Stranahan Theater

Beautiful space, lovely event space. Would definitely return. We visited today for an exhibition event and it piqued my interest in this performing arts space. The parking was spacious, facilities clean, and the décor was pretty. Would definitely return for a show or concert.

My wife and I traveled from Detroit to see the Impractical Jokers live stage show here. I was quite impressed with how well-​kept the venue is given that it looks to be more than 50 years old. There’s a ton of space for parking but the biggest drawback (and really the only one) to this venue is that getting out of the lot is a tricky and time-​consuming situation. Road Rage Drivers need not drive.
Other than that one hiccup, every part of my experience at this theatre was wonderful. Truly a great sightline from 20 rows back even. I enjoyed it very much.
See you again, Toledo.

This is a world class venue, great acoustics and not a bad seat in the house. Grab a little culture an enjoy a show

Toledo really is lucky to have the Stranahan.
Being something of a theater geek, I have seen probably a hundred or more shows here over my life time, ranging from my own student dance recitals and high school graduation to Broadway level productions of my favorite musicals… often with Broadway or soon-​to-​be Broadway stars. And for what it’s worth, I have seen many of these same musicals (sometimes with the same cast) in other places… and I always come away thinking that in terms of ease, availability, cost, and sometimes even entertainment value and energy, that the shows the Stranahan brings in are often difficult to top.
The traveling version of Phantom I saw here, for instance, was at least as good as that which I saw in NYC… I want to say it was even the same Phantom (the absolutely amazing John Cudia). I dare say I even liked the Toledo run better than the first version I saw in Toronto, where the cast seemed a bit tired and rote the day we attended… and the chandelier was having technical difficulties.
Also, Wicked, which I saw in Cinci a week ago, was no different than the version we saw at the Stranahan some years back. In fact, I liked it better in Toledo since I was relatively close to the stage. In Cinci, I was literally in the second to last row on the top balcony… a comfortable but distant seat for which I still paid a fortune, but from which I couldn’t see a thing since the theater was ridiculously massive and I had not thought to bring opera glasses. The Stranahan, after all, is nowhere near so large.
Of course, there are still problems with the visibility which the previous reviewer described. Seats are cramped and not very well staggered or elevated. If you have a lovey-​dovey couple, person with big hair, or just someone very tall in front of you, it can be very difficult to see. Without completely redoing the entire theater, I am not sure how this can be remedied, though. I recommend aiming for aisle or near-the-front-row\balcony seats. If you are tall, definitely aim for the aisle (though watch out during shows like Cats where the aisle is part of the performance).
I will say, though, that there are now a sufficient number of restrooms (this used to be a major ordeal when I was little). You still will wait in line, but I have not had any trouble getting there and back during an intermission in years.
Parking is one thing Toledo definitely has over a big city. Despite the neighboring Masonic outlawing use of their lot (so that they can run craft shows, meetings, etc on the same day as a play), there is still a lot of parking near the main theater entrances. People do drive pretty crazily and the lot will be crowded, so I recommend arriving early, then waiting a while in the theater or in the parking lot after the show to let the crowds thin a bit. However, unless you want to use the VIP lot\valet parking, there is no charge, and though the roads are crowded at theater time, getting to and from the Stranahan is much simpler than fighting big city traffic and parking garages.
Overall, if you live in or are visiting Toledo, definitely check out what is playing at the Stranahan, and into season tickets. It may not be located on Broadway, but the show will likely be just as good.

I like that we have a theater in Toledo where we can enjoy a nice show.
The theater seats are a little close together so it can get cramped if your sitting by a armrest hog. On the orchestra level, it can be a little hard to see depending on where you sit & who’s sitting in front if you. Recently I went and an average sized man was sitting in front of me. Because of the way the chairs are staggered and where we were seated, I couldn’t see the stage when the guy was sitting facing directly in front of him. If he leaned to the right or left it was ok but the angle & staggering didn’t make it easy to see when we both were sitting straight which meant there was a lot if shifting from side to side in order to try to see the stage.
I think if u sit in the center section or even the balcony, there’s less of a problem with the staggering/​angle.
Still, I love coming here to watch musical! Definitely a great way to spend an evening!