The Pasadena Civic

Wow went here for the first time for a highschool graduation 2016. Horrible horrible horrible. The staff was one of the most rude set of people I have ever meet and I am a huge concert person. They filled the place up with people and allowed others to come on first. We had to wait to 630 to enter because of their mistakes. Missed half the graduation. And someone got hit with the door because the rent a cop slammed the door open after people started chanting let us in. Horrible place or maybe just the staff but in the end the staff is what I notice in this place that became the face of the building. Please skip this place for ceremonies.

Excellent venue. We’ve had great Easter Sunday celebrations here 2 years in a row. Parking is easily accessible if you park in the Paseo, and they validate for 1hr ½. The seats aren’t all that comfortable as it’s an older theater, but it’s not terrible. We had a couple of sound issues as well but other than that, all was great! :)

The Pasadena Civic is one of the oldest auditorium venue in LA. 84 years old and still in very good shape. Beautiful inside and is a truly a gem. The format is similar to Pasadena playhouse but much bigger. Many shows were perform over the year here. Not many people remember that Michael Jackson Moonwalk debut is in here !
Parking is about $ 12 and is pricey, I suggest you go park other place nearby can be half the cost or even free. Paseo across the street is $ 9 daily rate vs $ 12, but you can find many street parking.
The layout is simple and is easy to find your seat. To get to the balcony is like going to the third floor, the second floor it seem use for the performer or vip.

Yes, this is a beautiful venue. We attended a taping of «America’s Got Talent» here and had a wonderful time. This review however is about how the security people here. They were all so very nice and helpful, but there was one gentleman in particular that I want to mention. His name is Byron, and I’m sorry but I do not know his last name. As I was trying to enter the venue, I was checked by security (like everyone else was). I had a «Leatherman Tool» in my pocket which contains a knife blade, as well as another regular pocket knife. I was informed that I could not enter with them in my pocket. At that point, an exceptionally nice lady named Sonia contacted Byron who came and found me. He had my possessions in his hand and placed them in an envelope which he sealed up, and wrote my name and cell number on the outside of. He told me to come find him afterwards and he would return my property to me which he did. These things mean a lot to me, and I have owned them for many years. I cannot express how very much I appreciate the kindness shown to me by these two nice people who clearly went above and beyond for me! You don’t find that kind of accommodation, and kindness much these days. I just wanted to let everyone know how very special, and compassionate these two individuals were to me, and how much I appreciate them. Sonia, and Byron, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I’ve been to Pas Civic for a few events over the years, but most recently our church did Easter services there so I spent a little more time in the building than previously.
It’s a really great mid-​sized venue. I’m guessing it was built in the 1920’s as the outside façade is stylized in the Spanish Revival movement and it’s a very attractive building. Great details even on the side of the auditorium where the stage entrances are. The lobby is fairly long but narrow which is typical of theaters from this time and the auditorium itself can seat around 3000 people. I’m not sure if much of the inside is original as I touched the walls (strange habit I have when I’m in buildings to feel textures) and most of the mouldings on the walls are just part of the wallpaper which was fairly disappointing, but from far away, it does look nice. As does the ceiling for the auditorium.
The stage is a tad bit small, but for the Easter services, it worked fine. Just seemed the musicians were bunched together across the stage and the choir was way in the back. Sound was great. Talked to several people sitting in different areas who said the mix was good. When having an event in the center, they provide a unionized staff who runs audio/​visual equipment.
Backstage, it is apparent that this center is quite old! The hallways and doorways are really narrow and the ceiling is probably only 7 feet high. It’s also a bit of a labyrinth of hallways and staircases trying to figure out where you are going but as I’m not sure how often I will get the chance to go backstage here, I took the opportunity to explore.
The Pas Civic is located across the street from the Paseo mall so you can park in that parking structure as the parking at the Civic center is pretty pricy. It’s also a short walk from Colorado and Fairoaks so there’s many 90 minutes free parking, or metered parking on the street. Just remember that Green street is one way!

Beautiful auditorium for events that can accommodate more than enough people for any size. I came here years ago for my brother’s graduation (from Western University. Western University always holds their graduations at this auditorium) and my family and his friends were able to sit on the 1^st floor, very close to the stage (have to come early to get good seats). Seating is stadium style and padded.
The sound system provided enough sound for anyone (even in the way back on the 2^nd floor) to hear the ceremony. The projector screen was large enough for anyone to see it as well. The a/​c worked just beautifully, especially in a big room like this, you don’t want the a/​c system to fail.
Parking wise, there are several lots that you could park at (various prices… the further away you are, the less you will pay). The most convenient parking lot is at the Paso Mall (which is right across the street… you can get a 90 minute validation from any of the stores at the mall. And just to let you know that Brookstone validates w/​o a purchase).
There are also plenty of excellent restaurants to choose from as well, after the event you attend here.

Huge hall great for commencement! There are many parking garages near by, most of them charge a flat daily rate of about $ 10, although a few blocks away you can park for about $ 6 – 7 flat daily rate.
Best part about this location is that it’s walking distance to Colorado street where all the best eateries are located.

Love this venue. Went and saw Bill Cosby here. Got great 3^rd row seats. Plenty of parking in the area. Many nearby stores and restaurtants to spend your time if you decide to arrive early and hang out before a show.

BEWARE!!! of Parking SCAMs nearby:
We attended IMATS this weekend and there was a uniformed woman collecting a $ 9 «EVENT FEE» at Paseo Coronado structure on Marengo. (You are supposed to pay when you exist, but she had put her own sign on the structure’s sign and it look official). When we tried to leave we had to pay AGAIN because we couldn’t exit until we did. WE WERE SCAMMED! Beware!

Beautiful venue — nice classic building. We attended the Hay House ‘I Can Do It’ Conference this past weekend and it was fantastic — and this auditorium was a wonderful place for the event. I hope they have it here again in the future.

This is a beautiful, historic venue. Worth driving out to see a show or lecture there, just to see the building. Plus you can park nearby and walk to a number of great shops and restaurants.

Nice venue, parking alittle pricey.
Close to Old Town and a nice walk before your show.

I love this auditorium. SO GORGEOUS! I go here for the Pasadena Speakers Series, which is great. You should check it out for great, intellectual lectures! The auditorium itself has good acoustics and I have no problem seeing from where we sit in the mid back area of the orchestra seats.

The historic and grand Pasadena Civic Auditorium… it has hosted the Emmy’s, People’s Choice, American Idol and most recently the 2013 Miss CA USA/​Teen USA Pageant, for which I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a backstage Makeup Artist this weekend. Staff was very accommodating when I asked where the «Glam Squad» was supposed to meet and they pointed me in the right direction and handed me a complimentary bottle of water. Nice touch!
The Glam Squad:
The theatre itself is quite majestic, architecturally speaking, acoustics okay but seating a bit cramped. However, I feel no matter where you sit in this venue, you will have a great concert viewing experience. I would definitely love to return to watch another show here the next time I am in the area. There is ample parking, at a price of course. You can park across the street in the mall parking lot or the one adjoining the auditorium.
I believe the theatre had undergone some renovations a few years prior. And from what I’ve seen in trying to navigate through the catacomb-​like paths to the dressing rooms backstage, I would say they may want to continue the renovating throughout the auditorium, including the backstage area. Believe me when I tell you it really was built back in 1931. I know the audience doesn’t see all that but I swore the ceiling would come crashing down on me any minute from the looks of the peeled paint, cracks and water stains that lined the edges of the walls. Just an observation.
I usually visit the adjoining convention center. It’s a newer, more modern venue and hosts IMATS yearly, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show. I go ever year to stock up product, enjoy the makeup shows and learn new makeup techniques. But I love the old historic charm of the auditorium if I’m comparing the two.
Side note: the girls were super sweet amidst the crazy chaos; the only downside was me getting the lovely task of covering up a tattoo near one of my girl’s ladies parts. Ah, the joys of being a Makeup Artist… reduced to covering a crotch tat. Perhaps if I was a straight male it would’ve been more of an enjoyable experience. Just sayin.

A lot of fun to work at. The tech crew is always a fun and lively bunch to work with. Came here to help facilitate Stan Lai’s tour of The Village in early 2011. We had to hang two projector screens through the catwalks above the stage and the crew was able to easily suspend it via stage rope. I highly recommend this venue for your next theater production.
The exterior looks very modern and the interior seats were always kept very clean.

Beautiful building.
They had many American Idol Auditions here. =)

Pros: Love the architecture of the building, great performance of Long Beach Ballet Nutracker, My niece and nephew enjoyed the show
Cons: Nada

Saw the Nutcracker last night and was very happy.
My first time in the PCA.
I realy liked the seats, more comfortle sitting than
Pantages.
Overall for the Nutcracker the LB company did a wonderful job
and the music composed ws great.

I think the wallpaper or fabric gave me flashbacks. I’m breaking out my Taschen books to try to determine what sort of pattern it was, but it’s not there. Let’s just call it «ripply.» Regardless, this venue is so incredibly beautiful, I can’t even describe it. The acoustics make it so you can hear someone cough way below you, even if you have nosebleed seats. Pasadena obviously has money, which everyone knows, but they poured it into their civic center. The cons: the seats (at least at the top, where I was), are airplane close together, in every measurement, but they are comfortable. The steepness of the venue is also notable, making it so you have to bend at the waist to see below you, were, say, a local NPR star to have better seats than you and to stand up for recognition.

I found a $ 5 parking lot in the area. The hall seats too many people.
The auditorium is supposedly green, in that it takes very little energy to operate.
Very bright, white, and massive.