A pretty decent venue for shows! I have been for a ballet and could see everything well from the balcony; was surprised the seats were cheap for my spot with the view I got. The balcony is rather steep though, which could be scary for some. They have stairs and an elevator to go between floors, but the elevator is kind of small. Security is friendly and timely. I would come again for another show. read more

The National Theatre - Balcony view - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came to the National Theatre on Easter Sunday to see Beauty and the Beast and had such a great experience overall. I was running a little late, about five minutes after showtime, but somehow luck was on my side because I found street parking right on the same block, winning . I definitely would not count on that every time though; there are parking garages nearby that are probably a safer bet if you are cutting it close. Since I arrived just after the show started, I was expecting a hassle getting in, but it was actually super smooth. I did not have to deal with a long line at all, and the staff were really helpful in getting me seated quickly. I did not grab any food or drinks, so I cannot speak to pricing or options, but one thing I will say is avoid the bathroom lines during intermission if you can. They get very long. Try to go right before the show, after, or sneak away at a less obvious time if possible. As for the show itself, I loved it. I was seated in the very last row at the top and still had a clear view, which says a lot about the layout. Since there is no recording allowed, it really lets you stay present and enjoy the performance for what it is. I went solo and honestly it was the perfect solo outing. Super grateful for the experience and would definitely do it again. read more

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The musical Suff was awesome. I enjoyed it immensely. I highly recommend it so see it before it leaves

Found a couple of nearby lots. We used SpotHero to get good priced parking. The theater had a nice process for letting many people inside. We were on the mezzanine level. I couldn't find an elevator and my injured foot hobbled up and down the steps. The saving grace was a nearby restroom on our level. Seats were pretty roomy. The mezzanine seats are great with a good overall view of the stage. read more

The National Theatre - A view from our seats - Harry Potter - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This review is purely for their app and to get their attention to fixing the issue - since they moved their lottery system online, the feature does not work. It asks you to keep signing in even if you did. Then AI suggests creating another account but the app does not register this ability (see photo- after several minutes the spinning thing is still going on). They also do not answer their phone. read more

The National Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've officially seen 2 shows now at this theatre (Michael Jackson and Harry Potter), both really good. It's a smaller, more intimate theatre but nevertheless it makes you feel closer to the performers. Recommend orchestra seats because it's practically in the center of the theatre and not too close to stage. The only reason for 1 less star is the bathroom and snack line situation. There's only 1 restroom available (multiple stalls) but I would imagine then building more to accommodate the amount of people. Also snacks and drinks are expensive. read more

The National Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I always enjoy a night at this historic Washington institution. Famous for its orange seats. They have a nice selection of shows and comfortable seating. I prefer to sit upstairs, it's a better view for me. They have both an upstairs and lobby concessions. The restrooms are located on the second floor. read more

The National Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came to see Jason's Lyric. There is garage parking in the back of the theatre, but be prepared to wait in long lines to exit. We found street parking tho :) You walk straight into the bar area, so that space gets crowded Bathrooms with plenty of stalls on the 1st floor (which is 1 floor up from just Ground level) and there is also another bar Seats are SQUISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be prepared to stand and Get out of the row, if someone is late and sits in the middle We ended up finding open space in the back, next to the sound booth. So much more space with your legs and comfort Audio and lights were good read more

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My wife and I saw the musical "Suffs" this past weekend. The production execution was professional and on point: Acting, Music and Theatre itself. We were in the last row of the upper right balcony, and thoroughly enjoyed the event. More importantly, we want to sing the praises of Willow( an Usher) and Jake (Box Office). These two individuals were instrumental in helping us not only find our seats, but also showered us with a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. We wanted to be sure to recognize and praise these fine people. read more

This is my 2nd time in this theater. This time we say Jason's lyric a movie turned play. The seats were not bad. We were all the way at the top but I had a better view of the performance than when I floor seats for a performance back in February. With floor seats unless you're in the very front you only need one person with large hair and that's it for your view. They have very inflated priced refreshments during intermission as per usual for any facility but overall a decent night out. It wasn't too hot or too cold in the theatre which is hard to achieve with a lot of people in one area. I will be back. read more

Came for Je'Caryous Johnson's Jason's Lyric live and was so pleased with my experience. The show was great and ran just as mentioned online, a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes. It started 15 minutes later than supposed to, but it wasn't awful. As for the theatre, I think it's still in great shape for the amount of time it's been around. Security at the door was quick and efficient. There's a bar just to the left of the entrance so you can get drinks as soon as you get in; there's also a bar upstairs so if you're on the upper level, just go up there (less of a wait too). There are drinks and snacks available- heads up, they're somewhat pricy. There isn't much room in the lobby to mingle, but you aren't there for long because doors open an hour before the show starts, and people walk out after the show ends. The bathrooms are clean and easily accessible on the second floor. The seats are kind of crammed, but it's expected with a smaller theatre. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and am glad we have this beautiful theatre. It's an older building, but still in great shape. read more

The National Theatre - Jason's Lyric program - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've seen a couple of shows here and while the caliber of the performances have been fantastic, I don't love the venue. Both times I've sat in the balcony, which is generally my preference because I like seeing from above. Here though the balcony is really steep and feels kind of uncomfortable to walk to your seat because of this. Also, both times, the sound seemed off at the beginning of the show and was hard to make out what was being said/sung. There are other venues I'd prefer for shows in DC. read more

The National Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Our first visit to the theater was to see Harry Potter and the cursed child. The plan was amazing-funny, smart and very well done with the "magic" part of things. The seats were in the center on the floor but we were able to see very well. The food and drinks are overpriced but thats to be expected anywhere you have a captive audience. The "cheese plate" is $4.99 at the grocery and $18 at the theater. We had dinner before we went so didn't order food, just drinks. The only complaint is that they seated people after the show had started and it interrupts your experience. Especially when it specifically says that they won't seat people late. read more

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Be careful, they will make you throw out any snacks or a water bottle you have in your bag. This place sucks.

My husband and I recently saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the National Theatre. There are many parking options both underground and street nearby. Many restaurants available for brunch or dinner before and after your show. The theatre has comfortable padded chairs and they even offer booster seats for small children so they can see the show. They have full bars and concessions with snacks available for purchase. Bathrooms are located on the second floor. read more

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Great venue we went and enjoyed the Temptations play. What an amazing show! A must see definitely recommend the music and the actors were amazing! read more

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Is this the best theater in the world? No. But we feel grateful to have a theater in DC that gets so many of the NYC traveling shows. We lived in LA for many years and knew the go-to spots for the Broadway traveling shows. We loved it, but are equally happy that the local DC national theater. The theater also offers last-minute deals, including a limited number of $29 tickets. Talk about a deal! The National Theatre welcomes so many partners to the city. I'm glad we're retaining our arts and soul. DC can feel like a one industry town. But so happy we've been able to connect with the broader community. read more

I came here with a friend to see Jason's Lyric. This was my first time to this theater in a long time. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The seats are kind of uncomfortable but to be expected in an older theater. It has nice balcony sections. The rows are small so when someone in the middle has to come in the row everyone has to get up read more

The National Theatre - Me in front of the sign after the show - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Another great evening at the National seeing Shucked! Security was fast and efficient, ushers were friendly and helpful and the Shucked tour was great fun. read more

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Very cool venue. The staff is nice. Seats were comfortable. I had a good time seeing Games Women Play here. I would recommend seeing another show here. read more

The National Theatre - Games Women Play - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went to see the Book of Mormon. Loved it!! Besides that, I want to thank the staff there. I had forgotten my wallet which had fallen under my seat. I called them 30 min after the end of the show. They went and checked, called me back right away with my wallet! So organized and reliable. Can't thank you enough! read more

My cousin and I had the pleasure of attending a live performance of "The Wiz" at the National Theater in DC, and it was an overall enjoyable experience. One of the highlights of this theater is its excellent location, allowing you to enjoy dinner and drinks before or after the play. We even ventured to The Hamilton for dinner, which was conveniently within walking distance. Regarding the theater itself, the staff were kind and helpful. The security process was swift as they checked our bags and scanned our mobile tickets efficiently. Feeling a bit hungry, I ran to the concession stand jk, and while my thoughts were still on food, I found a selection of small bites and alcoholic beverages. I indulged in a gluten-free brownie for $6 and a margarita-like drink. Initially, the drink didn't seem strong, but it pleasantly surprised me by giving a small buzz. We opted for box seats, hoping for an excellent view of the stage. However, it turned out to be a bit uncomfortable as we found ourselves hunched over or leaning on the rail throughout the play. I wouldn't recommend box seats if comfort is a priority. Despite this minor seating issue, I would certainly return to the National Theater to catch another play. - there are several parking garages near this venue - I opted to Uber there read more

The National Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for the 2pm magical cirque show and it did not disappoint! It was out daughters first show and she was thrilled to dress up and enjoy a family friendly show! this review isn't about the show... the staff at the theatre were great!! security worked quickly to get people inside the door and then ushers for people in and another set helped people find their seats! Don't forget the bathrooms are upstairs! read more

One of the things I wanted to do more of when I moved to the area, was to see more shows. I saw Super Freak - The Rick James story. This was my first time at the National Theatre and I had a great time. Clean theatre, with comfortable seats and plenty of leg room. Intimate. It had two bar areas, one on each floor, and one large bathroom on the second level. You can order themed drinks from the show, as well as custom drinks. The concession options were typical of theatre; candy, cookies, and chips. So please eat before you come. I'll definitely come back if they continue to host shows that I like read more

The National Theatre - Auditorium - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This would be a five star because most of the time I have great experiences here, but the last few times I've gone, there have been giant school group from one specific tour company, and they are so disruptive and the guides do nothing, and the ushers weren't doing anything to stop the kids from talking, getting up and down and leaving and returning during the performances and being on their phones. It was really frustrating. read more

Spent $160 on a ticket to The Wiz. I was in Row A LBALC and couldn't see the stage without leaning far forward in my seat. In addition, they allow food inside so I had to listen to the guy next to me crunching and crinkling three separate chip bags for the entire show. In passion, getting to balcony seats is extremely dangerous, given the very steep passage. Awful venue. I won't return. read more

I went to see beauty and the beast. It's my favorite Disney movie and now it's my favorite play. It's so cute and funny. The merch is awesome as well. The theatre is so elegant. This is random but I always trip over steps and these steps were so manageable and easy to go up and down with is a plus. read more

Seats are cramped like an airplane but it was decent. There's no lobby to consume your drinks so to my surprise they let patrons bring their drinks into the auditorium. I saw MJ the Musical. The floor is carpeted and the seat cushions are pink velour. I can't sit in the Balcony because the seats are at such a tilt it gives me vertigo so I sprung for orchestra. You know the price never looks that high until all the fees hit you and then you're like damn I paid that much?! I paid $168 for my seat to sit in a dirty stained seat. If they are going to allow people to drink red wine in the theater, they need to clean the seats. Its unacceptable to charge this much to sit in a dirty seat. The couple next to me brought M&Ms to snack on so I had to listen and smell that during the show as well. I didn't attempt to go to the bathroom during intermission but folks to me the line was insanely long so I recommend not buying anything to drink. They have an app for same day lottery tickets. The usher at the back of the theater didn't give me program that she was holding a stack of so I grabbed my own from the table. Then half way down the aisle another usher pointed me to my seat and just a few feet later as I'm close to the stage another aggressive usher body blocked me and not so nicely asked if I needed help finding my seat. No ma'am, step to the side. read more

The National Theatre - $168 seat - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This was my first time ever hearing about this theatre but, it is always great to see musicals in different places. I parked in a near by garage. Parking is tight in the area so, street parking will be hard to find. They also have one right next to the theatre. What I loved about this theater is the roomy seats. I felt the seats were so plush while being a little larger than other theaters that I have visited. There was also leg room for people to enter and exit the row. I love musicals so having a Mommy and daughter date to the Wiz was a no brainer. The actors and the voices were amazing but, the actress who stole the show with vocal ability was the Wicked Witch. She literally blew the roof off the building. Dorothy's character did a wonderful job. Her voice is soft for some of the songs but, she was perfect for the role. I didn't get a chance to check out any of the near by restaurants but next time I will definitely plan to do so. Yes, I would love to return to this theatre. read more

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The ushers at the National Theatre are always so friendly and every show I have seen has been excellent. The only drawback is that because the theatre is historic the legroom can be tight in some places. read more

Just off of Freedom Plaza near the White House is a theater that first opened long before the Civil War. It's deep in history. Every month, the theater hosts Saturday Morning Live, free programming for kids. My seven-year-old daughter and I signed up for story time during Native American Heritage Month. The program was 45 minutes and came with coloring sheets, crayons, and stickers for the kids. Since it was super long, my daughter's attention was captivated the entire time! read more

I visited the National Theatre to see the critically acclaimed musical, "Tina." The musical itself was spectacular! The theater was quaint and smaller than what I pictured in my head. It was actually pretty perfect for this particular show. They do have a few balcony seats, but the majority is floor seats. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a tall person. So when the lady in front of me who was taller and had big hair positioned herself directly in front of me, I couldn't get a good view of center stage. Major disappointment! Good thing this musical utilized the entire stage. Restrooms, drinks, snacks and a small lounge of sorts are all located on the upper level. Entering into the building is trying because security is checking bags and confiscating all food/beverages at the door, but the lines are a bit chaotic. All of the ushers and staff were very friendly and helpful. We parked on the other side of the building and it was very close proximity to the theater. I would absolutely go back to view another show at this theater. It was clean, seats were cushy, ample leg room, and wonderful graphics. read more

The National Theatre - Tina! - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My first time at National Theatre, was this fall to see the Wiz! Having never been before I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised that accessing the theater was rather easy. The people scanning tickets and doing security at the front made sure we all got through in a timely manner and it was fairly easy to find our seats, bathrooms and concessions. Everything was clean and organized plus the show started on time (and it was amazing!!!). The reason for the missing star is simply because the rows are very very close together. Even someone who considers them self average height would struggle to sit comfortably in the seats for long periods of time and you are incredibly close to your neighbor. Although this is something that you can generally expect, it felt like this theatre's seats were much closer than any theatre I had experienced in the past. Nonetheless, it didn't impact my enjoyment of the show just something to note in case you get uncomfortable sitting in tight spaces for long periods of time. I definitely recommend checking out a show at the national theatre and luckily there are plenty of dining options nearby for you to choose from either before after the show. I can't speak to parking since we decided to Uber, but it did seem like there were plenty of garages nearby to choose from as well. read more

The National Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Update: adding review and pics from recent visit... No phones allowed during showtime, of course, but I was able to get some quick pics during intermission. I ordered a mocktail 1321 PENN (CITRUS, GINGER, CRANBERRY, SPRITZ) with a shot (or 2!) of RUM. It was SOOOO good! I wasn't expecting such a large serving for a little over $10. PS: TINA - Tina Turner Musical was AMAZING!‍ @tinabroadway __ I eat. @f.hux I thrift. @DCthriftish read more

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I went to see the Grinch Musical on Saturday here. As soon as I arrived at the entrance, they checked everybody's vaccination records or negative covid tests and enforced masks for all ages which people complied to. While it was packed, I didn't feel unsafe and was able to enjoy the musical without worrying. This was especially important to me because of the new variant, omicron. I would not hesitate to go to another show at the national theatre. Highly recommend! read more

The National Theatre - The Grinch Musical! - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Nice clean well maintained theater. The rows are close together so there isn't a lot of leg room. The theater is on the smaller size and the stage is small so I highly recommend a center seat. For most productions I don't think it matters if you sit in the orchestra or the balcony since the theater is small. It's an older theater so there is not a ton of bathrooms. Side note I really enjoyed the production, Jagged Little Pill. read more

The National Theatre - Last minute ticket - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Bought tickets through Ticketmaster. Had to go out of the country. Do not have a phone that receives texts internationally. Could not transfer tickets without a phone, could not change the phone number on my account without a phone. Catch 22. Chat online with representative kept sending me to phone options. DO NOT use Ticketmaster if you can help it. And National Theatre - going to be awhile before I can visit you again - just flushed a lot of money down the toilet for Mark Twain Tonight. Will only come if I'm able to go to the box office for tickets. read more

I have seen several shows here but most recently saw Come From Away. I bought tickets on Goldstar and was given seats in Rear Balcony, Row H, seats 2-6. The show was amazing and you just can't beat the price (other than winning the daily lottery). The slope in the balcony is steep so be prepared for that but the good thing is it's easy to see the entire stage. For this show it was perfect for seeing all characters at all times and they never left the stage to walk through the aisles so we didn't miss anything. We got there 45 min early, breezed through the vaccination verification at the entrance, took the elevator up, and relaxed in the lounge until it was closer to curtain time. There are only 4 stalls in the women's bathroom so a line forms 10-15 min before the start. After the show, the wait for the elevator takes a while and a large crowd forms to take it down. If you opt for the stairs, it seemed like there were 8 sets to take. read more

The National Theatre - Rear Balcony, Row H, Seat 6 - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

On February 18th, i went to see New Jack City. The event staff were kind and efficient. While waiting outside for doors to open, they checked everyone's bags, purses etc. the lobby doors opened and you had to wait for 30 minutes to enter into main theatre. While waiting you could go to second or third floors for drinks, snacks or bathroom break. The theater was quaint, seats were comfortable and attendees were mature. Please go and support you will be pleasantly surprised. Snacks are pricy. $chips $6 read more

The National Theatre - Play - Performing Arts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Updating my review because the customer service at this theater is awful. I really wanted to see Jagged Little Pill, so I had to break my self-imposed boycott of the theater. While this time the show experience was far less wild than the last time I was here (see my last review), there were more completely avoidable issues that the theater staff was slow to address. For Jagged Little Pill, we were in the back row of the balcony. In the middle of the first act, we started hearing people talking behind us. It was loud enough that it was really distracting but not loud enough that we could hear what they were saying. After about 10 minutes of this, my friend flagged an usher and asked them to deal with the person speaking in the balcony lobby. The usher disappeared but the talking continued. At this point, everyone around us is looking around because they were distracted too. We realized people in the tech booth were having a loud conversation. My friend flagged the usher again who told them to pipe down, and they did for the last third of the first half. Then after intermission, they were at it again (although slightly less loud this time). By then a few people around us had moved to other seats. After the show I wanted to find a theater manager, but wasn't able to. My friend and I both messaged the theater via Instagram and email and only she got a canned response from them about notifying the people in question and that they would do better next time. They never bothered responding to me or my concerns about this experience or the past one. The management here is trash! read more