This theater looks newly refurbished. The seats and carpets are all updated, and everything is…read moreclean and we'll maintained. The screen is large and the sound is good. The concession stand offers a few different snacks that I didn't expect I found plenty of parking on the street. The staff were very pleasant and helpful.

I came to the Oaks to see a comedian. The main reason I…read moregave a three star rating is the seats. They are on the small side and are very uncomfortable if you are a plus size person. My husband had to wedge himself in and barely fit in the seat. When he asked if there were other options, he was told we could sit in the table seating in the back, but we had purchased VIP to sit up close, so he decided to just be a bit uncomfortable rather than be at the back of the theater. I know theaters have tight space and other considerations, but considering they were remodeled not all that long ago, I was surprised about the seat size. The bathroom situation is also a bit of an issue. You need to go downstairs and the set up is a bit strange. There aren't many stalls, and the layout makes it awkward for getting in and out, especially if there is a line. All that being said, it is a lovely theater with friendly staff and fairly affordable concessions. I just wish the seating was more comfortable.

The Space Upstairs is a loft space above Construction Junction that is home to the (post)modern…read morejazz dance company The Pillow Project. The door is next to Creative Reuse's on N Lexington Avenue. On the second Saturday of every month, the Pillow Project invites people to come and enjoy a lounge atmosphere of dance, live jazz music, and performances involving mixed-media. Alongside that, the space is used for many other events as well, each group giving it its own special charm. I've seen classes, clothing drives, photoshoots, and many other types of events use the loft. The space itself is gorgeous, with the modern coolness you'd expect from a loft belonging to a performance art troupe, combined with the history of Pittsburgh - since it is attached to Construction Junction, you can be sure that just about everything up here has been repurposed. The large windows let tons of natural light in, and the hardwood floors are gorgeous. Scattered over the space there are a few extremely unique pieces of art including a busted up mattress hanging on the wall and a laptop with a tree growing out of it. There is a large bar off to one side infront of two small openings that look down over Construction Junction. Old couches and tables are scattered throughout the space for seating and a small raised platform, infront of the multimedia control center, is also sometimes used for seating. The only problem with the space is that it is somewhat of a weather permitting space - You really feel it in here when it's hot or cold outside. There are huge heaters on the ceiling for the winter but they're very uneven, so beneath them it's burning, and not too far away it's cold again. But that's what you get when you're in such an old building, it's a really minor complaint. There is also a small waiting area downstairs right inside the door. So if you're looking to catch a cool performance, come on the second Saturday of any month and check it out. If you're looking for a neat event space, be sure to ask the Pillow Project for details. And now I can finally check in to the right place

The space upstairs is a unique venue for music, art, and dance. I have been coming to the Second…read moreSaturdays events for years and have never been disappointed. The people at the events are the welcoming and creative. I love being there and highly recommend any event that happens there.

This has been a great place to explore improv! The classes are typically only 4 weeks long which is…read morehonestly the perfect amount with busy schedules. We are able to learn so much in just 4 weeks and it is such a safe space to practice getting out of one's comfort zone. The instructors are all great! They primarily focus on long form but do also have short form classes too. They periodically host jams and shows as well. Definitely recommend for anyone looking to try out or continue their improv journey! They typically do try it out classes beforehand as well for a low stakes way to see if its something you want to jump into!

I loved it here and will definitely be back. It is fun, crafty, and a great evening of inexpensive…read moreentertainment. The improv actors are very skilled, and they seem to offer something different nearly every single weekend. The theater has a fun, indie feel to it. I have enjoyed this type of improv in many cities where I have lived and am glad to have something of this nature here in PGH.

10 Out Of 12 equaled almost zero for our foursome. The performance started with a house that was…read morealmost full. More than half had left during the intermission. It wasn't the actors fault. The idea seemed to be a winner but the story line was a complete failure. I felt sorry for the cast. It has to hurt to see the empty seats that had been filled when they started. Hope Quantum has some winners coming up. Will take some successes to get tonight's audience back.

Quantum Theatre is unique. Each performance is like a contemporary art installation. They find…read moreunique locations around the Pittsburgh area that help tell their story. I've seen their productions in warehouses, parks, historic buildings, all very creative spaces. Their sold out performances of TAMARA at Rodef Shalom were an expression of immersive theater: you followed characters around the entire building, then dined with your friends at intermission to piece together the different parts of the story. They restaged/transformed Emile Zola's classic play "Therese Raquin" in Braddock Carnegie Library's drained swimming pool. Always thought provoking, inspiring, often rollicking, and playful, this is theater with an edge. I have seen more than 25 of their productions, they have all been memorable and experiential.

We selected this beautiful venue for our wedding reception for several reasons…read more This venue offers a blank canvas to allow a bride, groom or party planner the ability to paint and design your vision into a reality. You are permitted to select any vendors, rental equipment, bartenders and other support staff for this venue. We loved this! We worked with Sarah Cowing, Production Coordinator for the planning, contract issuance, billing, etc. majority of the questions we had. She provided any restrictions and other particulars regarding the venue along the way. She was point for vendors deliveries too. She remained on site during our rental period and setup the day before; monitoring and helping as needed ensuring all rules were followed. She also helped with chairs, provided carts and other direction as needed. We were grateful for the Flex Time she permitted during setup. Thanks a bunch! Mr. Phil Irvin: We cannot say enough great things about Mr Irvin. He was an absolute star! We were so glad he was assigned to be our onsite contact for the day of! He was also our point at the final walk through and was there to answer any questions we had about the layout. He was everything to us the day of our wedding reception. He was extremely knowledgeable and ensured everything flowed smoothly! He gave us ideas, received all vendors, studied and ensured our itinerary was followed, made sure the parking was managed, ensured the wedding party was escorted in without guests seeing us, made sure we were fed upon arrival from wedding photos, and remained at our side as the bride and groom the entire night! Guided clean you name it. He quickly worked with our points to resolve any issues that arose. We were soo thankful for him, his support and services! We could not have done it without him! Sir, you are a gem! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything! Everyone echoed the same sentiments! Rules and other helpful info we wanted to share are as following. The price to rent this venue includes tables and chairs (although we rented banquet tables) a wood bar station, warming kitchen and a day of assistant. Our rental included 12 hours plus 1 additional hour for clean up. * Capacity - The venue can seat 200 guests in a dinner-style set up and 300 guests in a cocktail hour style set up * Setup/breakdown - You and your vendors can drop off items the day before your event, but if you want to do any decorating or hold a rehearsal there, they charge an additional hourly rate of $400 ph for the hours you're in the building or $1450.00 for 4 hours. They prefer for your rental time period to be during their business hours with the latest time permitted for rental for a Friday as an example being no later than 4:30pm so staff could be present. They prefer for all personal items to be removed from the building at the end of the night following your event but do make exceptions to hold them until Monday morning if they've been gathered into one area and all food and gifts have been removed. * Dance floors are only permitted if you are renting one. They do not allow anything directly on the floor with tape or glue. Vinyl flooring or anything directly on the floor is not permitted. * They do have restricted items and they will share those with you in your contract. * You will be provided with free access to a social table app to design the room to meet your configuration and they will ensure the tables are setup to meet your specification's. It was the best! We highly recommend this beautiful and vintage venue neatly tucked in the Strip District. We hope that our tips provided can help others in their event planning. Thank you Pittsburgh Opera team! Our reception was an absolute dream!

My husband and I had the opportunity to see Florencia en el Amazonas this past Sunday. Neither of…read moreus had ever been to the Opera before so we really didn't know what to expect. I'm happy to say that the performance exceeded my expectations. It was very easy to pick up our tickets at the box office before the show. Upon entering the Benedum we went to see where our seats were. We were in Orchestra Right Center Row R. They were great seats as it was very easy to read the subtitles at the top of the screen. The performance was well rehearsed and kind of funny in parts. I loved how they made me feel like the boat was actually moving through water on the stage. The orchestra was great and probably never gets enough credit for their hard work. For my first trip to the Opera, I would say it was a success. Great job Pittsburgh Opera!

Edgar Allen Poe Speakeasy was a definite hit! Drinks were yummy performance even better! Drinks…read morewere cold and delivered with a smile

No clue why I've never written a review. All I can say is what a fitting tribute this establishment…read moreis to its namesakes. Have attended quite a few events here with nothing but the best of service and enjoyment.

Met with Gingerly Press this past weekend at American Craft Made Baltimore show on Feb 21st. I…read morelearned a lot about their process and loved several prints. I'm still considering buying several for new wall space in kitchen. The earth-valued themes are depicted so simply but their design and colors are very appealing.

Lindsay provided my partner and me with an exceptional tour during an open house, showcasing her…read moreremarkable artistic process and sharing a wonderful story. I absolutely love her work and have decided to frame it on my wall.

I experienced the Grey Box Theater as a venue for the Dress for Success fundraiser. it is a fun…read morespace in Lawrenceville that can be rented to host special events, parties, fundraisers, concerts, etc. It was a neat space that can easily be used for a variety of things (as is evidenced by the fact that it apparently previously hosted a cat circus...). Even though it is a "theater" there is no stage which makes it a versatile space. We were able to set up seating for a panel discussion and guests along with cocktail tables. There was also a great deal of lighting options which can really add ambiance to your event. They also allow you to bring your own food and drinks which is a plus since a lot of venues lock you in to a certain caterer or don't allow outside items. The down side is that if the event is during the day, you need to find on street parking which can be a challenge in Lawrenceville. Overall a great space for a smaller special event.

I saw a cat circus here. It was life changing…read more Does that have anything to do with the Grey Box theater? Probably not. Okay, maybe a little. Well. Maybe a lot considering it was a nice, intimate place to view cats doing amazing things!! I was sitting in the second row on the left side and I still saw everything pretty clearly. As my very smart friend Aja J states, it would have been a bit better of they would have staggered the seats per row, but I still saw just fine. Maybe if I was in the back it would have been worse, considering the last two rows were standing the entire time. I can't blame them. It was exciting and I'd wanna see every second of it from the last row as well as the second. If you're coming here to see any type of show, I'd imagine it would be just as intimate. Would it be as amazing as a cat circus? Probably not. Not until the next time they come into town anyway!

For a city our size, we are so very fortunate to have a professional ballet company and school of…read morethe quality of PBT. The school is wonderful. They have classes that start as early as 18 months (mommy & me) and run all the way through adult fitness classes. The school is divided into several divisions. Children's (the youngest through around age 8), student (8 through around 14), pre professional and graduate. Anyone can participate in the children's division, but you need to audition for placement in the student division. PBT also has an adult fitness/wellness curriculum that has classes like ballet 101 and Pilates. The staff and teachers are absolutely wonderful. They genuinely care about each and every kid (or adult) in their class. PBT as a whole is wonderful as well! They do several mainstage productions a year including the Nutcracker every December. They are always creative, beautiful and just a joy to watch and appreciate the artistry. I especially love when they are productions with the orchestra. Overall, an amazing organization with a wonderful school and great productions.

I have seen the PBT presentation of The Nutcracker several times, but this may have been the last…read morefor me. I enjoy the Pittsburgh references to the story and in the scenery but, really, the hockey-stick-carrying penguin, the rats waving "terrible towels" were a bit strange. As were the "local celebrities" who were given non-speaking, non-dancing (thankfully!) roles as party guests-- why?? What could be next? Pittsburgh Dance Moms in minor roles? Apparently I prefer a more traditional version of The Nutcracker. I missed some of the costumes and dances from the original Balanchine production. I know that some will say that it's predictable and static to do this the same way every year, but when I think of this ballet, it is what I want to see. That being said, the dancers were wonderfully talented and executed their movements perfectly. We are fortunate to have their talent in Pittsburgh!