This is a small black box style theater that puts on incredible productions. My family saw the…read moremusical "Once" (twice!) and the powerful play "The Messenger". Being this close to the actors allows audiences to catch great subtlety in the performances. Highly recommended.

Saw Jagged Little Pill and loved it! Love the quaint theatre vibe and friendliness of patrons and…read morestaff. Well done! I will be back

We have seen three shows at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, finding a great production…read moreof "Waitress" last year that introduced us to this theatre. More recently, we enjoyed "Frozen" and "Come From Away" and are excited for many of the upcoming shows for the season! The production quality for this mid-size theatre is excellent! The theatre is not huge, but there are many seats to fill. We have sat in rows Q, R, and S, and the views are still great! Seats are relatively comfortable and easy to find as well. Show prices will vary on where you sit, but it does feel intimate enough to connect with the actors wherever you sit. Even though we live nowhere near the area, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts has become one of our favourites. Additionally , the parking lot is huge due to the many businesses in this plaza, and we've always been able to park relatively near the theater. Plenty of food options here, too! We will gladly drive the extra miles to support the arts and enjoy musical theatre in La Mirada!

I attended a Sunday matinee recently. They open the theater an hour and a half before the show…read more They encourage people to come early by offering early specials at the bar. They do a good job of making the pre-show experience a pleasant one. There is plenty of seating inside and outside. There is a bar inside and outside, with the same offerings. They offer themed drinks to the show. People came out to enjoy the nice weather and the pre-show experience. The bathroom had many stalls but that didn't stop the women's from forming a line. Parking is free.

Once Again! Are you kidding me!!! Absolutely a GEM of a theater!…read more Came to watch Sweeney Todd and left in awe!! Cast was truly phenomenal!! Love the home feeling this theater has. Small and intimate, full of life and love. You can feel the art and dedication overflowing here! Please if you have not visited yet, what are you waiting for!? Buy your ticket now! I surely will be back. Thank you Gem!

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a must-see production…read more I was seated literally front and center on opening night, and I'm still riding that high. Legitimately the best live musical production I've ever experienced in my life, and you would not believe that I only paid $30.00 flat for a performance of that caliber and parking was free. THEATRE IS BACK LIKE IT NEVER LEFT, BABY!!!!! It's hard for me to review musicals and plays because I want to share enough to promote the show and encourage people to get out there and see it, but I also don't want to spoil anything. That said, both the storyline and the movie have been out there long enough by now that if you still don't know the plot... that's on you!!!! When people tell you to support local talent, you're probably imagining someone's uncle on stage with a saxophone. But what if I told you that behind the curtains of the Gem Theater is a full-fledged orchestra dedicated to this incredible production? I'm a Gustavo Dudamel girly as much as the next person (shout-out LA Philharmonic), but goddamnnnnn, the Gem Theater orchestra was REALLY throwing it down back there. I would've loved to see them come out from backstage to take a bow and receive a round of applause alongside their conductor and the rest of the cast because they were putting in werk, too! I also loved the actors and actresses cast for this production. In addition to their obvious musical capabilities, their facial expressions and body language in each scene were impeccable. I was especially impressed that the casting decisions weren't simply what Hollywood has conditioned us to expect these characters to look like (i.e., Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp doppelgangers). Everyone brought their own interpretation to the roles, and it worked beautifully. My favorite part of the show was the way "By the Sea" came together. Sweeney Todd has been my favorite musical since I was in middle school, and I've always wanted to see it performed live but never had the chance until now. I was genuinely curious about how the cast would pull off this scene because in the movie, they could obviously record and overlay multiple clips of Mrs. Lovett and Todd, but the way they handled it live was so lighthearted, witty, and genuinely delightful. It was honestly such a healing experience for my inner child...... which is such an ironic thing to say about a musical involving themes about c*nnibalism, murderous meat pies, and Victorian misery, LMAO. The costuming was also SCRUMPTIOUS. I'm not sure if they have an in-house designer or what their secret sauce is, but I'm sure we'll see them at London Fashion Week soon enough because those outfits were absolutely sooooo cunty (respectfully). One suggestion I have is for Gem Theater to consider setting up themed display cases or exhibits related to the current production as a way to drive additional foot traffic to the venue. For Sweeney Todd, imagine having different pieces from Mrs. Lovett's and Sweeney Todd's wardrobes, a pie, the barber shears, and other display props on view in the theater. I personally LOVE seeing Broadway props and production artifacts, and I'm sure other theater kids would be in the same boat. Obviously, this would depend on whether the theater has the capacity for it and isn't already doing something similar, but I think it could be such a fun addition. It's something I've seen done at El Capitan Theatre and The Bridgerton Experience in the past, and I think it could really resonate with theatre patrons here as well! :-) I also read online that Gem Theater used to have a sale on Halloween costumes back in the day, and I'm curious if there are any plans to bring that back sometime? I love thrifting and upcycling, and I think that could be a really fun event if they ever decide to revive it! Anyway, the final takeaway is: everyone needs to get their tickets to see this rockstar production while they're still available! There really isn't a bad seat in the house, and if that isn't enough to sell you, you should know that their air conditioning is also fully functional and a godsend in this 90+ degree Southern California weather. Thank you again to Damien, Victor (with the amazing hair), and Gem Theater for this delightful experience! I can't wait to see what you put on next, which is hopefully either The Greatest Showman or re-runs of Hairspray and Avenue Q because I dropped the ball and missed them first time around (but I promise to not be as foolish this time!).

First time seeing a performance here! I didnt know what to expect, but knew I had "nose bleed"…read moreseats. But, there are no bad seat. Small quaint venue where every seat is great!!! I was 3rd row from the top and loved the view of the stage and performer!! The sound was great! The seats are padded and fairly wide. I did not feel crowded by my neighbor. Parking is free and 100' away next to the Vietnam War Memorial. I would not hesitate to see another show here!!

Very nice staff and plenty of parking, especially when the courthouse isn't open. The concessions…read moreare cheap and the seats are very comfortable even in the back. No fuss and no hassle. Metal water bottles were okay and everybody was very relaxed. Definitely recommend.

We love, love, love Stagelight for so many different reasons. My daughter started Musical Theater…read moreSinging and Dance about 1.5 years ago when she was 4.5 and has really stuck with it; and this studio is magnificent. 1. Ms. Lindsey is THE best. She teaches the dance portion and has so much energy, enthusiasm, silliness - she makes dancing technique so accessible to this age, which quite honestly is a bit more harder to captivate since their attention is all over the place. 2. The price/schedules is so amazing. It fits what we need and there are so many class options - including acting, dancing, singing. There's just a lot more than a dance studio..so if my daughter were interested in improv/acting later, then she can easily switch to that or use a makeup token to check it out. 3. The productions and how they showcase their students on stage is genuinely such a huge effort and I'm amazed at how they can do this for hundreds of students across 3 shows - we love it and my daughter has a blast on the big stage, with the stage makeup and showing off their skills. And we also love how the costumes are stage/age appropriate - which honestly is something I've noticed in other dance companies I don't love. Cannot say enough great things about Stagelight. We love it and you will, too!

The "studios" are very crammed. They tried to put too many kids in one session with only 1…read moreinstructor. This arrangement may work for older kids who are able to listen and pay attention but definitely not good for the 4-6yo groups. Most of the kids were all over the place, talking, playing, distracting others and it was very hard for the instructor to control so many little ones and still try to teach. I don't recommend for very young children.

Went to see this amazing production of Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE. it was fantastic, magical and I…read morewish I could go again! It's sad this is the end of an era. I wish they had merchandise with imagery from the show!!! I would have bought it ALL!!!

The end of an era, James Conlon's final opera performancc is fittingly the Magic Flute, my…read morefavorite. We have had season tickets for years, and I especially love the Queen of the Night, but all performances are professional from West Side Story to Carmen. The Dorothy Chandler is a beautiful venue with excellent acoustics.Lunch before our matinee at Kendalls makes for a wonderful cultural experience in DTLA.

We absolutely LOVE this little theater!! We've been to several plays here over the years and none…read moreof them have ever disappointed!! I want to say that the theater holds maybe 75-100 people...? Comfy seats and every seat is a great view. Prices are great, our last show was $39 each. The actors are fun and you can tell they absolutely love doing what they do. They are there to make everyone happy including themselves and their fellow castmates. There is a bar with drinks and snacks, we've even seen shirts for sale! We are considering purchasing a "B Season Pass" so we don't miss out on the shows this coming year, some sell out fast! I hate to even give a great review because I don't want people to buy up all the seats from under us, but yet I want to also give this theater a huge and happy round of applause for being FANTASTIC!! We will see you again soon! Cheers!

We have been coming to shows at the Maverick for years. My…read morewife bought us tickets to their incredible "Night of the Living Dead" play. It was the best surprise- I had no idea until we arrived. The Maverick puts on this play every year and it is outstanding. Their seasons always bring unique, quirky shows. From King Kong to Rocky Horror to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. There is always something cool happening. Brian, the owner, is dedicated to theater and is a friendly, welcoming guy. The staff and actors are wonderful as well. Probably our favorite local theater.

Huston Performing Arts in Placentia is an amazing performing arts program!…read more We were first introduced to them when they came to our elementary school and produced Seussical and Annie. I expected basic elementary school productions, but I was so surprised and impressed by how professional they were and by the performances of all the students. That experience led us to sign my eight-year-old grandson up for their summer production of James and the Giant Peach, and it was one of the best decisions we could have made. Kris Huston and her team truly focus on teaching the fundamentals of musical theater. The students aren't just learning their parts--they're learning real theater skills and what goes into putting on a quality production. I've watched my grandson grow and polish his skills through these three productions, while gaining confidence and, most importantly, having so much fun. You can see that same growth and training reflected in the wonderful performances of all the students. I look forward to watching him continue with Huston Performing Arts and seeing his skills and love for theater grow over the years. I highly recommend this program to any family looking for a place where their child can truly learn the craft of theater and love doing it!

My 17 year old son is attending a weekly guitar lesson here. He really enjoys it. He has learned…read morequite a bit in a few short months. He reports that his teacher is very nice and also patient. He can already play songs.