Brooklyn Academy of Music

Always enjoy the outside view as well as the wonderful performances, concerts and movies at BAM! The décor is so beautiful and I love the great selections of shows that are provided for my viewing pleasure! The popcorn and refreshments they I have purchased in BAM’s movie theater is absolutely delicious!

This was my first visit to BAM. I was blown away by the physical space, especially the Gilman Opera House. I was there to see Garrison Keillor on a kind of fair well tour in anticipation of the end of Prairie Home Companion – after more than four decades. We got there early and went to the upstairs bar/​café. It was spacious and beautifully lit. The staff was efficient and organized. There’s no equivalent to this experience in Manhattan. I’ve known about it for years, but never bothered to cross the estuary to Brooklyn.
It was a perfect venue to see Keillor do a brilliant show of songs, jokes and stories. Called Radio Review, it was part of a series called RadioLoveFest. He was accompanied by Rob Fisher and Christine Digiallonardo. Now that I know it’s there, I’ll be back at BAM. Oh, orchestra seats trump those in the balcony.

Saw Rimbaud in New York at the Fisher. The play leaves a lot to be desired but it’s worth a shot .The theater itself is comfortable and has good sight lines. I’d like to see something better here at some point. I hadn’t been in this neighborhood in years and I enjoyed exploring it. Keep in mind there are a number of restaurants in the area. We parked on the street. you are almost across the street from the Barclay Center.

Great Theater! We saw Jimmy Kimmel Live during his one week visit to Brooklyn. The theater is GORGEOUS! The balcony seats were a great place for the band and were nestled in he corner. The bathrooms were conveniently located in between the two floors. They were clean and well stocked. I can’t wait to come back to see another performance at this theatre. LOVE!

The beau took me here to see a show by ‘other lives’ over the weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed our time spent here. Besides the band being spectacular, the seats were comfortable, I wasn’t shifting around in my chair to try and see over the heads of the people in front of me because of the proper slope that theaters should have, although many do not. The acoustics and show production was stellar, and the staff was great (we had a minor ticket snafu that they sorted out quickly without any headache).

Last night, I came here for the first time ever and it was to see Sara Bareilles perform for the first time. I had a good time. The seats are too close, but their restroom is neat. In my humble opinion, they need to do something about the lights in the mezzanine ’cause they are too bright and in your face. I sat in the balcony so maybe that’s why? I don’t know, but Sara was amazing. The customer service I got was OK. I’ll be back.

I attended the «Tabac Rouge» show last night (Oct 2) at 7:30 pm. The performance was so fantastic, and the venue so gorgeous, it is a shame that the whole experience was marred by one employee. My wife and I had tickets for the upper balcony, and the ticket-​taker downstairs instructed us to take the elevator up to the third floor. We did so, and when we went through the curtain to the balcony, the woman in charge of the balcony barked at us to get out, that they weren’t open yet. Her rude tone was really too much to put into words – as if we were naughty children who needed to be made to feel shame and guilt. I explained that we’d been told downstairs that the balcony was open, and she could be more polite. Those were my words: «Ma’am, you could be more polite. We were told.. .» Again she snapped at my wife and me, again the nasty tone that has my blood boiling even now just thinking about it. She was a middle-​aged, African-​American woman, but I didn’t see a name tag. When the balcony did open (about 15 seconds later, although she’d acted as if we were unfathomably just barging in), she was the woman taking tickets.
Is this woman always so nasty, or only to paying customers? Is this the kind of person and tone you want representing your beautiful theatre? Every other aspect of the evening was great, but when one is so deeply insulted, the rest is really ruined.

This was my first visit to BAM and I was pleasantly surprised! Great venue! Beautiful both inside and out. Show was innovative and creative. Super convenient to get there. Lots of things to do and see in the area, also. Quality programs in a venue bursting with character and history.

I’ve been to Harvey and Fisher, as well as inside the lobby of the main space. All great spaces, in their own right. I’ve never encountered an unprofessional or discourteous staff member. Temperature is always good. Spaces are clean. Fisher is an accessible space for anyone with impairments. And I have never seen anything her which I did not like. Stellar work, overall.
Only 4-​stars due to location, as it isn’t the most convenient location for me to get to… and it’s always so confusing (for me) where to pop up to be closest to the appropriate performance space. And reception for my ATT iPhone is pretty crappy in that area of BK.
Still, highly recommended venue for some of the best and diverse art the city has to offer.

I just saw the production of Ghosts by Ibsen. Brilliant rendition, adroitly reduced to an hour and forty minutes without intermission by the director. Was riveted throughout. Superb acting, great sets. Harvey theater is incredible. BAM is a jewel.

I’ve been here 2x. Each time in different areas of the building but both awesome times. First time I saw a Redbull Music Academy music & laser show & the second time I saw comedian Hannibal Burress. Like any venue the drinks & snacks are overpriced so pregame & eat prior or try to sneak in your own beverages & snacks. The 2^nd floor bar & waiting area is WAY better & cooler & the bathrooms upstairs are cleaner & quicker. The sound acoustics are great. There’s not a bad seat in the house. Views were good. Entering & exiting was quick as well. No long lines. I will definetely return.

Guys, if you live within walking, biking, subway, train, or airplane distance of BAM, get yourself there. I’m a patron and it really makes me feel like a part of my community. Also, the programming is insanely good. The buildings are beautiful. There are great restaurants and bars nearby. It’s just the best and you should go and, moreover, become a member and enjoy the benefits BAM offers. The customer service rocks.

Saw the Nutcracker here last night. Excellent production! The skills of some dancers does not match up to Lincoln Center’s Nutcracker dancers, timing was off and dancers were not precisely in sync with each other; nevertheless, it was still a very good show. Since its the holidays, naturally, you will hear kids crying during the performance. We sat in orchestra seats. They were comfortable. You can sit anywhere and get a good view. The 430pm show was not pretentious and less snotty than Lincoln Center’s.

I caught the recent Robert Plant show here at BAM and I was impressed by the venue. The seats are comfortable, the viewing angles are excellent and I really like the overall cozy feel of the place.
The acoustics are also excellent and sound quality is solid. It’s also very easy to get here if you live in Manhattan, thanks to its proximity to the Barclays center.
Bathrooms, like many other venues, can get pretty congested. But that’s just one minor blemish. Otherwise, this is definitely a great choice if you’re looking to catch your favorite artist or orchestra play in town.

I recently saw John Legend, here, and was very impressed with their work. They truly did an amazing job.

Came here to listen to Star Talk lecture by NEil Degrasse Tyson and others. Loved the venue, the ambiance and the theater. Feels a little old but in a good way. It’s a short walk from the nearest subway train.

Got to see a Q&A with Justice Scalia here. Acoustics in the theater were pretty good, but then again, I was sitting in the front row, so I’m not sure what it was like for people in the nosebleeds. The theater itself is really nice, with balcony seating. The design of the interior is very intricate, especially the ceilings and the huge windows that light up from the outside. The place is also close to the trains (Atlantic Ave. Station). What I didn’t get was why the stage was so dusty! Wouldn’t have killed them to run a swifer through it before the event.

Sound was muddy last night but it greatly improved for second half of show. I doubt my saying something to an usher made that change but I was surprised that they were not more on top of fixing it sooner. Sound was terrible. Could not hear voices or understand when they spoke.
Still a great venue with a very organized and efficient staff who make it easy to get tickets and find seats so that the whole evening is an enjoyable experience.

I came here to watch an event at the Howard Gilman Opera House. A good theater to host an event. Good amount of seats for a few hundred people. No bad seating in the theater even if you are on the top level of seats. Sounds travels real nice in the house.

I saw Puscifer here. Maynard James Keenan’s voice is meant to be heard in a place like the Howard Gilman Opera House. The acoustics were mind blowing and I was taken to an other level. I can say no more.

Where do I begin? I love BAM. I suppose that’s a good start. Why do I love BAM? Because where else can I catch film, theatre, live music, festivals and grab some drinks?
Love catching films here but you can just read my review of the Rose Cinemas if you want that. Lets talk about plays. I’ve seen Sam Mendez direct plays and Kevin Spacey star at them at the Harvey. That’s pretty serious stuff for someone like me. (Even though I think A Beautiful Mind is overrated, they both have much much better work. It upsets me both are best known for that terrible terrible film) The Harvey Theater is a nice intimate place to catch a great play. Check the website often because you don’t know what celebrity will decide, «Oh I want to do something cool and different. I’ll perform in Brooklyn» (Lets be real, you know that’s what they are thinking)
They have the BAM film festival every June, which kicks ass. Rooftop screenings, directors Q and A, extended cuts, short films. It’s a serious orgasm for film junkies. I plan to hit it up heavily again this year.
This year I finally got to hit up the Crossing Brooklyn Ferry festival. In only its second year, it showed why it was such a hyped event and I hope this becomes a staple at BAM for years. I walk into BAM with a free beer sampling from Brooklyn Brewery. A sampling means, getting two samples and then going back on line. Walk on line, proceed to front, drink and repeat. Over and over again! Hey I needed to try them all… a thousand times. They also were selling Brooklyn Local One, which by law I must get. I saw some bands I had never heard of before and rocked out to them. JAPANTHER FOR LIFE! Though I was waiting on Brooklyn’s own TV on the Radio. Great performance which I would say capped off an excellent event. The BAM café is awesome. Great drinks and tasty brews, this is a hidden gem I honestly wasn’t aware of before the event. It’s gorgeous inside and a great place to catch a performance. Not to mention a dance party. Made tons of new friends at the event. The experience was the highlight of one of the best days of my life. Keep the Crossing Brooklyn Ferry going.
So whatever the reason, BAM has something for you, trust me.

I don’t get this!!! I purchased a ticket, it was fully booked at the time (Trisha Brown Dance Company, January 30^th 2013) in the orchestra area, but on the day of the performance there are all of a sudden millions of seats available!
There is also no refund/​return policy, I can’t even switch from one ticket to two (didn’t get one for my husband since there weren’t even two seats next to one another at the time) BUT NOW THERE ARE PLENTY OF SEATS, even better than the one I got in advance!
So, that can only mean that there ARE people returning their tickets!
I don’t understant this! If someone does, please explain!

I know it is lame to say with BAM only a few blocks from where I habitat and I’ve never been there. So finally got a chance to go see a show here recently. A Morrissey concert. I’ve been to a couple of his shows recently in NYC. One at Radio City and Terminal 5. How different both where.
The theater is a lovely space. Everyone who worked there that we talked to was helpful and very nice. The seats are generously spaced compared to other venues. The concert here is a seated venue and I was impressed. I wish more concerts handled concerts this way. They let the fans stand in front of the stage. There was so complaints by people blocking views, no drunk people, no hassling from the docents to sit down (like another place I reviewed), the security was firm but not aggressive. The crowd mixed with Brooklyn hipsters, baby boomers and diehard fans.
I will definitely want to come back and see more performances at BAM and way to go Brooklyn!