The Denver Center For the Performing Arts

Well, I guess I’m the lone gunman once again.
I am sick and tired and beyond of spending ridiculous dollar amounts on tickets to the THEATER (NOT the Monster Truck Rally) just to listen to drunken trash who think their loud, obnoxious comantery is delightful and witty. The announcements at the beginning of the production go as far as to tell «patrons» not to UNWRAP CANDY during the production, but say nothing about being verbaly disruptive during the performance. It is a sad state of scociety that something like this would even have to be explained, but apparently that’s what we’ve been reduced to. The staff does not act on noise complaints. I have sent several e-​mails to the Center and never received a single response. Even a simple addition to the announcements at the beginning of the production would, at least, be an attempt to correct this sadly growing problem.
In reading staff reviews of the organization on «Glass Door», it is no big mystery why the staff is unwilling to address concerns by audience members. When a company does not take care of its employees, the employees become less willing to care for the patrons.
In hard economic times, ticket prices to these productions are far to high to be forced to tolerate individuals with no concept of respect for others or even basic manners.

What can one say about this place? ABSOLUTELY top notch performers, costumes, lighting, scenography, sound and ambiance. Definitely a big difference between the Denver productions and the Colorado Springs productions I am accustomed to. If it was not so annoying driving over an hour to come to Denver I would def be here all the time. I wish we had a train!!! From COS, not from Cabela’s :(
Anyways, I digress.
I think this theater is beautiful and the architecture is quite stunning. I also love that the parking garage is right across with a cupola to keep the visitors dry in case of bad weather.
I love this place and this area of the city.

It’s always a special evening when I go to the DCPA. I love live theater and we are fortunate to have the DCPA always bringing the best Broadway shows to Denver. I finally saw Idina Menzel live in Denver in «If/​Then» Wow! It was a great night out in the city. The parking was affordable in the garage and restaurants abound nearby. I’ve taken a few acting classes in the Education Department and the teachers have been amazing. This theater complex is a special place in Denver. I love the DCPA!

The only thing good about it is that the performances thankfully are not products of the DCPA. I don’t know if to be happy we at least get them in Denver or just cry because the DCPA management and customer service is SO PATHETIC. Parking… I have missed the first act of a show arriving at least ½ hour before curtain time because, instead of posting signs anywhere in the blocks long line for parking, they wait until you have arrived at the booth to tell you that there is no parking and that they don’t have a CLUE where there may be available backup parking. This was a matinée performance and was because they allow business parking during the day… even during major show runs. WEBSITE… just finished being rejected tho I perform online transactions all the time… reason… who knows! It told me three different messages of which the third was error in field 0007… WHAT?! Bottom line… go if someone else buys you a ticket and has booked UBER for you both ways.

I came to the Buell Theater to see the opening night of Annie. This was such a beautiful area that included many theaters and was in the heart of Downtown Denver. Everyone was so dressed up and it was the perfect weather as well. Buell Theater was beautiful! I came thanks to Unilocal and was able to easily pick up tickets on the left side. After entering, there are many places to grab drinks and they pour it into a cup with a lid and straw for you which I’ve never seen before but that’s a really good way to preserve cleanliness of the place. The ticket that tells your seat number is a little confusing as we were sure which door to enter or what floor, guess shoulda listened when the ticket lady was explaining where to go.
The theater is huge! It has a floor level as well as private balconys all over the place. The seats were very comfortable and each seat had a cup holder in front of it. The orchestra was located under the stage it seems. it was a little odd to be able to only see the top of the conductor’s head and no one else. I loved the sound qualify vibrating throughout the theater and the show was just majestic overall. I thought the stage and props were intricately designed and all the actors were superbly talented. I definitely enjoyed my first ever musical experience at the Buell Theater with the cast of Annie and would definitely come back for other shows. Thank you Unilocal

The Denver Center Performs the World Premier of THE 12
Let me just start by saying, sell whatever you need to sell and pick up the phone NOW to get tickets for The 12 at the Denver Center, because it closes this weekend –Sunday April 26^th. You will likely have other chances to see it, since this piece is headed for long term success, but you will want to say that you were at the world premier of this spectacularly beautiful work of art.
When I read in the Denver Post that the Denver Center would be opening the world premier of a new rock musical chronicling the story of Jesus’ disciples while they are hiding out in the upper room during the three days between his crucifixion and his resurrection, I was enthusiastically but cautiously curious. I admit that I am a fairly easy sell. One of my life mottos is that even a bad night at the theater is still better than being almost anywhere else. I love theater, rock music, the Bible and stories. So, why cautious? Well, the entertainment industry has done some funky things with biblical stories and this premise seemed open to all kinds of speculation and weirdness since virtually nothing is recorded about what the disciples said or did during those three days. Also, it’s eleven guys and two women hanging out in a room, just scared and waiting and worrying and wondering – what would be the story, the drama, the plot?
Plenty, as it turns out. Creator Robert Schenkkan succeeds in creating a story that is accessible to all, regardless of spiritual belief or practice while fully respecting the Biblical narrative. «All of us have had a dark night of the soul… an experience where we put all our eggs in a given basket and it fell apart and we had to find away to put ourselves back together and move forward.»
Only days after entering Jerusalem and being lauded like kings, their leader is suddenly and shockingly executed and they are being hunted as criminals. They had given up literally everything to follow Him and now it’s all ended in horror. They are dazed, despairing and have nowhere to turn. Then three days later they leave that room with a zeal that leads each and every one of them to eventually die for their faith. «The dramatic question is,» asks Schenkkan,“what happened in that room?“
Go find out. It will be the best two and half hours of your week, hands down. The cast of The 12 delivers on every level, leaving you alternately pinned to your seat with the power of their vocals and leaping to your feet with the beauty of their performances and message.

While visiting, I decided to take in a show at the last minute. The area itself is really nice. There are so many theaters located in the same area, making it extremely convenient. It was a just a short walk from my hotel, so I can’t really speak on parking. I saw Motown the Musical and I was a extremely impressed. The crowd was a bit stuffy, but the show was simply amazing.

I’ve seen several shows at the DCPA and each was a great experience. The outer area has a cool art-​deco design with a glass arch up above that connects each theatre. The Buell is the largest with great acoustics for many plays and musicals. There isn’t a bad seat in the place! There are other smaller theatres around the Buell as well that provide a more intimate theatre experience. I also recommend hitting up The Corner Office across the street for drinks and nibbles before showtime!

I HIGHLY recommend DCPA’s adult acting classes! I’m currently taking Scene Study 1 with Allison Watrous and I couldn’t be happier with my experience thus far. In fact, everyone I’ve encountered at DCPA has been fantastic. From the education registrar Lou, to the teachers, to the students, I’ve met some great people who genuinely care and want you to excel.
Allison has been a fantastic teacher. She does a great job of bringing the students together and helping us view acting from a new perspective. I’ve taken several acting classes in the past (not at DCPA) where the focus was always on the teacher– they just wanted to talk about themselves and how *famous* they *should* have been. Allison, on the other hand, wants to talk about the art of acting and the students. She does a great job of expanding our perspectives and making everyone feel comfortable. I highly recommend classes at DCPA whether you’re a newbie to acting or an experienced actor/​actress.
One disclaimer: the parking sucks. It SUCKS. But hey, that’s life.

How can I not love this bastion of culture. I just saw the blue man group, and for the first time I can truly appreciate tha acoustics of this building.
Parking is quick easy and close. $ 12 to park today but I was out of the garage in no time. Love it.

Very proud of this complex. For years coming to a play or show at the Beull was more of a budget and schedule drain than a pleasant night. Now that they have everything centrally located with the covered, cheap, 5-​level parking garage attached to the open-​air yet still covered common area, it’s a true gem. Much better than similar venues I’ve been to in Chicago, SLC and Manhattan for sure.
It’s kept very very clean and free from vagrants — a true chore in Denver lately. The parking garage is so close, you will walk maybe 50 yards from your car to the front doors of the Beull if you park on level 3.
And now it’s not just the Beull — you have the Seawall Ballroom, Boettcher Concert Hall, Ellie Caulkins Opera House and the Newman Center. There’s rooms that hold weddings, conventions, galas, etc., lots of choices. They also now have several restaurants and bars on the ground level to grab a bite and a nip before or after the show. There’s also a ton of restaurants within two blocks walking distance — much more than you’ll remember if it’s been a few years since you’ve visited. And there’s no more Chili’s and Applebees chain crap — we’re talking good food!

Look like Art center brings you lots of different options first creativity and local artist does seem to be a very common source. There’s easy accommodations as far as parking and/​or obtaining access through the light rail system seems to work quite well lines very close and blocks of the art center very convenient… When considering this option consider the different venues that might be going on a given day check their website… Diffuse light rail system there’s many different options first between the crave also pizza Republic right across the street within blocks very convenient

I came here with my wife to see the Million Dollar Quartet. The show was great and very entertaining.
The venue provided a great view, comfortable seating, and easy parking. I have no real complaints about this place. It didn’t stand out as over the top but it was a solid place to watch a performance.
I’d come back.

This is a great venue with a variety of shows. Ushers are friendly and the seating area is well kept. I saw Mamma Mia here and it was my 1^st-​ever musical (excluding musicals I watched during high school). I thoroughly enjoyed the show and had a good number of laughs.
I had an usher open two doors for me when I went to the restroom mid-​show. I also caught some ushers dancing (no not Usher dancing, that would have been 10x as cool) in the bathroom lobby area; Abba has that effect on people.

I just saw a show here today and greatly enjoyed it – there are several features that makes this theater a wonderful place to experience theater.
1. The seating: all in the traditional amphitheater, but not so highly stacked that it interferes with seating or feeling safe – I’ve been in theaters with rows so steep I was afraid I’d fall right onto the stage. Also, there’s no mezzanine, which is nice.
2. The staff: excellent, attentive, and very helpful. My mom wasn’t feeling well and they looked after her the entire time.
3. The lobby: a gorgeous design befitting a much larger theater – this is a compliment to the skill of the actors who grace this stage.
The prices for tickets are often steep, but that’s because there is not a single bad seat in the house. No matter where you are, you will have a great view, and feel intimately close to the stage. Definitely worth seeing at least one show here when you’re in the Denver area, especially for a long time (I can’t believe it took my family seven years to see a show here!).

Even though I really enjoyed the performance (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), it was DESPITE the quality of the theatre. Though the ushers and ticket takers were courteous and nice, two problems made the experience less pleasant for me.
1) Temperature control: I know there are a lot of ppl in the theatre when there is a show. But didn’t we know that when we built it? Why is the A/​C so very wimpy? It was so stuffy, and it’s not even the height of summer.
2) Sound system. WOW. it was crap. Maybe it was just the one show… I hope. I’ll be back in a couple months for another show, and I really hope the sound is better. My enjoyment of Priscilla wasn’t horridly affected b/​c it is a musical, but I had a hard time hearing the spoken dialogue. That’ll be a joy-​kill for the next show, I think.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is magnificent. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing shows at 3 of the locations within the center and dining at one of the restaurants across from the theaters. It’s wonderful to have such a vibrant theater and arts scene so nearby. The fact that they are all housed in one area makes it even better. It reminds me a lot of Playhouse Square in Cleveland where arts patrons gather to see a variety of performances — from drama to musical to opera to stand up comedy. It enriches the city and my life. Can’t wait to return for my next show!

The building is beautiful for sure. Parking is not so bad. $ 10 in the garage for event night. Parking security in the garage after the event — I liked that.
Staff — brilliant. What I really liked are the acoustics — I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house. Of course, I only sat in one…
Tiffany N is right — support the arts anyway and anytime you can. It feeds the soul.

The DCPA complex is covered with a beautiful soaring glass arch = nice in not nice weather.
Excellent restaurants reside right in the complex (Limelight and Kevin Taylor’s) = tasty.
There’s covered parking at reasonable rates on site = cool and convenient.
And there’s a great variety of theatre configurations, from the hoity-​toity Opera House on down to the very casual Stage Theatre = super theatrical settings.
(So I can hear you yelling at me): «WHY NOT 5 STARS?»
It’s ’cause they charge you $ 8 for each ticket booked on-​line or over the phone, even for a dinky cheap 1 act play. Gimme a break. That’s a rip-​off, and a great way to upset your clientele.
Now there’s no charge if you go on down and pick the tix up yourself. So that’s what I’m going to do. It’s on the way home and it just yanks too hard on my chain that they want me to pay $ 32 for the administrative privilege of ordering 4 tickets on-​line.
DCPA: «I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.»

I am very glad we have this in Denver. It really is the cultural nexus. There are so many choices in this one location. I have very much enjoyed the shows I have seen here this year. If they could improve on two things, it would be these:
1) Banish the the smokers from the courtyard area. The smoke really accumulates in front of the venue entrances. It is a long gauntlet of toxins to run between here and the street. The nasty cheap cigars that seem to be popular these days are especially noxious.
2) On the next remodel, try putting the seats a bit further apart. The pitch between rows is especially challenging in the Buell. A whole row should not have to stand up for a latecomer or bathroom goer during a show.