The M-A Bears are bringing music and the performing arts to Menlo Park in a big Roarin' way!…read more Back when I was in high school at M-A, (no, I'm not divulging my graduating year date!) the site of this theatre was known as J-Building. It was a dingy reflection of an era that was in love with asbestos and that horrid color, mustard yellow. I remember looking up at that nasty ceiling and seeing all the paper airplanes that had made it into oblivion. Forever stuck in that chemical wasteland, these paper wads were a credit to whoever had the best muscle and aim. Not me. I was a band geek...well, a Jazz Band Geek! With the recent retiring of 39 year M-A veteran and band teacher, Frank Moura, the PAC Band/Rehearsal Room is now officially named in his honor, "Frank Moura Hall". He will forever be a legend at M-A, having brought award-winning jazz bands to Europe, Reno and beyond since the 70s. Frank was, of course, my favorite high school teacher! No longer on the fringes of the school grounds, the Band Room is now combined with the Performing Arts Center. From the practice room, which is big enough for sectionals, is a hall way that leads to the backstage. Walking through, I felt like the football team must feel entering the field--like a super star (even without an instrument in my hand!) What is so phenomenal about its creation is the architectural design, worthy of any college campus. Not only is it built with state of the art sound technology and lighting equipment, but it holds 492 seats, an 80 musician orchestra pit and has a ticket booth. Its public performances serve the cities of Menlo Park, Atherton and surrounding communities. Lucky me, I got to meet the Center's new manager, a M-A grad and talented vocalist. It must be awesome to work at the school where you grew up. It's "almost" enough to wish myself back into my teens. Uh...almost! Its beautiful, metal "mesh-like" structure on the inside strongly reminded me of what it's like to sit under the filtered light of the campus oak trees. They really have done an excellent job combining modern touches and school spirit. The carpeting is a tasteful nod to M-A's colors: Maroon and Gold. (Go Bears!) My favorite detail, however, was a graffiti-like painting of a bear that greets visitors in the entrance. It's all about funding...this is a beautiful, physical representation of something that an affluent community has done that many places probably can not afford to do, but wish they could: Support the Arts! Here's to you, Frank!

The Center for the Performing Arts is the new performing arts center located at Menlo-Atherton High…read moreSchool. For it's grand opening event, Music@Menlo hosted a chamber music concert. I was able to see the venue while I was working to host a reception for the event. From the outside, the building is very abstract looking, and there are stadium style steps that lead to the main entrance. Once you enter, the walls are painted a deep and bold red color, with pictures highlighting the building process hanging on the walls. The theater itself is very nice and has a contemporary uniqueness to it. In the theatre, the ceiling is in angular shapes and all of the equipment in the ceiling is able to be seen by the audience through mesh metal coverings. Some of the cool things I noticed was that this new building has a great heating and cooling system, and the theater is virtually soundproof once the doors are closed. This was very beneficial to us who were working because we were able to set up, clean up, and break down without worrying about disturbing the concert. Overall, this is a very cool venue, and hopefully one day I can come to watch a performance.

We attended the opening-night performance of "the Da Vinci Code" at the Lucie Stern Theater. The…read moreevening ended with refreshments & celebratory toasts with Palo Alto Players cast & crew. Twenty years after the film release (& longer, still, since the controversial novel was published), the fast-paced stage adaptation did justice to the thought-provoking original story. Intimate theater with high production value; raw talent; & reasonably-priced tickets -- all the best parts of community theater. We had an amazing time!

Amazing plays locally in Palo Alto Ca. Affordable, exciting, amazing cast, and very relaxing…read moreevening out.

I had no idea there was a children's theater here in Palo Alto…read more I came here with a large group and everything ran smoothly from arriving. We were guided to how to sit adults on the edge if possible so the kids can see. No flash photography. Exits and emergency exits. Once we were seated the play began. This is my first time watching a kids play and it was very fun. The play moved along had a clear plot and was enjoyable by the kids and adults alike (measuring this by how loud the laughter was). The costumes were beautiful and the stage props were colorful. The orchestra was also really cool to experience. The length of time of the play was also good at just an hour. A great way to enjoy art and get the kiddos ready for lunch or other local activities. From reading other reviews it looks like this theatre offers other activities and also performers outside of the building so that's really neat. The actors came out to take pictures at the end so that's was really neat. This is such a neat experience for kids and adults alike. Definitely a fun addition to the toddler and kids activities list!

We came to watch a Hansel and Gretal show put on by the Palo Alto Children's Theatre and it was a…read morefun/cute experience. The children shows are held in the Secret Garden. Space is limited, so definitely get there early. You bring your own picnic blankets and food items, but they also sell some drinks and food at the concession stand, with all proceeds going directly back to the children's theatre. The play is held by a group of child actors of different ages and they all did a great job with their lines and making their whimsical jokes. The script of the play was changed to incorporate characters from other children fairytales such as red riding hood, and other new characters that I didn't recognize, but they tied it all into the main storyline of Hansel and Gretal. The play runs only for about 40 minutes with no intermission. There are porta potties conveniently located across from the garden but their actual bathroom facilities are only a 1-2 minute walk down the corridor. There is plenty of street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

Stanford Repertory Theater is great. Its productions are first rate, led by the really creative,…read morefun, intelligent, Rush Rehm. It's super affordable given the quality of their performances. I've seen everything from Euripides and Orson Welles ("Moby Dick - Rehearsed") to this summer's excellent, rich, and mind-expanding Naomi Wallace production, "Slaughter City", and soon "Waiting For Lefty." Although the Rep doesn't have the reputation of Yale or some of the New York theaters, and it's not as big as ACT in SF, it's just as good if not better. I'm so glad Stanford supports this drama program to help balance out all of the new, new, cutting edge, science and technology of Silicon Valley. Take "Slaughter City" for instance, playing now (for a couple more days). It's about human work, and history, and desire. Written in the 1990's, it's set in a spare and creatively staged slaughterhouse to examine labor and the centuries old tension between workers and bosses. Who gets the power and how, who pays and how? And true, maybe we're not slaughterhouse workers, but someone does that work for us, while we do other work, as surgeons or programmers, say. Maybe we're not subjected to physically bruising work conditions, but don't we have aches and pains from sitting 8-12 hours a day coding or typing or managing? We might also reflect on these labor struggles wonder about the future of work with automation. The play is also about history, with surreal and poetic moments that trace labor's perennial indignities and tragedies, the ghost of the Triangle ShirtWaist Fire, for instance, indentured through time to the ruthless "capitalist" who takes on the guise of "Sausage Man". So here's a play about labor, and power, and history, but it's also about desire. Oh, desire. Maybe these workers desire something simple -- a car -- a Ford or a Chevy. A young man desires an the older woman, and another woman is drawn to a woman dressed as a man. What does the manager desire in making his workers grovel and all of us squirm? When it's hot these characters desire cold, when it's cold they need warmth, when they can't breath they need air, and when they know they're going to die? They just want a few more minutes to live. What is it about desire that pushes humans to endure so much? All of this in a 90 minute production in an intimate theater where no seat is a bad seat. TV shows can't beat it for dramatic thought-provoking timeless entertainment, and all those shows borrow, steal, and reference classic theater. The Stanford Rep also has an amazing summer symposium that's amazing and totally worth attending. I do wish they sold season tickets.

Moby Dick-rehearsed. One of the best plays I've ever seen. Superbly acted. Wonderful choreography…read more So creative. Don't miss it! Playing until Aug 10th.

Love concert series as well as the Studio (caberet) downstairs…read more As a musician who has performed there many times with full orchestra, I especially appreciate their willingness to correct the accoustics because in the beginning we could not hear our fellow musicians let alone ourselves. Ditto as an audience member. Couldn't live without Bing!

This concert venue is gorgeous, acoustically stunning, and designed so there isn't a bad seat in…read morethe house. Make sure you buy your tickets directly at the Box Office to avoid additional fees!

It's a beautiful theater. The drinks are reasonably priced considering the situation. Parking…read morewasn't hard to find. The customer service was very friendly.

Great theater in the heart of Redwood City! Took the train from San Jose and arrived in half hour…read more Station is two small blocks from downtown. Many restaurants, coffe shops and a few bars walking distance. The theater even sells alcoholic drinks that you can enjoy at your seat while watching the show! I went for a Mariachi concert. Sat in the balcony. If you are not tall, either sit in lower balcony or after 5th row of upper balcony. There is a pony wall that can obstruct your view.

This is always such a great venue to come and see a show. It has an underground free parking…read moregarage. It's easily accessible if you have any mobility issues. The theater itself is very intimate and allows you a good seat no matter where you are. The staff is friendly and helpful. All shows from my experience, have been reasonably priced. Before the show grab something to eat, a cup of coffee, or even a glass of wine at the Bean Scene Cafe which is linked to the theater.

Excellent location on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View. I come here for specific…read moreperformances each year. Spacious theater with plenty of spots to practice or do rehearsals before showtime. Staffs are great communicators and are always helpful. This place has been around forever and City Hall is a great place to gather or use public restrooms as well. Cafe is easily accessible next door. If you come here in December during the annual Christmas Tree Lighting event, you won't be disappointed. Colorful Christmas vibes everywhere. There's a good sized local park behind it and you can easily park on the streets which are all walking distance. Besides ballerinas and dancers, you get to watch singers, group choirs, and many more colorful entertainments on the outdoor stage area. Inside stage is usually reserved for larger popular shows. Yes, dressing room and areas for practicing before performance time is well set and they're usually on time moving groups in and out as scheduled. Love the backstage area and scenes. Good feeling inside and outside.

The new theater is mostly great! There is a lot more legroom and the seats don't feel as if we're…read moregoing to be swallowed up and sitting on the floor if they collapse. My only complaint is that there aren't enough bathrooms for the number of people the theater holds. The building used to be open during events so that guests could use the bathrooms for the rest of the building, but the building was locked and the line for the bathroom wrapped around the lobby. The line was still long when the play started. At intermission, the line again wrapped around the lobby. Not everyone got a chance to use the bathroom in the short intermission.

Lucie Stern Theater is beautiful and amazing…read more This Spanish Mediterranean-style theater is home to the City of Palo Alto's Recreation Department as well as a Community Theatre and Children's Theatre. There's a beautiful garden with various bench for you to sit while waiting the show begins. Parking is free near the theater. The theater is clean and well maintained. I highly recommend this venue.