Crispus Attucks Cultural Center Inc

Audra McDonald! Kudos to the venue for bringing in such a world class act, and she was every bit as flawless as expected. Beautiful singing, great selection of songs, mixed in some humor, and an all around great night. If the review were just for the performance, 5 stars wouldn’t be enough.
But Audra isn’t here every night, so about the venue:
It’s not situated in the greatest part of Norfolk and the theater doesn’t have much in the way of a parking lot. When it’s a top notch act and the theater is going to be sold out, get there early to find a decent parking space or you’re going to have to drive around a bit to find a space you’re comfortable leaving your car. But if you are aware of this and plan ahead, there are enough spaces. I ended up parking in the lot next to the church close by. The church lot itself was closed, but the adjacent one was open.
The theater is definitely older and looks it. But that’s not all bad. There’s definitely some charm to a classic venue, as long as it doesn’t look like it’s falling apart. This place is holding up well but does occasionally have the smell of an old house.
The acoustics were spot on. She sounded beautiful.
It’s also a very intimate venue. We were actually sitting in the very back row of the orchestra section and it still didn’t feel like we were very far away from her. Intimacy is a very good thing in performances.
The biggest reason for the dock of a star was the staff. They kept opening the very loud doors during the show, walking around and blocking views. And during the last song of the evening, one of them opened the door and they all just started talking to each other like they were at home until finally one of them realized it and was loudly going «sh sh she’s still singing! Shhh»
So that was incredibly rude and unprofessional. Otherwise, a great evening!

My daughter has atteded Camp Rise and Dance Xplosion at this venue. I must say i’ts been a great experience for us both. They not only teach dancing but acting, art, vocals, steel drums. I look forward to the performances.

I attended a Flutronix concert at this theater. It reminded me of a smaller Apollo Theater. I really loved the vibe. All of the employees were very friendly. The bathrooms were very clean. I’m looking forward to visiting again.

I love historic theaters! There is something magical about them– they take you back to their hay day with their golden trim and ornate décor. This little theatre is a sweet venue with a small amount of seating, and not the best acoustics but great charm! I hope they continue to receive generous donations because further aid would help this spot to really really shine!

If you read some of my reviews, you know that I’m all about the vibe. No vibe, no fun. The Attucks Theater not only has vibe (in abundance), but it also seems to have this magical power to multiply any vibe already present.
The performance I attended was the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. PHJB is one of my favorite-​est bands of all time, it takes me back to the home I never lived in, New Orleans. This performance was part of the Virginia Arts Series (or something like that), which is code for, ‘Plenty of rich old white people that have never really heard of PHJB will be in attendance tonight.‘
But tonight… tonight it was different.
The seductive bayou swing of the music coupled with the aged grandeur of the Attucks caused a slight ripple in the Cosmic Fabric. Yep, all of the Rich Old White People got off their feet… and danced and clapped and had a genuinely good time!
If you had to choose a place to go see your favorite performer, the Attucks should be on that short list. It is an intimate setting with not a bad seat in the house with the feel that you are in the performer’s living room. The acoustics are spot on, it is never too loud, never too soft. The seats have been around for awhile and probably haven’t kept good pace with the Fattening of America, but if the night and performance is right, you won’t be sitting in that seat much anyway.
The Attucks is one of our local treasures, find an excuse to go.
I’m giving the Attucks AND Preservation Hall Jazz Band 347 bajillion stars… but Unilocal made me stop at 5, so there it is.

I came here to see Martin Sexton (amazing show) and it was my first time visiting. Theaters like this are fun due to their ease of access and size. The performing area is big enough to feel like your at a concert but small enough to feel intimate. The décor is a nice mix of class and old school charm. All the people who worked there seemed to honestly love the place and what they do, which is endearing and makes for a great experience. I will certainly keep an eye out for future shows at this venue.

I came here for Mike Birbiglia stand up. The theatre is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. The good thing about the seating is that it doesn’t really matter where you sit, you can see the stage perfectly. I will complain, however, about the seats. I felt cramped. I was up in the balcony and my legs were squished up against the seat in front of me. The smallest movement of the chair in front me of caused pain to my shins. Awful. Besides that, great theatre.

This is Norfolk’s sweet spot. The room so comfortable, designed back when people had legs and were invited to bring them along (as opposed to the Roper, for instance.) Every seat in the house is the best seat. The sound is wonderful. And if you want to go somewhere for real hospitality, the staff at the Attucks will welcome you in with obvious pride and a genuine pleasure in having you there with them.