ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

I’m kind-​of undecided as to how to rate this place. I went there the other week to see my beloved Dylan Moran (I think I would’ve clung on from the rafters if I didn’t manage to get a seat!). On the one hand, the show was fantastic, I had a blast. But the one gripe I do have is a major one for me and I can’t really get past it: Leg room. It sounds trivial but when you’re 6’1″, it’s very much a live issue. At least on the balcony level, where I was, the seats are so close together that for a tall person it’s really cramped. I deliberately booked what appeared, on the map, to be a seat bordering the centre-​aisle so I could stretch out. Only to find that my seat was actually in an ‘alcove’ and there was a barrier and a drop separating it from the aisle. Perhaps they could indicate this on the theatre map, because I imagine a lot of tall people try to secure aisle seats for the same reason as me. Luckily at halftime a nice couple sitting at the other end offered to switch places with me, which made my life a lot happier and my lower extremities a lot better supplied with blood :)
But I have to say that apart from that, it was a great evening. The theatre is sleek and smart, a pleasant space to be in. Acoustics are very good, and all the seats appear to have a decent view of the stage, except that for this particular show being up high was always going to be a disadvantage as Dylan Moran relies heavily on facials in his delivery and you really have to have a clear view of him to get the full joy of his comedy.
The Aotea Centre as a whole is also a very pleasant place, I’ve always liked its ambiance and layout. Plenty of open space for people to mill around before and after the show. Even though the theatre was packed, there was no ‘congestion’ issue before or after; and even the bathrooms weren’t all that traffic-​logged. The only wait was when it came to paying for parking afterwards (i.e. the parking under the building). There was a hefty queue at the ticket kiosk.

I am not a fan of the architectural layout of the Aotea Centre but I do appreciate the fact that they host a wonderful array of high caliber international and local events.
I love attending a concert here because I don’t have to stress over parking or finding a place to have a nice meal beforehand. Best of all, it’s near enough to Giapo for a post-​concert treat!

We came here for a presentation of the Opera «La Cenerentola» and a pre-​show talk as well this month.
I found the Center to be very clean and modern in style. The staff were friendly enough and everything there seemed to be well organized. The seats in the auditorium were comfortable enough to sit for a while and the acoustics were fine.
My biggest problem was with direction. It happened to be raining and we had to walk around the entire building to find the entrance. There weren’t many signs displayed and I found the ones that were posted not to be helpful.
The floor-​plan is very open and so our talk was overshadowed and a bit interrupted by a musical event happening on another floor. The event itself was fine, however I was tempted to use an emergency exit as we had front row seats and it seemed to take much longer than usual for people to exit the auditorium.
Now that I have a better idea of the layout, I would be willing to attend another event here.

Great multi-​purpose venue at the heart of the city. Best during the Auckland Writers Festival when it’s packed to the brim with the erudite and the interesting.

Aotea Centre is a beautiful venue for shows. The acoustics are fantastic (I think it has something to do with the light wooden paneling but I am no expert), the stage is huge and the layout is such that there really isn’t a bad seat at the house.
I have been to several shows here over the years, from operas to musicals to ballets. Most recently I went to the RNZB’s performance of Coppèlia with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, which was simply stunning!
Aotea centre also has a bar on the ground level, which stocks wine, beer and spirits. I recommend getting to the venue early and enjoying a drink. They also stock Kapiti Icecream — what a treat!

Since this place got renovated within the last year, it’s pretty snazzy. All the seating redone, ceiling and side panels redone. Can’t say if I’ve noticed much of the acoustic difference.
But this place is pretty nice to have an event (show, talk, theatre, performance). I love the foyer area upstairs. There’s a café and just outside on the steps you can chill and people-​watch in the Aotea Square which is alive most times of the year.

I was really impressed with the ASB Theatre, when I went to see Cinderella by the NZ Ballet Company.
We seemed to have lucked out with some good seats (ground level, angled towards the stage). Staff made sure you knew where your seats were located and the plush velvet seats were very comfortable.
When it was time for intermission, I went and purchased a Kapati ice cream — the perfect half time treat.
It was my first visit to the ASB Centre and I really enjoyed it. As other reviewers as said, it doesn’t look much from the outside, but once inside it proves to be a great venue.

I hate the Aotea Centre as a building. It’s meant to be a significant civic building befitting a growing, diverse city. They held a design competition. What we got was a frontage that looks more hotel than civic building, and back that looks like the architect pulled an all nighter and just forgot to do the rest. It’s also clad in white stuff that looks perennially dirty. Happily though, my experience of the ASB Theatre within was pretty good. It helps that the event was a Jeff Beck concert, a man in my top-​5 guitarists ever, but the place was a more than adequate host. A good size, nice plush seating, and the acoustics (despite what Rudman writes in the Herald about them) seemed just fine for a rock guitarist.

You only go to places like this if your chosen event happens to be held here. Both times we’ve gone to concerts here we’ve nabbed the «last minute» tickets — I don’t know what the deal is but they always seem to release some of the best seats for a much cheaper price in the weeks just before. The seats we’ve ended up with were front row on the mezzanine level with a generous amount of room in front for boogeying. Awesome!
I have to admit that I was prepared to dislike this place. Mainly because I remember the huge hype about how the Aotea Centre was going to be this incredible venue that would really put Auckland on the map arts-​wise blah blah blah. What we really needed was Vector but we got there in the end.
For all that, it’s actually a pretty great place for smaller events and the art collection it houses is worth a look as well. A major renovation is currently underway which is confusing to me when it seems ok as it is. The Council sure does like to spend the ratepayers’ money in interesting ways.