Palace Theater

Very old cool theater! Very nice! This is where we met Anthony Bourdain. He was cool too, made some small talk being a fellow NJ guy!
Look forward to going here more often!

The Palace is one of the only reasons I will drive to Waterbury. Traffic is always a nightmare, and I’d rather go to Hartford or New Haven if I have to go to a «city» in Connecticut. This place is worth the drive and aggravation in my opinion.
First of all, it is GORGEOUS inside. The walls and ceilings are gorgeous, the floors are shiny and sleek and beautiful. There is marble everywhere. It’s a visual dream to see it in person. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house (unless, like me, you are a short person and have a tall person sit in front of you). My one complaint is that the seats are TINY — the only person in my group who didn’t complain is barely 5 feet and very slim. The rest of us struggled with leg room and hip room. That being said, the seats are somewhat comfortable and supportive, even though they are miniature.
There are restrooms on both floors so you don’t have to travel far or wait long for a turn. There is also a bar and snacks on both floors, super convenient unless you have a small child and are trying to distract them from candy.

Decent theatre. Nothing special.

The only thing that was any bit good about this venue was the music and box office staff. I was a guest of an artist and was treated like a child and lied to by staff. More particular an overweight man in yellow and an elderly gentleman usher. I wouldn’t go here again if they paid me to. Plenty of other venues have security who will be willing to be as helpful as possible to those in my situation.

My experience at the Palace Theater was pretty much identical to what I experienced the Ridgefield Playhouse. Unfortunately, the experience wasn’t that great. The Palace is a lot bigger that the Ridgefield Playhouse, but the seating situation is the same — extremely cramped, and uncomfortable. If you are over 6 feet tall, and have any meat on your bones, bring along a big shoe horn to get yourself in and out of the seats. My knees were literally wedged into the seats in front of me, and I was constantly trying to find a comfortable position for my arms while sandwiched in between my fellow patrons.
I understand a venue like this wants to maximize attendance (and thereby revenue), but squeezing adult patrons into seats designed for kindergartners is NOT the way to go about it. I paid quite a bit of money to see the show we attended, and was hoping for a nice relaxing evening. Instead we left early due to the painful sardine-​like conditions.
It’s sad to see what could be a great venue sacrifice a positive visitor experience for additional revenue. Unless the Palace decides to install adult seating, I won’t be going back.

The Palace is «real» authentic theater right in Waterbury. I have been here for events, visiting shows, local shows and a comedy show. Most recently, I saw Jersey Boys with my father. He has season tickets and third-​row seats and only brought me because my mother was busy. I almost passed up going because I didn’t know anything about the show, but I am SO glad I didn’t! That show is easily in my top 5 favorite shows ever. Everything from Blue Man Group to Last Comic Standing to Peter Pan has been at the Palace, and they’ve all even great. Security in the area always does a great job for shows, and there is convenient parking in a parking garage next door or a lot across the street for just a few bucks. I also recommend checking out The Loft or Tryst right around the corner for a pre– or post-​show drink. And, if you ever get the opportunity for a backstage tour, do not turn it down! It’s really cool to see everything they can make happen from back there.

I LOVE THE PALACE! They have some great shows! I just got a glimpse of there new season and it looks amazing! You feel like you are in a palace from the moment you walk through the door, and the staff goes out of its way to make you feel like royalty.

I’ve been to the Palace Theatre twice. Once for my college graduation and once for a ballet with my mom. I will say both times it was great. We had front row seats for the ballet and it was definitely worth it. The sound was amazing, not to loud, but not soft either. I will agree with many posters saying it’s to cramped because it is a little. I felt like I was right on top of the person next to me and you kind of feel awkward because you don’t know where to put your arms. The palace is definitely bigger than it looks from the outside and can house many people which is great. My graduation was great although the sound wasn’t as good as when I came the first time. The ushers could definitely be a little pushy but I just chalk that up to the many people they probably have to deal with daily that don’t pay attention or listen to what they say, which can obviously be frustrating. It’s definitely nice inside and you can see the hard work they put into this place and how much it must of cost. I will definitely return for more plays!

I just got to visit the Palace for the first time last Friday to see Alanis Morissette. I was very pleasantly surprised with the theatre. The place is easy to find and also easy to find parking if the lot is already full. We paid $ 5 and got in a lot around the corner, safe walk to the theatre with many other people. I think the billboard out front is a little «Vegas“ish and over the top, but I didn’t hate it. Walking in, it was very nice and old style theatre. It’s not too big and it’s not too small, we were in the Mezzanine and I thought the seats really weren’t bad. Between the two acts we grabbed a water $ 2 and a beer $ 4 which I thought was very reasonable. Thumbs up. I hope to be back.
The only negative thing I have is that the rows are SO narrow. I am 5’8» and my legs were very uncomfortable as I had to sit either sideways or straddle the seat in front of me and basically go into the personal space of whoever was next to me. My husband is just shy of 6′ so I can only imagine his comfort level. The man two seats away from me was well over 6′, although he was on the end, I don’t see how he was comfortable either.

the palace is a very nice theater, not too big — not too small. classic restored old vaudvilley theater feel that attracts some smaller national acts and lots of local variety. parking is OK across the street at the UConn buildings. pretty easy to get to by car.

Absolutely gorgeous theater, however the quality is anus-​hororbills for live shows. Acoustics are the worst ever. Seating is way to small and cramped. I don’t particularly mind people standing during it, since you can move around a bit. However staff are extremely over zealous and badly trained. Teenagers should not be staff for obvious reasons {IE: big shoot hormone driven males. That don’t understand how to act in mature manor}. No camera policy is craptastic. Morrissey putting on a good show is the only reason this venue gets two stars.

Great place to see a show! Gorgeous theatre, luxurious bathrooms, great seating arrangements, perfect acoustics. I definitely recommend. The one downfall is that the bar is cash only. I’m sure it’s due to processing fees and the non-​profit business, but I worked in non-​profit theatre for many years and found that your bar sales go UP if you accept cards. They’re ultimately losing out because I know we would have had one additional drink if we could have used debit!

Gorgeous theater houses traveling shows. Experience is like an old timey theater. Ushers dressed in red vests and black pants. Bar serving drinks in the lobby. Parking is super cheap-​$ 4 for the night. Clearly posted signs directing people to the theater from the parking garage. I have seen David Sedaris, «Annie» and «Clifford» here. Shows were all fine for the price-​$ 30 each for Clifford Tickets, etc. A definite GO.

I was just here last night. I always love walking into the palace. the dual marble staircases beckoning you in… the rich red carpet… the gold leaf. you have to experience it to believe its beauty. The State of Connecticut spend $ 35 million dollars on this restoration and it has a lot of historical beauty surrounding it… you can feel the past!
Last night, I found myself staring up at the ceiling, questioning how they would have cleaned all of those intricately marbled panels or even carved them. I started to dream about the types of fancy people who would have sat in the boxes to the side draped in velvet. It’s just magical.
The cool thing about this is that the palace, during performances, is staffed my volunteers. Gram and gramps type «employees» will help you to your seat, take your ticket and serve you inexpensive snacks. Be kind to them, they are retired from some hard working job and have taken the time to come and make our experience more enjoyable.
The best part??? The drinks are super cheap. Where else can you get a 16oz draft, at a theater, sport event or the like for $ 4.00??? No where, I tell ya! (that probably was the reason for many many drunk people last night).
Also, I have to politely disagree with the last poster on the lack of dinner choices. I am born and raised Waterbury/​and right outside… and although it is not NYC caliber, there are many places to eat. Such examples would be:
1. Café Biaggio
2. Zia Cucina
3. Drescher’s
4. Bank Street Bistro
5. City Hall Café
6. Signatures
7. La Tavola
8. D’Amelio’s
9. Diorio’s
10. Lisboa
For the cheaper appetite but still good:
1. Domenic and Pia pizza
2. Rose’s Cantina
3. Boru’s
4. Spartan
5. La Cazuela
6. Louie’s Pizza
7. Chili’s
8. TGI Friday’s
There are a few more but my brain is fried.
All in all, The Palace is a real gem in the dramatic attempt to revitalize Waterbury. I feel that The Palace is bittersweet. I remember Waterbury when we could still walk to Holland Hughes (but it was crumbling… I remember it when it was «the slums»…I see it now trying to get to the surface to take a big gulp of air… I can only imagine. and stare at the marble… and think… What WAS it like way back when? When the streets were bustling with life. The woman in furs… the men in derby hats… how wonderful.

Why didn’t I know this was here? If you are w in a 35 mile radius definitely see a show here– it was easy all around.
Dining in the area is difficult so IF you find something– MAKE A RESERVATION!!!
Medium sized– better for a more intimate show. The acoustics were very good.
This venue is gorgeous. White Carrera Marble entry & staircase, gold leaf, brass, elaborate & fancy– murals, ceiling motifs, the architecture is just beautiful.
They serve beer/​snacks.
The bathrooms are clean & large.
Easy in/​out/​parking was $ 4 for the nite!

The Waterbury Palace Theater is a classic Art Deco concert and performance venue that was renovated a few years ago and is now open to the public in all it’s splendour. I saw Peter, Paul, and Mary here a year or so ago and they were fabulous. Plus, Rob Zombie was in the audience (he lives in the area). You can’t beat that.
Like I said, the building is gorgeous and there are three bars. It can be a little expensive, though it depends on the show. I remember when Leonard Cohen as here it was like $ 80, but PPM were like $ 40. …I saw Derek Trucks here and he was pretty good though kind of inconsistent. I just did some research and a lot of the shows are $ 40 for the majority of seats.
Definitely a great place to take a few friends. Kinda awkward to go to a show alone here, but perhaps I am the only person who does that…