Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre

We feel so incredibly lucky to be only a few minutes away from this fabulous venue. Every production we’ve viewed there has been top notch, and rivaled any touring production we’ve ever seen. And it’s community theatre! There’s some serious talent in this city! We’ve been blown away by Les Mis, Spamalot, Pippen, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wizard of Oz, and more. Most recently, we were there for the Jr. Civic production of Alice in Wonderland. What a great group of talented kids!
The theatre building itself is beautiful, spotlessly clean, and well managed by helpful ushers. There’s a bar where you can grab a drink or snack before the show or during intermission. Once you’re inside, there’s not a bad seat in the house.
Take advantage of the theatre in your own backyard! You’ll be impressed. I promise!

It’s small, intimate, and doesn’t have a bad seat in the house.
There are a lot of civic, local productions, which are surprisingly good. I have seen a lot of productions on Broadway, Toronto, Vegas, etc. and the productions here are not exactly those but they are very entertaining and well done and cost a fraction of the big venue productions. The parking is also free in the parking structure attached to the same building.
Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is another reason why Carmel is rated as one of the best places to live, according to Money Magazine and others.

For the first time for Mother’s Day, my hubby took me to the Civic Theatre for Les Mis. I have seen it three other times and I was blown away! The theater is a great size and all the ticket prices were the same and somehow he managed to get us fabulous second row middle and I could see the lines in the actors faces as they sang my favorite songs. During the final scene when the rebels are killed, I was so close I could watch for them to take a breath (they didn’t!). It was incredible how well done this show was. The sound was AMAZING, the orchestra blew me away and the intimacy of the theater was awesome!
I would definitely be back to see another show. They host an amazing array of choices throughout the year for affordable prices and they serve snacks, beer/​wine and soda/​waters upon entering. It’s easy to get parking and it’s very simple to find. The theater have a program for kids who are interested in the stage and they offer local actors great opportunities.
Other than being a little chilly (bring a sweater, ladies), it was a perfect experience. I truly think this is a great place for anyone to see a show live. It is accessible, easy and affordable. Don’t miss out on this if you enjoy theater. I am looking forward to the next time…