Do you remember when this place was not open? For years, right? I was lucky to enjoy a fresh…read moresalad in a cafe that was in there before it shut down in 1995. That salad has me thinking of it since then because it did not even need any more toppings or dressings; this was back in the day when I thought all salads should come with blue cheese, catalina, Thousand Island, or something...anything. I wish I got the name of the person who made it to see if that person is still in Albuquerque.
Now-a-days there is not a place in the Hiland to eat. In fact, food and beverages are usually not allowed in the theater -- but are allowed for special events. Performers, musicians, volunteers, and workers can eat in the studios, but it is a bring your own lunch/meal type of thing for the most part. If there are those special events occurring, then the tickets are expensive [$$$], but we expect that. Otherwise, you can see a show for free or under ten dollars per person. Free tickets are courtesy of the dancers or musicians, so get to know one of us because that is a true friend with perks.
The Hiland Theater is now occupied by the National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI-NM). NDI-NM has really fixed up the place! That is why eating and drinking is not allowed in the theater; they want it to keep it as neat as possible for as long as possible. Audience members enter through the main doors that face north. As you enter, the ticket counter is just to the left, and on the right are items for sale. The restrooms and water fountain are also to the right and down the hall, so that is the west side of the building. The left side does not have restrooms for the public.
I've watched performances in various spots in the theater. Some days I'm just lucky to find a seat at all. If I had my choice like back in May, then I prefer to sit center, center. My husband also does not like to sit too close either since he likes to see the entire performance from the back to the front -- take in all of the show. If you sit too close, then you miss out on seeing the big picture. However, some do like sitting right smack dap in the front. To each his own. My man prefers to sit by the aisle, so when I see shows with him, I'm usually not centered. That's okay. I'll live.
A quick note about parking: the nearby businesses do not want you to park in their lots if you are not doing business with them. When NDI-NM has shows, usually the nearby Hiland High School student parking is open for those needing parking spots. I usually try to park there if no other spaces are available, for the small parking lot in the back of the Hiland fills up very fast.
Photos can also say a lot more. Look at those ones as well as the pictures that I posted about the NDI-NM. If you want more photos of the Hiland, request them, and I can upload more to yelp. In the meantime, I like looking at old photos like this one: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/744 .
