The NoHo Arts Center

Being a city that is pretty much built on the entertainment industry; we are certainly not lacking in theatres or performing arts centers. On a basic level, all of these spaces are pretty much the same and one may not stand out too much from the other. That’s where you are wrong, my friend, as the little details are what makes one ‘pop’ from the rest. So where does the Noho Arts Center stand?
The Noho Arts Center stands in the center of the Noho Arts District and can’t be missed due to its large, lighted façade. This is a bit misleading, though, because it is makes the theater seem larger than it is. The Noho Arts Center is less of a large –production stage and more of a local, independent space. Don’t expect any elegance when you enter as there is no real box office and the «lobby» is basically an entry way and the front desk. This front desk also multi-​tasks as the snack bar selling soda, water, and snacks. The best comparison is to that of a school production from the looks of the place to the actual way it is run: very elementary. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it may not impress a date but it makes for a nice, casual theatre experience.
The building comprises three rooms: a larger, stadium seating theater, a smaller room which looks almost like someone’s basement or speakeasy (you even have to go through some winding hallways to get to it), and a classroom-​type space I have not actually spent time in but have only glanced in. The larger setting is nice and accommodates quite well to production (good lighting and acoustics). The smaller room is also okay in those terms but a bit squished and the last row in the back by the median (assuming there is a sound and lighting booth in there) doesn’t make the best viewing of the entire stage.
The main issue at the Noho Arts Center? The inability to keep a steady temperature. Now, I am aware that theaters like to keep the AC blasting in order to keep patrons awake in the low lighting. Something must be wrong with the thermostat, however. Usually, the Noho Arts Center goes above and creates a space reminiscent of Antarctica. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen men with icicles hanging off of their beards! Yet, on the other hand, I just attended the performance of «The Lobby» and it was SO hot in the smaller room that I was almost falling asleep merely cause it was so snug and warm. Consistency is an issue. So wear layers and a jacket in order to add or declothe as necessary.
For the ladies curious about the restroom: it is also a reminder of high school days. Just lots of cement, no accommodations, and very basic. Not the cleanest, but not a third-​world country, either. They do have some cheap decorations, though.
Long story short: the Noho Arts Center is pretty small and unimpressive especially in comparison to the hundreds of other similar spaces even within a 5-​miles radius. However, sometimes you just need a casual, indie theatre experience which this spot is perfect for.

Last night we came here to watch the musical
«Reunion» we had wonderful time.
Very nice place young and older people.
We will be back here again
I am giving them 4 star’s for the parcking
On busy night you will have hard time.

Apparently they don’t do late seating. I’m an avid theatre goer and I know it’s rude to be late… wasnt totally my fault, it is LA and there is traffic and I was only 5 min late… but I also know how easy it is to sneak in the back during a blackout. The lady at the front was super rude. a guy walked in 20 min late and they snuck him in but I’m left sitting in the lobby. Rude rude rude!

The venue itself is typical of small, indie theaters where you can only HOPE to see a production that at least MEETS your expectations. Clean. Well laid out. As far as the actual stage production in this case…

Just attended the matinée of Defy theater’s production of Spring Awakening at the NoHo arts center and while the company delivered a good performance the sense of direction seemed to be lacking throughout the entire performance. The set could have literally been anything. I thought I walked into a high school production of Midsummer. I was really taken back at intermission with how pushy they were about donations. I mentioned the heat in the theatre. I understand that’s just the space but I find it highly tacky when the salary of the actors is disclosed on the program. Also crafting should remain a term solely for beers not directing. As someone who holds this show close to my heart from stage managing it to being in it, the casting was absolutely dreadful. I have never seen worst adults, I fought to audibly laugh at the melancholic soap moments that distracted me from the beautifully tight choral numbers. As I walked out I noticed the poster resembled an eerie similarity to the original Broadway poster. Copyrights anyone?

In my previous review, I dinged them a star for having a bad production. We just saw «Scary Musical the Musical». Best play this year (out of the 7 we’ve seen). So they gain a star for that.
Unfortunately, even though we brought jackets and put up the hoods, we were still freezing. The A/​C is out of control. So minus a star for that.
Other than the freezing wind, it’s still the nicest theatre we’ve been to. Stadium seating — so every seat has a great view of the entire stage, even if the 6’6″ 400lb guy happens to sit in front of you. The place looks bigger than it is – seating only about 120, but feels like 200. Good sound, good lighting, well maintained, comfortable seats.

Beware of the «open seating» policy. I like to sit close because of my bad eyesight. I arrived for a show one half hour before the house opened so that I had my choice of front row seats. Five minutes before the show began the management «asked» me to move so that a couple could take my seat and the still-​open seat beside me. Of course, by then the house was almost full. I didn’t want to sit in the seat the manager wanted to move me to, so instead I wound up in the third to last row of the theater.

It was my 1^st experience with a small theater and turned out to be a great experience. The meetup group organized for us to watch the last performance of «Chew on This». The staff there were very friendly, after I picked up my tickets, waiting for the rest of the group to show up, a staff came up to me and asked if I were with the group and then told me that she had reserved some seats for us so that we could sit together and I could go in as soon as the door is open as I won’t miss the group. Wow, what an experience, I was only feets away from the stage. The entertainers encouraged the audience to sing along and made us feel like we were part of the show since we were all sharing a small room. The entire crew were standing outside of the theater thanking us for going to the show when the show was over. This made my 1^st experience with NoHo Arts Center a memorable one. I look forward to going back for other shows. It was a triple digit day but the theater was equipped with good air conditioner so it was comfortable. The only problem with the theater is parking. One will have to expect to walk a block or two to find one.

Saw the musical tribute to Betty Hutton at the NoHo Arts Center. The is a great place to see intimate shows. Its small enough on the inside so that every seat is a good one and large enough to give to feel of a showcase. Beautiful lobby and really easy parking.

I saw Yo Ho Ho A Pirates Christmas here, which was a great performance! The theatre itself is small, I would say it seats about 100 people. Despite it’s small size, they really know how to use ALL of the space and decorate the theatre into a whole new world. The staff members are great, the restrooms are big and clean enough, and the theater seats are very comfy! The only minus is there is no parking lot. There’s a lot by the entrance, but it’s for the neighboring businesses. There is plenty of metered parking during the daytime (I’m not sure about the night)
The performance I saw had pirates swinging into the audience, making it more interactive than I expected. I know they have previously shown this performance during the holiday season… I highly recommend taking some kids (yours or others) and going to see it next time!

Went to see Boomer Mania on Saturday night! The play was great! The kids had wonderful voices and hammed it up! It was very nostalgic… I had forgotten even seeing some of the old movie clips that were included! Take your friends, it was great! The theater is small, so get there early for good seating and convenient parking!

Just saw HAVING IT ALL here and it was an amazing night at the theater. The show was incredible. Great songs performed by an amazing cast. The most talented women you will find. Go see it. The theater doesn’t have a bad seat.

I’ve been to this theatre several times and always find it enjoyable. The staff is very polite and the theatre’s intimate setting makes each play enjoyable.

I adore this place! Saw Dracula here, my first play since arriving in L.A. a few years ago (I know… WHAT?!). The show was great, cast was wonderful, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. Love it!

Saw a production of DRACULA, which is still playing.
The show was good _​I love live theater and there was a good mix of suspense and a couple downright scary moments.
The story has been altered somewhat, but it’s a relatively good rendition of the story. Acting was definitely above average _​I was most impressed by the guy who plays Renfroe. He’s spry and acrobatic.
Perhaps what impressed me the most was the great use of the set. It’s a small theater, and they’ve been very creative with using the space. Every inch is used quite effectively, and the audience certainly feels really close to the action.
Some tips for if you go:
Street parking is a pain. That’s reason enough to get to the neighborhood early and grab a bite or a drink. (Eclectic Café, Pitfire Pizza and Spumante are close by.)
Or take the Metro Red Line (to the end of the line.) It’s a couple long blocks away.)
Seating is also first come. So it’s best to arrive early and get a good spot.
Check Goldstar for cheaper tix. We paid $ 25 for Dracula, but there are cheaper tickets available online.

Well, well, there it was. DRACULA. Hot, sweaty and perhaps sexual — at least that’s what the flier made me believe the play would emphasize. Now, you see, this was appealing because I wrote my thesis on Dracula, sexuality etc. Thanks to
, I snatched a ticket for under $ 20.
I was anxious to finally see the play and much of what I wrote in action. I drove to NoHO, spotted the valet, passed it and decided to be cheap and circle the area. I managed to find a perfect spot a couple of blocks away from the Arts Center.
There was already a line while I waited to get my tickets at will call. Once I got inside, I enjoyed the intimate space and good view of the stage from my seat. Be sure that you’re in the right theater because there are different ones in the building. The man I was sitting next to left after he realized that the coffin and somewhat erotic scenes were nowhere near the prude-​y Jane Austen play he came to watch.
Another thing to be cautious of, just in case you happen to walk in the middle front of the theater, be very careful. A woman fell in that area because of the poor lighting, and from what I hear, people are always tripping in the same spot. After the witnessing the fall, and hearing several gasps from the audience, I managed to get comfortable in the red suede like chair and finally watch the play.
A few minutes after it began, the director came out and said, «Wait, we need a coffin on stage.» The audience got a good chuckle out of this. A missing coffin in Dracula is pure blasphemy. He apologized and said they were working on a few kinks. I should note that I went the first weekend the show opened and expected things to not be perfect.
The acting and cast were what I pictured the characters in the novel to look like. The layout, lighting and costumes were all very appropriate for the adaption. I do wish the play included more steamy moments between Dracula, Jonathan and Lucy. They didn’t even make Van Helsing look as bad ass as he should be. Oh well. What made everything better was the man who played Dracula. He was extremely hot and easy on the eyes. Why weren’t there more steamy scenes with him? *Your shows would definitely be sold out if your actors (ahem, Dracula) showed more skin.
The play ended 90 minutes later, and the audience gave a significant round of applause. I headed home, somewhat unsatisfied. Though the venue was great, they seemed to leave out some necessary themes from the novel.
If you’re looking for a basic retelling of Dracula, I would recommend seeing the play. I hear the production is extended to April 26^th, if you’re interested. But, if you’ve read between the lines and have written your own thesis based on it, I would suggest taking a pass on this one.
I will be back to watch other plays here and even wanted to buy tickets for «Bush is Bad», but it’s no longer in production. I suppose there was no need for me to go; I lived through it for 8 years and don’t need a play to remind me of the worst years of my life. Call me a pessimist, if you wish.

I came here on a Friday night to watch Dracula. The theater is pretty small, which gives it a very cozy and intimate feel. The people working their were super friendly. Since we got there about a minute before the start time, all the seats were taken, and we had to sit on extra chairs they set up at the top. It wasn’t really a big deal, except that the actors used the top area to come and go sometimes, so I kept fearing that I would accidentally trip one of them up.
The play itself was pretty good. The really set the mood well by using fog and having ominous sounds playing from the speakers. I thought some of the actors were good, and others were only so-​so. It’s a 90 minutes performance, and at times seems to drag on a bit, but otherwise was pretty fun.

I went here for the BUSH is BAD musical a little while back and was pleasantly surprised by this quaint little theater, that still has that touch of old flair outside and within.
It only seats 99 people inside but that means that no seat is a bad seat, and you are definitely up close to the action so for me the music was literally in my face because there was not much distance from my front row seat to the stage. The chairs could have been a little more comfortable, but you can tell that this place has personality and everyone that works here is definitely a part of a happy family.
On a side note, another guest here, literally tripped over a chair and started tumbling forwards across all of the aisles! I saw him falling in my peripheral vision turned around because I literally thought I was going to have to catch him, when his tumble ended right before a large metal bar. It was soooo scary! A staff person came in, and the only thing he said was, «Ummm we have insurance.» He didn’t ask «are you okay?» but stated they had insurance ha ha. Gotta love LA and the things we always worry about!
Parking is a little tricky near here, so be sure to get here early enough to find some, and don’t buy a soda if you can’t finish it before you go into the theater either! They sell sodas in the front, but you can’t go in to claim your seat until you finish your soda! So beware!
Also, not sure if this was because I was at a fundraiser show or not, but me being 24 was basically the youngest person in the crowd along with my roommate and friend, which was a bit awkward afterward when they had a thank you cake and champagne gathering for the night… We being the younger ones in the crowd made sure everyone else got their cake first because the age difference was that apparent!
But I would come here again for another play. It is small and intimate and a play you can actually afford to see, so if you feel like being cultural try this place out!

This beautifully appointed theater, which houses resident theater company Open at the Top is actually two theaters in one — a 99 seat venue and a 48 seat smaller theater. Here many world premieres are presented, including the well reviewed drama FEED, the stunning GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, along with delightful musical revues from the irreverent Bush is Bad to the currently running Getaway Cabaret. Periodically the company performs a night of «24 Hours of Madness» in which the resident playwrights write six one acts overnight from randomly drawn «themes» and six new one acts are directed, memorized, and fully produced in the second twelve hours for a great evening of theatre. An adventurous and delightful evening is usually found by theatergoers here!