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| - This place has so much going for it. When you enter from the north, you would expect a grand stage, as the entry is through a gateway in the Phoenix Art Museum, well-lit with colorful LEDs. Before the show, there's a courtyard with sculptures you can look at while you wait, and there's a bistro across from the theater where you can have dinner or a glass of wine before a show. Inside, however, the theater is quite small. The downside is that it means some shows can sell out quickly, but it also means you're pretty much guaranteed a good seat. Seating is "cozy" and intimate, which is mostly good for shows, but it's also my only real complaint. The chairs aren't very comfortable and they're packed in like those on an airplane.
I typically go to see the Nearly Naked shows (no, not always in the nude) as they never disappoint. The shows are really good. Too good, sometimes, for a theater with limited seating. Oftentimes the shows sell out, so they can take some advance planning. They have seat cushions to make the chairs more comfortable, but I'm not sure if they belong to Nearly Naked only or for all companies performing there, as I haven't seen performances by any other company.
Part of me wants to get opera glasses, but they are unnecessary at this theater. It would've looked funny to use those for "Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical" though. Still, I've seen "Rent", "The Rocky Horror Show", "Evil Dead: The Musical", "Blood Brothers", "Killer Joe", "Times Square Angel", "The History of the Devil", "Valhalla" and many others in this theater, and compared to others I've been to, you get a much better experience with top-quality productions in this smaller setting.
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