Great Star Theater

Could be a decent venue if it had professional management. Currently it lacks proper, experienced leadership and direction to make it a contender as a competitive venue for well established performing companies. NOT recommended as a rental venue for companies accustomed to working in professional venues with union or other equally qualified tech staff and support.

No need for a time machine: the San Francisco I know and love is alive and kicking, this time on the edge of Chinatown. This funky classic movie theatre was the location for a Prince tribute night which included a showing of the brilliant «Sign O’The Times» concert film. Its bright sign, old school seating, and roomy stage all speak of shows long past which was fitting for the occasion. You can also enjoy popcorn and a cash bar that served beer, wine, and champagne. We were encouraged to dance in front of the big screen and on stage and we did so gleefully. I paid in advance for a nearby parking spot as Chinatown parking can take patience and lots o cash.

This place is so cool. The re-​vamp is amazing. This was pure entertainment and the most fun I’ve had in ages. I am looking forward to many more evenings here. Great for date night or group outings.

The Great Star is located in the heart of Chinatown. Years past we’d come to watch Hong Kong produced movies and live Chinese opera.
Now the Great Star has been transformed.
We attended an indie production of The Boy from Oz musical last Friday. It was a great cast.
The theater hasn’t changed much. The upstairs balcony is closed.
My biggest con — the seat cushions are down to the springs. Both hubby and my derrière are still sore. And it’s been three days now.
I’m happy the Great Star has reopened. It’s got a new life. But the seats…

I LOVE this theater and everything that Paul Nathan is trying to do with it. We just attended our third performance at the theater (The Boy from Oz) and while it wasn’t my favorite play, the cast and crew really gave it their all which made it fun to be there. The theater is very comfortable (a little on the cool side, which I like) and the theater seats are amply padded and very comfortable with lots of leg room. Please go check it out and support this effort and the wonderful people who are a part of this exciting adventure!
There are tons of Chinese restaurants right around the theater. We’ve eaten at Hunan Homes 3 times (they take reservations, are reasonably priced and got **** on Unilocal). This restaurant is literally right next door, on the right side, so it’s super convenient. Hunan Homes can get REALLY busy, so it’s best to get a reservation. Next time, I’m going to try either A&Y or Bund Shanghai with both got ***½ start on Unilocal and are either across the street or within ½ block of the theater.

Went to see «The Boy from Oz» at a Sunday matinée. Great musical show and cast. True bio of Peter Allen, who wrote some of the most beautiful songs from the 70’s. Songs «I Honestly
Love You» and «I Go To Rio» are just two big hits. Go to Gold Star to get half price tickets. Happy to see this old theather come to life. Hugh Jackman played Peter Allen on Broadway in which he won a Tony Award.

This theater embodies what old San Francisco is about and is the perfect metaphor for the changes that are taking place in the city. I heard that the city was going to tear down the Great Star and build condos. Condos, you guys. No. Thank goodness for Paul Nathan, who took over the lease and has turned The Great Star into a non-​profit and who has brought the theater back to life. It’s definitely a quirky theater with a lived-​in charm. I’ve seen a handful of shows there, and I’ve loved every single one. The theater chairs are bright red, and comfortably cushy. The beautiful red velvet curtain adds to the mysticism of the atmosphere. The acoustics are incredible. I heard a rumor that Bruce Lee’s dad used to sing Chinese opera here!
Seeing a show here is a perfect date night, too. The Great Star is situated on the border of Chinatown and the financial district (and North Beach is a couple blocks down), so there are a zillion places to eat. You can get a drink and goodies at their super cute concession stand, and they have tables available at the front of the theater if you want to go all-​out. Also, I’ve been reading reviews on the bathrooms, and I gotta say, the bathrooms are FINE. Who goes to a theater to hang out in the bathroom? The bathrooms are clean, well-​lit, and have nice mirrors so you can get that selfie (if you HAVE to). It’s an old building and it’s not the Plaza, and the bathrooms are perfectly acceptable.
In conclusion– YAY for people fighting to keep an old theater open to keep art ALIVE in San Francisco and not have it run out by the tech bro boom! Yay for all the amazing shows I’ve seen at the Great Star and yay for all the shows I will see in the future! And yay to you for making it to the end of my review! Now go see an awesome show at this theater.

I am so impressed with the beautiful turn-​around of this old historic theater. The current manager Paul Nathan and crew has cleaned it up, shined it up, given it a wonderful makeover with phenomenal lighting and sound.
The chairs are comfortable and the shows are always welcoming and astonishing, unlike anything you’ve seen before. Performers from all over the world will amaze and entertain you, so much talent comes to this incredible historic theatre!
The only criticism I have is that the stairs to the WC are quite steep, but it’s authentic Chinatown San Francisco– it’s how it’s done there!
Come see a show, bring a date, have some popcorn or champagne and relax. You’re certain to have a fantastic time!

The twisted cabaret is awesome. Frank is the comic genius. I seen act many times and continue to come back to see it again.

Love TGST! I’ve seen a few shows there and really enjoyed them. My favorite was Kat Robichaud’s Misfit Cabaret. Dark Cabaret was a lot of fun too. Mike Davis! After Miss Behave’s Game Show I was laughing so hard, I could only ask myself, «what the fuck just happened?» It was unusual and fun. Maybe not for people who take themselves too serious? The Theater is old and in the process of being restored. So some people might not like the «work in progress feel.» I enjoy the old charm and being in China Town. It’s a great location. There are excellent Chinese restaurants across the street and next door. Parking is cheap and easy in Portsmouth Square. Just take the elevator to the top and walk through one short alley. You can also make more of a night of it, by walking up to Columbus and/​or Broadway afterward for more fun and entertainment. I’m recommending it. Have fun!

Saw Frank Olivier last night in his «Twisted Cabaret». Wow! …does that guy work hard! Amazing juggler, clever magician and completely charming! The audience had great fun! Lots of audience participation, but never threatening or uncomfortable.
Good musicians! They contributed a lot to the show.
Very comfortable seats, good sight lines.
The bathrooms are old, but freshly painted, and as clean as an old theatre can get. Not a problem.

Watched Frank Olivier’s Twisted Cabaret here. Understanding that it is under new ownership and that they are working to revitalize it, it’s really a pretty awesome place with tons of character. Yeah, it’s not the newest, but it’s cozy and has a lot of atmosphere. My wife and I had a great time; the acoustics are really great.
PS the bathrooms are pretty decent (I know they’ve been railed about this before in previous reviews).
I’m looking forward to many more events here.

What a great name for a theater! Great Star!
I came to this theater to watch the Miss Behave Game Show. The theater itself is in Chinatown I believe. The location is easy to find by public transportation and by driving there. There are a bunch of restaurants nearby so if you’re hungry like I was, we ate first.
I find the theater itself to be quite charming. It was actually kind of beautiful to me. The stage was pretty big, the airflow was nice so I didn’t feel hot during the show, the sold alcohol and popcorn, the sound was clear, and the seats were comfortable.
Now let me get to the show. Miss Behave Game Show was so darn fun. It’s an interactive show so one must be prepared to talking, shouting, dancing, etc. It’s a must see. I would watch it again. I would recommend it anyone out for some fun!
Great experience all in all with the theater itself and the show!

Went and saw Dark Kaberet here and it was excellent! It’s an old building, so the seats are a bit narrow. The «American» sized people behind us were complaining they had trouble fitting into the seats! Earlier reviews mention the bathrooms are awful, but these were clean and fully functional, that’s what you need right?
The show itself was amazing, the owner clearly cares about what he’s doing, as does everyone he hires. There’s a ton of variety and everyone is extremely entertaining. I particularly liked when one comedian duct-​taped the mouth of a drunk woman next to us who Would. Not. Shut. Up. She even seemed to like it!

This theater has a character and a spirit. It has been there for almost 100 year, but the chairs have been updated and are very comfy.
The newest operators are doing all kinds of expensive, capitol improvements: improving all types of things so the place looks, at present, like it is under construction in corners if you look, but it is a safe, clean facility.
The shows are intimate with only 500 seats — yes it is a narrow room so forward seats are better than seats set back far — especially if you have children under 5 feet tall, but there are no bad seats.
There is relatively cheap (I paid $ 6 for three hours), indoor parking within 2 blocks so even though it is in Chinatown — and San Francisco, parking is not awful — just give yourself five minutes to walk from your car to the theater.

This is a charming, old school theater in the middle of Chinatown. We saw Circus Automatic (for the second year in a row) perform their entertaining show. I didn’t know humans had that many muscles, or were that flexible! The artists are incredibly talented, and their acrobatics are amazing! The theater does not have a concessions stand, but they allow any outside food or beverage (including booze). There’s a convenience store located right around the corner. The bathrooms are a lot cleaner than they were last year– I think they must have updated them. Go see their show Raised By Wolves! It’s a perfect and unique date night activity.

Just saw one of the worst shows, itching to leave at intermission, called Raised By Wolves. Avoid like the plague no matter how cheap the tickets are as your time is valuable. The MC killed as in ruined the show. The actual artists seemed to be the background for him of acrobats… they should have been the only part of the show and then it would be 4 stars! The MC had no linkage to the artists performance and seemed to ramble on inclusive of note cards (how amateur is this?!) used to remember his lines.
Sad miss on Goldstar. Got fooled by what looked like a twist on Cirque de Soleil and what a joke.

This theater is horrible. There is no heat and everything is very out of date/​old. Completely JANKY. It is a shame, I feel like it has potential with location/​size.
But because of its shitty-​ness, it takes on a certain sentimental quality, it has «character». This is why I gave it the extra star…“character”.
Shit hole.

Dark Kaberet show, perfect venue for the show. Quaint, quirky, funky historic. Lots of charm and the bathrooms were not disgusting at all. A must experience for all!

New owner/​management!!! It’s currently being run by the producer/​host of Dark Kabaret. He always has really great events and shows and has an excellent history of managing cool and unique venues. I’m very excited about this, and highly recommend attending one of his shows here!

Go to the bathroom BEFORE you come here. This was one of the most disgusting bathrooms I’ve ever seen. Gross. I keep formulating sentences to describe to you, dear Unilocaler, just how awful it was… and then I gag a little at the memory and can’t bring myself to type the words.
Trust me.