Always a terrific experience, attending a concert at the Ridgefield Playhouse. My only complaint is that in recent years, the prices have gone through the roof, and many times are no longer in my budget. Still at the end of the day, I'm thrilled to have Ridgefield Playhouse as part of my community. read more

Expensive popcorn, high prices on drinks and candy. We enjoyed the show! Rock of Ages performance was a great experience. Professional performance read more

Saw Rick Wakeman at this beautiful theatre. The show was sensational by the epic Mr. Wakeman. It small fabulous theater with excellent sound to seen a concert. read more

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What a nice, quaint theater. We took our Middle School class to see the Harriet Tubman Show and our students really enjoyed the show. For many of them this was their first theater experience and it was wonderful. The seats and acoustics were great. I am definitely going to have to catch other shows. read more

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Always outstanding. Quality of music and great performances and great venue. Been going there for years and never disappoints.

I found the seating to be very comfortable, and the sound system to be excellent. It's small enough to be classified an intimate setting, but large enough to get electrified if the band is doing its job. I will definitely come back here again. On this particular evening, I saw Bernie Williams and his band and they were great. read more

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This is a small and unassuming playhouse in beautiful Ridgefield, CT. This was my first visit. Parking was free (hooray) and plentiful, and a minute or two walk from any of the on site parking spaces/areas to the entrance Getting into the venue was organized and quick (checking any bags and the tickets). As another reviewer mentioned, there is an adjacent ramp for those who may have mobility issues. Leaving the venue was relaxed and easy and no long car lines. Whew. All the staff that we encountered were friendly and welcoming-from the entrance staff to concessions to seating assistants. Wine, beer and cocktails, along with some snacks are readily available to either consume in the spacious lounge area or take inside theatre. Restrooms were plentiful, clean and well managed. The theatre is intimate yet modern and the acoustics were excellent. We sat on the left floor area and the views were fantastic. The seats were as comfortable to me as most standard venues, but my friend thought it was uncomfortable and cramped. All in all a relaxed and enjoyable experience that I would recommend (although realize to get here entails some winding and twisting roads off the beaten path so take your time and breathe). read more

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Recently went to Pat Metheny... NOW I'M A MEMBER! The single BEST feature about this 'intimate' venue is the fact it only holds 500 seats (max!). Whether you sit in the last row or against the wall, your sight line is amazingly close! They have a very nice and very reasonably priced concession area; very assisting ushers/security; an immaculately clean venue and FREE on-site parking (which is and a stone's throw from the front door!)! Most recently saw Mr. Big there and have future tiks to see Orianthi, Richie Kotzen, KK's Priest and Todd Rundgren. I live in Peekskill and what do we get at The Paramount Hudson Valley (a venue 2x's the size)? Blood drives, an endless stream of cover bands and the occasional lousy comedian 25 years removed! Thanks for NOTHING! Unless it was just at the last 2-shows I attended per the artists request, I LOVE the fact you CANNOT use your phone during a performance (and which I surprisingly saw enforced too!)! Kudos to security! Ridgefield Playhouse continues to impress with its physical improvements, quality staff and INCREDIBLE BOOKINGS! read more

A very comfortable venue where there's not a bad seat in the house - 500 seats. Clean spacious lobby / bar area. Bathrooms are clean and spacious as well. Sound was fine for the acoustic Pat Metheny concert which we found to be very disappointing. Parking can become tight when arriving late and leaving is a choir. We found bartenders to be friendly and ushers helpful. read more

I have attended a few good shows at the playhouse, but I really must promote The Nutcracker, put on mainly by The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance. I believe they employed a couple professional dancers to fill in the gaps, but I might be wrong. In any case, the show on Friday night was outstanding! I would have returned to watch a second show; I enjoyed it so much!! It's all well and good to trek into the city to watch The Nutcracker in Lincoln Center, but I was honestly just as delighted in my little town of Ridgefield. The playhouse is no joke. And apparently, The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance is no joke. Thank you, talented dancers!!! read more

This solely based on their outdoor concert covid setup. They did a very nice, well ran, social distancing setup. Everyone was only sitting with who they came with or even solo (if you bought one ticket). You did not sit right next to any strangers. Everyone was asked to keep their masks on (unless of course you were eating or drinking) and majority of people complied (probably helped keep them warm on a chilly night). Sound system was slightly lacking for joan Osborne. Would have liked a bit louder. All in all well done, kudos to the staff. read more

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Love this place. Love the quality of the acts, the variety in the programming, the location, and the mission. Love the Arts in Education program, the newly renovated building, and the staff. read more

Jake Shimobokuro was coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse. Where is that? I don't know but we had to go. I bought my tickets through their portal. Painless. Chose will call. Did not see an electronic ticket option, but will call is fine. Parking is plentiful. And free. The lobby is clean, the staff are friendly and helpful. Snacks and soft drinks reasonably priced. The venue is great. Big enough so you get a concert feel, but small enough to feel intimate. The acoustics are also pretty good. If you live in eastern CT- maybe The Ridgefield Playhouse isn't for you. But I would definitely make the drive again. I can't wait to see who is coming next year!!! read more

Love this place. I've been to a few concerts here and have loved it. It's a little out of the way for me, coming from Westchester. But, definitely is worth it. The venue is small and intimate. And the ushers and staff are helpful and friendly. The concerts are relatively quiet. Although, I have unfortunately near some unruly patrons before. I would recommend this place and will most likely be back in the future. read more

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Saw Jason Bonham last night and they were excellent. The acoustics weren't very good. You could barely hear the singer. Not sure if they had a terrible sound person or if it's the venue. Also the covid protocol has everyone wearing masks. Most music venues I've been to don't require vaccinated persons to do that. I guess everyone is figuring it out these days but I'll probably wait until things are more relaxed before attending another show here. They have a decent lineup and I have high hopes that this might become a regular spot for us to try to enjoy. If you're cool with wearing a mask throughout the performance, you should check them out. Not a bad lineup for that part of the state. read more

Great place to see a show, no bad seats. Clean theater, clean bathrooms, nice outer area to wait for show to begin or during intermission.

I made my Playhouse debut this past Sunday afternoon with my mother, who had gotten tickets to see her cousin in The Boomer Boys Musical (I'll avoid a lengthy review of that production other than to say that if your idea of a good time is watching guys in their 60s sing about their down there parts for 80 minutes, this is the show for you). I was surprised upon driving into the parking lot that this wasn't a standalone establishment - I was picturing a literal playhouse, not the back of a multi-use building, likely a former school. Not a negative, just not what I expected. The facilities and auditorium were very clean/spacious. I was particularly impressed with the public restroom, which looked like it had been renovated very recently and cleaned maybe five minutes earlier. A pleasure to visit/use. Additionally, every member of the staff that I encountered was in a great mood and very friendly. I may have gotten slightly special treatment as the youngest customer there by about 29 years, but I'm not complaining. We stayed behind after the show was over to see my mother's cousin, and the one or two employees we sought out to clarify where we should physically be for that meeting were accommodating. No issues there. Several reviewers mentioned the less-than-stellar seating. I wasn't uncomfortable in my seat, but they did seem a bit drab and in need of an upgrade. I've been to a few movies in recent months with full-on leather recliners (probably an unfair comp), but these may have been holdovers from when this auditorium was host to a school or whatever the prior incarnation was. My mother absolutely would have mentioned if the seating wasn't up to snuff and I didn't hear a peep from her, so your mileage may vary. Maybe I was just spoiled by that magnificent restroom. But given that this isn't Broadway or even off-Broadway, I think expectations should be tempered. I've been to a few small town theaters like this, and I thought this was one of the nicer ones. On the constructive feedback side, the staff should be a little more assertive when it comes to controlling audience members. As alluded to, this wasn't exactly a group of college frat boys; it was a crowd of Boomers. But we had to deal with a few tardy guests who didn't bother to sit down at the 4PM start time. This isn't a movie theater - you don't have the luxury of 25 minutes' worth of previews, and the actors were on the stage performing by 4:01PM. I'd say the theater was probably 60% full. If the show has started and you can't be bothered as a courtesy to everyone else to promptly be in your seat, you should be ushered to one of the back rows so you don't bother the paying customers who DID respect the production enough to be there on time, especially if there's more than enough room to do so. It doesn't mean you lose out on your money or on the experience, but others shouldn't be penalized by having their view obscured for a solid minute or two as tardy guests awkwardly get into their seats. It's just disrespectful. I'd imagine it's also potentially distracting to the actors on stage. That said, I'm sure that's a tough call for management, who don't want to create a scene and potentially disrupt the production further. But if you make it clear beforehand that that's one of the rules, it shouldn't be as much of an issue. Definitely a positive experience on the whole, and I saw a very intriguing upcoming performance from Bernadette Peters on the calendar so I may be back sooner rather than later. read more

We arrived early to see Croce Plays Croce. Purchased our tickets on line... painless & so easy. The parking is a little precarious with a baseball field (game in progress) to the left of the theatre & signs saying something like "part at your own risk baseball's can damage cars & cones have a majority of spaces blocked off while there was a game finishing. These spaces were still blocked iff after we left the theater. Not sure why. The entrance steps are big 8-10" in height, there is a handicap ramp around to the right of the stairs. If you have any ambulatory issues, I would recommend the ramp. Once inside, the waiting area is abound with space, bars (I counted three) with snack stations (reasonable priced) & there really isn't any waiting. Kudos Ridgefield Playhouse. For this show we sat in the right balcony section, row K, upper last seats. I will say, these are not great seats as your view is blocked by the row in front. The seats are not arranged properly. My 6'4" boyfriend had difficulty seeing around the gentleman in-front of him, so he continually was leaning over to his left looking over/down the aisle to view the stage. At 5'5" , I stood for some of the show for a better view. The seats were comfortable for my frame but the boyfriend thought they were a bit tight for his frame of 6'4" and 230 pound stature. This last row did lack some lighting both from the floor & ceiling making it difficult to navigate safely to & from the seats hence the four stars. read more

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Loved this venue tucked away in a small corner of Connecticut. The sound was wonderful. Esperanza gave a wonderful performance. She moved the audience which had us to our feet singing along with her. The staff was wonderful as well. I'll definitely go back for another show there. read more

This is such a fantastic venue for an intimate performance! It looks like an old high school auditorium (because it probably was) and there is really no bad seat in the house. There is a full bar and snacks (very movie-theater style), and the seats even have cup holders. I am so excited to have found this gem and have already looked up future concerts to see what I'll be attending next. Great space! read more

Ridgefield Playhouse - Cinema Near Me - Ridgefield, Connecticut

Went to Rick Wakeman last night. He's a legend. Sadly, Ridgefield Staff let a few unruly guests disturb the entire performance. Several times. The security & staff worked the easy way and instead of throwing them out, allowed them to return and start trouble all over again. This was down near the stage in front of the "security." There were at least two loud outbursts. Both times a man then walking up the aisle yelling. It disturbed a family group a few rows behind them enough so that they all got up and left. Up near the back, two drunk men loudly talked, and when repeatedly asked by some guests to be quiet, became obnoxious with them. Then the staff asked a couple of the people BEING disturbed if they would like to move to lesser seats. What??? How about taking the right way over the easy way and kick out the people CAUSING the disturbance, rather than asking the guests BEING disturbed by the drunks if they would "like to move?" Instead the couple moved form center aisle to right side. The drunks then applauded loudly. As for the rest of the guests, it began to look like a geriatric bingo hall that served way too much coffee, because people were getting up throughout the performance to go to the bathroom. Based on the narrow seat aisles, everyone in the row has stand to let them pass. It was completely ridiculous. To his credit, Rick Wakeman continued his humor laden bits between virtuoso pieces, even as a man was screaming and walking up the aisle. Do better Ridgefield, or get a uniformed police officer on overtime. Listening to love music especially performed by a great artist is supposed to be at most an exciting or relaxed & enjoyable atmosphere. Instead Ridgefield Staff let a few ruin it for many. Placed a call to voice our concerns and ask for membership refund. The person on the phone spent their time telling us how hard it was for the manager and how distraught he was. That he had to call police. Well, if they'd hire a uniformed officer in the first place these kinds of incidents wouldn't be happening. The Ridgefield employee then said that this "had never happened before." Had to inform the person to look at previous reviews from others. Plenty of evidence of previous occurrences. Would advise others that current management & staff are not up to the basic task of providing paying customers a safe, quiet, and enjoyable experience. That said, your results may vary. Given the number of negative reviews and the ZERO responses from Ridgefield manager/organization, I can say with confidence that I know exactly where the problem is. Canceling our membership. read more

First time at this venue to see show, sound was great, staff very friendly and free parking, definitely would come here again

I love the location, that it is only 20 minutes away from us, and I love the old school charm of this theater! However the seats up at the mezzanine are super narrow and not very comfortable, but having said that, there is not a bad seat in the house as far as I have been there. All the seats we were at at this playhouse have all had excellent views. Perhaps we were just super lucky? Either way, the charm and the great variety of show they put up from rock concerts to eclectic music performances, HD showing of operas etc, I always felt reassured that I didn't have to be worried about a bad seat at this theater when I know it's playing at the Ridgefield Playhouse! read more

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Amazing venue! We saw the Cowboy Junkies here and there wasn't a bad seat in the house! The acoustics were awesome and I could see the band perfectly. The seats were comfortable as well. The bar and merchandise areas were great and the bathrooms weren't bad for a venue either! It's a long way from where I live but I would totally come back. The parking lot gets packed quickly so it's best to arrive early to find a good spot and avoid parking elsewhere. read more

Small Intimate Venue Came here to see Carl Palmer. This theater is a small venue that was once the home of Ridgefield HS. The Playhouse hosts everything from comics to solo acts, to bands, plays, movies and more. There is hardly a bad seat in the house with great sound. There is a full bar and a snack bar as well. The parking is pretty good and you are a short drive to several places for pre or post show food and drink. Thanks read more

We attended 5 shows here this year, and some last year. This has to be the most user-friendly venue anywhere. Parking ( free) is easy and close to the entrance. The staff is most pleasant and helpful. I printed out the tickets online and even for a dinosaur, it was easy. The sight lines are quite good, and I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. Its a small venue, but they get some really good performers. Saw Meat Loaf tribute band last night and it was a rockin' good show. They usually let you do pictures and videos w/o flash. Check the schedule, and get your GPS ready. I am not a member, and no one asked me to write this, but its a great place and I recommend it! read more

My daughter took me here last week to see the incredibly funny man known as Tape Face. The great thing about this theater, which appears to be a part of a renovated school, is that it's small enough so that the reactions from the audience are contagious. It was loud and raucus, and we had a fantastic time. About the only thing I could say against it is that the seats also appear to be made for school kids. Now, I'm not the smallest guy in the world. Still, it would be nice not to have to use my entire body weight so I could shove down into the seat. Add to that the issue with having to pull up and leave the aisle every time someone needed to get up to go to the bathroom and it made for a somewhat less than ideal experience. Ridgefield Playhouse has a steady, diverse stream of events, so they're doing something right. It's slightly off the beaten track, so make sure you hook the address into your GPS before you take the trip. read more

Ridgefield Playhouse - Cinema Near Me - Ridgefield, Connecticut

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Love it. Always been a great spot and with the new renovations it's upped their game.

A venue with a wide variety of performances. Small but intimate. I've been so many times and plan to keep coming. Arrive a 1/2 early at least to get a good parking spot. read more

Ridgefield Playhouse - Cinema Near Me - Ridgefield, Connecticut

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I bought into the hype. I was excited to visit this place that I had heard so much about. The show that I saw was fantastic. The building itself was a bit of a disappointment. Firstly, I saw Beth Hart and she killed. I was in no way disappointed with the show. The place itself had been described to me as a beautiful old theater. It's not an unpleasant space by any stretch of the imagination. It's a small community theater. Your medium sized town or city more than likely has one as well. It's not particularly fancy or ornate. It's the same cramped small seats and flat painted walls most community theaters have. As far as I can tell the difference between this and say The Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury is that it has a very small mezzanine and is not located in Waterbury. Well, and the entertainers they attract and the prices being through the roof. Parking is convenient and unique. The playhouse shares a very large lot with a community park and what appears to be a school. It's quite possible that the theater was part of the school (or is) and it's used by students. It has that sort of vibe. If you get there early, I would head to your seat or consider getting to the show a little later honestly. There is no standing room in the foyer. It got packed pretty quickly. Your mileage may vary. I'm not a guy who needs a ton of space but just about a foot feels nice, you know. There's a lot of wine floating around at the bar. A few beer choices that I could take or leave. I saw a bottle of Jack Daniels so I asked the server for a Jack and Coke. He poured three fingers of Jack and asked me "How about Pepsi?". After a second of waiting to see if this was a ruse, I ordered a Miller Lite. After a second of awkward silence, apparently he was serious. I would consider ordering the wine and beer featured on the board. Having said all of that, Beth Hart put on an excellent show. read more

Had the great honor of seeing Gordon Lightfoot here. Very cozy venue; friendly staff. Peeked at the itinerary; they seem to have lots of great performers and productions! Support your local theatre/playhouse! read more

I love this place. They continue to have great acts grace their stage. Today Wayne Brady was epic! read more

Ridgefield Playhouse - Mr. Wayne Brady - Cinema Near Me - Ridgefield, Connecticut

Small venue indeed but when David Grisman or the likes of such quality fly through here it's a treat, gives the feeling that NYC burbs just might survive the Stepford Wife craze that still needs shaking off in Ridgefield! Quaint spot for family activities, quite a few creatives reside in Ridgefield still, and a decent variety of shows keeps me coming back. The Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre's adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale of The Ugly Duckling was a hoot. As their headline says, "the story of Pinky, a perky, hot pink Florida flamingo, hatched by a couple of very proper Polar Penguin parents! Pinky Flamingo learns it's hard to be different, but you must be youself to find true happiness.". A moral good to this day, thanks Hans... read more

Ridgefield Playhouse - Cinema Near Me - Ridgefield, Connecticut

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Great theater to see some music legends (at least of my generation) and films as well. Attended three shows at this venue which included Todd Rundgren (twice) and Robin Trower. Had great seats for all shows. Arrive early though because finding a parking space can be difficult. read more

I always have a nice time here. Good choice if you want to hear some live music or see a show. It's not a large venue and don't think there is a bad seat to be had. If you are larger you might want to avoid the upper level seating as I found the legroom a little tight read more

For this reviewer, The Ridgefield Playhouse is all about pros and cons. Unfortunately, the cons outweigh the pros. The pros: Small, intimate venue - almost every seat affords a great view. Sound - overall the sound has usually been very good, and handled professionally. Friendly and accommodating staff - the manager/owner has allowed me to bring in my SLR on multiple occasions to take non-flash photography which produced some outstanding shots. The cons: Cramped quarters - during intermission and before the show it's an ordeal to get around the lobby area. Getting a drink takes forever. Price - the ticket price here versus other venues in CT that host the exact same acts are simply outrageous. While the venue does get in some great names, it certainly doesn't justify $60, $75 or $110 per ticket (or $150 for "Gold Circle" seats). Seating - this is by far the single biggest issue, and an absolute deal breaker for me. After 2009 the playhouse installed all new seating. Normally, new seats would be a welcome addition. Not in this instance. The management of the playhouse opted to maximize their profit potential by installing the smallest seats known to mankind. Having to squeeze into these seats, and be squashed up against your fellow patrons results in an uncomfortable evening, and distracts from the performance you just paid almost $100 to see. Sorry Ridgefield Playhouse, but I won't be back until you reinstall adult seating. Paying well beyond top dollar to be wedged into tiny, uncomfortable seating is just way too much, even for my favorite artist. I've found that I can enjoy the same artists at other venues within the state, such as the Fairfield Theater Company, or even Bridge Street Live in Collinsville for a lot less money, and be 10 times more comfortable. read more

Saw Colin Hay at this location, and had a great time, overall. This review isn't about the awesomeness of Colin Hay, but the venue itself. Very easy parking (which is always a stress elsewhere!), the sound was great, and even though we were way up in the balcony, the view was great. Ushers and staff were very friendly. Whole venue felt pleasant for a small-to-medium venue. The seating was TIGHT. I know that the media director has said below that he uses one of the chairs in his office, but I don't think he's sitting butt-to-butt with two strangers when he's relaxing, or has some lady's knees trying to drill through the back of his seat. More than once, I grazed the seat in front of me, so the whole experience was 90 or so minutes of clenching every muscle in my body, anus-to-eyeballs, to avoid touching the strangers around me, and try to retain he stability of my seat from the knee-sized battering rams behind me. It's a yoga-like workout to use these seats. A word of advice to the Ridgefield Playhouse: please do something about your wine-drunk yuppie audience shouting at the stage. Are you over-serving in the lobby, or does the wealthy yuppie town just feel entitled to yell things at the performer? Maybe the locals can't handle booze before the show, but four or five of them completely embarrassed themselves by yelling things to Mr. Hay, who was an expert at telling them they were morons, but maybe address this before the show by limiting people to one glass or wine? No one, not even Colin Hay, gave a single damn about whoever asked him what kind of guitar he was using in the middle of one of his stories. And the moron who asked him to play "Johnny Be Good" instead of "Be Good Johnny"? Really, Ridgefield, sober the hell up. Aside from that, great show, and it's a venue I'd return to again if I feel like a workout. read more

First and foremost, this is not a critique of the performance. The Capitol Steps was, as always, entertaining and sometimes riotous. This is a commentary on the Playhouse itself. Parking can be a disaster, especially for sold-out shows like the one we saw. We got there 15min. before curtain and there were absolutely no parking spaces remotely close to the entrance. When we asked a parking attendant where we could find a space, we were told that if the lot was full, we could park "in the field," wherever that was. Cars were parked everywhere, both legally and illegally, creating a dangerous maze for both people walking through the lot and cars trying to find spaces. People who had tickets in hand waited on a long, slow-moving line to get out of the cold and into the lobby. Those whose tickets were Will Call were ushered in immediately and directed to the box office. That created a good deal of resentment amongst the frozen ticket-holders. The most irritating aspect of the theater were the poor sight lines. There are no steps from one row to the next. It's all on a gentle incline which leaves little difference between your sight line and the sight line of the person in front of you. I spent the entire performance leaning from one side to another to gain even a partial view of the stage (which likely was aggravating to the person behind me). I always missed seeing one or two performers if there were three or more on stage. It didn't help that the person in front of me was a tall guy, but in a well laid-out theater, this would have been manageable. The legroom was considerably less than on a low budget economy airline flight. Tickets for some of the performances are not cheap and can go as high as $130 for a headline act. I would have been extremely angry and disappointed had I paid $130 and had the same poor experience of an excellent show. read more

Ridgefield is a gold mine of a classic well-run and beautiful New England village. When you attend an event at the Playhouse for the first time, you'll realize how very lucky we all are. read more

I saw the Howie day concert here and was very impressed by the venue. I was worried it would be hard to find as I'm not from the state. It was located right across the police station which was easy to find and made me feel safe. There was plenty of free parking in the playhouse's lot which you didn't have to walk in the street for. The show was fantastic. Seating was not first come first serve so there was so pushing or anything. Everyone stayed put in their assigned seats. The chairs were comfortable. The acoustics sounded so clear and great. I would gladly return to the ridge field playhouse and I live over an hour away. read more

Ridgefield Playhouse - Cinema Near Me - Ridgefield, Connecticut