James R Armstrong Theatre

We love this place. It is located right in Torrance in the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. It is perfect. Parking is not only free, it is easy. I am disabled and was able to have my husband drive me right to the front and drop me off. He then parked himself and we met at the front.This is an all volunteer staff and they are lovely. They will help you find your seat or buy what you want. They have beer and wine and snacks. You can have them in the lobby or in their adorable outdoor seating error. I don't think you can take in anything but water, I just don't recall. They also have soda and all their snacks are in the cute logo bags. You can tell the volunteers are proud of this place and they should be.There is not a bad seat in the house. The seats are comfortable and the entire space is spotless. You can even go outside if you need a break or there is an intermission.We took out grandson to the see The Bill Withers Songbooks and it was amazing. The sound was perfect. The singer and his band were just great and he sounded like Mr. Withers. He also did some of his own music and it was great.Getting in and out is easy. The patrons are nice. The staff is the best,There is nothing not to like so you must go. Use their website or Google TOCA and you will find a list of upcoming events. The area is safe, it is all just wonderful.

If you are able to see an event you like, this is the place to see it. The sight lines are good and you can't be much closer to the performance. The staff is friendly. The parking is free and convenient. The snack bar might knock it down .5 stars as it is basic. There's a Japanese garden about a 150 feet to the right of the entrance that is fun to kill time at if you are early.

I love this theatre! So clean and organized. The staff is friendly. No matter where you sit, you can see the stage. They have a bar that serves beer, wine, and non-alcohol beverages. They also serve light snacks. They have tables and chairs in the lobby while waiting for the show to start.Plenty of parking spaces.

The Theater: It is hard to see the theater while driving around the complex. This theater is right behind the George Nakano Theater. It is a mid-size theater. Every seat has good view to the stage. The sound system is so-so. The theater is well maintained. The Parking: Right in front of the Torrance Cultural Arts Center sign. Plenty of parking (free).

Nice, clean easy to find venue with plenty of free parking. Seats were comfy and there didn't seem to be any bad seats. Staff was very friendly. There was also a small bar in the lobby which sold drinks and snacks. I deducted a star for 2 reasons: 1) The air conditioner was set an a near freezing temperature. Lots of people were sniffling from the cold air and kept on big coats and scarves during the entire play because it was so chilly. 2) This venue has pretty steep seating. You have to walk down a decline because there's no steps down. For people like me who wore heels, it was scary. I also saw elderly people being walked down the aisle ways. Be extra careful!

Large parking lot (with ample space for each car), comfortable seating, clean bathrooms are all essential elements for an enjoyable experience at a venue, and Armstrong Theater's got them all.The acoustics is the most important element, and that's right on the ball too.

I went there over the weekend for a co-workers Choral of Land and Sea performance. I have to say I have been the library countless times since middle school, and have not once stepped into this theater. I think I've even been in the courtyard for some festival, but I guess never bothered to notice. It's actually very nice and there's not a bad seat in the house. The red-velour type seats are pretty comfy and all the volunteer women who hand you your programs and help you locate your seats are just way too cute.

Seen a few plays here so far, may not go back. The auditorium is grand, with comfortable seating, attracts a nice audience. The actors are sincere and salt and peppered with talent. Casting seems desperate as some of the actors DO NOT fit the roles they are portraying. But after all, the producers can only cast who shows up. When I saw Beauty And The Beast there recently, there were technical problems. Mostly with sound. When Mrs Potts was on stage about to sing "Tale as Old as Time" her microphone went dead before she uttered a note. So Beauty and the Beast danced to an instrumental with Mrs Potts (an amazing singer) barely audible. When the Beast turned into a prince at the end, He looked more like a friendly WalMart shopper in the cookie section. Let's put it this way, Belle was obviously not attracted to him (no chemistry). Props however go to all the wonderful child actors,and village extras the other scene stealers were Belle in full gown, Mrs Potts, Chip, Lumiere and the Feather Duster girl. These are the only ones that make this "musical" with sound issues tolerable. If you plan on going here, request a sound check.Testing Testing 123 Testing. How difficult is that? C'mon you folks that handle the sound please do not embarrass your actors!

Such Easy ACCESS! Parking is Free and plentiful. It's very close to the theater You can drop someone off right in front. Prices are reasonable. Staff is amazingly cheerful and helpful Seats are comfortable (and I am a big girlThe Motown Revival band waa top notch.

Torrance theaterAttended a performance of How to Succeed in Business the other night. Although the performers were really good, we had to leave during the intermission. The theater was more like a meat locker than a place to enjoy an evening out. It was so very uncomfortable. This is our third attempt at this theater, and it will be the last. Apparently reporting to staff about this out of control air conditioning is useless. They have agreed with us about the freezing temperature in the theater, but tell us that the thermostat is in ANOTHER BUILDING. Thus they have no control. Because we had experienced this on two prior occasions, we brought in blankets this time. Really did not help. Okay, $71 for half a show, we've learned our lesson. Never again. Obviously Torrance does not really give a damn.