San Jose Center For The Performing Arts

There are pros and cons for watching a musical here rather than SF. The seats are roomier, parking isn’t expensive, and the last row of orchestra seats have a good view of the stage. However, if you get good orchestra seats, which are smack dab in the middle, it will probably take you forever to leave the theater. There’s no middle aisle. Just two aisle ends which makes you susceptible to when those next to you leave. Also because the rows are long, I wouldn’t recommend aisle seats unless it’s at the back because you’d be watching with your head turned pretty close to 90 degrees. If you can stomach sitting like that for 2 hours, than do it.

We have been here numerous times and have always loved it! Great venue. However despite being assured prior to Alton Brown Live! Eat your science! That they were baby friendly, they are most definitely not! My 8mo was having a blast! She loved the show! Laughing and so happy! After intermission I was told by the usher that I couldn’t return to the seats I paid for and had to sit next to the door to «deal with that» «everyone around you complained» however everyone around us asked my 9yo where her sister went so obviously not the case! Very disappointing!

We saw «Newsies» this past weekend and it was AMAZING! We chose seats in Orchestra row 10, sort of off to the side (seats 43 and 45), and the view of the stage was wonderful. I would definitely recommend these seats!

If you’ve been to Broadway in NYC, you’ll be severely disappointed. Even withholding expectations, the place needs a renovation! Most importantly thought, we purchased seats in the third row. When we got there, we found out that they had covered the first two rows for the orchestra and now, not only the third row was the first one, but there was a huge wall right in front of us! It took some of our leg space and blocked some of the view. Very disappointing and frustrating. Better communication from the center would have led us to choose other seats, so beware!

My little one recently took part in a dance competition here though I had visited years ago for the mariachi festival. It’s a nice theater with comfy seats; however the lack of aisles can make it awkward if your seats are located in the center. Because my daughter was taking part in three routines, I spent the majority of my day running back and forth backstage. The dressing rooms are a treat They were large with multiple stations with large, lit mirrors; they even had bathrooms and showers! All our competition teams (approximately 40 girls) were able to share a dressing room comfortably.
The center is conveniently located near downtown restaurants and several private parking lots.

It’s a relatively small theater, which isn’t bad except that there is no center isle, so if you seat is near the middle of a row you’ll have to talk past a lot of people to get there.
If you have a drink with you, consider drinking it down a bit so you’re not having to possibly drip it on 40+ people while en route to your seat.
The San Jose Convention Center stop on Light Rail is just a couple blocks away, so public transportation is a great option.
All in all a decent theater and they have a great variety of shows.

This theater houses San Jose’s Broadway touring shows, and this organization’s musical line up each year is really stellar and eclectic. Last season, in addition to watching Wicked, they also had a magic show, and a Beatles cover band. Sounds cheesy but the acts were amazing. We also saw, «Once» last season which allowed theater goers to have drinks on stage before and during the first act of the performance: amazing!
The other cool thing about this theater is that it is easy to access on lightrail and is located near the San Jose Convention Center stop.
My only complaint is the actual theater itself: it has a 70s/​early 80s vibe, and though fine, it desperately needs to be refurbished, the bathrooms especially. Some of the stalls in the women’s bathroom are so narrow they are practically unusable (resulting in wasted space); I really don’t know how the elderly would even function in any of the stalls, unless they are lucky to get the handicapped one.
But to end on a good note, if you are a theater lover on a tight budget, this place has great season packages. I usually buy their 4-​show package which highlights their best shows of the season, and it costs about $ 200; (this is for the cheapest seat section, but the views and acoustics are still great there). That turns out to be $ 50 a show and you get to have first dibs on selecting your seats for the section you bought.
The other reason I love this place: they show exactly the same shows as San Francisco since both cities house the same touring productions, but you don’t have the stress of traveling and finding parking in the City. And if you choose a weekend matinée package, it’s the most relaxing way to watch your favorite Broadway shows.
Definitely a must see.

This theater puts on amazing shows year round.
I went to see The Nutcracker with my mom recently and the entire production was breathtaking. The theater is not so huge that you need binoculars to see the stage-​I feel it’s the perfect size where you can feel close anywhere. There are always drinks and snacks being sold prior to the show and restrooms are close to the theater.
When we watched The Nutcracker, there was a group of carolers singing Christmas songs and it really set the mood! They will typically also have a gift table where they sell merchandise relevant to the play/​musical.
The only thing I would suggest is to make an aisle in the middle of the theater so that people are not forced to walk past so many people in order to meet someone outside the theater or use the restroom during the show.
I work in downtown SJ so I pay for parking already and simply walked over but there are plenty of public parking lots/​garages that range from $ 6 – 25 for the night.

Watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of doom with the live symphony Silicon Valley. Outstanding!

My family and I have been here twice now. The first time to see The Lion King, the second time to experience the symphony play live to the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. We will be attending a third time to see The Wizard of Oz at the end of January. It’s been worth the drive down from the peninsula, high quality productions for less cost than, say, SF live theaters.
Pros:
Slightly wider rows for long legs
Ample women’s bathroom stalls
Good sight lines all around
Parking lots close by
Close by freeway to get in and out
Cons:
No middle aisles, each row of seat runs the width of the auditorium (so strange to me), so lots of people will need to go in and out if you are by the aisle
Parking lots fill quick b/​c there are many hotels close by that are constantly hosting conventions and such
Restaurants aren’t too close by, expect to walk a bit to find a place to eat and to account for that time back to the auditorium

This review is for my experience seeing David Sedaris on 11÷18÷15.
Negatives —
*Uncomfortably warm and stuffy in the balcony seats that night
*Not enough leg room
*Seats were uncomfortable (however the lack of leg room might be the cause of me feeling this way about the seat)
Positives —
*Good, unobstructed view of the stage
*Nice lighting and sound
*Dated but classy venue
*Pretty easy to exit the building
*Lines were reasonable for the bathroom and bar
If I had to decide between seeing the same show at the SJ Center for Performing Arts or another venue, I would probably choose to see the show at the other venue.

Had balcony seating for The Lion king earlier this month! And I had a fantastic time. San Jose Center for the Performing Arts is in the heart of Downtown SJ, with plenty of parking options all around. I am happy that they have matinée showings on Saturdays at 2pm. I’m so used to only seeing Sunday 2pm matinée shows in other theaters.
The design of this place is beautiful! With easy access to each floor, wide hallways, and comfy carpeted floors! I didn’t have any issues with being able to see the stage from where I was sitting. The upper area is perfect for performers to get interactive with the crowd. The lighting and the sound in this theater is also on point. And the staff is just lovely! Looking forward to seeing more plays and musicals here!

I’m pretty sure I had attended an event here when I was in elementary school. Since I can’t recall much of anything from that era, this review is in no way in comparison to what it was like then and now.
The first time I attended an event here as an adult was to catch a comedy show of Bill Burr. I thought it was interesting since I didn’t even know they did comedy shows there. My second time (which is what this experience/​review is based from) was for the beautiful and breathtaking show of The Lion King.
LOCATION
I would say this theatre is located at the heart of downtown San Jose. The architecture was built in a way that it stands out so I’m confident that you don’t miss it.
PARKING
Street parking is scarce in downtown cities. Unless the show is less than 2 hours long, I suggest you just parking in a structure. Luckily, there is several surrounding this area, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I usually don’t like to fuss with parking, so I find whatever’s most convenient (cheap and/​or closest).
EXTERIOR
Once you arrive to the location that your GPS/​Google/​Apple map indicates, just keep walking around this brown circular building until you see glass doors. It may be a little confusing which is the front since often times they close off an area for purely ticket focused and another for waiting/​food/​beverage area before the show. Nothing much to see here, so head on inside when it’s time.
INTERIOR
A bit outdated, but most theatres are. It’s well kept and has an intimate and classy ambiance. Not much décor, but a whole lot of advertisements for upcoming shows.
SERVICE
There quite a few people here that was ready and willing to help you find your seat or any other questions almost at every corner. I have to say, service is nice!
VERDICT
I would definitely return here to catch shows, concerts, etc and I would recommend to others. Although it’s small, but cozy. I love it.

Attended The Lion King the other night with the family. We had a wonderful time. Our seats were row 6 of the balcony and we had a great view of the stage. The sound was clear and the lighting was beautiful. The seats were really comfortable. It’s also great that the rows are wide so you aren’t forced to stand up any time someone needs to pass your seat.
I love that their concessions aren’t grossly overpriced like every other venue on the planet. I was able to purchase 2 waters, a soda, two fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and a king size bag of m&ms for $ 14.
Will call was fast and organized. Restrooms were clean. The staff around the facility were all very friendly and helpful.

I’ve seen many different types of shows here over the years, so there must be a reason I keep coming back! Orchestra seating is nice, even sitting at the way edge of a row, you can see 99% of the stage. But when I saw the Book of Mormon, I sat on the first row of the balcony. Never again! The railing along the balcony is placed almost directly at eye level, so I ended up craning my neck all night long just to see the stage. A serious design flaw.
But the rest of the building has a nice California charm, with its winding halls and view of the palm trees. I love the diversity of the shows that cycle through every year — there’s something for everyone.

We saw both «Wicked» and «Book of Mormon» here. Once in the balcony, and once in the Orchestra section. View and acoustics were good in both locations.
My only complaint about the seating is that there’s no center aisle. We were in the center when seated in Orchestra, and had to step past dozens of people to get to and from our seats. Leg room was sufficient that it wasn’t as awkward as it might have been, but it was still a pain.
Book of Mormon was a full house, and I have to say the following two things that were impressive.
1) Parking was still adequate, with a reasonably priced garage next door. There was plenty of room and even vacant charging stations.
2) At intermission, the ladies’ room line was overwhelming… at least a hundred people long down the spiral ramp. But they had a person keeping folks moving toward open stalls, and the line moved remarkably quickly. I was easily in and out during intermission, even though I stopped to make a call before jumping in at the end of the line.
And tickets were less than half the cost of seeing the same show in SF. And our seats were better. (Yes, I saw Book of Mormon at both venues.)
And always, bonus points for letting me bring my cocktail into the theater.

I really liked this small theatre! And am beyond excited to come back and see the Lion King in September!
There are numerous parking garages around the theatre and limited parking on the streets. We parked in the City Centre parking garage and it was mostly empty and only $ 8 for parking.
Outside of the theatre they have a bar set up and numerous ones inside. They allow food and drinks inside the theatre which was weird to me. They aren’t strict about people coming late. They actually wait for a good time in the show to let people yo their seats. We sat Orchestra row 2 seats 17 – 19 (just a few seats from the center), and it was a little annoying when approximately 15 people were seated because they were late, big distraction!
They sell freshly baked chocolate chip chip during intermission! Must grab!

Went to see the Book of Mormon here, really loved the play but the venue… it wasn’t a good place for a very famous Broadway show.
Cons:
Parking is not in the center, and a bit of a walks away.
Round interior so the acoustics sounded really off. It was hard to understand the speaking and songs just sounded like some old high school play with bad sound. (And I was sitting close in the orchestra and in the center!)
You can also see when people leave the show on the sides since its round which was distracting.
Pros:
Seats very comfortable
Smaller the number the most centered you are.
And being a New Yorker I have high expectations for Broadway shows, it was bothersome to feel like I need subtitles to understand the lyrics and speaking parts fully since the sound was so-​so and not at Broadway levels.

SJPAC is a decent theater to watch Broadway Shows if you are in the area or don’t want to drive all the way to the city to go to the Orpheum. I’ve been to SJPAC twice. Once to see Chicago and more recently Book of Mormon. Although they do showcase these Broadway musicals, keep in mind that most of the productions are touring groups and not the actual casts from the original show. If you’re not that particular, you can save a few bucks for watching at the SJPAC.
The venue itself is quite large and has a less formal vibe. There are plenty of seats with long rows in the orchestra. Like other Unilocalers have noted, the only problem with this is that people have to climb over lots of other people before getting to their seats in the middle. This was a big annoying when a few people were late and the show had already started. For the most part, the ushers were really nice. One usher did tell us to go in the wrong side and another one pointed us back to the other side where the first usher had told us the incorrect directions.
During intermission, they had some food vendors outside on the patio along with a few beverage stands. More umbrellas could have been put up for the sunny day. I was also surprised that they let people take their drinks back inside the theater while most other places do not allow. I wasn’t sure if this was a temporary arrangement but they had port-​a-​potties on another outside patio. The usher also told us that one of them wasn’t working.
Parking at the SJPAC can be a little tricky. There’s a sign that tells you to turn into the parking lot but it is not connected to the theater. It looks like it belongs to a commercial building with offices and a restaurant. It doesn’t indicate anywhere that it’s open to the public or to theater goers. Luckily there was an attendant. It was an $ 8 flat rate. Once you exit the garage, you have to walk across a small widen bridge to get to the theater only to be on the side, not the front entrance.
Overall, can be a good time out if you want to see a show or concert. Venus tickets are a little less than in the city and you can see the same performances. Location is on the outskirts of downtown SJ, so you can grab a bite to eat nearby before or after the show.

Street parking nearby, but not much. I would say park farther away and walk over. Or park in one of the public lots closer by, but you still need to do some walking, and it gets pricey.
Lovely venue. 2267 seats. Came here for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in Concert event. Tip: if you’re going to see an orchestra, the first few rows are not ideal for acoustics/​view. If you’re in the first few rows and centered, the conductor will block a lot of the screen, if there is one.
Very clean! The building is very nice. During intermission, they had someone directing people to open bathroom stalls as soon as they opened up, and even though the line was long, it went by really quickly. It was brill! Quite efficient.
Would definitely return for another performance!