We recently attended Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thieve at the playhouse. The show is in the…read morebig theater. We ordered the tickets online before hand. Entry was easy with a quick scan of our QR code. The was a wide selection at the concession stand and the cast was great.

We saw Red Riding Hood. It was all we expected from community theater, and not a lot more…read more It was fun. Not excellent or outstanding, but that's reflected in the ticket cost. Heads up - the play was 70 minutes long and the chairs were fine, but I wouldn't want to see a 2.5 hour play without bringing a bit of extra cushion. Still - a fun afternoon's entertainment. Our anniversary is the week after New Years, so we were grateful to see ANY live theatre to celebrate.

I am thrilled with my decision to get season tickets this year. The productions have all been…read moreamazing. I only wish there were more ladies rooms. There is no way to go and get back during intermission so I must strategically calculate my liquid intake before a show. The seats are a little cozy but I understand trying to get as many patrons in as possible. I will definitely renew my subscription next season!

Such a gorgeous and modern venue - I loved it so much! We came here for a Des Moines Symphony's…read moreABBA performance and it was absolutely delightful! We were in the very front row, so up close and personal to all the action on stage. What was wild was that we got our tickets the day before and that's when a ton of the closer row tickets became available. We snagged ours at the cheapest price and that came as quite a surprise, it made me wonder if they intentionally held a ton of tickets until the last minute or if there were just that many cancellations or something, that was a bit confusing. But our experience at the Civic Center was incredible! The space is very open and is sort of like one gradually increasing level from the stage. There's no mezzanine or balcony, but you will just go up the stairs to your row depending on how far back you are. The bathrooms were also great and plentiful, so there weren't any crazy lines for women's or men's bathrooms during the intermission. The Civic Center is located in the heart of downtown Des Moines. There is a ton of parking structures and lots available all around for very reasonable prices. I believe our parking fee was only $5, which for a major city is pretty unheard of! The Civic Center lobby also has a few bars that you can pick up drinks at! I got a Coke in a souvenir Des Moines Symphony cup and was able to take it into the center with me. In my mind, this is just wild because I don't know that I've ever taken a refreshment into a concert put on by a symphony, so that was a delight! Normally, photos and videos are not allowed in the Civic Center, but because of the nature of this concert in particular, they were actually highly encouraged this time! We had a great time and I'd recommend checking out what performances are going on while you're in Des Moines to see if any pique your interest! It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening in town!

I really enjoy the space in this theater. It brings the show right up and close to the audience…read more In spite of the smaller scope they have a great setup. With multiple layers on the performance area they allow many parts to be played out in different ways for the audience while maintaining separation for the locations. The seating is rather hard and tightly spaced which can be a bit uncomfortable if the show lasts over an hour and has no intermission. I thought their ability to use such a space in such a great way was terrific. The lights and sound worked really well.

I'm so excited that the Des Moines Social Club's Kum and Go Theater is open for business! Last…read morenight was my first experience in the Black Box Theater! It was awesome! I got to play a show with Har Mar Superstar and MAIDS! The place is 2nd to none, awesome video projection screen so I did not have to bring my own, Great sound system and the staff who I think were mostly volunteers were incredibly nice and professional! I got the opportunity to see some of the behind the scenes spots like the artist back stage green rooms and these were the best in town at any venue for sure! I'm super excited this is finally open as I hope to be attending many theater productions, and concerts here! Super excited when the weather warms up to enjoy a beer on the open roof as well! Also cool art by local legend Van Holmgren welcomes you to the theater! Great SPOT!

Intimate comedy club. Great that you can order right from the table on your phone. A fun selection…read moreof drinks. Will Be back!

Wow! This place is amazing. Top 5 comedy clubs I've visited. I love the intimate seating. The size…read moreof this club is perfect for a true comedy fan. The seats are actually really comfortable and the spacing of them is just right. The staff are great. I love that you order drinks from your phone right to the table. It avoids the awkward "check spot" distraction. There were plenty of drink options and make sure you try their popcorn and pretzels. I will be going back soon!

The Iowa Stage Theatre was a merger between to incredible local production companies The Repertory…read moreTheatre of Iowa and StageWest Theatre Co. They put on intimate productions at the Kum And Go Theater at the Des Moines Social Club. This past year they won multiple Cloris Awards, including Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress! They do everything from Shakespear to Tony Award winning more modern productions! Our city has a vast group of local theater talent, and this is a fantastic company if you are looking to catch a show!

From the owner: Iowa Stage Theatre Company presents Fun Home! The Tony-Winning musical of a young cartoonist coming…read moreout and discovering her father's secret life. Now through October 14th at the Des Moines Social Club!

The Val Air Ballroom is such a trip. It literally feels like you are walking back into the '70s in…read morethe venue's lime green color palette and style. They also have some far out features like an old school box office (which didn't seem to be in use when we were at our show), a phone booth, and a cute mural of retro musicians. The venue itself was pretty good as far as lighting, seating, and audio go. The event we attended was a comedy show (Jay and Silent Bob), and it was in late June. Being in late June/almost July, it was HOT outside and the venue didn't seem to have very good or any air conditioning that we could feel. Very sticky night. The show we were at was a seated event, so luckily not a lot of movement, but we were still sweating! I could not imagine a concert or show that people are dancing and moving around all night. I think if you see a show posted at the Val Air Ballroom that interests you, definitely consider checking it out. Just be sure to pay attention to the weather that day and dress accordingly (shorts/tanks would have been great for my show!)

Great venue for a show in this once upon a time ballroom that gives roller rink vibes without the…read moreblacklight decor. Some limited seating is available but expect to show up early to grab it. Not sure if it is a typical policy but the show we went to didn't have reentry, so once you are in you can't go back out until you are ready to leave. My only gripe today was I was on the floor standing by a group who apparently hadn't seen each other in a while because they were really excited about talking and catching up during the show. I get this happens but I haven't experienced something inside this bad. But sound and lighting was great. Beers were more than we were used to ($10/domestic tallboy) but I guess that's just life anymore.

I heard about the Tallgrass Theater Company on the WHO Saturday morning news. They hosted the actor…read moreand actress in the play. When they said that Oleanna made people feel uncomfortable, I knew I had to see what the buzz was about it. I didn't know the Rex Mathes Auditorium existed prior to this play. It was $17/ticket and the theater itself is quite quaint. They had a little table in front of the entrance for a snack stand. It's pretty cool to find little pockets of art happening in the metro like this.

My experience with Cirque Wonderland was not a positive one, and it has been frustrating to process…read moreover time. What was presented as a welcoming and inclusive space did not always align with my personal experience there. When I spoke up about my concerns, I felt they were dismissed or minimized, which made it difficult for me to feel heard or supported in the space. This came after I shared that I experienced what I perceived as confrontational and inappropriate verbal behavior from a neighboring business owner at the time. I was told the cameras in the building were not working at that time, which added to my discomfort with the situation. I rented a room in the space for four years, prior to its expansion. In April 2023, I was told via phone call that a change in my massage clientele to better fit the space would be something to consider to fit the gym more, or that it might be best for me to leave. Later , I received an email stating it would be best for me to leave, along with a move-out timeline. I asked to have a conversation in person or by phone to try to come to a more mutual agreement, especially since I was there regularly, but that request was declined. I then received formal communication via email, which felt abrupt and uncomfortable, and reinforced my concerns based on my experience about how situations like this were handled compared to what I had understood when I first joined the space. In private conversations, I've heard perspectives that echoed some of my concerns around a disconnect between stated values and lived experiences. I understand that others may have different experiences, and I can only speak to my own. One example of that disconnect, from my point of view, was messaging like "any body can do aerial" not always feeling fully reflected in practice, particularly when some policies felt like they created barriers for people with different needs in my experience. For me, what started as a business misalignment became more personal over time. I'm sharing this to bring awareness and to encourage better alignment between values and action. I also always wondered why they seemed they were the only aerial arts place in des moines when they werent I do want to acknowledge that there were coaches I appreciated working with, including Bonnie, who I felt did embody the values that were expressed. This is being shared in the hope that it encourages reflection. My experience was disappointing, both as a business owner and as a person navigating the situation. TO CIRQUE AND FELICIA IN RESPONSE TO THEIR COMMENT AND RESPONSE Thank you for your response. I understand that your perspective may differ. What I've shared reflects my personal experience , my records and how I was approached and was impacted by those interactions at the time. I'm not interested in continuing this conversation privately, as I've already attempted to have direct discussions in the past without resolution.

I signed my girls up for the intro classes so that they could get a feel for what they're…read moreinterested in and to learn the basics. Right away I was impressed by the background of the owner--one of the first people to bring circus and aerial arts classes to Iowa. Clearly this person has a passion for sharing the art form. After day one my kids were hooked and couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had. I love that class sizes are kept very small, and that the structure of membership and future classes leave a lot of room for scheduling flexibility. I am super excited that my kids found something that they want to keep doing--something that leaves so much room for personal growth and experimentation!