The Most Scrumptious Performing Arts in Wichita

Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Personally, I have never been a customer but I live above this business & I have met some of the staff and they are wonderfully friendly and I enjoy hearing students playing the piano & other instruments that they are learning to play through the walls. The services they offer to children is a great benefit to the structure of their upbringing & helps build character."

Mosley Street Melodramas

★★★★★ 4.5 (18)

"I used to have a personal goal to visit, see and experience all 50 states and all 6 US territories (which I recently achieved). Mosley Street Melodrama was part of my trip to Kansas in pursuit of this goal, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my visit to the state of Kansas. As another yelper has pointed out, the first part of the show is an interactive skit (where audience participation is invoked), and the second part consists of the cast singing, dancing and telling jokes, which also includes interaction with the audience. It happened to be close to Halloween, so the second half of the show had a spooky theme, and all the songs, jokes etc. related to the paranormal.The show concluded with a pleasant chit chat with the cast and the writer."

Poncan Theatre

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"This is a must stop when visiting Ponca City. The historical architecture has been tastefully restored. Stepping inside is like stepping back in time. This is a wonderful place for attending concerts, live plays, and movies. Some of my favorites were Phantom of the Opera and some of the olllllld Christmas movies!!"

C.L. Hoover Opera House

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"My husband and I did an impromptu road trip to Manhattan so I could see my old university stomping grounds. When a friend had to cancel plans for Saturday evening, we needed to find something to keep us entertained. After googling "live music" we found "Jazz at the Junction" at the Opera House. We made the drive over to Junction City and are so glad we did. We didn't actually see the theater, as the jazz concert was held in the lobby. The group performing was Wayne Goin and Friends and the music was fantastic. There was a $5 suggested donation at the door, free popcorn, and snacks, beer and wine also available by donation. There was a good sized crowd for a small, community theater in Junction City. There was a tv in the lobby with scrolling announcements of upcoming events and it looks like they have a little of everything...musicals, comedy, dance, and productions for children. If I lived in Junction City I'd definitely take advantage of the events this little opera house is offering."

Wichita Children's Theatre & Dance Center

★★★★★ 4.7 (3)

"This place is amazing. I first learned of this theater when my oldest two children attended Buckner Elementary (performing art magnet school). We had many field trips here. It is filled with so much live talent, that you just keep wanting to come back. There is a matinee special for kids and parents of pizza and a show for very cheap. If your children love make-believe... you should definitely take them here. You can call and get a calendar of upcoming events and show times."

The Forum Theatre

★★★★☆ 4.3 (7)

"The Royale performers filled the room with their energy tonight. Incredible show. The play centers on a boxer in the early 1900s and the realities of the Jim Crow era. The storyline and staging "punches" you in the gut. Very well written and done. I had never seen a ply presented in such a way. I highly recommend it. I plan to attend other plays at The Forum."

Stiefel Theatre

★★★★★ 4.5 (10)

"Drove in from Kansas City to see Al Stewart in concert. The theater is beautiful and seems to book some great shows. There are about 5 shows that I would love to return for this year, and it's only about 2.5 hour drive from KC with lots of pit stops along the way with things to do or see. I was disappointed that the theater was only about half full for such a great artist that doesn't tour frequently. I sat front row on the balcony and had perfect acoustics and a great vantage point to watch the show. Good job Stiefel!"

Flying Pig Improv

★★★★★ 5 (9)

"SUPER FUN time here tonight at the Improv Show. I'm an improv nerd, every city we go to we see an improv show: indy, Tampa, Jackson, etc. every so often fpi has improv on Friday or Saturday . Tix are $10 and they give you a nonalcoholic beverage. Seats are limited. We got there around 7:35 and felt good about picking our seats. We laughed a lot.They also do drop in classes on Saturdays around 11- I'm definitely going soon!"

Fox Theatre

★★★★★ 4.9 (8)

"The Fox Theatre is definitely something that Hutchinson has to be proud of. First built in 1931, the Fox is one of the finest examples of art deco architecture in the US. A special selection of films are shown at the Fox on the weekends. Book your tickets fast, they're usually only showing for a few days. Aside from movies, the Fox boasts excellent live shows featuring orchestras, plays and singers. Tours of the theatre are available as well for a nominal fee. I will admit it was worth the money to learn more about the history of this beautiful building.A bit of Fox history, according to their web site:* The Fox marquee was the first flashing display of neon in Kansas and is one of only several surviving, functioning, original marquees in the country.* Two films held their premieres at the Fox with the cast appearing at the event: "Wait 'Til the Sun Shines Nellie (1952) and "Picnic" (1955).* The theatre closed in 1985 and stood empty until 1990 when Hutchinson's Historic Theatre, Inc., a non-profit corporation purchased it. After undergoing a $4.5 million restoration, the Fox re-opened in 1999."

Gaslight Theatre

★★★★★ 4.6 (7)

"Excellent productions! Fiddler was exceptional. A nice cultural experience in a small town environment."

Great Bend Community Theatre

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"An absolutely wonderful venue we are all proud of and very lucky to have. It is a jewel of Great Bend that is a historic Crest movie theater converted into a contemporary Play house."

Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"I've attended many events at Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium over the years, from a speaking performance by Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) to tattoo shows. Most recently, I've attended several productions of Midwest Regional Ballet held here. This is a very well-kept venue and plenty large for its small community. It's a shame they don't publicize and use it for even more - I think it would be a terrific concert venue for start up and moderately successful performers traveling through the area. It's about a hundred times nicer than the nearby Joplin Memorial Hall."

Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center

★★★★☆ 3.8 (11)

"The 2015 Midwest Wine Fest was amazing!! This venue was perfect for it. The setup was excellent. There were hundreds of wineries showcasing their wines and many restaurants displaying high quality, full flavored, generous portions of their signature dishes. This was one of the best wine fest I've ever been to! Once again this was the best venue possible for an even like this. I'm glad I got to be a part of this. Cheers!"

Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy

★★★★★ 5 (6)

"The nation's longest running community dinner theatre provides nearly 260 nights a year of extraordinary entertainment."

Heartland Opera Theatre

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"A FANTASTIC Entertainment EVENT in Joplin! Check it out http://www.heartlandoperatheatre.comThey perform on the campus of MSSU in Taylor Auditorium and also at other performance venues around Joplin, MO. October 23 & 25 , 2015 is CARMEN"

McPherson Opera House Preservation

★★★★★ 5 (4)

"Our company has a manufacturing plant in this community. We came here for a series of training as we needed space for 20 people. This facility has been renovated and offers the community such a lovely facility. They have music and plays. Rooms that can be used for training and events. The backstage in the opera venue Seema very state of the art with sound and lights. The team here is amazing to work with and it Seema like a very affordable option for meeting or event space. Will be using this facility moving forward."

Orpheum Theatre

★★★★☆ 4.4 (16) • $$

"Who doesn't love an old Theater. The Orpheum in Wichita Kansas is one of the few well preserved theaters of it's type. It's amazing how all the one star features add up to five stars!Seats- terribly uncomfortableAcoustics- average by today's standardsRoom to roam- efficient space design squeezes you into your row and seatSo I felt more than fortunate to see one of my all time favorite singer songwriters here!Just Jackson Brown with twenty five of his favorite acoustic guitars.The experience was ethereal and I don't expect it to be duplicated, in a venue of any age.So,when we get back to normal I'll be seeking out these lovely ladies of yor to see my favorite performers."

Stone's Throw Dinner-Theatre

★★★★★ 4.8 (9)

"I returned to Stone's Throw and was blown away by the quality acting of The Bad Seed. Also, their facility has been dramatically updated since my last visit and is a comfortable and attractive place to watch live theater. It was a beautiful night out even in COVID-19 times, and they took social distancing very seriously and required masks for patrons. We had a lovely evening and will return with absolute certainty. Five stars plus."

Roxy's Downtown

★★★★☆ 4.3 (10)

"Roxy's is a really cool performance space. Even though it is located downtown right on Douglas, it is still fairly hidden. When you climb the stairs you enter a whole new world. A classic looking theater type space with comfortable tiered seating makes it so there isn't a bad seat in the house. I've attended comedy shows, informational talks, and live theater performances here and they were all wonderful. There is also a full bar to satisfy all of your alcohol needs."

Crown Uptown Theatre

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (18)

"My brother, his girlfriend and my husband and I attended Rocky Horror Live. The whole experience was a blast. Venue: The venue is amazing. Big, bold and brash... the way a theater should be. The space is huge and the decor has been restored. The theater is set up with large and small dining/seating areas; bar in the back; buffet in the back. We went for the front row seats... or the splash zone as I like to call it. You are really in the middle of the action here. Service: checking in was a breeze. We bought out tickets on line and went for the early show. They offered their own party/pleasure pack for this event. $5 gets you a bag of props and instructions: bubbles, TP, boa, playing cards, newspaper etc. Our server was quick and polite. Food and Drink: it was a carb heavy buffet, but everything was pretty good: bow tie pasta, mac and cheese, meatloaf--- get it?... they all had themed names for the dishes, but I'm not that clever in remembering them. Dessert selection was huge with the apple pie being the best. The drinks were very strong and again had theme names. Performance: The production of Rocky Horror was the highlight. Dinner theater gets a bad wrap. We were all very impressed with the cast. Brad "A*******" and Janet "S***" really shined. But the star was Frank N. Furter. Really an outstanding performance. I can't say enough. He owned the role and gave Tim Curry a run for his money. Having seen this live, I have a whole new respect for any performer that sings and dances in 6 inch heals, fishnets and a corset for 2 hours. The Emcee was pretty tame to all the virgins. The crowd was a bit mellow, but again we went to the early show. So if you are in town and are looking for an experience, this place is highly recommended."

Manhattan Arts Center

★★★★★ 5 (2) • $$

"They always have great programs. I've never seen a bad play here. I like the art gallery, too. It's small, but they have new displays regularly and take great pride in featuring local artists."

Want Bierock Company & Coffee House

★★★★☆ 3.8 (50) • $

"My little sister was searching for spots to study and we stumbled upon this little sweet spot. This refurbished McDonald's is designed with inspirational quotes on the wall and two sides packed full of comfortable seats!I ordered the Caramel Macchiato and my sister ordered the Pomegranate Black Tea (free refills when you're in store). I thought that the Caramel Macchiato was too milky, compared to the proportion of coffee. Also, they did not sweeten the tea.Although the drinks weren't my favorite, the service was phenomenal!! The owner lady walked around and conversed with the clients there. I thought it was super sweet and it definitely made the visit better."

Topeka Performing Arts Center

★★★★☆ 3.6 (7)

"Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) has been the home for the Topeka Jazz Workshop (TJW) since its post-Covid return. Before the height of Covid, TJW held performances at the nearby Ramada hotel. TPAC is an older venue and could use some small updates like paint, but that's a very small complaint. The staff is all really nice and welcoming. The concession area is nicer than other concert venues, and the prices aren't outrageous. TJW meets in one of the ballrooms downstairs and the lighting and sound are very well done. There are nearby restrooms, but the doors leading from the ballroom to the hall by the restrooms are oddly loud- definitely jarring and annoying during a show. TJW is held on Sundays and parking is free- there's a parking lot as well as metered parking. I'm assuming that the meters aren't free during the week."