This was the first time I attended the Pasadena Playhouse. Came here to see Amadeus. I really…read moreenjoyed the venue as well as the play. Loved the historic feel of the playhouse which was very appropriate for the play. We didn't know exactly where to park but found out afterwards that the parking was conveniently located across the street. Will definitely consider coming here again in the future.

Pasadena Playhouse. Brigadoon. If you're considering…read morespending your hard-earned time and money at the Pasadena Playhouse, do yourself a favor: skip opening night. Wait for the unbiased reviews to trickle in before committing to their latest offerings, because if Brigadoon is the current standard, the bar hasn't just been lowered--it's been buried. Wednesday's opening night was, to put it bluntly, a stinker. We arrived with open minds and tempered expectations; we weren't looking for a Gene Kelly reincarnation or a Broadway-scale miracle. We understand the constraints of regional theater. However, what we witnessed was so profoundly lackluster that it felt less like a professional production and more like a mediocre college workshop. The "Highland" Lowlights: * Atrocious Casting: With the sole exception of Betsy Morgan--who possessed the only singing and dancing chops worthy of the material--the casting was a disaster. * Cultural Caricature: The premise of Brigadoon relies on a town preserved in time to protect its Scottish heritage. Why, then, was this cast like a generic Disney Channel original movie? The "Scottish" culture on display was a cringeworthy caricature reminiscent of a Mike Myers sketch. In a city like Los Angeles, home to thousands of versatile actors, is authenticity really that hard to find? * Anemic Energy: The choreography was limp, and the vocal performances were consistently weak. The sound system was so quiet it felt like a mercy killing; perhaps turning it up would have provided the "punch" the performers so desperately lacked. I cannot remember the last time I saw a professional audience flee after only a few scenes. We endured the first half, but left at intermission. It was simply that unbearable. While the Pasadena Playhouse relies on the generosity of donors to stay afloat, one has to wonder: is there any quality control left? Or is the current mode of operation simply to shovel substandard content at a captive audience? Thank God we aren't trapped in this version of Brigadoon for a hundred years. 45 minutes was more than enough.

I spent the day there with my sister who just turned 86. I hadn't been there since I was a young…read moregirl and didn't remember the challenging hills, probably because they weren't challenging to me then. Pushing my sister in a wheel chair was good exercise for me but thank goodness for the golf cart people who were so kind and gave us rides to wherever we wanted to go. We got to see much more than we would have without them. Our lunch was so tasty at the 1919 Cafe, and even enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio. It was a wonderful day. The Museum and gardens where beautiful and inspiring!

We went on a Sunday when advanced purchased tickets are required. We waited until the day of to buy…read morethe tickets and only the 3pm and later times were available. Luckily we were able to go in an hour early! Parking is free. The parking lot was very full but we found a spot eventually. We later found out that valet was complimentary. Would have used that if we knew. This is such a beautiful botanical garden set in a quiet residential neighborhood of San Marino. We were there for almost four hours and explored about half of the place. It's so big! We took our time and didn't even go into the museums yet. We will definitely have to come back again.

I have been to a number of Arab weddings with Zaffe, but none of them really gave me the same vibe…read moreor energy I felt from Zaffe's at weddings in Lebanon. Well, that's no longer the case! Samo's Dabke Group brought the HEAT at my wedding. I simply could not have asked for a more grand, more energetic, more fun Zaffe in my life! There was never a lull or a dance move that fell flat. Each and every one of my guests - Arab and otherwise - were on their feet for the entire performance. There wasn't one person who didn't comment on the Zaffe and how much fun they had watching it and being involved in it. This group was hands down the best element of my wedding and set the tone for the entire evening! They also know a variety of Zaffe styles from all regions in the Arab world and have multiple outfits you can select from to match your idea and theme. I wish words could properly articulate just how phenomenal this group was because they really outdid themselves. 10/10!

Samo's Dabke just preformed at our wedding this past weekended and they were AMAZING!!! Do…read moreyourselves a favor and book them! As I was prepping for our wedding I watched quite a few youtube videos of different Dabke entrances, and Samo's troupe out did them all! They did three performance; first escorted the groom from the hotel to the limo; then back to escort myself (bride) to the limo. They then brought the house down with their high energy performance for our grand entrance. I couldn't be happier with the whole experience. Samo and his troupe were so professional and booking them was easy. I really liked how they had a contract that clearly laid out expectations and price, which was very fair. They were not only on time, but early and came prepared to put on one heck of a show. I truly can't say enough good things. Thank you Samo and crew for making our wedding so special :)

I would recommend you verify what the installations are before you go along with doing it on a day…read morewhere you can tour the house so it's worth the fee. $9 per person to just see two small installations is too expensive. I believe if you tour the home it's $20 per person and you get into the museum as well. The stag was lovely and polite as well as the property being beautiful.

An opulent, historic mansion on Millionaire's Row, the hoverboard from Back to the Future II, and…read morethe first Finnish consulate in SoCal - these are just some of the things we saw at the Pasadena Museum of History! It was really fun playing tourist so close to home - a true hidden gem, I never knew this museum was here even having lived here all these years lol! We did the Fényes Mansion tour which includes admission to the main museum and is the best way to experience the museum imo. The main museum is currently running an exhibit featuring films made around Pasadena and it was so fun to explore and see things like the BTTF hoverboard and Eddie Murphy's outfit in Beverly Hills Cop, and so many more interesting items and info tidbits. But it's small so it's best to pair it with the mansion tour - which is a fascinating glimpse into the area's past and the prominent family that owned the mansion. It even holds the original office of the first Finnish consul, Y.A. Paloheimo, still intact as it was all those years ago, complete with the consul emblem and his photo with Eleanor Roosevelt. The mansion is one of two remaining fully intact mansions on what used to be "Millionaire's Row" - the other is the Gamble House which is a craftsman - but Fényes Mansion is over the top grandeur! There used to be 52 mansions and these are all that's left :-o And here's a fun little fact we learned - did you know Tiffany & Co made elaborately carved wooden chairs?? You can see them in the dining room of the mansion and they're absolutely beautiful! We learned SO many interesting bits of history about Pasadena and the surrounding area - I won't share it all here - you gotta take the tour - it's totally worth it! But I will leave you with one other fun fact I learned that answered a burning question I had every time I would drive the 210 - this is for the locals - do you know how Michillinda Ave got its name? It came from some of the earlier settlers of the area in the 1870s: Michigan + Illinois + Indiana = Michillinda!! The tour is a great experience for local history and I highly recommend it - they're infrequent so if you can get in on a tour, DO IT!! They're around $20 and you can get them in advance via Eventbrite which I recommend bc they sell out (especially on weekends). You can also buy them onsite but the tours are likely to be full. The museum admission is included and they have bathrooms and a small private parking lot available. Shout out to our awesome tour guides Andrea & Paul - tysm for a great afternoon!!

Worth the money! And I'm a cheap Asian woman! Doing stand up was always on my bucket list, so…read morethis was a perfect chance to try it out. Corey and Andrew are legit coaches that have a lot of experience and can coach you to present your best sketch. I also have a lot of new friends from the class, my classmates. These courses are available for adults and children. Classes take place inside the historic Ice House. Their air conditioning is the best of all the comedy clubs I've attended. That's important because I run hot.

I asked Corey to make me funny!!!…read more I wanted to not make Sickle Cell the butt of jokes! I absolutely was ready to hit the stage and everyone said, "I killed it!" I suggest anyone who is thinking about taking a comedy class to come on down!!!

The business model is not good. While their teachers are fun and great, the business is run like a…read morescam. They stole 300 dollars from my card that was on file after all of our lessons had been completed and they refused to give it back. They are a scam of a business do not trust them ever. There are plenty of freelance piano teachers in the area, hell even contact their teachers directly but the Altadena Academy of Music is willing to steal from their customer base. BEWARE.

3 years ago I decided to look into a music class for my 5 yr old daughter. She loves to sing. In my…read moresearch, I uncovered a gem of a place, Altadena Academy of Music. My daughter was paired with a great teacher, Peter. Since day one he has helped Mia flourish and unleash her potential. He is a great teacher. During the same 30 mins she's singing, I'm practicing piano with Tyson. He's has been a great help in uncovering my passion for the ivories.

There's two floors so much amazing collections to see. The garden area is a work of art. I really…read moreenjoyed it. It's easy to get lost wondering thru each art piece. Can't believe the museum is here in our area. We watched the history of Norton Simon in the theater. Great job narrating his work. I would go again so much to see and be inspire. The Staffs were very professional and courteous.

I've been to this museum twice already since I was amazed at what this location has to offer. It's…read morea smaller museum compared to the Huntington library. If you're a student or have EBT you can access this museum for free. Parking is free as well. You reserve your tickets online & just present your proof of ID for student or EBT. There are 2 floors to this museum & an outdoor garden as well. A mix of European art , modern pieces , sculptures , & Southeast asian art as well. I was here for a good 2 hours for my last visit since I was taking it all in. Once done, I love to grab some kettle chips & a signature drink from their cafe by the garden. I sit & journal for a bit then walk around the gardens. The small souvenir store is delightful in where you can purchase small or large prints of your favorite pieces. Books , trinkets, & museum merchandise is also available. I will come back for their next exhibit to see what other pieces will be displayed.

This place is amazing but really small…read more I love that they have little workshops. I was here for a paint with flowers//tea. We used hibiscus, tumeric and butterfly pea flower. My work wasnt good but other had the most beautiful paintings. I dont know how they made such small lines when mines came out as blobs. Cyanotype Workshop is also really fun. You just put items on a paper when youre ready and let the sun do the work. You just need to check their website to see what event is going on. Cyanotype Workshop

I came to check out From the Ground Up: Nurturing Diversity in Hostile Environments, and the…read morecuration was fascinating. Lots of color, texture, and thoughtful pieces. It was creative, engaging, and fun to walk through. The space itself is on the smaller side, so you can take in the entire exhibit in about thirty minutes. It's just a clean and well-presented collection. Best of all, admission is free, which makes this an easy yes if you're anywhere near Pasadena and want something interesting to wander through.

I really miss this. I hope they bring it back. I went for many years. It was always entertaining…read moreand fun to go with friends.

Wicked Lit! Went…read morelast year for the first time and then twice this year to see both Production A (The Unnameable, the Chimes, and Cask of Amontillado) and Production B **new** (Casting the Runes, A Ghost Story, and The Body Snatcher). I brought a bunch of people with me to see Production A this year. It was amazing as always... Note to newcomers - if you are meeting people at the event, make sure that all members of your group receive the same color sticker on their program. You want to stay together in the same group. Also note that they have coffee, hot apple juice (which they insist on calling cider), and a few candy bars. $2 each or 2 items for $3. Bring cash, a jacket as you will be outside for a time, and comfortable shoes for walking and standing for short periods. The plays are immersive as you walk following the characters and story progression through the creepy and eeriliy lit long hallways of the mausoleum... and through the cemetery across the street. Most of the acting is great. Last night was unusual because they had BOTH productions going on at the same time. I was concerned that we would be running into each other in the corridors and we would lose the integrity of the individual plays with competing noise in the background. They actually handled it really well and there was only about 5 minutes when I was distracted by noise from another play. Production B was very good for the most part. I will not forget the images from Casting the Runes and The Body Snatcher. The Ghost Story however, started out GREAT but then the second half was kind of ridiculous. What annoyed me most was the fact that because it wasn't as long as the other plays and they all had to end at the same time, the guide read us "The Raven" as we walked back. Now, I take my Poe seriously and want it done right or not at all. This guy read it from the folder, lost his place a few times, used a voice that I assume was supposed to be funny (and wasn't). It just wasn't done well. If they HAD to fill up that time, (and I hope they read this review) they should have the poem read at the original site and read seriously by someone who can do it properly... by candlelight... with some thunder, rain, and lightning in the background. I was not only disappointed, but mad that it had been done so poorly. I could have read it better (and not from a folder). All in all, it's still a Halloween favorite and the location is fantastic and used well.