Pros: Went to the Rialto Theater for The Naked Magicians and had a blast; was able to find free parking fairly easily (lots of parking lots/garages nearby that were inexpensive--$10 for the evening); smaller, intimate venue; pretty much every seat is a good seat with a good view the way the venue is set up; friendly customer service--both in person and over the phone; checked in quickly; would definitely recommend/return Cons: Kind of an older theater; does not have a parking garage if its own; built on a hill, which can be challenging for some; limited food options (snacks and alcohol, but no real entrees); I believe no food/drink allowed in theater read more

Tacoma Arts Live - View from the ADA Seating Area (Very Back of Bottom Half) - Performing Arts Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This review only relates to the administration process. I received an e-mail offer on the 24th of Dec of this past year. It offered two tickets for the price of one and included the following statement "With so many shows to choose from,head over to our website to grab your holiday gift." Since it was a one day only offer I did so and selected one of the near term events. When the discount was not automatically applied to my on-line purchase as the offer said, I called the ticket office which was closed and wouldn't open until Jan 18th. I left a message and someone called to tell me that the event I selected wasn't part of the offer. I think the lesson I learned is that one needs to be sure when responding to an offer from this group when buying on-line as they can be difficult to contact even during non-holiday periods. read more

This review is solely for "Belly Dance Evolution: Alice in Wonderland" The show was very painful to watch and I profusely apologized to my date for making him endure an hour of beginning dancers vibrate their bellies inordinately - no one should go through that. It is cruel and unusual punishment. I can't believe they venue was actually able to sell tickets. The whole production felt like a bad high school talent show. The main character, Alice, was awful at belly dancing but seemed to be strategically placed in the production only for marketing purposes - to sell tickets to the majority population. A few of the ladies were from a professional dance company and they were amazing. However, they were on stage with sub par dancers which lowered the quality of the entire performance. I would NOT recommend this show. I saw that some of the cast made it on a news channel to promote the show but DO NOT let it fool you. It is absolutely a waste of your time. read more

Great evening out in Tacoma enjoying the singing, dancing, and stories of the talented, crazy bunch of young guys. The audience were often made part of the fun, which was part why the show be a fond memory for people attending. read more

The new calendar of performances is excellent! I'm really excited to be a new member this year. I love that my membership came with parking passes and the agent took the time to help me pick seats for all my shows. He was very friendly and not pushy while I was deciding if / when to become a member. read more

We saw Steel Magnolias today and really enjoyed it. While we were not familiar with live radio theater style but found it so enjoyable. If you get a chance to see the show I recommend it. The Pantages Theater is beautiful. It is like going back in time when you walk into the theater. read more

Great venue in the heart of downtown Tacoma. Lots of great performances to be seen here during the year and they never disappoint. Since we were so used to driving to Seattle for most of our entertainment needs it's actually quite refreshing to have some of these great shows come to Tacoma and not have to drive so far, especially on nights where we have to work the next day. read more

Cirque Dreams Holidaze was spectacular! I took my 15 year old son, and he was amazed.

From bringing in Tony-Award winning shows like Spring Awakening (last season) to hilarious comedians like Margaret Cho (just this last week), the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts has successfully booked many great acts to Tacoma every season. The Broadway Center has driven me to drive south many a times and I foresee that I will keep doing it in the future. read more

Last night I saw Leo Kottke at the Rialto Theater, my first time at the Rialto Theater. Of all the restored theaters I have been to, the Rialto is my favorite. The staff was friendly and helpful. The restoration has kept the feel of days long ago, the acoustics were gentle and balanced. Parking was easy to find and affordable, parking is also available at the Tacoma Dome light rail facility, and free rides on the light rail, however I believe the light rails stops running at 10:00 PM. The restoration of this complex of theaters is designed to be a large anchor in the restoration of Tacoma, which Tacoma is successfully pulling off. The surrounding areas, are filled with pubs, restaurants and coffee shops. The whole area has become very inviting. I look forward to attending more events at these theaters. Cons: as a previous reviewer has noted, if you need any handicap provisions, please call the management and discuss the options, this is not a new concrete constructed building. read more

We just got to see Spamalot at Pantages theater in Tacoma. It was excellent! The humor was even tuned to the location and was well done. Bravo! read more

The Pantages has always been a great venue, and Tacoma Arts Live has done a solid job of booking. But the recent restoration to the Pantages? Outstanding. Seriously, don't put off seeing a show there this season, it's very good. read more

I wish they would have told me that Mandy Patinkin was going to sing in an operatic style and a bunch of Broadway show tunes the only the closest followers of his career would have ever heard. That and the Jewish jokes (have close friends that are Jewish) that went right over my head, made it a terrible evening. He has a great voice if you like that style of music, but I couldn't understand half the words he sang. I his defense, we were definitely in the minority in that crowd. Most got the jokes and thoroughly enjoyed the music. Just wish some hint of the type of show it was would have kept us from wasting a Friday night. Venure was fine, old, but cool old. read more

While the Center brings in some wonderful talent to show in the downtown area, I can't give it full kudos. The restoration process of the old buildings did not include making provision for handicap other than the bare minimum. People in walkers and larger individuals will find it tough going. The only wheelchair areas were in the last row. I asked for a chair with no arms or some other seating solution when I found the seats too narrow for me to sit. The management told me they had nothing I could use. When I chose to sit on the dusty, dirty floor instead of suffer through the pain of the seats, they asked me to leave. read more

My daughter has participated in Tacoma Arts Live productions for several years. In the beginning it looks like chaos. And as a parent, I'll admit I had my concerns. But hang on a couple days and you see a wonderful and organic creative process emerge. The staff know what they are doing. It may appear very laid back and chill, but there is actually tremendous structure and planning happening. The educational staff communicate very efficiently with parents as needed. And while some of the camps may seem pricey, when you pencil out the cost per hour of activity, it's an amazing value for a solid experience. My daughter comes home both tired and with a sense of personal accomplishment. She's developed a good understanding of all aspects of making a theatrical production happen. I really appreciate this because I think kids miss out on making things in the real world vs online. She knows about building and moving set pieces, how lights and costuming works. It's surprisingly comprehensive. My mom brain is thinking "Really? they trust you to do that?" And they do, and it all works out. And perhaps best of all: for a few weeks, real life becomes much more engaging than her phone ;) read more

As usual, Tacoma Arts Live, known before as Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, is a terrible disappointment due to their rude and unfriendly staff. It's SO unfortunate that this is the only local venue to see many artists/touring shows without going to Seattle. read more

Pantages theater is a fantastic venue! The Lyle Lovett Acoustic band show was exceptional! The seats were a little squishy for a 6 ft tall man. But the sound was good. The staff helpful. read more

I've been attending concerts, talks and other events at Broadway Center for many years. I appreciate the range of performing arts events offered. The venues are beautiful. Selecting events and purchasing tickets is a breeze. BCPA is a treasured resource in our community! read more

We had a great time for the show ART. It was a nice change of pace to get out of a movie theater and into a live performance. The actors did great a great job! We were at Theater on the Square, it is a lot smaller than the other ones but it is modern and just the right size for the performance. read more

The show was excellent; you don't have to pay for parking after 6pm in the area. Probably the only downside which is why it only rates 4 stars instead of 5. The seats that are very comfortable; are rather narrow. read more

What a Great concert Kris Kristofferson along with Brandi Carlile. Does anyone need to say more.

Went and saw the Naked magicians, it was a great show! Only problem was a bunch of Annoying drunk females that wouldn't shut the crap up, and Wouldn't sit fucking still kept getting up and down up and down... read more

Excellent show- HOWEVER, we purchase front row seats and we were shocked when we showed up and the venue had constructed a small wall 2 feet in front of us and put seats directly in front of us that were also 2 feet higher, blocking our view. Ruined the experience. I assume it was to collect for a few extra seats. VERY disappointing. Sent an email to the venue manager and received no reply. When your phone isn't ringing, that's me calling to come back. read more

Jake Shimabukuro and his trio were fabulous! The newly restored Pantages Theater is gorgeous! What a great evening!

We saw LivOn with Olivia Newton John was a great show!

I went to the Tacoma Arts Live performance of Windham Hill's Winter Solstice at the Rialto Theater. The staff were amazingly friendly and supportive, and the venue was marvelous (my first time at the Rialto; even the Windham hill artists commented on the venue!) Communication before the event was helpful. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for more Tacoma Arts Live events. read more

Just experienced the Seattle Rock Orchestra doing a tribute to David Bowie. Their vocals and instrumentalists are amazing! They brought Bowie's music from several decades back to life. Solo performances by Alex Guy on viola, and the amazing woman (name?) on cello drew spontaneous crowd hoots and hollers as well as standing ovations. The final song brought the audience to their feet who were rewarded with two encore songs. We look forward to their next Tacoma appearance at First Night. Extremely high quality music! read more

My family and I went to Sue's Tech Kitchen at the Tacoma Armory recently and it was a great technology and food experience!!! It is wonderful that we have had the opportunity to experience all kinds of shows and events in Tacoma. We have also enjoyed operas and shows at the Rialto and Pantages! read more

Saturday was my first visit to the theater and it was a great experience. The seats we excellent and the show exceptional.

Eric Burdon and the Animals was an amazing concert. Packed house joined in with the songs. Eric you still have it. The members of the Animals were all accomplished artist. We were all on our feets singing and moving during the last songs of the evening. Way to go Pantages. You booked a great season for us in the Tacoma area. You rock! read more

Is it possible to enjoy a show, concert or even a sports event without having people shove political messages down your throat anymore???!! It was disheartening that while we were all captive for a show, the president (or whomever he was) of the Broadway Center came out and made passive aggressive political statements. I paid to see a show, not hear your opinions. Don't assume your customers all agree with you. We can all come from different backgrounds, have different beliefs yet STILL come together and enjoy the SAME show, can we not? We've paid a lot of money for several shows here but now we are questioning what we are supporting... read more

We just saw a show and loved it but the big surprise for us was the venue. It was fantastic! We've been season ticket holders for the Paramount and/or the 5th Avenue theaters in Seattle for many years. If they offered some of the same shows we would give them all of our business. There isn't a bad seat in the house, parking was easy and cheap, many restaurants in the area, easy access from the freeway. Love this cozy, intimate theater!!! read more

An absolute nightmare, bought the tickets for Puget sound revelers. Shocked at the "hidden" costs". Tried to call the phone number on their website several times (while a show was in progress) which was impossible to ask a "person" how long the show would last on this Sunday. The number rang an rang, then the usual "options" were offered. All I wanted to do was ask a simple question. Isn't technology great! read more