During this wonderful time of the year, I enjoy going to uplifting places that put you in the mood…read moreto celebrate the Holiday Season. So this Wednesday, that is precisely what I did. After being awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and entertainment venues, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Mill Mountain Theatre, in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. Located in the Center In The Square building, in the heart of Downtown Roanoke, Mill Mountain Theatre is a professional regional theater presenting musicals and plays year-round. It is the gem of the performing arts of the Star City of Roanoke. Ever since I was a kid and watched a Broadway Musical for the very first time at the young age of 12, in New York City, I was inspired by the acting, by the plot, and by the meaningfulness of the words of the songs. The musical was Pippin, with Pippin played by John Rubinstein, and featuring Ben Vereen as the leading player. Then while living in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, I had the privilege of enjoying one of my favorite musicals, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," with the main character Joseph, played by Donny Osmond, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. But even if this all sounds like a great experience, what is even greater is that I had the opportunity of visiting over 50 community theaters in New England while I was living there. From small theaters in farms where the seats were haystacks, to theaters in small towns in which the seats escalated upwards to be able to accommodate enough people to watch the show, to dinner theater where you were able to enjoy a meal in a cozy room with a stage, where the play was performed. Today, after having dinner at the Six and Sky Rooftop Grille, located in the same building as the Mill Mountain Theatre, I came down to the first floor to watch "A Christmas Story." As I arrived to the entrance of the theater, a very friendly and welcoming lady volunteer, scanned my front row, center ticket, and showed me to the entrance hall that led into the theater. Once there, another gentleman volunteer, took a look at my ticket and showed me the way to the front row seat. The stage was not the largest, but a perfect size to put on a great number of good plays. They did an excellent job building the set scenery with a nice collection of props. The actors did an almost flawless performance in which you were even able to see their character's personalities transformed into their own. It was a very impactful production. It effectively used humor to engage the audience while tackling the serious and important subject of bullying. This blend often helps make the serious messages more relatable and memorable. The intermission served as a time to relax and maybe visit the beautifully designed consecion stand for some refreshments. After the show, it was nice to find that a door led directly to the parking building where I had parked my Lexus. In conclusion, the Star City of Roanoke and its community is enriched by having this very unique little performing arts center. By bringing people together for shared learning and cultural experiences, this theater fosters social connections, community pride, and a greater sense of belonging.

We went to see the production Annie last night and it was an absolutely amazing performance. They…read morereally have a well-produced performance and the facility was great. My only complaint was the spacing between the rows of seating in which had there would have been anyone sitting in front of me they would have had my knees pushing against the back of their chair, making both of us uncomfortable. However, the performance and venue itself were 5 star all the way. It's an amazing theater organization offering acting classes and really have a great presence in the area. Last year they did a production at the Bent Mountain Center of James and the Giant Peach and it was a phenomenal production as well. Some of these actors and actresses were in Annie as well and it is great to see their growth since the last performance we saw them in. The acting and choreography was excellent and exceeded my expectations - the talent and ability of our hometown theatrical group here is amazing! We loved it! You have to check them out. They have a nice list of productions for 2025 which we plan on being regulars to support them. Such an enjoyable time! Please check them out!

Awesome professional quality live theatre. Do yourself a favor and catch a performance, you will…read morenot be disappointed. I saw "Dracula: The Musical" there last Halloween and it was great!

Wonderful performing arts center. Professional & amateur actors who love their craft. I have never…read morebeen disappointed with any of the plays I have seen. Seating is comfortable & you are high enough above the row in front of you to avoid having your view blocked.

We moved here from New Jersey a dozen years ago. Up there, entertainment required a trip to heavy…read moretraffic areas, with equally heavy parking tolls and usually run-down, tacky facilities. We have been totally impressed with the Jefferson Center. Free parking on a tree-lined street, immaculate facility, friendly and welcoming staff, and invariably terrific performers. Jefferson Center is one of the biggest reasons why we are glad we moved to Virginia.

Nice local high school converted to a performing arts center. There is a unique selection of…read moremusical artists in a unique facility. The parking is a challenge at best, perhaps carpool if going with friends. The gravel lot leaves something to be desired with a few divots. There is one local restaurant in walking distance, making it a challenge to arrive early for dinner and a show.

We came to see Take3 on their last stop of their tour and OMG they were AMAZING!…read more I bought a CD and a shirt AND got an autograph from the main violinist. AHHHH got approached by a celebrity YALL hahaha Just no words, blown away by these woman.

It's hard to believe sometimes just how much Andrew Carnegie contributed to American culture. Here…read morewas this wealthy industrialist, a steel magnate, who was certainly no friend of the working man. And yet he believed in literature and the arts. For the common man. "Free to the People' adorns the main Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh http://www.yelp.com/biz/carnegie-library-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-3#hrid:XPEtWL7T7Lqk0qbvk56IAQ Carnegie started libraries all over the United States includig the Carnegie Library of Homestead, which is actually in Munhall, PA and is today a major performing arts venue. So while vacationing in West Virginia, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg. In 1902 Carnegie was approached by local interests to help fund a new classroom building at the Lewisburg Female Institute, which was to replace an earlier structure that had burned down. Lewisburg Female Institue later became the Greenbrier College for Women, which closed down in 1972. Ownership passed to the Greenbier Center, a state run facility for mentally and emotionally challenged children. Carnegie Hall faced demolition in the 1980s, but was later taken over by a non-profit group. Restoration was completed in 1997. Carnegie Hall also serves as a museum with about three or four different exhibit spaces. My husband Rick and I toured the Libby Caligan Vass Stephens "Covenant" exhibit in the main hall. Stephen's work deals in the abstract, incorporating complex life forms intermingled with design elements and cultural symbolism. We also looked at he artwork in the Old Stone Room and Auditorium Galleries. Rick found the whole thing a little --ahem-- dry, but he did like the building's Greek Revival style. It's a shame we didn't get to see a show here. Oh, speaking of which, here's a short list of the talent that's played here: Taj Mahal, Winton Marsalis, Gillian Welch, The Del McCoury Band, Cowboy Junkies, Sonny Landreth, Josh Ritter, and Arlo Guthrie.

I've been attending Endstation summer productions (both at Poplar Forest and at Old City Cemetery)…read morefor two summers now, and I recommend their productions. For one thing, I just love community theater. There's something fresh about it that you just don't get at an overpriced Broadway production (and believe me, I know - as a former NYC-er, I've been to my share of shows on and off Broadway). Plus, the venues for summer productions have included outdoor spots like Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest estate, for Shakespeare-inspired productions two years running, and Old City Cemetery for 'Our Town' (the grounds of which lent the production an unparalleled poignancy). I stop short of 5 stars, because it's not always been clear whether there will be refreshments available, and at the most recent Poplar Forest production, there was only a booth with hard cider -- no nonalcoholic options at all. But all in all? A great time. Bring a lawn chair, your own snacks and beverage, and slather on some bug repellent (it's summertime in central Virginia, after all....can we say no-see-ums and skeeters? We sure can), and bring something with which to fan yourself, if southern humidity makes you sweat. And then settle in and enjoy the show. And wait for the unexpected magic of fireflies coming out in the deepening twilight in the second half of the show. Better than footlights at any other venue you've been to, I'm willing to bet.

Endstation Theatre Company has become a summer community tradition in Lynchburg. The quality of the…read moreacting and production is superb! You won't want to miss the 2018 season...it is sure to be one of the best!

Never actually been here for a movie but on Sunday morning it is Hope Chapel. Joe Volpi is an…read moreamazing pastor and continuously bringing a great message from God. The movie theater is beautiful old fashion. It has second level seating and the tickets are very cheap.

Seriously, what's not to love?…read more The Lyric isn't your top of the line theater where you see what just came out, but they have a good selection of movies, both indie, new (though it's released later) and classics. The inside of the theater is reminiscent of an old theater, with an old fashioned ticket booth, plenty of seating (there's balcony seating!) and a classic looking stage with a projector. It's really quite beautiful! The location makes it a prime place to go for a movie if you're in college, and the ticket prices are pretty reasonable! Even for a nighttime showing, it's only $5, and the concessions are just as cheap. The staff is extremely friendly, and they accept volunteers if you're looking for any volunteer work. Definitely a place to go, especially if you like seeing quirky movies. The only downfall is that it only shows one movie at a time, for one week each, unless there's a special showing. Harry Potter and the Princess Bride are coming up!

Community "little theater" at its best- Productions are done about once in two months and are in…read morethe round, mostly. There is no doubt that the actors are not full time professionals, but they do very well. No seat is more than thirty or forty feet from the stage, so the audience can easily be somewhat involved in the play. Prices are about $18 each and seats are reserved. If you're interested in participating in the production in any capacity, their web site will describe how to do so, and the schedule for upcoming auditions. Lots of fun for a weekend evening and good for groups if you order tickets well ahead of the performance. You can hob-nob with the case in the lobby after the performance. There's a little snack bar for before and intermission. The lobby is a comfortable place to wait as it is furnished more like someones living room. Parking is free in a lot diagonally across the street from the theater. It's a little hard to find at night so check out the location during the day if you have never been there.

From the owner: For more information and to purchase tickets visit RenaissanceTheatreLynchburg.org…read more Renaissance Theatre is the longest running volunteer community theatre in Lynchburg, VA, functioning as a board run 501(c)(3) charitable arts organization since January of 1988. Renaissance began performing in various venues and as a dinner theatre, before leasing and renovating a small black box theatre space in downtown Lynchburg. Renaissance performed there from early 2000 until the summer of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic, rendered the intimate space unsafe for performances. In August 2020, Renaissance entered into a collaboration with the Lynchburg Parks & Recreation Department to become the "Theatre in Residence" at the historic Miller Center on 301 Grove Street in Lynchburg. Moving from their former location allowed Renaissance the ability to have multiple venues including a state of the art 180 seat theatre, outdoor parks, and in the beautiful historic Aviary. Welcome to the Renaissance!

Have enjoyed several perfomances at the Black Box Theatre and each one has been very good. They…read morehave minimal sets but lots of talent. It looks like shows regularly sell out or at least very nearly sell out so get there early to get a good seat. Everything is kind of improvisational so there are no assigned seats. They do have concessions. We've seen a Carol Burnett tribute (very good) and a Motown revue (they really excel with music). Both perfomances were great and the tickets are very, very reasonable.