Aronoff Center

Wow. This has to be the most poorly-​run professional theater I’ve ever been in. Three windows at the box office; only one is open, with a long line. Three other employees sitting in the box office doing nothing while two do all the work.
Very poor signage for finding your seats — black doors in generic staircases lead to the theater, but which side should you be on? Who knows? Just go explore.
Way too few toilets for shared duty between two theaters, and the location means you have to fight the crowds in the lobby to get there from the theater.
Who designed this POS?!

Awesome venue. We saw The Book of Mormon. View from 2^nd floor was very good. Close enough for expressions. Intermission bathroom line moved quickly and lots of drink/​snack choices. We stayed close by the night before and bar crawled. Make it a weekend and it is lots of fun!

We saw Book of Mormon here over the weekend. The show is fantastic, and I encourage everyone to see it, The theater is quite nice inside and out, with good sightlines and acoustics. From the loge (1^st balcony) we had a nice view of the stage and the theater interior. Biggest complaint is that the seats are small, especially considering the expanding size of Americans’ butts.
Getting in and out was no problem, even though the house was sold out for 2000+ seats. Refreshments are offered, but quite expensive as you would expect. Downtown parking is often a hassle, and the theater doesn’t have its own, so parking in a lot or garage and walking a few blocks is necessary. Still this is a very nice venue for theater productions. The smaller theaters adjacent to the main one I didn’t see, but as the city’s prestige center this does quite nicely.

Always enjoy the shows here. Great theatre. Clean bathrooms. Helpful staff. The shows they get are always fantastic. Website is easy to use to buy tickets.

Beautiful theater venue. There truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. We were up in the second balcony and the view was just fine. There’s a wonderful aura at this theater. great lighting and architecture. The staff is great as well. An overall terrific experience.

This place was amazing. I loved the way the front was designed with the extremely tall and grand entrance, I felt like a kid in a candy store. This was my first time in the center and my first professional dance company. It was a surprise gift from my partner as this was something I have wanted for years. The snacks and drinks were fairly prices; however, there was only decaffeinated coffee at the intermission. We were sitting in the very last row on the highest balcony and we still had a great view. The railing was a little high and in the view a little bit but if I leaned forward it was fine. I signed up for emails from them and hope to attend another show here in the next few months.

This is such a nice venue, whether you’re seeing the ballet or a Broadway show. I actually really like sitting in the balcony because I love to see the orchestra playing. I love the location too, very close to nice restaurants and Fountain Square.

Great theater! I was there for The Nutcracker and had a lovely time. I was embarrassed because dinner took a little longer than expected and we arrived late. Everyone was so nice about it and helped us get to our seats without judging us!

A great venue for any kind of show! I have been to Aronoff center for a musical and ballet and both have been very good experiences.
For the musical, we were in the back and the sound system and acoustics were excellent. We equally enjoyed the live orchestra from the front row seats for ballet. Overall excellent experience. For a venue, this is as good as it gets in Cincinnati!

Great venue, easy to get in. You never wait in long lines to enter. Parking is a bear but it’s downtown so it’s expected. There’s a lot across the street for only $ 10! Lots of food options all around it too. We’ve been to the nutcracker the last 7 years and I’ve been impressed each time.

I went and saw the MythBuster’s show. It was awesome! The chairs were comfortable and there didn’t look like a really bad seat in the place. Seems pretty well designed and the sound system was good. Overall a good place to see a show!

Reviewed on 2 Levels:
1) The show
2) The facility
1) The show was good and as expected. Went to see Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. An older crowd for sure but a great way to start the holiday season. A decent value for the price.
2) The facility is getting old and needs to be updated in several areas:
a. Seating — old, tight seats with little leg room — no good seating options for heavy people — saw a well dressed man who was overweight have a hard time getting to his seat, into his seat and it definitely was embarrassing and uncomfortable for him and his seat mate — he tried to ask for assistance but there is little one can do when all the seats are tight and narrow
b. Restrooms — clean but small and not enough to handle a large theater crowd — outdated paint, tile and fixtures
c. Concessions — nice people, slow service and poorly laid out — the entire «foyer» area is not well designed, cumbersome and flows poorly — too crowded with not enough space for people to mingle — long lines that meander in senseless ways
d. Merchandise — poorly laid out with little shelf space — did not entice me to purchase anything
e. Location — excellent — center of downtown and near several good restaurants — ample and available parking — curbside drop off a plus
f. Sound — It was OK to Good — I have experienced better in sound in other venues, theaters and halls — did not detract from this show.
Overall, we are very lucky to have a strong theater and arts community in cincinnati and this facility was top-​notch when it opened. They take good care of it but the physical plant has just gotten older and lost a little relevancy with today’s times and needs. Music Hall gets to much attention and money… a fund should be created to help upgrade, update and enhance this wonderful addition to our community, The Aronoff.

My Sister and I visited the Aronoff for friday night’s Mythbusters show. We were seated up on the house right side of the balcony (about 4 rows in). These ended up being pretty good seats, we could see and hear everything without any trouble. The restrooms are conveniently located and there are plenty of bars around for refreshments of all varieties.
My only criticisms are the placement of the merch table (in the center of the main stairwell) which made getting to the stairs up to the balcony a challenge. And the fact that there are only 2 small stairwells down from the balcony and loge areas… it gets massively backed up, although (again) having the merch table were it was certainly didn’t help.

We continue to enjoy coming to the Aronoff for the Broadway Across America series. I appreciate the volunteer ushers and the ongoing effort of the Aronoff to offer high-​quality and a variety of performances year after year. I like that we can bring our drinks into the show, but the seats are getting to be fairly worn. A friend that we go with can feel the springs in her seat! We will still renew next year!

The best place in town to grab a show. The seating is comfortable and offers great views of the stage. The acoustics are paired perfectly without brilliant lighting throughout. I always leave with a smile after viewing a show here.

Saw Jerry Seinfeld there recently. Man, its a big place. Parking wasnt bad as we got into a garage about a block from the theater. Paid about $ 10 maybe… walked over and its in a busy location of downtown Cincy.
The drinks are a bit pricy inside the theater but its such a nice place that is not unusual. The theater is beautiful and huge. The only downside is they pack you in tight but if the show is good, its not that bad.
If you get a chance, catch a show there. Really cool place.

The Arnoff is always amazing. I have been in every theater here and there is not a bad seat in the house. The theater show many different forms of art and entertainment from broadway shows to one person acts, comedy, ballet, you name it they probably show it.
The theaters are very old style seating with the rows close but at such a good elevation from the seats in front of you generally you will always be able to see around the perosn in front of you.
Currently we are seeing the Lion King for the second time and is such a good production.

The acoustics in the place are off ‘da chain!!!
We sat a nearly at the back and I still heard every single thing. Not to mention the whole place is gorgeous, especially around Christmas time.
The drinks were overpriced and outdated – but hey, that’s theatre life. I’ll drink at a Nicholson’s before or after from now on: D

I mean what is not to love about this place?! It is spectacular and one of Cincy’s beauties.
Seating wise, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. I’ve been all over (except the balcony — i don’t like heights). Definitely catch a ballet or Cincy on Broadway show here. It’s amazing!

I’ve been to theatres in London and Paris… and the Aronoff still takes my breath away. The event center for the Cincinnati Ballet and numerous Broadway performances each season is quite spectacular. There’s a decandence to the main hall. If you’re sitting and waiting for the curtains go up, tilt your head and back and checkout the beautiful ceiling dotted with seemingly hundreds of lights. The acoustics are great and I’ve never had a negative experience at the Aronoff.

Great acoustics, no bad seats. Comfortable accommodations. Ample parking in garages on the side streets/​street parking. The ushers are everything, if not the most pleasant volunteers in all of Cincinnati. The theater is immaculate at any given time. Truly beautiful. Nothing too opulent, it’s more modest as far as theaters go. Bring cash for pre-​show/​intermission drinks, no cards are accepted unfortunately. On the flip side, there are so many tremendous businesses to grab a drink after the show, especially Obscura (literally directly across the street from the theater). I definitely enjoy a trip to the Aranoff :)

My previous review was pretty harsh, based on bad shows I saw rather than the venue.
I have to give it to Aronoff, the venue is very modern, elegant and deserves some more stars. I like the cash bars, helpful ushers who will bring people to their seats even in the middle of the act (which may be good or bad), location downtown, the gallery at the corner.
There is plenty to like about Aronoff.
As for a programme, I guess that is a matter of taste.
It is great that they bring Broadway series and some other stars, would be cool if they kept Shen yun and psychics away from main stage. After all, this is theater, keep some quality standard!
There is always room for improvement, like more bathrooms for women (always long lines there), more leg space (it’s tight as in aircraft) and I would appreciate if they would not bring people who were late to their mid-​row seats in the middle of the act (those people could be seated at the edge of the rows till intermission!).
Overally, nice cultural center!

I have been to this location several times. I have yet to find a seat that does not give me a good view of the stage. The Center also offers snacks, drinks, and restrooms all every level (even in the nose-​bleeds). I recently saw Dirty Dancing here and have now invested in the Aronoff Broadway Series season pass. It is worth it!

Just wanted to let you in on a little secret; when you get a drink before the show, buy a second but ask them I hold it for intermission. When intermission comes, your drink is freshly made just before you get there with your name on top and you don’t have to stand in line! You’re welcome.

Amazing theater!!! If you have never been here to see a show, you are missing out. Everything from the staff to the show experience is great!

I’ve been to a few events here in the last few years and I am always impressed with this venue. It’s beautiful and the staircase is lovely. It’s always clean and the seating is very comfortable. I’ve never had any issues with my tickets or interacting with the staff.

The Aronoff is a GREAT theater. I have had the privilege of seeing three musicals at the Aronoff now including Ghost, The Book of Mormon, and Evita. Each time I have been impressed by the acoustics in the theater, the seats (every seat seems to be fantastic), and the staff. Located right downtown, there are many dining options within walking distance, making any show at the Aronoff the perfect date night!
My only complaint is probably the limited number of bathrooms, but I feel like the bathroom situation during intermission at every musical is always a disaster.

Sooooo, I wanted tickets to see Book of Mormon, and instead of struggling online for good seats, I decided to stop in one afternoon at the Aronoff and poke around, hoping to find someone that could offer guidance.
I immediately encountered the sweetest lady, who after finding out what night we wanted to attend and how many seats we needed (4), picked three available locations, and TOOK me to SEE and SIT IN the available seats, so I could pick the best location. Now people, that is customer service!
Every experience I’ve ever had here is wonderful, and we are fortunate to have this venue in our city. Again, it’s not the place, but the people that earn that fifth star.
Can’t wait to See Wicked (again) in March!