Irving Theater

Historic theater. Reminded me of old school warehouse bars. Exposed brick, exposed beams, church pew and folding chair seating. Fun vibe packing a lot of character into a no frills setting.

I saw an event onYelp's things to do about a performance that was designed after WW2 USO shows It was held in the Irving theatre First the theatre, an historic landmark. It has been completely gutted. Even the ceiling studs are apparent. They have put up clever lighting but it is quite evident the theatre is going through transition. Some old theatre chairs, some church pews, some folding chairs. ( Not for the faint of heart)Upon entering we were greeted my a gentleman in full Army field attire. As I look back he reminded me of a character from MASH, Radar. The show was made up of two very talented singer/dancers. They changed costumes throughout the performance, added historic dialogue and were very entertaining They recognized past Military in the audience with a handshake and a hug They sang songs and acted out various areas of the country representing the whole nation They included the Viet Nam war and had a radio which played news clips of that era. They of course, welcomed all Viet Nam Vets home They ended the presentation with "Proud to be an American". I saw many wipe their eyes As I understand it, they are a fundraising group, supporting entertainment for all branches of the militaryThey play all over the country and recently preformed for "D-Day" in Normandy It was very entertaining and insightful. Glad we went

Irving Theater is a historic theater in historic Irvington where the Irvington Ghost tour takes place, along with other events. I came here for the Irvington Ghost tour and was very impressed and surprised by the tour. The theater itself is an old building that has been around for many years, and definitely has some history behind it. The interior is old with a huge stage upfront where the tour kicked off, and there were unique sculptures and decorations throughout the theater. The ghost tour was intriguing and educational, and our tour guide told excellent stories about Irvington and the ghosts that haunt the area. It was very different, but I enjoyed it and liked it very much. The staff of the theater did a wonderful job conducting the tour and keeping everyone in line and not drift off from the tour. I would be interested to see what other events take place in the theater so that I can check them out for myself. This is a nice historical landmark in Irvington, and I hope it remains active for a long time. It is a great place to have in the city of Irvington.

I have driven by this theatre countless times on my way into Irvington, but never really knew what it was for (or if was even active) till I recently went to a free singer/songwriter showcase show here a few weeks ago. Keep in mind to not have high expectations of the condition or decor of this theatre - it's bare bones basically. I recently came during the winter months and it was freezing inside this theatre. Like, very, very cold as if no heat was turned on. The hot water in the bathroom didn't work either, lol. I know that this theatre is filled with a variety of shows: Rocky Horror Picture Show, live music, and more. The only reason I'm giving them 4 instead of 2/3 stars is because every month they feature 3-4 musicians in their singer/songwriter showcase for FREE, which you can't beat. I'm interested to attend more events here and see how it caters to other types of events.

Thursday nights are like Wednesday nightsClose but no cigar to the weekend. Where longer days turn into shorter nights,Giving way to the small Oneway street that leads you to the triangle shaped deck with a giant Poplar tree that acts out the role of stage curtain for open mic poetry night. Where countless words are expressed over beats and finger plucks of cherished strings. All under the blush of 24 patio string light bulbs with their soft glow trailing into the silhouette of souls scattered like the last of the Fall Dandelions on the grassy knoll that just don't want to give up on the world yet.Yes.... this is a great place.

I preface this by saying that I am sure the Irving Theater has a purpose for certain shows/events. I could see it being good for Rocky Horror or a local punk band's CD release party (if those even exist anymore). This past Saturday night, I saw the comedian Gallagher there. Once the lights were out, it wasn't bad. With the lights out, you couldn't notice the roof trusses that looked like they were going to collapse. The Men's room has one urinal and one bowl, but no actual stall. If someone had to use the bowl, there would zero way to do it in this building. I have read some reviews about renovations forthcoming. Both comedians mentioned that a fire would be a good thing to happen to the building. Again, nothing fancy or showy and I guess you don't really go to the Irving for fancy or showy.

This building is being used for ITOWN church services at this time. The set up for the services is great and has wonderful potential; however, I will say I was slightly taken aback by the holes in the walls and stains and areas that looked like mold. I would love to do some DIY in the building to make it something beautiful and more inviting since it's been left alone for a while. There is a stage and a projector screen as well as several seating options once inside.

This old theatre is getting renovated and hosting various events as well. Today it is the location for the "11th Annual Alternative Gift Fair". We have checked out this gift fair in previous years because it is "The Place" to pick out a truly unique gift. I bought a necklace here for my Mom to give her sister in California. She ended up loving it and the little inscription of 'love you to the moon and back'. My wife found these cute little scarves with a zipper pocket for a phone. She got the buy 2 get 1 free deal, 3 gifts at one stop and locally made!!!! They are always hosting something in this space that is worth a look so come in and check it out!

I've been to the Irving Theater a handful of times over recent years including tonight's show before a solid crowd for the Blue Monkey Sideshow, a show that is actually perfectly suited to an older facility like the Irving. The Irving Theater first opened in 1913 as a 535-seat moviehouse in a Spanish style with an Oriental motif. Strangely enough, it was actually called The Irving Theater in the very beginning. At some point, the Walker family bought it and did a modest renovation including slightly expanding seating and adding some tech improvements. In 1969, the Walker family sold it and it became the Festival Theatre, an adult movie theater and ran that way for about 10 years. In the early 80's, it became the Zenon I Theatre and offered second-run films and occasional live shows. In 1987, it again became the Irving Theater and actually had some success as an arthouse/foreign film theater but closed again in 1994. It laid dormant for quite a while until finally sold in 2007, operating over recent years as a sort of urban entertainment complex that hosts everything from concerts to comedy to festivals and much more. The glory days of the theater are gone, but among the city's older theaters that we always talk about saving it seems to be the one that has had the greatest success. If you require a lot of the usual creature comforts and luxury, then the Irving is now a joint for you. While parking in Irvington is always a bit of a hassle, and there's definitely less of a village vibe here than in Fountain Square, you can typically find either street parking or nearby parking lots. I'm in a wheelchair and I've never had trouble finding acceptable parking, though actual "accessible" parking can be a bit tricky. The front entrance to the Irving is accessible, though going into the actual theater involves a modest incline. My wheelchair also fits through if only one of the theater's sets of doors is open - this is modestly unusual in older theaters as the doorways were historically narrow. As has been noted, seating is kind of odd, but actually quite wheelchair friendly including church pews near the back and folding chairs and/or other chair arrangements toward the front. The Irving advertises a seating capacity of 600 (400 banquet style), though I'll confess I have a bit of trouble imagining 600 people in the space. My guess is that there were a couple hundred for tonight's show and that's about the most packed I've seen the place. However, it's hosting more and more B-list comedy acts and recent shows have definitely attracted bigger crowds. Over the past few years, I also have to say that the owners are clearly improving the place slowly but surely. The audio systems are massively improved over even 5 years ago, while the interior decor has gone from looking like a gutted out theater to more of an industrial feeling. Personally? I love it. If you're a performer, the stage is pretty old school with a pretty deep pit. They do offer green rooms. However, I will note that the stage itself is actually not wheelchair friendly. At all. I'm not sure about the restrooms as I've never used them at the Irving. At tonight's show, they had vendors selling Blue Monkey gear and Flat 12 was there selling beer. Both areas were easily wheelchair friendly. The Irving is also near to a bookstore, a coffeehouse, Black Acre Brewing, Jockamo's and a few other dining options. While a 4-star rating might be a little generous, I give kudos for keeping the ole' spot going and for recent improvements. The staff members are always friendly and it offers a great place for lower-budgeted shows to perform in an actual theater. So, yeah, the Irving has a special place in Indy history and in my heart.

Great sounding room!Good music venue.I've seen many great shows here! And I've played it a few times. I definitely would recommend the Songwriters Circle that happens once a month. Great talent!