Diana Wortham Theatre

Absolutely shocked to find that I have never been to the spot before. I think that perhaps I always thought it was the fine arts theater or gotten confused or maybe they're advertising is so good that I've seen a lot of shows posted, but never actually had the privilege of attending. Speaking of privilege, a lot of that here.Went to see a show in the balcony the other night and it was a nice experience. Definitely wear a lot of the older wealthier Asheville citizens gather. Certainly a crowd here. Could've also been the event we went to which was a cultural performance. Ultimately, I appreciate that we have cultural performances in our city and a space for them. Parking was a little annoying just because it was Saturday downtown but I do like the space is central. Lots of places to eat at around. Finding it was incredibly easy as well. Inside, there was quite a bottleneck as we arrived about 20 minutes before the show. We did have to wait in line. It was a little bit confusing to figure out exactly where to go but some staff helped.They had wine for sale- house and pricier stuff. The house was around nine dollars a glass. I really appreciate that the staff helped us shoes and gave their opinion. The staff working the wine area was incredibly kind. The stage itself was gorgeous. It was very easy to see in here, no matter where you were.

Went to a Japanese Kodo drum show recently. Much much too loud! No one at the venue seemed to care. Never again. Theater also was dirty and uncared-for.

What a gift to have such a fine theater in Asheville. Pilobilus is world class dance performance, what a gift.

Very nice venue (still under renovation)! I take it this part we were in is an add on but it is very nice. There's no bad seat in this intimate theatre which is a good thing! Acoustics are good - seats are comfy - spacious rows so you have ample leg room and a nice comfortable lobby area. We attended the Marcus Anderson Jazz and Coffee Escape It was multiple artists and worth the ticket price. The restrooms are well appointed very clean and well stocked. They offer a wine and liquor bar but have a one order rule we found odd. Meaning you can only order one drink so my hubby had to wait for me to come out to also order my drink We will definitely visit this venue again for great jazz!

The Diana Wortham Theatre is a small with all seats fairly close to the stage so you feel a part of the show. It is located in Pack Place and there is a parking garage close by. I've seen two shows here now Capitol Steps and Tape Face. The staff is very friendly and helpful in finding your seats. I enjoy seeing shows at this theatre.

So.....I hate to have a business start out with such a low start review out of the gate, but they did it to themselves.A local band I adore was having their music associated with a dance performance that was going to take place in this theater. I went to the website to order tickets and noticed that a VIP set was available for more than double the price, yet no information. I looked around but could not find it......not to say it wasn't there, but I called the theater to inquired as they are hosting the event I would have assumed they were in control to all the types of activities conducted within their walls..........I was wrong.The first person didn't know and transferred me to the next person that didn't know and rather deferred to the dance company? Needless to say I didn't by the more expensive tickets.......but did decided to review them in an appropriate way.*wink*.

This was my second visit to Diana Wortham. Our first visit, my daughter was receiving an award. They are a lovely alternative venue for the school system. Our second visit, my husband and I scored tickets to see Kathleen Madigan. YES! Fun/Funny date night.There is ample parking close to the theatre. It is within close walking distance to 3 multi-level parking garages.The bathrooms are super clean. The staff is courteous.

We saw the Asheville Lyric Opera production of Die Zauberflöte at Diana Wortham Theatre last night. I loved the way it was staged, which was just right for this intimate 500-seat theater. This is one of the "singspiel" style of sing-and-talk operas that were in vogue in the late 18th century. This production used Schikaneder's German libretto and of course Mozart's amazing tunes for the songs but Broadway-style English for the spoken parts (libretto adapted by John Truitt).The ALO has the Schikaneder libretto translated on a screen at Diana Wortham. Most opera productions do that now, even though with The Magic Flute most of the lyrics are so simple you can almost follow them without knowing much German. The story is full of Masonic references I don't really get, but that doesn't matter, because the music is so wonderful and the opera done this way is just plain fun.The young soprano who sang Pamina, Julia Ebner, also is making her debuts this season at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and Papageno (Adrian Smith) was great, much enjoyed by the sold-out audience. The Queen of the Night (Megan Brunning) was perhaps over the top with her high notes but was an audience favorite.Back to the venue: I always enjoy the Diana Wortham, although I was stunned to overhear someone noting that this is an"old theater." It seems almost new to me, compared with Thomas Wolfe at U.S. Cellular Center, which is going on three quarters of a century old (though it has been made over a couple of times). When will Asheville finally bite the bullet and get a really first-class large performance theater and combined convention center?! Asheville is losing so much business to Charlotte, Greenville, S.C., and Knoxville.However, for those with any mobility issues, I recommend against seats in the balcony, where we sat at this performance. You can see well, and nearly every seat in the theater has good sight lines and good sound, but it's very steep up there. (We were Balcony Left, Row E, with aisle seats) Every time I sat down I felt like I needed to fasten my seat belt, and older patrons were stumbling up and down the steps. There's a hand rail only one on side of the aisle where our seats were, so someone could fall before even getting to a place to grab the handrail for balance.On the plus side for the balcony level, there's same-level entrance to the theater balcony through the Asheville Art Museum entrance (the doors are left open during theater performances, even if the museum is closed) and also through the Biltmore Avenue parking lot adjoining Pack Place. If you can get front row or box seats at balcony level, they are good. It's just the seats up the "steep hill" that are a problem. Otherwise I would suggest the better Orchestra seats if you can afford them.From the balcony level, to get wine or whatever before the production or at intermission you have to go down to the lobby level of the theater via stairs or elevator.

Awesome little theater in Pack Place! I took my 5yo daughter to see The Nutcracker and we had a lovely time! It's a tiny theater, so it seems there isn't a bad seat in the house. It's comfy and intimate because of its size and I'd definitely see another show there!I also really like that DWT has a ton of amazing restaurant within sight, so plan ahead for an easily accessible dinner prior to your show and dessert at French Broad Chocolate Lounge right next door afterwards.

NICE VENUE, CONVENIENTLY LOCATED!When driving to this theatre, you will notice that the street is actually Broadway while your GPS will say Biltmore Ave. It is conveniently located downtown and adjacent to parking. If you park in the lot, it will cost approximately $10 or you can try parking on the street which will be a challenge especially on the weekend. If approaching from Broadway, you will walk through the walkway which sits between the ice cream shop and the taco shop and enter the courtyard. Once you enter the courtyard, you will see the theater right in front of you. We attended a dance performance at this theatre and it was the perfect venue. This theatre is a perfect size and provides a sense of intimacy for performances. The seats were very cushioned and comfortable. There was general seating which is great unless you have several people who resort to saving seats like we are all in third grade. I don't believe in saving seats and I think that the theater should have a strong policy against this. Those attending should simply arrive on time like the rest of us. How hard is that? If I attend a performance here in the future, I will make sure to grab something to eat prior to attending and explore the downtown area a bit more. We didn't stay for the entire performance but left at intermission to try to get dinner. However, the area was so crowded that we were not able to eat at our restaurant of choice due to parking and ended up going all the way back to Hendersonville, (which doesn't really have full service restaurants open after 10pm. You may want to learn from our mistake and plan accordingly.