Annenberg Center Reviews

Sweet, intimate auditorium for a dance / theatre performance.

Visit once a year for my daughter's dance recital, very nice theater!

I have been attending shows at Annenberg since I was a junior in college. Every seat in the house is a good one. This time, I was privileged to be present for an interview with the divine Patti Smith who followed up with a performance. It was an incredible evening.

Never disappointed in performance here. Nice venue, great performers and I love that you can exchange season tickets for other concerts if your schedule or weather changes.

The venue is beautiful but for the event that I attended the venue sold the same seats twice. When they tried to find a place for me and my guest to be seated the staff person at the venue was extremely rude. Also our seats were moved further back from where our tickets were listed for originally supposed to be seated. The view was obstructed and I and those sitting around me could barely see as well. There was lack of empathy and concern from the staff at the Annenberg over these issues. There were many of us who had duplicate tickets and made attending the show very uncomfortable. Luckily Kulu Mele did such a wonderful performance that it made being uncomfortable worth it.

Very tight seating!!! The performance and entertainment was great.

Annenberg Center was a space that i saw managed with a high level of respect and professionalism. I was in a long line to get into a conversation featuring Tarana Burke and Spike Lee this weekend. It was so clutch that one of the attendants mentioned to go all the way around to Door 4. Trust me on this! I got all the way down to a row behind VIP/Reserved area way beyond where i saw some others who had been waiting for an hour or longer up in front of the line.

Saw Michael Londra and Celtic Fire.. fabulous! Love the surroundings of being in a smaller theater

Attending Science Leadership Academy's High School Graduation. Staff were supportive and caring. Many thanks to Gerry and his team members assisting those who needed assistance getting into and out of the facility.

Took a group of students for a performance. The staff was so accommodating and nice, great production quality!

It's your standard issue 1980s vintage performance hall. All good seats. Acoustics are fine. Missing a personality but then you could say it doesn't interfer with whatever you're seeing.

I work at Penn so I only come here for work events, but everything I've ever been to in here has been lovely. Very spacious so ideal for fairs.

This is a fine performing arts center attached to the UPenn campus in the University City neighborhood. It is in a safe well lighted area. There is a parking garage a block West on Walnut Street. Some metered street parking is also available. Depending on how comfortable you are in urban settings, the walk from the subway is not bad. The main performance space offers comfortable seating with good views from every seat. They have a fine lineup of dance troups, visiting theater groups and a few concerts. A warm lobby but with limited seating. Small bathrooms with long lines. Crowds are generally quiet and respectful. If you get your tickets at the box office the envelope may have a coupon for a discount at one of the local restaurants.

Visiting no problem finding parking since after thanksgivings the parking garage across street was closed but street parking available. The theater was good note if your large, tall or knee issues don't get orchestra/balcony section

Great shows but very little leg room between rows. The quality of the show overrides the discomfort of inadequate leg room.

A little tight in the seating area. I'm typical size. Not large not small

I went to see the play "Raisin In The Sun" given by the students of University Of Penn Performers of Arts Guild at The Annenberg Theater. They did a great job. I enjoyed the play and the artists very much. The only thing missing was the refreshments for purchase during intermissions.

Just saw an awesome show. Dance theater of Harlem. Not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful modern dance with with a flair. A little James Brown. A little soul. A little gospel. Awesome dance!

Very easy to access, and the theater was a great venue

I attended the We Shall Overcome, A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther Luther Jr. Performance featuring Damien Sneed. The performance by the singers and musicians was beautiful!

Rude and unhelpful staff...manager seemed like he would rather be anywhere else when he spoke with us. Awful attitude, thinking of calling calling/writing about his his disdainful, racist, demeanor .

Great theater! Wonderful Acoustics! Can't wait to go back.

An evening with John Waters was everything I expected and more great venue

Saw "is this a room" stunning work in the prince theater, the Zellerbach doesn't have a bad seat in the entire house. If there is something you want to see, go!

Theater type of atmosphere and that serves well. the sound quality is excellent and the staff is excellent. Saw a jazz concert there and I'll be gong back.

Downtown Philly too. Lots to do if you make a day of it.

My wonderful girlfriend got tickets for here to see "Potted Potter". Not only was the show funny and delightful but the staff was fantastic and super clean. I recommend more couples have a date night here.

Great performance hall, usually great schedule of performers too

Great lighting, nice acoustics and excellent air conditioning lol!

I saw my friend perform here for the first time. The ushers were super friendly, and the lighting on the scrim was gorgeous.

Nice-looking, but NOT as accessible for people with mobility issues as one would expect for a celebrated venue attached to a major university in a large city! My mother, who has difficulty walking and uses a cane, had to walk down several stairs just to get from the lobby into the auditorium, then back up the stairs to exit. We were told there is no other way. Also, the only close to accessible entrance to the building is not easily marked and still requires one to use steps to enter the building, then a walk to a slow elevator to take you up to the lobby.

Lionel Hampton Big Band Was Outstanding,however I hope the jazz lineup will be better this fall and Spring

World class arts and entertainment. No seat is a bad seat. Great place to go for a lovely night out.

Great venue's reasonable prices. Theaters are cozy and intimate.

The space when you are booking belies it's intimate feel when you are there. A small enough black box that it can be full of possibilities without going over budget. The fact that it's a university Roadhouse means a lot of worthwhile options pass through it and you need to keep a watchful eye on the schedule

Great staff, comfortable setting to hear great music!

My daughter's dance events are here, and they have good shows

My granddaughter's graduation was here. Great venue. Space outside perfect for taking pictures.

Wonderful & Amazing shows!! IF you have a love and passion for the arts... you'll will Absolutely love and appreciate this place. And don't forget to donate

Very nice and clean theater. I was seated in the balcony and had no issues hearing or seeing.

Nice intimate spot. Good entertainment, all types.

My son graduation was there it was great. They need to invest in more handicap accessibility. That is all

Very. comfortable venue. Excellent sight lines and sound. One of the best concerts we've been to.

Terrific theatre with good visibility from all sides.

The DANCE CELEBRATION series is a Winner!
I bought the Dance Celebration series subscription last year. I am not a great lover of dance but it was inexpensive. To my delight I enjoyed every show except 1. The subscription package came with all my tickets, parking discount and restaurants ideas. I highly recommend the series and the theater.

PRO: Now about the theater itself. The main theater is awesome. Its a medium size seating venue with a huge stage. I've sat front row and back row and had no problem seeing anything. The seats are comfortable and easy to get to. The lighting & sound system is worthy of Madison Square Garden. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Parking is just a block away with plenty of street parking. (Beware City of Phila Parking Authority - they are notorious for ticketing meter use even before time is up).

CONS: As its on an Ivy League campus I expected it to be nicer all around. Its rather bland, mostly concrete and the lobby has no seating. You won't even know you are on the UPENN campus as there is not a single sign. One time we sat in the front row and found the edge of the stage in sorry condition. The walls of the lobby are bare...they need to visit the Walnut Street Theater for some design ideas!!!

The theatre we were in was not a very live room. Not the best place to hear choral music, which made the concert by the King's Singers just a tad disappointing, if that's even possible.

Great building, wonderful theatres, but getting to seats is a little difficilt

The Dance Theatre of Harlem was exceptional, and the Annenberg was the perfect host

That place was so nice in the inside, people was excellent

I love the shows. But the seats are so uncomfortable and small. Smh

Breathtaking venues for the amazing Dianne Reeves! Her concert was a great way to begin the holiday season.

If you haven't been inside of the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, you need to find an excuse to go inside. Not only is it visually appealing, it is an acoustical wonder. No matter your taste in music or art, if you are patient, something will be booked there to please your taste.

Nice venue, good sound. The hall can seat many people, but still feels intimate and cozy. Of course it is in University City, so that parking is not cheap.

We took special needs children there for the Children's Festival. It was phenomenal. The show kept our children engaged. The outside arts and crafts station were so much fun. The children worked on art projects as various young musicians played several genres of music in the background. It was truly a fun filled day for our children.

This was sparkling evening with the great Danny Glover!

Just saw Cirque Mechanique; absolutely wonderful. Venue is excellent, highly accessible, clean and friendly staff.

Great, intimate spaces. Good place for live theater.

I love Annenberg! My friends and I have purchased season's subscriptions for the past 5+ years. There are a wide range of top rate performers (jazz, dance, plays, etc). The pricing is very reasonable and I am able to attend the performances of favorite artists as well as those who are new and interesting to me.

Saw Angela Davis.It was packed.Excellent series put on by africana series

Loved the ease of finding the venue. Ticketing was very comfortable. On call ticketing help were very kind, patient and extremely helpful.