Harris Center/Three Stages

I attended the Folsom Lake Symphony’s Hollywood Hits performance on June 5^th at the Harris Center. Their performance was extraordinary. I was in the row, 2^nd from the front. Due to this fact, my view of the orchestra was limited, however, of the members I could clearly see, there were 4 that I would like to particularly thank and acknowledge. First, I was deeply impressed by a gentleman who was a member of the cello section. He was at the back and closest to the audience. I was equally impressed by the Music Director and Conductor, the Acting Concertmaster and a first violinist next to this gentleman. These 4 individuals represented music at it’s best. Not only could I feel the intensity with which they played and conducted, but they expressed the notes visually as though from the depths of a soul grateful for a remarkable gift. It was not simply a memorized performance, but the admission into an eternal sphere. I will forever remember this performance as one that truly brought music to life. Thank you so very much.

Stormy and I recently went to our first event here. We were entertained!
Pros:
New. Although the center opened a few years ago it’s been well maintained and has that new car smell still.
There is a food vendor on site.
Cons:
Pricing for our show was a bit pricey but don’t know how to compare that fairly. It just seemed steep to me.
The venue was much smaller than I imagined.
We will look seriously into the new season when published. Go check it out.

Long drive out but worth it for the great acoustics and fantastic seating. Easy parking even in the rain. Saw John Hiatt and would go again to see any of my favorites here. Glad to find out about such a treasure of a venue!

Have been here several times, maybe once a year! I’ve seen a local production of Spring Awakening, El Dorado Musical Theatre’s kid’s production of The Jungle Book, the National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China, Roland Dyens (Sacramento Guitar Society Concert), and most recently, Japanese Taiko Drummer group TAO’s «Seventeen Samurai» show.
I used to go to Mondavi Center a lot during undergrad since student ticket prices were such a great deal (50% off!), but this is a smaller and very reasonably priced venue, very nice acoustics, seating, etc. compared to older, tiny local theaters (no offense to Woodland Opera House, Sutter Street Theater, 24^th Street Theater, B Street Theater, Blue Box Theater… which all have their history/​charm). Didn’t feel too much like a school auditorium (see: Veteran’s Memorial Theater, Wright Hall UCD, Davis Musical Theater Company, City Theatre at Sacramento City College, GVTC Grange Performing Arts Center) and is generally much cheaper than the Sacramento Community Center Theater and Wells Fargo Pavilion as well.
Easy drive to Folsom, take the E. Bidwell/​Scott Road exit and follow signs to College Parkway or Scholar Way, past Broadstone Palladio shopping center. Parking is free on weekends, otherwise can get a permit with your event tickets. Will-​call or print-​at-​home ticket options are convenient, can’t remember if they scanned tickets before but most recently you can enter the main entrance and they don’t tear off your ticket until you get to the door of your section. Programs received are for the entire season of events. Seating is assigned, ushers are all volunteers. Seats are fine whether you are lower-​level or balcony in terms of being able to see/​hear performances for the larger stage. For the smaller stage/​room area they typically setup folding chairs and is more intimate. They are pretty high-​tech with projections, stage sets, costuming, etc. Overall, Harris Center/​Three Stages is a respectable-​sized performing arts center a little ways away from central Sacramento. Check it out!

Bravissimo! I absolutely love this place for events. I’ve been twice now, once to see The Manhattan Transfer, and most recently for their 5 year anniversary Razzle Dazzle reception. March 3^rd was supposed to be the opening night of the musical Chicago live with the Razzle Dazzle reception to kick off the evening. Unfortunately, the live performance had to be re-​scheduled (more about that later), but the reception was still on with a showing of the movie after. And man oh man, what a shindig! I tell ya, Folsom businesses really pull out all the stops to support their local theater! The wine was flowing! The food was AH-​mazing! The silent auction items were all very awesome! I was pretty bummed I got outbid on the prohibition package. grrrrrr Anyways, the really cool thing about this reception was it was s 20’s theme and just about everybody dressed up in some way. They had a group of ladies doing tap dancing numbers, a gentleman playing some great piano, and a couple guys playing horn music upstairs. It was all quite the bee’s knees! I added a few pics for your perusing pleasure.
So, the rescheduling… Harris Center Theater contacted everyone that had purchased tickets to let them know of the date changes. They offered a refund, or you could pick another date in August. I thought it was very proactive on their part and the re-​ticketing was easy as pie. i even upgraded to a better seat for the performance in August! Can’t wait! I will definitely be back for more events.

Great venue — very similar to the Mondavi, but about half the size. From downtown it’s a 15 – 20 minute drive, about a mile north of 50 on Bidwell/​Scott Road.
The stage, sound, and lights were all great. We saw Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and then John Prine — a really great show for a small venue like this. They had us through the door and to our seats quickly, no muss, no fuss. A free coat check is at the enterance to the hall, nice.
The parking lot is better managed than at the Mondavi, (and free!) — there are more than one exit from the parking lot and so it clears out in under 10 minutes or so.
My only real complaint is they have no concessions to speak of other than a card table selling candy bars and chips — gross. I saw something about a small café — but it did not appear to be open when we were there. How about getting a beer and wine license and having a few snacks that aren’t disgusting? I can’t think of a venue this size anywhere that doesn’t offer decent concessions. They could charge the normal exorbitant amounts (i.e. $ 8 for a local beer like Panic perhaps?) and easily make a profit, while greatly enhancing the experience.

This center is great. The venues are cozy and just small enough so you feel that you are really a part of the show.
The ushers were all very friendly and the interior is well designed.
The reason for the one star deduction is because of the parking. Leaving was nearly as bad as Arco arena…
We watched the People’s Republic is China acrobat show and my 6 year old son was thoroughly enthrall the entire time. Highly recommend this theater and the kids shows for sure.

A nice performance venue set apart from the larger theaters in Sacramento… Harris Center reminds me of a place where young performance artists can be showcased in a small, more intimate type of setting.
Well throw that all out the window… because I saw a Weird Al Yankovic concert here. It was a Monday night, a school night as I saw students still leaving class when we arrived here. The concert started exactly on time… a rarity for any concert nowadays when the performers sometimes don’t even show up until an hour later.
We sat in the back row on the stage level so we had the entire view of the show, a great show considering that I’ve only seen Weird Al at state fairs before this big time performance venue.
I don’t want to give away tidbits of the show but I can at least say that he started the show with «Tacky» and he ended the show with «Yoda.»

There is always something excited going on here for every age!

My wife attended the Harris Center for the first time to see Robben Ford (Blues Musician). We traveled from Stockton, CA. A great venue to see and hear music. We where in stage 1, the largest of three stages with capacity of 850 people. Seats where comfortable. Staff was professional and smiling. I walked around before the show. I don’t think there is a poor seat in the house. Acoustically, Stage one is excellent. I was pleasantly surprised at the such a nice facility of over 80,000 square feet on a JC campus. The Harris Center is a jewel for the local community. I eagerly look forward to seen another musician here.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder at the Harris. Man, it doesn’t get any better than that. First off, the Harris Center is a fantastic place for a concert. It has the ambiance of a small room but seats 850. I’ve never had a bad seat there. Ricky obviously can play, so can his band. The sound was great, Ricky and the band came out afterwards to sign autographs and talk with the fans. Imagine that, a big Nashville star mingling with the lowly fans. I only wish Harris played more bluegrass concerts.

The location of any arts in theater show was amazing. The sound interviews from your seat is perfect.

ITS MAGIC PERFORMANCE
Someone I know call on Thursday afternoon, say they had extra ticket! Something of the one child cannot go, I say «Really, there is a town call Folsom?» All I know is the prison and the lake, that how every post card of town Folsom is! PRISON, «DO NOT WISH YOU WERE HERE,» as most post cards people write WISH YOU WERE HERE, me if a prison, ««DO NOT WISH YOU WERE HERE!» I hesitant but not want them lose their ticket, so I hesitant but say yes! The usher, Arla Howard female, short brown hair! I tell her all this! Plus of 2013 try use your equivalent of BART, there some shopping area Folsom! The Visitor Center was open, no one to help people, so I grabbed bunch post cards to take them back to room (can draw Animal Order) on back the post cards! That between 10:00 a. m to 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday! She very understanding!
Anyway, the show was great! Three servers at Sheraton Grand Sacra, Michael (DOG FACE BUTTERFLY), Eric (MARLIN FISH), Nate (ELEPHANT) I ask of it! It is call Three Stages because whatever the location, it has three stages in it! Nice looking place! Magicians of all kind! Great show! If I ever do CITY OF FOLSOM comments, if you read my first paragraph, CITY OF FOLSOM gets three stars, but this THREE STAGES getting five stars! I commend Arla Howard for her understanding! She tell me she will call not sure if really is Visitor Center, but she will call them tell them update the post cards, that way other out town visitors, that way other out state visitors, not be as afraid I was to try come to so call town of Folsom!

For plays recommended for elementary aged children, tickets are WAY overpriced. Okay, the tickets aren’t THAT badly priced, but once they tack on a convenience fee AND facility fee… too much for a kids play. They have such plays at the Sutter Street theater for a much more reasonable price.
I also went to an acoustic concert here and the sound quality was great. The ushers accidentally put some other people in our seats, but were really great about getting them to their correct seats. We had to stand off to the side during the beginning of the show, but we didn’t care. Unfortunately for them, the people they were moving weren’t at all understanding and made a big stink (as the artist was playing). I felt bad for the ushers, but it was their mistake… although not a bad enough mistake for what they had to deal with from those inconsiderate a-​holes.
The only thing I think they’re missing… beer and cocktails. :)

This is a great place to see a show! We saw Blue Man Group when we came through and we’re really impressed with the facilities. Kinda like a small Mondavi Center in Davis. Only downsides I saw were the one lane road to get in and out, and the lack of alcohol available at concessions. A glass of wine would have really made those Blue Men all the better. But it’s a great place and I’m glad it’s in the area!

This is my first time here. I love the layout of the place. There is not a bad seat in the house. They have a little café and a cloak room for your coats. I think I will come to many more shows here.

The hubby and I had the wonderful chance of seeing the Royal Ballet of Cambodia perform at the Harris Center For the Arts late last week in Folsom. The venue is newer and the views are pretty overlooking the hills of the city. The volunteer ushers were all really nice and helpful.
They do not serve any alcohol here since it is on a college campus but we were fine. They do have a small café though that sold snacks and soda/​water. The show lasted 2 hours long with no intermission and we were comfortable enough without feeling like we needed to get up and stretch. We sat in the «orchestra row» seats and had plenty of room and the view of the stage from where we sat was perfect.
Although we didn’t understand a word of the performance, we still had a great time. The show was beautiful to say the least and all the performers seemed so humble as they received a standing ovation from the audience at the end. We definitely had a good time and are all ready planning to see the Nut Cracker in December.

I had the pleasure to be invited to attend the live performance of Mi Mexico by the principal dancer in the caliDanza dance company. Why was I invited you ask? Well I happen to be involved with the studio next door to CaliDanza’s practice studio in Curtis Park.
Needless to say, all the «floor shaking» practice and rehearsal that CaliDanza holds next door to my studio was evident in the beautiful performance at the Harris Center Theatre, at Folsome Lake College. The tickets were a little pricey ($ 20.00 — $ 39.00) but I suppose that it’s not much more than going to see a new release move (after buttered popcorn and a soda.)
The beautiful surroundings of the Harris Theatre provided an impressive and relaxing ambiance. Upon entrance, I noticed that the interior walls of the lobby happened to be covered with gorgeous blue slate, and the railings in the loft area are made with stainless steel pipes and cables. In the corner to the right of the entrance is a small café with bistro tables available for patrons to enjoy a cup of coffee or a cocktail before the show. I must mention that there is a free coat check counter as well… I don’t how many times I have gone to the theatre and had to bundle up a huge coat on my lap because there was no where to put it.
Inside the theatre:
It beautiful, its modern, its super clean, and its new… need I say more?
The performance:
CaliDanza dance company presented a tasteful yet intriguing melodramatic choreography of Mi Mexico. I didn’t know exactly what to expect as often times Foloriko ballet seems to be the same classic style. Yet this professional company presented a modern new innovative way to look at a traditional Mexican folk dance. I was truly impressed. My favorite number was Tzintzuntzan: de los Muertos. A dance depicting the ritualistic elements of Day of the Dead using traditional costumes, music and props.
The Music:
A live band on the stage (upstage right) provided beautifully composed music tailored for each number… with members from from different parts of latin america and Mexico. Between scenes, the band played intriguing musical vignettes, which provided smooth transitions throughout the show… I did not want this show to end but it had two, dang it :-(
All in all, my experience at the Harris Center was magnificent. I hope I have sparked your curiosity and interest in visiting this lovely venue.

Really nice venue with all the bells and whistles. Only thing missing is the booze. They don’t serve any beer/​liqueur due to it being a campus venue.
Came here last night for the Merle Haggard concert. The inside, as well as the outside was nice and clean. The bathrooms were well kept and had speakers so you can still listen to the concert. Also they had a small café that served coffee, water, tea and a few snacks.
Overall experience:
It was good, wouldn’t mind coming back to watch another Artist so I can compare the sound set-​up before I make a comment on the PA system.

This was simultaneously one of the most unique, enjoyable and bizarre rock concerts I’ve seen in a while. While local legends Cake showed they clearly still have what it takes to funk things up, the venue was more like a community theater, leaving me in an awkward purgatory between refined appreciation and rocker-​rebellion restraint.
I had never been here before and found the latest appearance of these hometown heroes to be a perfect opportunity. We arrived early and immediately found out this wasn’t the «concert» atmosphere we expected. Almost any other rock venue between here and SF is a well-​worn, decaying, mostly standing-​room hall with floors sticky from beer and piss-​soaked, graffiti-​covered restrooms. Three Stages is where you go to see the local production of Oklahoma. Mostly older ushers were almost as common as the patrons, the interior is brand spankin’ new, and worst of all, they don’t serve alcohol! Keeping the music in mind, I stayed positive and headed into the main concert hall.
Yet another layer of oddness as we were ushered down into the standing-​room only section in front. The orchestra pit was clearly not designed for a rock concert and the stage was higher than everyone’s head, making the purpose of standing up front (to be close to the band, duh) that much more difficult as everyone had to crane their necks and move back anyway. Furthermore, there was a limit to how many were allowed down there, meaning the shoulder-​to-​shoulder dancing with fellow enthusiasts was more like waving at a friend across the room.
The dancing would have felt out of place anyway as the rest of the crowd, ranging in age from 10 to 70+, filed in and sat in comfy seats behind us. Was this a Cake concert or a speaker series for retirees? I immediately regretted not buying seats myself since they were just as close and folks could sit without any obstruction from us in the foreground.
When the band finally came on, the silence between songs was painful. You could hear feet squeaking on the floor. I could hear someone cough in the balcony. It’s not that the band was bad; they were actually at their best. It’s just that Three Stages is not designed as a rock concert hall and the combination of ushers who scold you for sneaking Skittles in and patrons who clearly had no idea who this band was or why they were there seemed to dampen the experience.
Next time I’ll see Cake in the Bay Area like everyone else.