Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Beautiful Venue, home to beautiful performances! Can’t wait to go back!

The Schnitz is a Portland landmark. It was a movie theater back in the day, with previous names as Publix and Paramount. It’s now a stunning venue for speakers, comedians, musicians, you name it. It can get crowded pretty fast, and there are lines along the street if they draw a lot. There’s ample parking nearby, so you can enjoy dinner and a show.
The acoustics are excellent; most seats have great views. They have clean restrooms. It’s distinctly Oregonian in that the exits take you past recycling bins.
Definitely a true Portland destination.

Saw Smashing Pumpkins on Tuesday, show was amazing, but wow, the service staff was not up to par. We had people in our section who were clearly over served alcohol. They tried to punch the man next to us who asked them to stop talking during the show. I grabbed security who escorted the man out.
Unbelievably, security let the man back in, telling the man next to us that he should act like an adult. The drunk man behind us us proceeded to make phone calls during the concert and talked through the remainder if the performance. Very adult!
Truly disappointing on the part of the security team at the Schnitz.

I honestly don’t know how I’ve not written a review for this venerable structure before. It is quite a part of my nuclear family’s history. It was built as the Publix Theatre the same year my dad was born. It was renamed The Paramount Theater the same year my mom was born and was a really grand old movie palace in its heyday. If I’m not mistaken, my dad attended Frank Sinatra concerts during his bobby soxer days during WWII. My mother, a real movie buff, went to movies there before the birth of television. As for me, I took the bus downtown to watch movies there in the grand and beautiful old surroundings.
Later. after «growing up,» I attended more concerts there than I can count through high school and young adulthood. Some concerts that were particularly memorable were those of the J. Geils Band and Al DiMeola. Much dancing and other frivolity ensued.
Just about the time I had started to work full-​time downtown after college, the City Fathers decided to transform The Paramount into the much-​needed Arlene Scnitzer Concert Hall as home for The Symphony. They did a gorgeous job as it’s been a real pleasure to attend symphony concerts there, along with a myriad of other events.
I’ve so enjoyed this venue for a wide variety of entertainment options and am so grateful I’ve been able to see so many things. We as Portlanders need to be grateful to have such a history to share with friends and family over the years.

I have visited this venue several times to see the Oregon Symphony perform. This is such a beautiful venue. I felt like I had been transported to another country.
Depending on what you are seeing, I would recommend sitting a little further from the stage. I was in row 3 for one performance and it was a little less enjoyable because I was too close to view the whole stage.
I came again and sat in row 8, which was much more comfortable for viewing the performance.

I know the Schnitz is something of an «iconic Portland landmark,» so I’m sorry if this sounds «blasphemous,» but I say Portland deserves better.
When I was there, a rude usher falsely accused me of recording, even though I wasn’t. I responded that I wasn’t, but she had already scurried off into the darkness. This put a damper on the entire event for me. I would have let it go if they had just apologized, but I e-​mailed the administration and didn’t receive any response at all. Then I tried contacting them on social media, and again, no response.
Even though I paid over $ 70 for my ticket, approximately 40% of the stage was completely blocked from view due to the design of the auditorium. There weren’t even any video monitors to let me see what I was missing. Throughout the night, various bathrooms and entrances/​exits closed and opened, making the already complicated building even harder to navigate.

The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is a very nice space. Originally built as a movie theater called the Paramount Theater. It now serves as a theater that is home to the Oregon Symphony and many other events.
It is a nice space. Most seats have great views. Though I wish the space was greater between seats and the seats in front of them. The space looks covered in gilt.
The entrance is a great space, its on two levels with the Broadway entrance on the East side and the entrance facing the Park Blocks on the West. The entrance can get quite loud at peak times, It, even more then the theater, feels grand. It also has really good acoustics.
I have mostly been here for the symphony. For that it is filled with well dressed people having a good time. I always have a great time at the concerts here. Though the hall has to give a lot of that credit to the symphony.
PS. I’ve gotten some comments and I don’t want to scare anyone off. I should note that by dressed up, I mean Portland dressed up. So lots are in suits and nice dresses, lots are just dressed nice. No tie is needed.

The Schnitz is a great venue. It brings remarkable talent to the core of downtown Portland, as one of the theaters in Portland’s 5 as it’s called. Unlike other theaters, this has a building to itself. It is an old building with marvelous architecture, and lots of concessions.
Bill Maher was my reason for going here. I entered and although this space was crowded, the crowds moved about in a stable manner. The set looked great and though seats do vary. Even in my upscale seating though, the seats were narrow and more suited to the days where malnutrition was an issue. They were very friendly and the staff showed me to where Bill exited as I saw the master leave for a quick photo.
Portland is a far better place as a result of this.

This place is gorgeous! Kinda makes you feel like you’re experiencing a little bit of history. I came here for the first time yesterday to listen to Holst’s The Planets. Not especially an inspiring show but it was well executed…
The seats are comfy, the staff is quick, the music sounds great and the ceiling looks like cantaloupe rind. It’s probably acoustically engineered.

Suzie Q’s Fun Facts:
My mom, a native Portlander, went to school with several (lesser-​known) members of the Schnitzer family.
=≅≅≅≅≅≅≅≅~
During a recent visit to Portland over Thanksgiving 2015 to spend time with family, I attended the «Holiday Pops» concert with the Portland Philharmonic.
First, a comment on the venue itself: Stunningly gorgeous old art deco design, with lavish details found on every surface. Once you look up at the gorgeously decorated gilded ceiling, you may have to force yourself to look down.
Second, the acoustics were marvelous. Somehow, the hall feels intimate and cozy despite being grand, and rather large.
The show itself was fantastic — a program of unique and some custom arrangements of old classic holiday tunes, and in the second half, a local youth choir sang their hearts out to tunes both familiar and novel.
In short: A fantastic evening!

Beautiful concert hall inside and out. This was our first time here as we were visiting from out of town. A+ for a beautiful orchestral performance but if I lived in town, I would never return here for a concert or any other entertainment.
My husband and I were sitting quietly in our seats 30 minutes prior to the show, the concert hall abuzz with folks chatting and roaming about. I took a quick picture of us with my phone, no flash (it was so dark in there it hardly captured our faces, nonetheless anything else). No sooner than I had clicked the picture button and an attendant comes up to me and sternly tells me absolutely NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES are allowed here. I had no idea, so I was a bit taken aback and nicely said, «oh, okay» and proceeded to shut my camera app. My purse is tiny and I had to reorganize a few things to put my phone back in it, and the woman stood there and stared me down with raised eyebrows until it was out of sight. I was flustered and as I looked around, countless other patrons were on their phones, brightly illuminated screens in full display, talking loudly or checking their social media/​e-​mail. I counted more than 12 phones just within my range of sight, and not once did the attendant make a comment to anyone else, despite walking down the rows and seeing them. In the meantime, I saw another attendant approach a girl who took a picture of herself in the middle aisle with the stage in the background, and I saw that attendant tell her no PHOTOGRAPHY was allowed inside the concert hall. Ohhh, well that makes a little more sense. That wasn’t printed anywhere on our tickets, nor was it posted at the door we entered through, nor can I find this policy on their website. I figured the attendant who was really stern with me misspoke and meant «no PHOTOGRAPHY devices», not «no ELECTRONIC devices.» And then I watched the attendant watch (and make eye contact with) a girl who is blatantly taking pictures of the stage and she says nothing to her, just passes right on by as she glares at me.
This attendant was constantly patrolling the room visually and physically throughout the performances and intermission. She would walk to the front of the aisle by the stage, squat down, and just look around. It felt like we were all in grade school and we were told that if we weren’t on our best behavior, we would be punished. It completely ruined the enjoyment for me. I understand that we were much younger than most of the audience, but I was raised properly and attend a variety of musical and theatrical performances at very nice venues and know how to behave myself (I’m 30, for Godsakes). We were never loud, distracting, or anything less than proper and yet we were treated as though we were less-​than. I didn’t appreciate it and neither did my husband.
At the end of the show, several elderly attendees got up to leave a bit early. Many of them were alone. I watched an elderly gentleman huff up the incline with his cane and another elderly woman struggle up the walkway alone. She stopped midway up the walkway and not once did an usher or any staff attempt to help her. I was getting up from my seat to help her myself as she started moving again, but I was so disheartened to see that no one even attempted to help her or any of the other elderly or handicap attendees as they made their way out. I guess that’s the Southern hospitality in me, but I was very sad to see the lack of help they received.
If you want to continue to fill seats and expand your audience, you need to learn how to embrace the younger generation instead of automatically assuming the worst about them and treating them accordingly. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

This concert Hall is absolutely beautiful! I have seen multiple concerts here, and it has always been a great experience with excellent staff, clean amenities, and jaw-​dropping detail in architectural décor. Always a great experience!

Great concert hall with superb acoustics in Downtown PDX. Seats are comfy and it doesn’t matter if you’re not in the front row because the view from the orchestra level is pretty good as well. Only drawback, food and drink is prohibitively expensive.

Came here last night for the impractical jokers comedy show. I won’t make comments about the show (although it was truly hysterical) but more so about the venue. Wow. It is beautiful and kept very clean. The employees are nice and helpful. The only 2 problems I have are with parking (although I got a lucky spot, there is no garage that I am aware of, so plan ahead,) also, the seats are quite uncomfortable and small. My husband is 6’5″ and his long legs were jammed in the small space he had.
Otherwise, great experience!

This classic Portland entertainment venue
knows how to show you a good time.
I’ve been coming here for years and seen some
great bands, comedians, lectures, fund raising events.
If you are coming here for an event here are
some things to think about.
*It’s classy, I like to dress up.(optional)
*Seats are very tight and can be lumpy
*Drinks can be spendy, I drink elsewhere
*The acoustics throughout the venue is different
*Great place to see, a lecture, a comedian, magic
* If it’s a band, the closer to the stage the better
*No room for dancing up front, ushers will remind u
*There are two entrances, East and West side.
*South park restaurant has free validated parking.
*Great bars and restaurants within walking distance.
*Amazing first date spot.
Enjoy the show and don’t forget breath mints. LOL

Went here for a show and this place is really beautiful. I couldn’t stop staring at the decorations and how sleekly designed it was. They let everyone in early which gave me a chance to stare and gawk at the area.
However 1 star removed for the uncomfortable seats. If you’re tall or have long legs it’s going to be a problem. I was in the balcony seats and had to turn my body sideways which was awkward.
Also the snack bar line was too long with only one person. By the time I got my pretzel, I was told by the staff when walking in that no food was allowed. How would I know when there’s no sign and nobody told me? That $ 4 I could’ve saved on a happy hour drink somewhere.

A beautiful hall.
A beautiful hall, historic and grand, with excellent sound and a great stage.
But if you are from Hawaii, or anywhere else with a non-​frigid climate, I suggest you wear a full winter coat as it is absolutely freezing.
And if you are tall you might feel a little cramped.
I am not tall so I was cold but not cramped.
Also, the bathroom line might be ridiculously long but it moves quickly and the restroom itself is quite nice.
And that is all.

I visited to watch David Sedaris last night. The venue is beautiful both inside and out. The details are amazing. There are so many things to appreciate about a historic building like this. It’s impossible to stroll to your seats without feeling grand.
Once you’re in your seats, however, the feeling changes a bit. The seats are cramped and incredibly uncomfortable. I am a shorty and I felt like my knees were bound to knock the patron in front of me. You can’t even comfortably cross your legs.
Remember the theme song to the television show The Facts of Life? No? Well, it goes like this, «You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have, The Schnitz.» That may only be partially accurate.

One of the most beautiful venues in Portland. You can get great discounts on tickets to shows here through a lot of the social media sites which will save you some bucks.
Pro tip: Not all seats here are created equal and try to stick to the orchestra center aisles if you would like the seats to be a touch bigger because they are.
Another pro tip: Show up early for most symphonies here and they usually have a small group playing classical while you sip wine.

A nice venue overall, works well for the symphony which is why we were here. The acoustics are very good although I wish the seating was a but more tiered so we could see a little better. The theater is classic with many ornate details in woodwork and other areas like you’d expect in an older classy theater. I do wonder though if they have more than one bathroom because going down a few flights and waiting in line with about 50 – 100 elderly people is not a recipe for getting back from intermission on time but it seemed like the only option.
They do have nice people working at the concession counters and I was very happy to get my soft pretzel in the break even though I had no time to eat it thanks to the aforementioned bathroom lines. None the less I enjoyed being there, it’s a nice place.