No food or drinks allowed inside. No concession stand. A very no frills spot for live events. Seats were fine, but be aware that the sides can be blocked by the sound systems. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - View from Row J Seat 36 - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here to see the amazing Jon M. Chu (director) for a discussion about his journey on becoming a director and the world of Wicked. The theater is very pretty. The seats aren't the most comfortable, but this isn't the newest theater either. The bathrooms need a serious renovation. There is no food/drinks available here. I was seated in the orchestra area, so I personally don't know what the seats are like up on the balcony level. The staff were nice and professional. But this theater needs some work done. read more

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first time in this theater , staff was helpful this building inside is beautiful , the show is little over an hours. I did not have a chance to expose more hopefully next time ! read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We attended SF Sketchfest's Tim Curry and Peaches Christ event at this theater over the weekend, balcony seats for a sold out show. No food/drinks here. They do have an entrance from outside going directly to the balcony, but you can't exit that way, at least not before the show ends, so if you need to leave early like we did, be aware. The layout of the venue is a bit awkward altogether, you can only access the balcony from one side of the auditorium coming from the lobby. And the restrooms are outside first level only, so you'll be waiting out in the cold during winter if there's a line. Oh but don't worry, they make sure you are baking in the auditorium, at least at the top rows of the balcony. Not nearly enough layers to take off to escape the heat, so we just sweated it out. To add to that, the balcony seats are hard and stiff theater folding seats, no padding just wood, with very little leg or arm room. When both the seating and the temperature cause discomfort, that's not a good feeling. But the sound, lighting, and view of the stage were fine, and the architectural details inside the auditorium were lovely. And luckily the show was fantastic, to make us forget about the unpleasantries of the venue. read more

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Nice theater, but it shows its age in its seats: Hard wood, and narrow. The 2-hour show that I saw was interrupted by constant thoughts of how uncomfortable I was. read more

This theater is gorgeous, spacious, and comfortable. One important note: I had an end seat towards the front, beside the wall. Unfortunately, my view was obstructed by a large bank of speakers. If you buy tickets, the center seats are best and worth the money. Dine before you arrive. This venue does not have a bar or restaurant. read more

No idea this theater existed nor its location. So what brought me here? Well, a hometown icon was in town to discuss his newly published book. Embarking on his next career perhaps? With basketball season wrapping up, unfortunately earlier than usual this year, I looked forward to a lecture event here which included a copy of the speaker's new novel. Entering from the doors on Hayes Street, the security person told us that the theater would allow seating at 7 pm for the 7:30 pm event. With our seats being upstairs in the loge section, we made our way to the stairs where there was another set of open doors leading to the WC's and an open courtyard. Not wanting to join the crowd in the lobby area, we stood by these doors until the ushers allowed guests to go upstairs. As we showed our ticket, another handed books to each guest. The theater has that old time feel and reminds me of the historic venues on Market Street like the Golden Gate and Orpheum Theaters. The lecture started shortly after the appointed time and the moderator and guest speaker presented an entertaining discussion. Tom Hanks captured the audience's attention from the start, drawing back to his local roots and experiences. The topics ranged from his childhood to his theatrical experiences and, of course, the hows and whats of his just released novel. The lecture spanned about ninety laugh filled minutes and everyone left with a better understanding of his history, background, and personality. The ushers were that we encountered were all friendly and helpful. The theater reminded me of childhood field trips to the many historic theaters throughout the City. Looking forward to attending another event here. By the way, the roster of guests include Andy Cohen this past Friday, Lucinda Williams and Stacey Abrams. read more

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Lovely theatre! The sound and lighting were great for the interview/dialogue with Malcolm Gladwell. The acoustics are good so no problems hearing even from the last row. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - About 2/3 of the way back...eventually moved all the way back to get away from the guy sitting next to me who was reeking of cheap cologne - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

I also pass by here and always wonder what the inside of this theater looked like, because there was never an event that attracted me to come before until now and it was a nice, intimate surprise with gender neutral restrooms on bottom floor, but not just that, but the architecture inside reminded me of Herbst Theater and Opera house. It's just not as fancy as the two places I just mentioned. The seats are old school wooden seats, so be Prepared for that. Seating is side by side, not much room to stretch. This happened to be a sold out event for the horror cult fans who wanted some comedy roasting from Bruce Campbell and his friends at the SF Sketchfest. Nice to bring laughter in to make one feel better. Laughter is great for the soul. So if you get a chance to visit this classic venue, please do to enjoy more unique architecture from 1930s. read more

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Easy to get to, nice staff, but was definitely small seats for a tall person. Enjoyed our show and wouldn't mind coming back to watch another show. read more

I have walked by this theater near Van Ness and Franklin for years and had never been until I saw the Holigays Gay Men's Chorus tonight. It was so fun. It's a simple theater and not as adorned as other theaters..you know like ornate ceilings. But the stage has good presence and there are many seats available. This building houses City Arts and Culture lectures and you can volunteer at this theater. It's neat. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The pluses: No line to get in. Ushers are good at directing traffic. The minuses: seats are small and hard. Balcony visibility is marginal. rows are too small to walk in/out ridiculous bathroom lines Visibility suuuucks from the balcony. Will not attend an event here unless i get front row seats. read more

I absolutely adore history and architecture, The fact that I have been coming to this area of Cultural Civic Center SF since the days of frosh Cal years and had season tix to the SF symphony, and never knowing this theater was here until a few months ago...flummoxes me. There is some kind of relationship with the SFUSD here (erstwhile school auditorium it was). the outside set of restrooms are from decades ago, as the toilets and stall doors are funky, as the main public library's. In sore need of some TLC. Theater interior is stately. City Arts & Lectures parks itself here now, Came to watch an interesting evening discourse with Amy Tan. Great way to spend an evening after a snack in Hayes. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

*Phew! We sat upstairs in the balcony. But before making our way upstairs, we went to use the gender neutral restroom as they have the most stalls. There was still a long line, especially since it was 5-10 minutes before Abbi Jacobson was scheduled to come out. We finally found our way upstairs. I've only sat upstairs 1 other time a long time ago so I couldn't remember the experience. But as the event started and went on, my friend and I realized how uncomfortable the wooden seats are. And it was really hot, initially, when we sat down. The Nourse itself is a fine venue but the preference is lower seating. View from the balcony is okay, it really is just the seats that make it uncomfortable. read more

I came here to watch Frankonomics with my husband. Nice ambiance, friendly staff and convenient valet parking. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Signed book by Steven Levitt - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Beautiful theater. Came here for a show during Sketchfest and had a great time! The only downside is the theater is considered to be on the bigger side so you need to get closer seats to really enjoy whatever's going on on stage. We got our tickets last minute and were assigned to the last row so the performers were pretty tiny. Bathrooms - only located on the first floor and we were seated at the very top of the theater. Also, did I mention I have a tiny bladder? bad combination. But anyway, that's a personal issue. There was a women's bathroom and a gender neutral bathroom with multiple stalls so I went to gender neutral one everytime. Everyone knows the men's line moves faster than the women's line so why wait in line at the women's only bathroom right? read more

The Nourse is a landmark venue next to Davies Hall. Many might not know that this was Nourse Auditorium, the theater of Commerce High School since it opened in 1927. The high school closed in the 1950's and the auditorium was closed to the public for over thirty years before City Arts & Lectures restored and reopened the1,687 seat two-level theater in 2013. The theater features its original architectural details but now with new light and sound, curtains and new seating. I was here to see the legendary Chita Rivera in conversation with Seth Rudetsky. A nice landmark theater to host this legendary Broadway performer. As a Broadway fan, it was great to see a one of its stars here in an up close and personal talk and performance. Yes, she performed some of her famous numbers, like from All that Jazz. The Nourse is a nice theater to host arts and lecture events in the Civic Center arts district. read more

Important stuff first: For the loge seating (mezzanine), the front row has slightly less knee space than the rows behind it (because of the wall and handrail in front of the knees). I imagine someone 5'10" will have a very uncomfortable time as someone that is 5'6" will sit juuuust on the comfortable side of tolerable. Tall people, buy tickets early and choose the aisle. Or if you don't mind the higher level (balcony), choose the front row balcony where there is plenty of foot room to kick your feet out (refer to photo I posted of the balcony). Loge views are great, comfortable with good sight lines. The sound system is very good, I was there for a lecture and not music, but the voices carried very well and clear. I never had to wonder "what did he say?" asides from when a roar of audience laughter would wash everything out. At the time of this writing (May 30, 2013), the lower level and loge seats are padded with red fabric. The balcony seats are hardwood, the original seats that were in the theater. The new home for City Arts and Lectures! The Nourse Theater was the school theater for San Francisco's Commerce High School in 1927. The school closed in the 1950s and was used as a local theater until the 1980s when it was turned into a giant courtroom for a 2 year long asbestos trial. Afterwards, the Nourse became a storage facility, housing old SFUSD desks and discards until City Arts and Lectures went looking for a new home and restored the theater to its former glory. The theater is quite fancy for a high school auditorium, but the stairs leading up to the 2nd floor loge seating has a distinct public school feel to it. The seat rows are placed very close to one another and I think the width may be slightly roomier than the Herbst (I could be wrong). read more

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This is a beautiful vintage theater with TONS of seats, but I did not have the best guest experience here. I visited Nourse to see Upright Citizens Brigade (they were amazing, by the way) but the journey to find our seats was annoying. The ushers are not very knowledgeable about the layout of the theater, so we were misdirected to our seats. Once we sat down, another couple came over and claimed that they had our seats. Turned out we were in the wrong section of the theater... but then a third couple came and had those same seats so I'm not sure what happened after we left, but that was super confusing. The seats are packed together and not comfortable. I felt like I was sitting in an old college lecture hall. Then it got really warm towards the end of the show (too much body heat in the room) with insufficient ventilation. On the bright side, with such little lobby room, I like that we were allowed to find our seats as soon as possible instead of having to wait for the doors to open. Again, not my favorite theater experience, but of course I would come back if there was someone worth seeing. read more

It's a nice looking theatre. It has the same victorian architecture that you can find in most old theaters in San Francisco. Great staff. Good acoustics. I feel that the theatre is not being maintain well. When sitting in the balcony you can notices patches of dust alongside the walls, and it also has musty smell to it. There's also no food or beverages to be purchase within the theatre, and that is a real bummer. Also the fact that outside snacks and beverages are not allowed. At least it was easy to get out when the show was over. This theatre needs to have a proper renovation, and get a liquor license. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Old school...literally! This is in the back of the San Francisco Unified School District offices. I never would have known this was here except for the fact that I attended a Commonwealth Club Inforum talk with Mario Batali last night. We entered in through Hayes Valley after grabbing Happy Hour at a nearby restaurant. The benefit of this venue is you're not stuck in the desert. There are places to eat & drink before and after the activity. You're not stuck in Union Square area where the prices can be a little bit steep. The auditorium we went into really, really looked like my middle school auditorium. There were very narrow fold-down seats that were made out of wood. These were really shallow with "economy airline-like" leg space (yeah, really really tight). I felt a little bit claustrophobic sitting there over the course of an hour and a half but I'm one to look at the bright side. I got to listen to the very funny Mario Batali and Michael Chiarello (the host). I got a book as part of attending the talk. And, I got to sit next to a man who was visiting the City from Alaska. He was a very tall (they grow 'em tall in Alaska) with salt and pepper hair. He was able to endure sitting through the talk without complaining - which was amazing. Anyway, I enjoyed ease-dropping on his conversation with his female friend. He was a foodie...my kind of guy. Too bad he was too old for me and lived far away.. There it is...another case of ships passing in the night... read more

It's a beautiful old theater. But there is no AC and sitting in the back, they leave the door ajar, probably so it won't get so stuffy. But it was very stuffy and to top it off, we could hear all the street noise. At one point, one of the employees was talking at a regular voice to some of the patrons. You should whisper, sir. read more

I had a great experience at this theater! Yes the bumps in the road others have mentioned are there - it was hot as hell inside at the winter performance I saw, I was fanning myself and desperate for water by the time the show was over. And there is no elevator to get you to the 2nd story balcony (I'm not sure how that's actually legal). BUT - those things aside, it's a beautiful space, easily accessible by BART, and seeing the SF Gay Mens Chorus holiday show in this venue was a delight! The stage is huge, every seat is a winner, and the sound quality is spectacular. So, the things that should be most important, they got you covered. The creature comforts though? Ehh, a bit lacking. I would definitely return to this theater, gripes aside! Here's hoping there are plans in the works for a modernization. read more

I've been here twice to see Daniel Tosh and most recently for an Inforum talk with Mario Batali. Parking can be tough in the area, so leave ample time. There are multiple entrances/exits which is great. There's never a long queue to enter. If you have seats on the lower level, I think all the seats are great. We were upstairs for Daniel Tosh and it was a bit hard to see since it was just a comedian. I think if you came for a larger production like a play or something, all the seats would be good. I quite like this theater and I wouldn't hesitate to come here again. The staff are friendly and efficient as well. read more

This new venue is richly renovated and super easy to get to from the Van Ness muni station. The website for the City Arts needs to be updated - I almost went to their other location on Sutter. :| I sat in the middle back of the orchestra section and had no problems seeing or hearing the people on the stage (John Hodgeman and Adam Savage!). I think you'd be fine at the sides too. The balcony extends halfway out over the orchestra, but it's high enough to not be noticeable. I didn't go up there, so can't say how the view is. The seats are fairly wide with fixed arms although there's not a lot of leg room - expect to be bumped even with the most courteous people behind you. There is no concession stand and food is not allowed inside the theatre, so be sure to plan ahead and grab a bite before heading over. We'll see if the nice carpet in the lobby and the seats hold up over time, but for now, it's a neat old timey feeling venue that's pretty perfect for the conversational events they're hosting. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Martin Luther King JR Youth Speaks is My Go To.... Great Talent and Motivation always walks thru Nourse.... read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Love this theatre. So many great performances and lectures! Just went to listen to Jonathan Safran Foer, but I have been before to see others (Cornell West for one). The theatre is classic and beautiful. A great smallish venue that is rather intimate. Seats a bit uncomfortable, so wear comfy clothes. read more

Sydney Goldstein Theater - City Arts and Lectures! - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Logistics are not good. Huge lines for bathrooms. Went for a 7 pm show and they didn't start until 7.20.

Comfortable with friendly, helpful staff ................................................................................................... ............................................. read more

It is very disappointing to leave this review considering the great social impact the events held here have-- but the theater itself is unacceptable. The most flagrant offense: sound. You can hear cars honking throughout the entire lecture/debate/whatever! There is no soundproofing. It's as if there is no barrier between the outside and in, which makes it very awkward for the guests and the audience when a honk or other unexpected noise interrupts someone. To make it worse, the seats are... inhumane. The orchestra is fine, sure, just a normal theater seat and I've enjoyed sitting there. But the loge and balcony? Tiny, hard, uncomfortable wooden planks for seats. I'm a relatively skinny guy and I was still unbearably uncomfortable. There is more room in basic economy on a plane. Finally, there is very little crowd control. People talk while guests are speaking. Ushers and other staff are intrusive during performances. Etc. I highly discourage anyone from going here. So the Nourse is in dire need of renovation. It's not worth going to see the amazing people that come here. read more

Historic (not so little) little theater.... Was there last night to catch a Micheal Krasny event celebrating his 20 years at KQED and hosting Forum. Everything was nice as we walked in. Seats were comfortable, everyone left with a smile. My only tiny complaint which nothing can really be done is you can sometimes hear the traffic noise. I'm sure if there was a concert or something a production of some sort you wouldn't but since last night was a sit down conversation, you could definitely hear the buses and the occasional honks. So glad I went and discovered this place. read more

Old classic theatre.Kind of no-frills.Bigger than SFJAZZ in size but sound quality not as good as SFJAZZ.Experience here wasn't intimate,a bit more commercial. read more

First time @ the Nourse Theater for TheRead Live podcast taping. The theatre is directly across from the San Francisco Theatre. The theatre sits roughly 800 people and is set up amphitheater style. Its two (2) levels and is a great venue for live shows, concerts, lectures and plays. The decor of the theatre is rustic and reminds me of an old anglo-saxon church. Great venue read more

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This auditorium was such a surprise! Gorgeous decorations. Kind and helpful ushers. Great experience.

Came here on a Friday night for a taping of a podcast called Star Talk Radio. The theater is vintage but the seats themselves felt rather new and comfortable. All of the seats seemed to be fairly close to the stage and I don't think there's a bad seat in the house. Bathrooms were pretty vintage as well. My primary complaint was there was no air conditioning in the building, although I do kind of expect it with such an old building. All in all I would come back to this venue for another event in the future. read more

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What a dreary little theatre. First off, the customer service I received was awful. The day of my event, my printer would not connect the my computer, so I couldn't print my print at home tickets. I called the city box office customer service to ask if I could transition my tickets to Will call. Instead of the yes, of course, let me get your information I would get from, oh, every other arts organization in the bay area, I got a snippy response from the British woman on the other end of the line. She's basically asking why I don't just use the mobile ticket option. I'm like, that doesn't appear to be an option (trust me, I checked before I called.) She refers me to the first email I received which she claims will have a mobile tickets link (treating me like I'm an idiot the whole time). So I try to find that original email. While I'm searching for this email she says "You know what, I don't have time for this," then finally asks for my info to have my tickets held at willcall. At this point I'm pretty pissed, but since she clearly doesn't have time for me I opt not to rake her across the coals in favor of getting my damn tickets taken care of. I did finally track down the original email and lo and behold there was no mobile tickets option as the customer service rep claimed. Only print tickets. Now if this was sufficient as a mobile ticket option, she could have simply said so. But she didn't. Instead she decided it was in everyone's best interest to treat me like an idiot and just generally start my friend's birthday celebration evening on a sour note. So fine, my tickets are at willcall and to be fair, the bitter British woman on the phone was the worst part of this experience. That being said, the will call staff just seem depressed. No greeting, no smiles. My will call tickets looked more like a coat check tag. A little manila tag with my name and seat numbers written on it. It's 2017. Much smaller venues than the Nourse are willing and able to print (or reprint!) professional looking tickets. Lastly, while the architecture of the Nourse is beautiful, everything about it just kind of has this drab feeling about it. Even the Steinway piano on the stage seemed to have streaks on it, like it hadn't been properly polished. I honestly think the only reason the Nourse is still standing is due to the fact that they book big name artists and through the patronage of KQED's City Arts & Lectures. This was my first time at the Nourse and hopefully my last. read more

Can it even still be considered a theater if there's no refreshment bar? Personally, I think not, but the sign outside this "historic" building suggests otherwise. I wouldn't say I was devastated about the lack of Raisinets, off-brand iced tea, and option for 12oz clear plastic cup of red wine but it did greatly effect the of the rest of the evening and set in motion a series of semi-lackluster events. A week earlier I'd gone to see author and Chef Eddie Huang speak at the JCCS and his talk was incredible, real, and inspiring. I went home and purchased both his books... okay, okay, it was the audiobook versions but whatever. get over it. i'm a slow reader and spend a lot of time in my car. i don't need to explain myself. The point is that I was mega pumped to basically become a speaker-series groupie after such a phenomenal showing. The very next week my roommate and I went to see Mary Roach. I was super excited although, full disclosure: I've only kind of ever read part of a single Mary Roach book but somewhere in my parent's house the book still lives and I've put in the extra effort on more than one occasion to lie and tell people that I've read the whole book, which shows a genuine intention and interest on my part and that should count for something, I think. Anyway, we had balcony seats which I've read quite a few people complaining about, which is fair, but I wore really, really tight jeans and didn't mind them at all. Maybe consider numbing your butt if you're on an elevated seating level? Worked for me. Plus the seating is set really well so unless the person in front of you has an 8 foot tall torso you'll have no problem seeing every bit of the show. Did I enjoy the show? Uhm, It was fine. I guess. Adam Savage from MythBusters (a show I f*cking hate with a passion) was the best part of the show. Basically, a dude I can't stand was my favorite part and I left never feeling the need to purchase or lie about reading a Mary Roach book in its entirety ever again. Like, she is to her subject what every terrible tourist who walks in front of you to take pictures with a full-size ipad is to anything cool. But it wasn't all meh... in additional to a few smaller female and male bathrooms, they have a large gender neutral bathroom with over a dozen stalls and sinks with semi-functioning soap dispensers. As a cisgender person I realize how lucky I am to be able to regularly use bathrooms dedicated to the gender I was born with and feel comfortable, but using the community gender neutral bathroom for the first time was exciting and kind of felt like in peeing I was voicing solidarity. Major props to that. read more

The show was great. The acoustics are sufficient. The view isn't bad. But - I doubt I'll come to anything here again. No outside drink or food is permitted, but they don't sell anything inside (except a small candy table selling over-priced items). And, as others have mentioned - the restroom situation is ridiculous...especially considering the price​ you pay for the ticket. I understand and truly appreciate the history​ of this place, but this place needs a lot of work to get me there again. read more

Beautiful old theatre. The architecture is magnificent and the location is easily accessible. Sign up for their email list and you'll find out about some great speakers visiting San Francisco! I came last night to see one of my favorite bloggers, Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York. The lecture was amazing and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to hear him speak. My friend and I purchased tickets in the first row of the balcony and had a great view. The seats were wooden and not the most comfortable, but everyone else seemed to have cushioned seating. You win some, you lose some! We found parking in a lot on Hayes and Polk for $10. The lot was practically empty and it was a Friday evening. I would definitely check it out if you're going to see a show. They also offer parking in the Performing Arts Garage, but I am unsure about the rates. We had a great experience and I highly recommend attending a lecture at the Norse! read more

I came here to see Daniel Tosh... He was funny, but the venue.... Not a fan. Here is why: 1) Bathrooms are limited, small and pretty much no matter where you are, a long walk. 2) Concessions were limited with no alcohol and long lines. 3) The air conditioning seemed to turn off half way through the show. 2) Seats are made for someone 120 pounds, 5 feet tall... No joke. These seats were not only narrow but there was no way to sit without inserting my knee in the poor slob in front of me. These seats make someone who flys a budget airline go "oh man, this is a small seat." It was a cool looking old theater, but the small... I mean SMALL seats had me looking at my phone wondering how much longer I could take this. When I got home, I had a bruise on my knees and thighs... Did I mention the seats were small? I enjoyed the show, but because of the seats made for your average 4th grader, I will avoid all future shows at the Nourse. read more