Overture Center For The Arts

Such a classy place. We went to the 2016 Frostiball and had an amazing time. The tickets are pricey, but it goes to supporting the arts so you don’t have to feel guilty about it. Very clean venue and impressive architecture.

We have seen several shows here, most recentely Beauty and the Beast on 1÷13÷2015. First off, don’t plan on drinking here. The prices for wine are –expensive-​, $ 8 for a glass of basic wine.
My biggest complaint is that the couple next to us did not bother to buy a ticket for their 5 year old son. He either stood in front of everyone or sat in Dad’s lap. I’m sure this really badgered the family behind us who actually DID buy a ticket for their much younger daughter.
Staff said nothing about this, but they did have time to instead come over and tell me to put my phone away after taking a picture of the stage before the show started. I have never, ever been told we could not take a picture of just the stage pre-​show. Was told it was because they didn’t want anyone stealing the «set design idea». WTF? There were NO signs telling us this anywhere to warn us.
The theater is nice and all, but for the price of the tickets and beverages, it’s become a once a year type thing instead of several trips.

Highlights/​Lowlights
1) Awesome ambiance
2) great location downtown
3) awesome Broadway show line ups!
Talk about a gorgeous venue! The ambiance of Overture is sophisticated and its the perfect venue to catch a play or Broadway show in Madison. Located right on State Street, the Overture Center is conveniently located near many great restaurants to grab dinner before or after the show!
Overture always has an awesome line up of Broadway shows! I just saw Newsies there which was INCREDIBLE! The ²⁰¹⁵⁄₂₀₁₆ season includes Wicked, Kinky Boots, MoTown and Lion KIng. Definitely not a season you want to miss!
Beverage stands are located in several places on all the floors. A glass of wine costs $ 8 but once you have the plastic souvenir cup you get $ 1 off of each beverage. You can bring it back the next time you go too. Woo!
The staff is super nice and helpful. Always a great night at Overture!

I have been to many plays/​musicals and concerts here, and they never disappoint. Last week we saw Wicked — BLOWN AWAY! Not only was the story and music itself awesome, but the set design was just magical. We sat in the mezzanine section and could see everything fabulously.
Pricey for these shows? Sure, but worth it.

Saw opening night of Newsies Tuesday night (thanks Unilocal!). Go see this show while it is still in town! It was a high energy show from start to finish with songs that will stick in your head long after curtain call and dancing and athleticism that will make your jaw drop. Being a former ‘techie’, I was super impressed with the set; how they made it move and also incorporated technology into it.
It was unfortunate that everyone in the audience’s phones went off about the same time (thanks to an Amber Alert), but the cast handled it with poise and grace.
Disney always puts on a great production, and Newsies does not disappoint. Seriously, go see it today!

Excited for the 2015 – 16 season that the Overture has in store. I kicked it off with Newsies and am hoping to make it to Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, and Lion King. They have a great location and venue to boot!

We are truly blessed to have a performing art center such as this in a town the size of Madison. I find the architecture of the building to be stunning-​clean lines and the view of the capitol from the second floor to be second to none. The center itself houses a few theaters and puts on many different shows throughout the year. Much like the public areas, Overture Hall is absolutely eye candy. It’s bright, sleek, and sophisticated. Seating is well laid out and acoustics are phenomenal. Why go to Chicago or Milwaukee when we have this in our back yard?
Pro-​tip: Keep and bring back your plastic overture glass for $ 1 future drink purchases.

We came here for opening night of Newsies and it was outstanding! The space is beautiful, very artistic and vey cool lighting. Plenty of bathrooms (I don’t even remember the last time I didn’t need to wait in line during the intermissions) and for the most part they were well kept. The seats were comfortable both for myself and my 6 foot 6 inch tall husband. He also noted that he had adequate leg room, which is rare! The staff was all very friendly from the ushers to the bartender (sidebar…they only have drinks… the delicious looking cheesecake picture at the top of this page is no longer sold much to all of our disappointment). The sound acoustics were amazing and from our view it looked like there was not a bad seat in the house. Parking is close in a structure, and we were able to get out of the structure within five minutes, another rare theater experience. The show itself was outstanding, if we could afford to go again tomorrow we would in a heartbeat! Seize the day and buy your tickets to Newsies ASAP!

My wife and I live in Oakland, CA but are originally from the Madison area. When we got engaged we knew we wanted to get married back home. We searched around but soon settled on OCA and Catering a Fresco for our event. Taralinda, the event coordinator, was beyond amazing with her responsiveness, professionalism and creativity that helped make our wedding ceremony run without a hitch. Amanda, the catering manager, was very informative and flexible, which is what we needed when planning our day from 2,000 miles away. Our ceremony and reception took place in the Promenade Hall and Terrace – it was simple beautiful. We are both vegetarian and so was our entire event. We had many skeptical, meat-​eating relatives that could not stop raving about the food! Amanda and Taralinda were also great at coordinating with our other vendors to ensure that day was perfect.
It should also be noted that we are a same-​sex couple and were a bit concerned when searching for a wedding location. OCA and Catering a Fresco were extremely inclusive and treated us and our guests with the utmost respect. We would HIGHLY recommend this location to our LGBT family.

From Kids in the Rotunda to Broadway plays like the current running show — Mamma Mia, our family loves the Overture Center for the Arts.
Thanks Unilocal for the tickets to Mamma Mia this week!
Thanks to the Overture for hosting a wedding with 1,000 of Madison’s closest friends and family. What a cool idea.
*Shout out to Carl’s cake for delicious cake.*
The Overture Center for the Arts provides Madison area with a high quality venue for the arts. Hard to find one better in the midwest.
If you have kids and you haven’t checked out the FREE, yes I said free, Kids in the Rotunda, please do. We have seen the Madison Ballet Company, music, magicians, all fantastic programming that held our two year olds attention and our seven year olds attention for an hour. If you have kids you know what a miracle that is.

Beautifully renovated with a good selection of shows each season. Don’t overlook the smaller theaters the space houses — both the Capitol Theater and Playhouse host great smaller productions.

If you have a chance to see a show or performance at Overture Center for the Arts — do it! I believe I saw Trampled by Turtles (among others) in Overture Hall and Fitz and the Tantrums in Capitol Theater. Both shows were superb and the venue only heightened the experience — to say the venue is classy isn’t giving it enough justice. It’s well maintained and if you’re drinking — you get an adult sippy cup for wine. Bring it back and get a discount on your next visit.
A few years back I DJ’d a wedding in one of their banquet rooms and for someone traveling behind the scenes — the load in was especially easy with their over-​sized loading garage. But the wedding couple and guests had a fun time and I can only imagine how their pictures turned out!
Now, not everything at Overture requires a ticket for admission. They do host MadCity Sessions that includes free music in Overture Hall’s lobby from 6−8pm one Thursday a month (6 months a year). It’s free music from local and larger musicians! Definitely something to check out if you are looking for free music to experience. You can also buy some food and drinks, while sitting around a table and enjoying the experience with a large group of friends!
One last thing, check them out at night (I can’t recall if it’s just around the holidays or year round), when they light up Overture Hall’s lobby with colored spotlights, it makes for a great photo op or just a spectacle to see!

This place is ok. I have been in a couple of different theaters. One issue I have EVERY time is that seat placement is not well staggered. The shape is a half circle, therefore the seats really should not be directly in front of one another. It happens every time. Every, single time.
I like the seats and tend to be comfortable, but last time I saw next to someone who did not quite fit into theirs. The usher did nothing about it. I was left tilted and uncomfortable nearly the entire time. On top of that, I had to deal with her holding her coat. In situations like that, please insist on them using the coat check.
Otherwise, I like this place. I think it is clean and well-​kept. There is not anything wrong with it. There is also nothing that stands out. The staff is nice and friendly. However, taking care of comfort issues should happen when paying for a pricey show.

Hmm.
Nice venue… I just left from seeing Jerry Seinfeld perform here, and I’m not quite sure how to rate the experience. I feel like the building as a whole, is worthy of 5-​stars. The halls are gorgeous, the décor is tasteful, the lighting is chic…
I love theater and live performances, but I’m not sure what it is, or why it is that I left feeling a tad underwhelmed by the theater experience.
Staff: super great. Friendly and helpful.
Venue: nothing wrong with it.
Sound: spot-​on.
Amenities: fine.
Food/​drink: excellent. Any time you can get a tallboy at a show for less than $ 5, I’m a fan.
But I just can’t get super excited about the venue. It’s great, and all that, but I’m not so certain that I’d rush back to see a show here. Seats were comfy, view was fine, but… meh.
Seinfeld was stellar and I appreciate the ticket/​opportunity, no doubt. But I’m not certain the venue warrants the extremely high prices for shows.

I always love seeing performances at the Overture Center. This past Saturday we went to the Sing-​a-​long-​a Sound of Music and a few months ago we saw an AMAZING production of Once. I am also looking forward to Book of Mormon which we have tickets for this spring.
Overture always brings it great talent and is always a wonderful experience.
TIP: Get the plastic glasses and bring them with you each time so you can bring your wine into the show!

I’ve been to a fair share of performances at the Overture and it’s of course a beauty of a venue. Just pass by it on State Street and you’ll know this is one impressive building.
The Overture gives merit to the adage ‘beauty attracts beauty’ since this gorgeous place is always lit up with shows that are just as stellar. I was here for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (thanks to Unilocal!) and for the Broadway play Chicago last year, and both of these stood out as lovely performances in a setting that perfectly suited their brilliance.
I’m typically not a big show-​goer, but I find myself at more and more shows simply because they’re held at the Overture. Doesn’t take much to drag me there. Forever impressed!

My dad helped build this place. Seriously, a lot of the structural steel and many of the handrails here have my family’s handiwork all over them. Take your kid to work day used to be interesting.
I’d talk about how awesome everything looks and how great the architecture is, but I feel like it’d be gloating by proxy.
As an adult, I’ve been here a handful of times to catch different shows. It’s definitely a different setting from that which I’m used to seeing shows. Normally, I’m packed into a tight crowd at someplace like Milwaukee’s Miramar, Club Anything, or Turner Hall or Chicago’s Bottom Lounge or the Vic. The Overture is a little bit high-​brow for me.
Still, over the years there have been a few musicals just too good to pass up when I’ve been in Madison already or I’ve been taken along as a guest.
The folks at the box office are always really helpful and professional, ushers are knowledgeable. There are not, to my knowledge at least, any seats in the house that provide a bad vantage point although some are certainly better than others.

This venue is gorgeous. The building itself is a work of art, now add amazing performances to that and you’ve got a great experience.
I have seen a couple of acts here and I’ve never been disappointed. They host extremely talented actors, singers, and dancers. I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat last night and I couldn’t ever imagine pulling off what those performers did. The stage design was flawless. It is a definite must-​see!
The only thing that I would change would be the fact that in order to take beverages into the theatre, even the ones they supply, you have to buy one of their cups. They aren’t super expensive, but I wasn’t really a fan of having to buy one.
And although the performance was amazing last night, the glaring lights that they pointed directly into the audience could have been nixed. The lights otherwise were breathtaking, but I could do without being temporarily blinded.
Regardless of the things that could be changed, you still need to visit. They’ve got a great line-​up… Jerry Seinfeld is coming! Woo! Go see everything you can there, you won’t be unhappy.
«These pretzels are making me thirsty!‘
That has nothing to do with the Overture Center, but now I’m thinking about Seinfeld and had to say that.
But really, go, go, go!

I’ve had a chance to see a variety of musical and dramatic performances here and every time I’m pleasantly reminded how much Madison cherishes the arts.
The space is beautiful and warm, as are the employees that work here. Recently I was privileged to view my first opera in the hall and this was the perfect welcoming location for my new favorite art form.
Make an evening out of your time here, or an entire afternoon. The location is perfect – right in the heart of downtown.

I love the Overture Center! Being a braodway and ballet fan I really appreciate the wide selection of shows available year round. Some of the ballet are even choreographed and performed by our very own Madison Ballet Company ~~
There are multiple concert halls in the Overture Center, though I have only been to the Overture Hall. The seating arrangement and sound system are well-​designed, as expected. Regardless of where you are seated, you get a clear view of the performance below (or above) you. They clearly mark out the few seats with limited view, so you know what you are getting into before getting those tickets.
On most occasions rush tickets are offered. Do keep a lookout for those as you can great seats at superbly awesome prices. The best way to be kept in the loop is to sign up for e-​mail notifications, especially if you are a student since they offer great student deals from time to time. But note that most rush or special promotion tickets are in-​person only, and you have to pay in cash. For student specials, a student ID is required, and each ID gets you two discounted tickets, so you get to bring a friend along.
If you arrive at the show early, grab a quick bite or take a quick walk at the surrounding shops along State St, or visit the shop at the Overture Center for some nice souvenirs, then sit back and enjoy the experience!