 2025 adaptation abandoned the traditional version that long-time patrons expect and value. The changes fundamentally altered the experience and stripped away the warmth and familiarity that made this a cherished holiday tradition. If the Lesher Center and Center Repertory Company do not return to the traditional version, I will not be attending future productions, and many other long-time attendees I know have said the same. Please bring back what we all cherished as a traditional play. Thank you for your consideration. read more

Went to see and hear the UC Davis Mariachi today and throughly impressed as they had the Diablo Symphony as back-up! I hope the Lesher will bring them back for the entire performance instead of just the 2nd half of the program. Talented group with 2 outstanding singers. read more

Well that was a complete waste of $500 for my family! The 2025 "A Christmas Carol" was literally the worst production ever!!!! I have taken my entire family for years to come see this as our annual holiday family tradition which sadly will end after this years production. Extremely disappointing doesn't even begin to describe this horrendous so called production. It was so bad, that we left at intermission. Complete lackluster production. The stage set and props were cheap and bare minimum, if that. Costumes were terrible. The acting was meh. Basically felt like we were at an 8th grade/Jr. High drama production. Definitely not worth the ticket price! The story line was so far off and confusing, which lost the original magic and true message. Take your "woke" ideas somewhere else. A Charles Dickens classic should not be revamped. Sadly, this year will end a 20 year tradition for my family. read more

It's honestly very awesome that Walnut Creek has the Lesher Center for the Arts. I've performed and visited here countless times whether it's to watch Sarah Chang dazzle on the violin, Oklahoma the musical, or another Diablo Symphony Concert. The inside is always very clean and well maintained. Bathrooms are always clean. There is parking in the parking garage next to the center, but I believe it costs money. If you're looking for free parking for the duration of your concert, the parking garage next to Cinemark Walnut Creek is free for up to 4 hours. read more

Don't mess with "A Christmas Carol". If you want to do some other production, be my guest. The Lesher Center theatrical productions are going down hill fast. I am not the only one who will not be back. read more