I had heard nothing but amazing things about a Broadway show that Theater Latte Da was putting on at the Ritz! We snagged tickets and were excited to check it out! There is no dedicated parking structure, at least that we could find! There is plenty of street parking on surrounding blocks, but pay attention to signage, as some is permit only parking! The space itself is adorable: a small lobby with refreshments, updated gender neutral private toilet spaces, and a theater that boasts the most intimate setting to get lost in the show. Now, I would say there isn't a bad seat in the house because it's so intimate BUT the way the upper balcony seats are arranged, if you get a spot against the wall, you will have an almost entirely obstructed view by others seated in front of you. These tickets are noted on the website as obstructed, and I usually roll the dice since they are cheaper, but I'd say avoid at all costs unless you are seven feet tall ;) The acoustics were brilliantly clear for an older space and even in the side balcony, I felt like the actors were right in front of me! A truly wonderful space to see a show! read more

Ritz Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I've seen some of my favorite shows here. Theater Latte Da puts on incredible performances and they are always worth going to. The Ritz theater is small and there isn't a bad seat in the house. read more

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I have loved every performance I've seen in this theater. My last performance was La Boheme. As an Italian opera, subtitles above the stage allowed the audience to follow along. When the singers came to the front of the stage, it was almost as if they were singing just for me, this place is so intimate. Parking in the lot across the street is free after 6pm. There are lots of dinner options nearby. With COVID, there are no concessions and masks are mandatory. Proof of vaccination was also required. Loved the show. Love the venue. I'll be back. read more

Ritz Theater - a hand holding a theatre brochure - Performing Arts Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Ritz Theater is a nice little venue for theatrical productions. It's a proscenium-style stage comparable to the McGuire stage at the Guthrie. They have a modest lobby with a concession stand that has a pretty respectable little slate of snack offerings that includes beer & wine. If you're at the Ritz, you're probably seeing a production by Theater Latte Da. This theater company specializes in musical theater, but they will occasionally put on non-musical productions. However, they are very serious about music. The musicians and actors in a Theater Latte Da production will invariably be world-class, and their productions overall are highly polished, staged with ingenuity, and performed with passion. Their season of productions usually consists of 3-4 established classics (think "Chicago", "A LIttle Night Music", "Gypsy", "Man of La Mancha"), and 1-2 local debuts or even Latte Da originals. Each spring they stage "Next Festival" which showcases several work-in-progress local musicals. Their perennial performances of "All is Calm" show just how good it can get when you have extremely talented singers. It's nice that they diversify their program that way, but I can't think about TLD without thinking of how blown away I've been by some of their productions of the greats. Their production of "Once" was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. You should 100% consider seeing a Theatre Latte Da production at the Ritz, especially if you like professional productions of musicals, and really especially if you go see the annual musical at the Guthrie and think to yourself "what if I want to experience this more than once a year?" read more

I love, love, love this theater! I have seen several shows there (most of them have been Ballet of the Dolls). I love bringing friends along because it is in NE mpls and the neighborhood is arty and fun-we can go out after the show for drinks. And there really isn't a bad seat in the house! Hooray!! read more

Ritz Theater - the neon sign for ritz - Performing Arts Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is a great place to see a show - it is smaller, good sight lines (except the balcony - do not sit there as it is not well designed). The night we were there they had free wine and beer (small plastic 2 oz cups). The staff is great, and the show was really entertaining. They are known for burlesque shows and delivered an edgy performance. All in all it made for a great date night with a little edge. Much more fun than the more family oriented theaters like the Guthrie. read more

Cool little venue to see a play! I didn't realize it was even here! It's the perfect size to create more intimacy and not a bad spot in the house. We came to see Sweeney Todd, it was a really great show! Only downfall was it was on the long side about 2 hours to intermission. And 2 hours after intermission. I hadn't planned on a 4.5 hour play. read more

Ritz Theater - Sweeny Todd - Performing Arts Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

First time at the Ritz and I thought the space was lovely. The staff were very nice and helpful, the space was cool and vibey. I like that they have these little "nooks" in the corners that you can sit in. I'm not really sure how to review a music venue...but I will say I did like this one. Not too pretentious, like The Varsity has become, while not being as...grunge/hipster loving as 7th Street Entry. read more

We visited the Ritz for a burlesque show: Nutcracker, the Lost Act. The tickets were reasonably priced & we thought we would give it a shot as our first burlesque show. We were impressed :) Upon our arrival, we checked our coats, ordered a bottle of wine @ the bar (serving wine & beer) & took our seats for the show. The seating was comfortable & looked as if there wasn't a bad seat in the house. The theatre has an old time vintage feel: dark, mysterious, & beautiful. We really enjoyed the show & the theatre. We will definetly be back. The only request I have is: more wine choices please :) read more

Came here for the first time to see "Reeling Over Love". Upon walking in, I was impressed. It is cozy, warm, welcoming, and there isn't a bad seat in the place. The performance was simply wonderful! I actually was sad to see it end. I do have to say, the first half of the show was not as good as the second half. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but after intermission, my breath was taken away! It was so entertaining, and so much fun, and powerful! I loved it! I can't wait to go back! Also, the neighborhood (NE Mpls) is great and close to some wonderful places to get a bite to eat before the show. read more

I would never imagine a little theater out here like this. It's very eclectic and just unique. The bathrooms are clean, and tickets are reasonably priced. There's not one bad seat in the house, and the seats are high enough that no one's head is obstructing your view. The sound system was great. My sister's fiance got tickets to see The Nutcracker Not so Suite, and it's kind of like a burlesque show and a good take on a modernized version with Barbie and Ken. It was highly entertaining and I would totally recommend it. We were looking to get tickets to the NYE show, but they were sold out. It was supposed to be even more riske, as if it wasn't already. I love the originality and creativity of the contemporary ballet. Ladies, you could definitely get you guy to see this kind of ballet. Guys, not all ballets are quite like this... I'd love to come back! read more

I went to the Ritz for the first Tastemaker session hosted by MSP magazine. Staff were polite and friendly, and it took no time to get through the front door once it opened. Once inside we were directed to grab a small notepad and to enter the theater area itself, after noshing on an app or two. The focus of this Tastemaker was the local brewing scene and included reps from Summit, Surly, Olvalde and Steel Toe. The brewers were serving up generous half glass sized samples of their multiple brews and you actually had a chance to chat with them before the main event. After the introductions Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl hosted the panel discussion and fielded audience questions with the brewers. Seats were comfortable and it was nice of MSP mag to provide a bag of goodies to take home. The stage was well lit and even without everyone having their own microphone there was no problem in hearing everyone. The restrooms were very clean and well maintained. In addition to the nice facility that is the Ritz, there are numerous other venues with a block or so, such as the Modern Cafe, NE Social, Anchor Fish & Chips to name a few. There is no doubt that I will return for more times at the Ritz. read more

My wife and I saw "The Boy and Robin Hood" at the Ritz Theatre in NE Minneapolis tonight. The production is an original and it was great. The play is a completely different take on Robin Hood. As far as I can tell Robin was a psychopathic murderer but he had a band of merry men. It's really a don't miss it kind of show. Standout performances by Ryan Levin, Dan Hopman, Jason Rojas,Paul Rutledge, and Nathan Barlow. The Ritz is a great venue. Every seat is a good one and it seems to have a close following. There are a couple great places to eat and drink on the same block. Be sure to check out the Peacock Lounge. read more

The theater is small and simple. Don't expect grandeur in any way. We saw a burlesque show -which was nearly sold out, but the friendly ticket staff offered us side-balcony seating because some other customers had cancelled. Otherwise, they do offer standing room too. Tickets for 2 people on the balcony row was about $75. The view from the side-balcony was fine -not as great as being in the main front row seats obviously, but our view was unobstructed, we could see everything, and we had a great time. The burlesque show was a lot better than I expected -and that gives me confidence that this theater knows how to curate great shows. I will definitely come back to see what other shows they have in store. read more

I see that the Ritz Managing Director has responded to my negative review. Her 1:1 email indulgence in shaming me for my inability to read their policy just fades into the ether...even though it is SO TEMPTING to publish it. Cheers to the open review! read more

ok. here's the deal. the burlesque here is great. so much fun. however, the box office staff are rude, rude rude. i called with an inquiry about switching some tickets and the girl was incredibly rude. i understand that there was nothing she could do for me, but still. do you have to hang up on me without saying goodbye? needless to say, not going here again. read more

Well I tried to review this place honestly but it was censored/removed. So I will just sum it up by saying, this place has no tact. I like burlesque, but this place is disgusting. read more

I've been here a couple of times for two very different shows. Both shows were very popular and quite the experience! One was the Mu Daiko Japanese Drum Show and the other was The Nutcracker Not so Suite. The first thing you'll notice is that there is no assigned seating, it's first come, first serve. But that didn't really matter since anywhere you sit, you still get a pretty good view of the show. It's a decent size theater which makes it quite intimate and you can enjoy the show from anywhere. There is a small bar there which you can buy your drinks, but don't expect any popcorn or jujubees for something to munch on. Overall, a great place to enjoy a show! read more

I really enjoy this theater. Enjoyable events. Really good sightlines and friendly staff. Variety of food and entertainment near by. Easy parking. read more

I'd say that a review can be heavily swayed by how good the people on stage are, so I preface this review with the fact that I lucked into a great show last weekend at the Ritz (Bookhouse's album release show for their Twin Peaks-inspired album). The staff was incredibly Minnesota Nice, getting our tickets promptly and serving up our (fairly-priced) beverages with a smile and a friendly greeting. There was a great beer selection, though I've come to expect that from most venues in The Cities. The fellow audience members were obviously pumped for the Twin Peaks costume contest, lending an air of surrealism to the whole thing. Friends of the band served up plenty of free pie and coffee, a perfect complement to the atmosphere. The lobby area got loud and crowded quite quickly, so I was glad when they opened the theater for seating. My friends and I got great seats about four rows back in the middle of the row. It gave us great acoustics for both the opening act and Bookhouse. However, there either aren't strong enough doors to block out sound from the lobby or there aren't doors at all, so the lobby noise was fairly loud and distracting, especially during the opening band. I didn't use the bathrooms, so I can't speak for their condition. The interior of the theater is beautiful, though. The unfinished concrete walls are beautiful, and the red velvet curtain was the perfect Vaudeville touch. The seats are cushioned; though you can tell they're not exactly new by any stretch of the imagination, they're still pretty comfortable. But when even someone as short as I am (seriously, I have stubby little Hobbit legs) notices how little leg room there is, I shudder to think how it must feel for taller folks. The stage was roomy enough to accommodate the instrument set-ups for both bands, though from what I could see of the wings and seemingly non-existent backstage area, that might have been out of necessity. There were few enough seats that the venue felt intimate without feeling like we were crammed into a coffeehouse. I'd caution against having your bag on the floor by your feet, though. There are no cup holders, and people are knocking bottles and cans over with their feet constantly (which is really distracting on a concrete floor during a show), and with nothing on the floors to absorb liquid, it can run all over, including down a few rows. An extra bonus is the venue's proximity to the 331 Club, which is a great place to go after the show's over. read more

This theater is really nice and has a modern loft feel. Parking can take a little time to find but it's manageable. This theater is trendy and close to good before/after spots to get a bite to eat. The seats are comfy and they have lots of inexpensive snacks and drinks you can purchase. It's also not too large so all seats feel like good seats. read more

I went to the Ritz for a Christmas burlesque show which was fantastic, my only complaint is the seating. We had seats in the balcony, how they had the seats (random chairs) placed made it hard to see so everyone sitting in that section just moved the chairs around so we could see. They provided drinks such as wine, beer, etc. This place needs a new coat of paint and some funding besides appearance of this place its a nice place to see a show, just not the balcony seats. read more

I have driven by here so many times and always wondered what it was. Now I know! We had tickets for Sinderella last Friday night. I was surprised how big it was. Of course not as large as the Orpheum but for NE this is perfect. Love that they have bottles of wine for sale that are resonably priced - much better than the beer prices I believe. We had tickets in the first row. This was probably the only small down side. The first row is chairs and not that actual theater seats. Therefore an hour in my bottom was quite sore and was falling asleep! Next time I would go to row 2. Otherwise though I loved this little gem in NE! read more

My friend Michael Wolfe with Interact Theater invited me to join him for CLU tonight.... we had a terrific time. I was REALLY impressed with the multi-talented troup Collide, along with the band. Hats off to the Ritz for a swell evening all around !! :) read more

I saw Sweeney Todd here and was beyond impressed! When I first arrive, I questioned whether I was going to be in a legit theater. As I walked inside, I was greeted by a great space, used excellently for the performance. The feel was very intimate and unique. I will definitely go back to see another show there! read more

Peter and the StarCatcher is a lovely Peter Pan Prequel that gives a slapstick if not particularly plausible explanation to star dust, the relationship with Molly, Wendy's mother how Hook lost his hand etc. The show's setting in the Ritz theater helps with the Victorian era drama and the show is largely well cast and directed. Peter, Hook and the mermaid are particularly charming actors. read more