Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts

Omg. What a NIGHTMARE!!!
I drove from Boston to the Jorgensen to see Daniel Tiger LIVE (kid show) the other day.
We got there 20 minutes early and I thought I was hot stuff. Perfect timing! Uh — no. Not so much.
From the time I drove onto campus (it’s at UConn) to the time I parked my car, it was FIFTY (50) minutes! There was a line of cars — or should I say multiple lines of cars — backed up in all directions leading into the garage. There must have have been hundreds of people stuck in these lines. I called the box office and they said they were aware of the problem and they were going to delay the show by 10 minutes. Uh — yeah, I was still 30 minutes late. I, like most people, ended up having everyone get out of my car to go in and I sucked it up and had to inch into the garage, consequently missing most of the first half. As a result, I bolted 15 minutes early to get my car out of the garage and wait around the corner as I was so terrified we’d be stuck there for an hour.
How this could be different than any other show there I don’t know, since there did not appear to be any extenuating circumstances re: this show. The venue itself was nice and bathrooms were clean and right outside the door (we were in the balcony), but the one tiny coat rack with 18 hangers they had for the hundreds of people in the balcony section was a joke.
Bottom line: I won’t EVER go back. Normally that would be tough to take — but with 4 year olds in the car?! HA!
No.

Connecticut has great fine/​performing arts options and the University of Connecticut Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts is no exception. I especially like their children’s theater. We took our son to see Harold and the Purple Crayon at the Center and it was surprisingly nuanced. It was a treat for both children and nostalgic adults. There is always a nice line up of performances taking place here. The drive to Storrs is prohibitive but I would like to visit more often.

Facility and shows are great. Whoever runs the parking garage is an idiot. Really a bad bad end to an evening to sit for over 45 minutes and still not out. I’ve been to many other facilities fir concerts and they know how to move vehicles. Sad.

I’ve seen some great shows at Jorgensen — everything from symphony orchestras to Chinese acrobats — and my experiences have ranged from a very intimate Regina Spektor set to a rowdy Dropkick Murphys show. Student ticket prices were always a steal during my four years of undergrad, and even full price tickets are reasonable. Jorgensen is a great venue, and it brings a lot of great acts to the more rural UConn area. I made my way back just over a week ago for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Jorgensen provided the perfect setting for a night of quality music — as usual. The sound quality is great, and there’s a nice, comfortable atmosphere where everyone just seems to appreciate the music or whatever performance is happening that night. Jorgensen was renovated about a year ago and stocked with new chairs, which are very comfortable, though the new green and purple color scheme makes me miss the old red chairs and curtain that gave the place a more regal feel. The front seats vary from show to show — they can either be lined up like regular seats, set with tables for cabaret shows, or not exist at all if the performance is taking place on an extended stage. The audience varies from lots of students to older crowds, depending on what the performance is.
Random note: The water fountains at Jorgensen were always my favorite on campus — the water tastes better and is colder for some reason.

Eh.
Saw The Nutcracker here and was not particularly impressed by the performers or the theater.
According to signs at the bar, You aren’t allowed to bring drinks into the «balcony” – at all. I thought at first they only meant the seats near the edge. Nope! Honestly, what do they think we’re going to do, throw them? Clearly, we’re in the cheap seats, so we must be classless.
I bought a Groupon for this, and if I had paid full price i would have been even more disappointed. The seats were arranged so our view was obstructed (others kept switching seats to find a better view) and I left unimpressed by the whole thing.
However, parking was free! Which was excellent as I only had my debit card, and they are normally cash only!

Given the resources of the University of Connecticut, the Jorgensen gives the opportunity for eastern Connecticut locals (or out-​of-​towners!) to see really great talent on stage. Just this year the Jorgensen featured/​is featuring the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Jake Shimabukuro (arguably the best ukelele player in the world), Boston Pops with Rockapella, and Bernadette Peters. While the ticket prices are decent, if you are a UConn student, $ 7 – 10 per ticket is nothing to complain about.
The venue changes its seating arrangement based on the event, and I’ve been to two events already in which the seating changed. Though the auditorium is spacious enough to hold a good number of people (my guess is 500+), it has a very intimate feel (which is especially great for the cabaret events). If you have the opportunity to see a show at the Jorgensen, I would highly recommend it.