california musical theatre

This is a great venue to see productions 'in the round'! All the seats are good and the productions are all very entertaining. Have never been to a bad production yet!

If you like Musical Theater, you simply have to see a show or subscribe to a whole season of shows Every performance I have seen , (I am a season subscriber), has been top notch with amazingly creative staging on a circular stage with rotating levels that can be raised and lowered in sections. The orchestra is always perfect in their execution and they get a lot of very good singers and actors from all over the US to participate in these extraordinary summertime musical shows.

I truly enjoy this venue for special shows. The seating is great, not many bad seats. Fun atmosphere. Hardest part is the parking. Watch for early offers to buy tickets

We have been season subscribers to each Summer's "Music Circus" Theatre, as well as the Fall/Winter/ Spring's "Broadway Series" Theatre for many, many years.The California Musical Theatre staff do an absolutely impeccable job of selecting and producing each year's shows for their two theatres.Without a doubt, these are the best shows around.Treat yourself, and enjoy...

It's Summer and that means MUSIC CIRCUS. It's another great season and I am looking forward to the next performance.

They used to call this theatre the "Music Circus" and it was held outside in a large circus style tent in Sacramento, CA. My mother would go to visit her brother and his family every summer especially to go to the musical shows there. She would rave about how wonderful it was. After hearing the theatre is now held in an air conditioned building, we made plans with my cousins to attend the production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific" last weekend. The theatre seating is all around the stage, the stage looks like a circus ring, so the performers change their positions so that everyone can see them - sometimes you'll see their backs but others on stage will be facing you. The sound system was really great, the orchestra in the pit near the stage played beautifully and the singers/actors were outstanding professionals. When the male lead, played by John Cudia, sang "Some Enchanted Evening" he almost took the house down. He had recently been performing on Broadway and toured nationally as the title role in "The Phantom of the Opera" - a true professional that had a wonderful voice. I can sincerely say the same about everyone in the cast, all experienced and highly talented performers. They will be performing "Brigadoon" from August 5 - 10; then "La Cage Aux Folles" from August 19 - 24. Treat yourself - go to this wonderful theatre. Tickets cost us about $70.00 each and were worth every penny.

Inexpensive, no bad seats, great variety of shows during the season, excellent casts/productions. I've been going to music circus for about 50 years. I have enjoyed almost every production I have ever seen. I especially enjoy them now that the "tent" is air conditioned and there are plenty of restrooms. This year has been especially entertaining so far. We just saw "Mary Poppins" and I must say it was better in many ways than the production I saw on Broadway. Music Circus is different because the audience is closer to the action and it is in the round. It is a more intimate experience than other venues, wonderful place to introduce young people to musical theatre.

This was our first time at Music Circus. I like the fact that it is a Theater in the round and the cast goes up and down the aisles so you really feel like you are part of the play. It doesn't seem like there are any bad seats in the house. Also the stage revolves and goes up and down. they have air conditioning and the seats are pretty comfy. This is our first season so we are looking forward to the rest of the season of musicals. You can bring drinks and food into the theater - I thought that was odd but I am glad on these days that are over 100 you can have your water. Save your tickets as many of the local restaurants will give you a 10% discount when you show them. We went to Zen Sushi and had a great dinner afterwards we were able to take in Happy Hour AND 10% - a great deal. Check it out!

This was my first time seeing this musical and my friend was skeptical about how to do CHORUS LINE in the round. It was fantastic and riveting from start to finish! The things I wish for most that the people who insist on bringing food (you can do that???) into the theater bring out their trash rather than creating a movie theater atmosphere, and that somehow there was more pitch to the seats so I could see past the easily distracted diva with mile high hair in front of me. But honestly, the staging was lovely, there are huge amounts of stalls for the ladies room near the entrance, and the orchestra was phenomenal. I must go back!

This is the fourth or fifth season of Music Circus we will attend. Even the least expensive seats against the wall are good seats. The theater is round and the stage will turn at times during a performance so you always have a front row and feel as if you're part of the action. The performances are top quality and we've never been disappointed. Their season only runs during the summer June-August with each show typically running about a week.There is an outer courtyard which offers different types of food/beverage stands. There is also a snack bar inside the theater (popcorn, candy, drinks, ice cream.) Food and beverage can be eaten in the theater.Some restaurants offer discounts if you show your tickets so ask if you're dining before the show. There are different garages that offer flat evening rates after 6pm.

This is definitely the best theatre in Sacramento. It is a relatively unique experience, as professional theatre in the round is rare. Usually the options are community theatre in a round or black box theatre, which gives the more intimate experience - OR - professional theatre in the traditional proscenium stage which is presentational but a higher quality. Music Circus is the best of both worlds, intimate and high quality. Yes, the quality can vary depending on the show, or even the season. Obviously some shows will be better than others, that is the nature of theatre. And Music Circus allows its patrons to vote online to choose the next season, so it is not the attraction's fault if one does not like the season, for the voting is open to everyone that way they can try to please the community. In my experience the actor's are always immensely talented. The sets are usually quite creative in my opinion. They use the theatre's fly system to lower in many of the sets. Sometimes the sets are more minimalistic than might be traditional, but I don't mind and even sometimes prefer this, as it doesn't distract from the show. The venue is great. Beautiful fountain in the courtyard when you first walk in, especially for the evening shows. They have show merchandise and other Broadway related items for sale. They also have a variety of food available to purchase in the courtyard, plus cocktails and other drinks. There's even a Marino's freeze there, which is a frozen fruit drink that is delicious! Inside there are movie-theatre style concessions that can actually be brought into the theatre. Food inside the theatre is extremely rare and should be appreciated but the patrons. They really take care of their audience, and that really does make a difference in the overall experience.

Two shows into the 2013-2014 season and I am still waiting for a quality show with quality performances - where actors are not just going through the motions with stilted dialogue. Sacramento lacks the caché to attract the dynamic musicals that larger metropolitan regions do, and it shows.Additionally, I cannot remember the last time I attended a performance - and I have been a subscriber for many years - where I could actually HEAR anything intelligible, and I sit in orchestra seats.

The Music Circus is a somewhat unique experience. Being a smaller venue with seating all around the stage. This means all seats are good. All of the "performers" I have seen here have done a really good job. The actors go up & downs the aisles so it feels like a more interactive experience. My only downside is that because there is a small round stage in the center the ability to use props is extremely limited. Some plays are fine without the use of elaborate props and staging (example: Brigadoon was awesome) However, for others the props are part of the experience of the show (example: Phantom of the Opera, Cats, etc) without these props the play looses some of the effect and ambience. You can be assured to see a good performance but be wary of which play you see here. The Community Center may be a better choice.

The shows feature talent from Broadway and Los Angeles. They are always fabulous. This last season had the best talent, direction and choreography. They also had Roz Ryan and Lenny Wolpe.

Great venue for theatre. Every show we have seen has been top notch. Great sound system. Every seat a winner. If I lived in Sacto, I would definitely be a season ticket holder. First rate actors.