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Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
600 N East St, Bloomington, IL 61701, United States
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Ka
Review №1

Some pretty good shows are here.

Fe
Review №2

A beautiful location, great to see a show. My seats were at the top so it was a bit cramped in the leg area but still enough room to sit for two hours with a break. Air was also a bit hot, but it can be hard to control with so many in a room and due to heat rising. Would definitely come again.

Ma
Review №3

This is a such a magical place to take your children to both experience the joy of watching musicals/plays as well as encourage them to sign up and preform with a vast community of like minded people! My daughter is only 3, but is eager to start her theater journey one day! :)

Ju
Review №4

Very nice theatre for shows! The staff from Box office to greaters and ushers were very friendly and helpful. My only suggestion is, have something with long sleeves available as the air conditioner was turned up to the max!

Ch
Review №5

Beautiful well kept venue bringing in unique acts at affordable prices. Staff are friendly. Only tiny drawback is a lack of a dedicated parking lot.

Ya
Review №6

Stage in beautiful to look at and perform on. Also had my junior prom here it was beautiful made the place look so much bigger than it is. ️

Ca
Review №7

Loved the show. Volunteers are friendly and helpful. View from the balcony is great. Only frustration is the narrowness of the seats and rows, as I nearly always get bruises from bumping chair backs and arms trying to get by in a row. Still...grateful for the place and the shows they bring in.

Ja
Review №8

Great volunteers! Beautiful building. Easy, convenient, free parking. Prices are good for most shows. Shows are unique and fun. Wine available, too!

Ad
Review №9

Our first time at BCPA. Beautiful old building, acoustics OK. Nice array of performances on the season lineup. Helpful, friendly staff and volunteers. Its a delightful community asset. Being able to enjoy a live performance on a weeknight without having to travel to Chicago, St. Louis or Indianapolis is good thing.

Cl
Review №10

A great theater that put on fantastic performances. I recommend going with a group of people. The experience is unreal a ring out live animals. The special effects are amazing!

Se
Review №11

Nice venue, we saw Beautiful: The Carole King Musical here and were very happy that a show toured to Bloomington. Seats are a little close together, so be prepared to forfeit some personal space for sold out shows.

Da
Review №12

It was one of the best shows I have ever seen.l am 79 years old and I have seen a lot of shows. The very best

Ro
Review №13

Travis Tritt was great!! Great place to see a concert!

Ja
Review №14

Symphony excellent, but poor job clearing and salting sidewalks.

Je
Review №15

Lovely venue, and a great show. Easily accessible to several restaurants and bars for gathering before or after events. Large ballroom and auditorium space, plenty of restrooms to accommodate crowds.

Jo
Review №16

Great facility with modern updates yet truly an old world theater experience.

Da
Review №17

Charming old building with a comfortable auditorium. Accustics are excellent.

Sa
Review №18

Small venue, clean, comfortable ..from Springfield, would make time to go again.

Ly
Review №19

This was our first visit to this venue. Parking was easy and close, first of all, which always makes for a good start! The space is beautiful and airy, not too large, but not too small to feel cramped. All seats seemed to be good for viewing. We will definitely return for other shows!

Ki
Review №20

Stunning venue. Will return.

T
Review №21

You can host pretty much any type of party plus they put on great plays

Ca
Review №22

First time to visit. Food was ok, but I have tasted better. I enjoyed the Passion Play, but by the time it was over, my back was hurting. The seats were comfortable though.

Sh
Review №23

Good place not a bad seat in house.

Da
Review №24

Performing at the Bloomington Center was an absolute joy! The backstage staff and crew were absolutely AMAZING and the venue and its house and staff are top notch!

De
Review №25

Great venue for seeing a show!

No
Review №26

Cool old building,good show

Ad
Review №27

The pancakes were amazing!

Mi
Review №28

Venue itself is excellent. Great theater, nice ballroom below the theater. Parking is, well, not enough for the venue. Expect to park 1-2 blocks away somewhere on a side street. At least the parking is free however.

Ti
Review №29

A VERY nice older theatre

Jo
Review №30

This place is really cool. We had front row seats while we there there but probably not a bad seat in the whole place. Pretty small venue. Dont know the history of it but it looks old. Getting across the street from the parking lot is sorta challenging. Seems like alot of traffic on that street. They have alcohol inside as well which made for a really good time. Definitely would go back again for sure.

Ch
Review №31

Great Christmas Concert every December.

Pe
Review №32

Seen the Passion play. Great place. Great play. Clean building

Sy
Review №33

Support the arts! Ive been coming to BCPA since 2015. Plenty of free parking around the area, volunteers are awesome, shows are entertaining! Students get discounts with ID, so Ive seen shows for as little as $5 and $10.The ONLY one time (back in 2017) when I had a problem, the staff resolved the problem by moving me up to the front row:I was originally sitting next to a woman who kept yapping throughout the show Route 66 and being completely rude to other people seated around her. Could she not notice how talking during the show was disturbing others? I paid $$$ for my seat to watch the show in peace. During intermission, I reported Blabber Mouth to the usher who told me to move up to the front. I got to watch the rest of the show with no problems!Whats funny is that after the show as the audience got up to leave, Blabber Mouth walked up to me and was highly offended by asking to move away from her.But... YOU WERE TALKING! I guess some people dont understand the difference between a theatre and their living room.

Te
Review №34

A beautiful, old-school theater. Great acoustics and comfortable seats. The staff and volunteer ushers were friendly and eager to assist.

Du
Review №35

A great building to catch a show. The staff is helpful and friendly. Prices are reasonable for the different shows. Good variety of things to see here and is a great asset to the arts community in Bloomington-Normal.

Ka
Review №36

The BCPA is a wonderful place if youre looking for something fun to do. The building is beautiful and the shows that they host are fantastic. Not to mention the staff and volunteers are always wonderful and polite!

Ja
Review №37

Nice older theatre. Seating is pretty tight. Im not very tall and my knees were hitting the back of the seat in front of me. The staff was very helpful in finding our seats. The bar service was very slow due to the cashier that seemed to struggle with math. Overall a nice place, just some nit picks.

Va
Review №38

The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is a great place for live entertainment. Patrons are treated to a wide variety of music, theater, comedy, film, and more. Volunteers help keep the BCPA running and also get to enjoy the performances for free. People frequently travel from Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis to attend shows at this venue.

Pe
Review №39

Beautifully restored historical theater which has a huge columned space on the lower floor that can be used for smaller events.

Ga
Review №40

Great place with a HUGE stage!

Ch
Review №41

As always, awesome.

Mi
Review №42

Great concert by the ISO. The building is nice, the seats are comfortable, and the staff is helpful.

Ae
Review №43

MST3K live was very enjoyable

An
Review №44

Wonderful location to catch a concert or show. It has a nice layout good seating and is a beautiful building.

Ju
Review №45

Well taken care of venue. Has easy parking north of the bld

Mi
Review №46

Lovely venue. There is not a bad seat in the house and the volunteers who usher are charming.

Ch
Review №47

Wonderful place.. we enjoyed it

Ch
Review №48

Black Violin was a great show

Na
Review №49

Excellent acoustics, friendly volunteers, shows are reasonably priced

Ja
Review №50

Beautiful building, and a great place to see a show. I was pleasantly surprised!

Ma
Review №51

Wonderful! Loved seeing Travis Tritt and Wendall Cox Tonite! Great trip from KY

Ga
Review №52

Beautiful building very friendly staff

Ha
Review №53

Kind and welcoming staff, great venue!

Ke
Review №54

Lovely venue with great acoustics. Because it is smaller, every seat is well placed and visually impressive.

3D
Review №55

This is a jewel of our community that you should check out. They have great plays. concerts and music in this really cool old theater. There are very few old theaters like this left and this one is completely restored!

Me
Review №56

ABSOLUTELY LOVED The Swan Lake by The Russian National Ballet tonight!!!! :-)

Kr
Review №57

Its an older facility, but thats the charm. Its run by mostly volunteer staff for events which is nice to see because of its history as they want to keep this facility open. One thing though, its very costly to have an event here. I would lower the cost a little so that they can have more events there. Supply and demand. A beautiful auditorium!

Pe
Review №58

Beautiful facility! Great volunteer staff!

Mi
Review №59

Just happened to work there

Ma
Review №60

We saw Mike Birbiglia here. Its a nice venue! Not a bad seat in the house

Ra
Review №61

The BCPA is a great venue. Its in a beautiful historic building with great accessibility. They host a variety of events, from music to theatre to comedy, and they schedule a mix of mainstream acts and unique shows.

St
Review №62

Nice place to go to. A little bit difficult find parking.

To
Review №63

Great venue for performances. Visibility and acoustics are excellent.

el
Review №64

This is a pretty good place to watch shows, while I am there in town. Nice auditorium, just the right size that I like. Interiors look new and updated.

Ro
Review №65

Wonderful facility.... very helpful staff

Ja
Review №66

A wonderful historic building with great shows. Home of one of the oldest and longest running Passion Plays in the country. Also used to be the Scottish Rite Consistory.

La
Review №67

The American Passion Play was outstanding. The snow removal for handicapped access left much to be desired.

Sh
Review №68

Super fun to see a silent movie, The Freshman, starring Harold Lloyd and accompanied by a talented organist.

Ly
Review №69

Third time to this venue. This time for the ballet. All seats are good. Show was great everytime

Ni
Review №70

The staff is friendly, and the building is very clean considering its age. The main cons of going to events here is the lack of close parking (lots are scattered around the vicinity so youll often have to walk several blocks), and the auditorium seating which is really more of a personal preference. No food, limited drink options.

An
Review №71

Love the venue, but employees are a bit crabby at times.

Jo
Review №72

Good shows at a reasonable cost. Volunteer staff are helpful and friendly

Cl
Review №73

Beautiful historic auditorium

St
Review №74

Good pancakes and sausage. Service was great. Good cause

Mi
Review №75

We enjoyed the silent movie with the pipe organ. Usually scheduled twice per season.

Co
Review №76

Great place

Ja
Review №77

Beautiful venue and fantastic Holiday Spectacular!

Li
Review №78

Its a beautiful place. Not only for patrons ,but for performers.

Mi
Review №79

Great building, stage, and venue. Weve been here twice and love the location and the shows.

Ka
Review №80

Decades Rewind performance was very good. Talented cast, quick pace, interesting, and fun!

Ad
Review №81

The place is huge!!! Great Space!

Le
Review №82

Lovely facility, phenomenal sound, friendly staff.

Ch
Review №83

Nice venue. Good acoustics. Comfy seats. Clean.

ka
Review №84

This is a blatant noise ordinance policy violation. I dont care if you have a permit or not! I live several blocks east from there and down by Empire St. The noise is so loud I can hear it through closed windows with the t.v. up loud! Called Center of PA and got the response that they had a permit until11:00 p.m. I told them this is unacceptable because if its so loud I can hear it so far away that its loud enough for anyone sitting there. I definitely will be taking this up with City Hall, I pity anyone that lives any closer! Also reported this to the police.

Ka
Review №85

A great place for all types of entertainment.

Da
Review №86

Staff very accommodating for creating interesting programming and events!

Me
Review №87

Beer Fest every summer and lots of good shows like David Sedaris and Capitol Steps.

To
Review №88

Needs a atm

De
Review №89

Its okay if you have time to waste and not really doing anything

De
Review №90

Many high quality performances, from the symphony and theatre productions to comedians.

Cy
Review №91

Clean and great place to see a play or concert!

Ma
Review №92

Nice concert hall.

Gi
Review №93

Great staff.

So
Review №94

Great show

Jo
Review №95

Great venue with an intimate setting for concerts and other theatrical productions.

Ka
Review №96

Terrific site and great support staff!

Su
Review №97

Beautiful Venue

A
Review №98

Spectacular place!

Se
Review №99

Definitely check it out, great shows

Ma
Review №100

US Army Field Band was awesome.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.7 Rating
  • Address:600 N East St, Bloomington, IL 61701, United States
  • Site:http://www.artsblooming.org/
  • Phone:+1 309-434-2777
Categories
  • Performing arts theater
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible lift:Yes
  • Wheelchair-accessible seating:Yes
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