Altria Theater

Amazing experience.
Was able to see The Lion King Musical… besides a purely awesome show, the theater is gorgeous. Perfect spacing between rows (I mention this because I am tall with long legs) and the seats are very comfortable.
Only complaint is that the aisle lighting is a little too bright.

This is a tough one. This venue is gorgeous with the beautiful architecture and the décor, it makes going to see productions here special. The layout makes it possible to buy cheaper seats and still see the show, however I heard (I have never sat up there) but seats in the balcony make it very hard to see what’s going on.
However, the seats, aisles, are small and tight. The seats, I think, are uncomfortable to sit in for a long period of time.
If you are not sitting on an end seat, forget going out during intermission, the rows are tight and you are bumping and nudging people with every move you make. Which means sitting in your seat for a bit longer.
I have been to a few shows here and I always enjoy going, I look forward to going, and will go back again, but be prepared to be sitting very close to the people around you and to leave with possibly a stiff back and numb butt!

This is an excellent theater! I saw Motown the Musical here. The seating was great. The ushers were awesome in keeping the flow of people moving when entering and exiting. They were very professional, courteous and pleasant. There are plenty of bathrooms so no wait. I can’t wait to see another show here.

Richmond’s grandest secret! An amazing old school theater mixed amazing acts.
I love this experience each and every time.

What an excellent theater. Made it first time last night since the remodel and we had an excellent time (saw Motown Broadway show).
Comfortable. Not a bad seat in he house. Concessions on every floor. Excellent bathroom flow. You expect some lines at intermission but they moved fairly quick. There was a long line getting in through bag check etc as it was a packed house.
Looking for next show to go to.
Great asset for Richmond. Check out a lot of nice restaurants and bars around pre show.
Note: saw recent review saying beer/​wine only. This was not case at show we went to as they had a full bar. They did run out of water to so like I said — it was a packed house but I can’t fault them as they did everything they could do in accommodating so many guests in such a short time (maybe just stock more water).

Recent renovation was outstanding. Place is beautiful. Easy parking, friendly staff, always a great time. Recently seen «Motown», great show with amazing talent. Brought back wonderful memories for the wife and I.

Motown is wonderful! We come to a show every year and this is the best by far! The theater is beautiful. Tonight was not a sellout and so we were able to change seats. Thank goodness because a head was dead center in my way!

Altria, Landmark, Mosque, a rose by any other name… While longtime Richmonders may continue to call it by a host of former names, this landmark building is an architectural and historical treasure for the city. Recently completed renovations have fixed some of the issues that have long plagued this theater, including substantial improvements in the sound system.
Completed in the late 1920s, this theater was originally built as a meeting place for the Shriners which shows through the Moorish influence in the architecture. It also explains why the theater was also once home to a pool and a bowling alley — long ago filled in and converted.
I saw my first «Broadway» show at The Mosque, more at The Landmark, and even more at Altria, and I’ve also attended a handful of Richmond Forum events here — and the two are very different experiences. The theater is large, larger than true Broadway theaters in New York and for that reason it truly does make a difference where you sit. If you want to be able to see faces and expressions it’s important to sit in the Orchestra section. The balcony is miles away from the stage and can be a gamble in terms of sound and sight. I’ve always thought that Broadway in Richmond shows would be better at The Carpenter Center/​Centerstage but as long as your mindful of where you sit, you can still enjoy a great show! For events like Richmond Forum, it’s an entirely different ball game. You don’t necessarily need to see casual glances between panelists, etc. so it’s much more suited for those types of events. I’ve never seen a concert there but I’m sure with improvements in sound it’s good.
The concession stands serve only wine and beer — no cocktails — but there are a few of them so if the line at the main one backs up, head upstairs.
Now ladies, if you have to go to the restroom at intermission you better hustle. The restroom on the main level will have a line within minutes of the house lights going on. It’s also poorly designed in terms of the placement of the paper towels — it impedes the flow of the line — which may not sound like a big deal until you have a zillion women packed in there at once. There are additional bathrooms downstairs that are usually a lot less crowded.
I love this theater for the history and historical impact it’s had on Richmond, however if I had my choice about where to see a Broadway show it probably wouldn’t be here but alas, it’s the only show in this town!

Love the renovations! I waited to review until they were truly done, I have been here multiple times, yes even when it was «The Mosque» then «The Landmark» and it was so sad how rundown it was. The bathroom situation used to be terrible. But now — oh my. Ladies, there is a huge set of bathrooms on the bottom level that I think many have not discovered when they complain about not enough.
The décor is such a strange Moorish architecture, it’s entertainment in itself. The seats are comfortable, but for a large person are going to be a bit small. The sound system is so much better, with speakers now suspended from the ceiling and no longer partially blocking some views from some seats.
The parking at the VCU garage is right next door, with entrance/​exit on both Cherry and Laurel, currently charging $ 8. Arrive early and back into your spot. It’s as crowded as you expect after a show, and getting out requires patience.
Tip: they super-​cool the theater to off-​set the influx of that heat load from people all entering at the same time. Sometimes they don’t get it right and its very cold — Bring a Sweater (or two)!

This review is a bit late. It covers our last visit to see Celtic Woman. We bought last minute tickets so I’ll do a review first of the show and then the theater, itself. This wasn’t our first time to see Celtic Woman so as usual, it was wonderful… it was a 5 star program. The sound system went out about 20 mins before the finale. It happens. The theater its self is a 9 out of 10 in the actual remodel. Maybe even a ⁹¹⁄₂ out of 10. The plaster is either not finished or there wasn’t enough money to completely repair the ceiling in a number of places. One place in the hall is in bad shap, also. But on a scale of 10 that’s s great score. The seats are terrific. And the sound outstanding. The recreations of art w/​the tile and paint is overall magnificent. The outside and the «Will Call» has really been done nicely. Thank you everyone! One note that was very upsetting to me. I watched two men, one very, very heavy and another take their foot and step on the actual cushion of the seat w/​their shoe on of course. This is not for ppl to go climbing all over and ruin the chairs. You’d already be shocked at the stains on the chairs. They weren’t young men I’d say about 40+ in age… very upsetting. I’d suggest they either get a refund and have the police escort them out or just insist they leave for that kind of action. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig!

The venue is an old one, fraught with history and, accordingly, also fraught with maintenance issues. The renovations done by the Altria company, at the expense of [another] name change have corrected many of these, but still leave large portions of the place untouched, including [perhaps most tragically] the Wurlitzer. The limited number of bathrooms is distressing, but not usually crippling, though the limited elevator access might be problematic for those who find stairs particularly daunting.
That said, it’s a beautiful building simply to begin with and I am glad to have had the privilege of a behind-​the-​scenes tour during my days as a volunteer usher. A majority of the seats are excellent, and with good sound [though there are some exceptions] and I have never bought a ticket for a show I did not love, here. My last visit was for Wicked, with my mother and grandmother, and I am delighted to say that despite the last-​minute nature of our arrival, the staff was able to correct an error in seat location with impressive speed [ours somehow weren’t wheelchair accessible, which was a must] and we didn’t miss a second of the show.

Had an eventful time at the theater. My friend and I went to Sister Act. This was a fun (ny) play to watch. There were a lot of other interesting conversations and activities surrounding the play too.
So upon entering the theater and taking a post dinner/​pre play ladies break I got to overhear the conversation of two women who spoke like they knew the designer of the theater. They talked into the restroom, they talked while pausing their pee in the stall, and they talked while washing their hands (amen for washing their hands). Oh the floors, the carpet selection, the color, etc. I found their conversation interesting enough that I paused the pearls every now and then to listen to and admire what they were pointing out.
Next, the play starts and everyone is into the scene. During a quiet moment we hear a man say, «Will you please Shut Up». I’m not sure who he was talking too, but he went there. I think the balconites (us who sat up high in the balcony) paused for the cause because we just knew something was going to brew from this harsh man’s words. Whomever he was talking to must’ve been on their nice game because no one said a word. It did draw a lot of looks from folks though.
Now return from intermission… again, everyone is back into the play… nothing but silence. Then from behind I hear what sounded like a spilled drink and then a, «what the F». So I look back to see what happened. A poor guy just got splashed on by someone else’s vomit. How gross! Seating is way too tight to not be able to hold your liquor. How horrendous. Again, dude held himself together well and made his way out of the theater to clean up. Those are my stories. :)
So my «actual» short review about Altria is that seating is tight and balconites need to bring binoculars because you can’t see squat. However, the theater looks good and seats are as comfy as roller coaster ride’s seat. So sit back or up (whatever works best) and enjoy the plays.

I’m thoroughly impressed with the Altria Theater. We went last night to see The Tenderloins (the guys from the Impractical Jokers show on TruTV) and everything was wonderful. I was impressed from the moment we turned on Main St. and saw that there were police directing traffic. I had no idea what type of crowd this show would draw, as I’ve never been to an event like this, but Richmond showed up and showed out for the Tenderloins. There was definitely a need for traffic to be directed and I was grateful for that. Parking was a breeze, as there were also folks in there with the orange wands directing parking. Who woulda thought! But wait, there’s more…
There were also people on the corner of the theater directing people to will call and letting them know what entrance they needed to take. Everyone with whom I interacted was professional, extremely nice, and cheerful. We had no problems finding our seats, which were as comfortable as you would expect. The inside of the theater is fabulously ornate and fit for entertainment. The guys actually commented on how beautiful it was when they came on stage.
I’m attending a few Broadway productions in the coming months, and I’m pumped that they’re at this venue!

Gorgeous theater. The contractors did an outstanding job renovating this theater. I enjoy historic places and preservation redone at its finest. My family and I visited the Kwanzaa festival at the Altria Theater. I was very pleased with the venue. I hope to visit again to attend another event.

Below is the letter that I sent to the Altria Theater not once, but twice following and still have not received a response. The acoustics were very poor where we were sitting in the back and lack of customer service makes me give this place a 2* rating and I do not plan on going back.
To whom it may concern,
I attended the Book of Mormon on Thursday 11÷6÷14. I sent in the following message on 11÷11÷14 via the «Altria Theater Contact Form» section of your website. Unfortunately, after 3 weeks of not receiving a response, I thought that I should email in to ensure that the original message had gone through. See message below:
«Hi,
I recently attended the Book of Mormon at the Altria Theater on Thursday 11÷6÷14. My girlfriend and I were sitting in ORCH_​D FF 407 & 406 (Ticket serial numbers ***** & *****). This was our first time at the new theater and unfortunately the sound did not project far enough to where we were sitting. For a show like the Book of Mormon, not being able to hear well and missing many of the punchlines was certainly a let down. We were straining to hear the dialog and song lyrics which really took us out of the moment. Even though we were in the second-​to-​last row, for the amount of money we had paid for the tickets, I certainly believe we should of had a different experience.
I hope to hear back from you.
Thank you for your time,
Once again, I hope to hear back from you.
Sincerely,

The recent renovations are spectacular. I will come see a show here any day! No more falling ceiling plaster or dingy bathrooms. The new box office area is large but welcoming and the new signage outside really make you feel like you are at a Broadway show. Great job!

All the assistants there are very nice. There is a coat room downstairs near the dance ball room. The sound effect of the whole is fair yet the space between chairs is very small.

Came here to see Wicked not too long ago (I’m a bit behind in my reviews if you can tell), and I really enjoyed my experience here. If another decent musical comes to Richmond, I definitely hope they come to this venue.
A lady friend and I had been looking forward to seeing Wicked for several months and I was curious to see how the venue would be. Formerly the Richmond Landmark Theatre, the Altria Theatre is newly renovated and looks quite beautiful on both the inside and outside. I didn’t interact with the staff members very much, though they seemed to be generally pleasant and helpful (if a bit forgetful about where your seats might be, make sure you double-​check your tickets!).
Seats were comfortable and had a great view of the stage despite being several rows back. I suppose judging the venue based on the show would be a bit unfair, so I’ll skip on mentioning the actual Wicked performance.
All in all, this place is a great place to see your favorite artists/​shows. A word to the wise, though: parking is a major pain, and getting out can be a 30 – 45 minute endeavor if you park in the parking garage next door (usually a VCU garage, though they have event parking). My advice? Park further west on Cary st and walk it if you can, that way it’s free and you get out quickly (just make sure you don’t accidentally park in the 2 hour limit zones while they’re active). Other than that, enjoy your performance!
Overall: 4.0 stars
— — — —
Pros:
— Beautiful inside and out.
— Comfortable and well laid-​out seating.
— Nice staff members (just check your tickets to make sure you’re where you’re supposed to be!)
Cons:
— Parking isn’t easy, and getting out post-​performance is an absolute nightmare. I’d recommend you steer clear of the garage.
— Always pass on getting souvenirs post-​show. They are invariably the same items available online, and trust me, you’ll pay through the nose for anything you walk out with. Wait and buy it later.

First and foremost, I’m not a frequent theater goer, so I don’t know how it compares against other theaters nearby or otherwise. I’m just taking what I picture to be an ideal theater in mind and using that as a base to compare against Altria Theater.
We went here to see Wicked a couple weeks ago and loved it. (I’ve been listening to the soundtrack ever since!) Now, in terms of the actual theater, here are some of my opinions.
Pros:
+ The Theater itself is beautiful. It has an older look to it, so it’s not a shiny new building, but I like the rustic classic look it has.
+ Parking is pretty easy in the adjoining VCU lot. It costs $ 6.50 I believe if you pre-​pay. (It does take a little bit of time to leave the lot, but it’s at least convenient to get to.)
+ The seats offer a decent amount of leg room.
+ The seating, from a being able to see standpoint. We were in row Z on the ground level and still could see the show.
+ The show itself had pretty great stage effects, and without a deep stage some of it couldn’t be possible. So the actual performing portion was good.
Cons:
— The biggest thing is that the sound doesn’t seem to have that «boom» I associate with a theater. The sound seemed to die out, almost like you are listening to TV speakers as opposed to a Sound System. A Theater I would think would have a «surround“ing feeling. I’m guessing that this is consistent with all the reviews mentioning poor acoustics. That said, I could hear the whole show, and I don’t have the best hearing.
— The aisle /​door layout makes it a bit difficult to get in and out, and especially difficult to actually go anywhere during the intermission. Lots of people got back late.
Overall: It’s a different kind of review for me because I don’t really know what a «good» theater should be. I’ve heard that the theater is undergoing a multimillion dollar renovation, so perhaps by the end the sound issue will clear up a little.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the show and would go to another one here, but the theater itself didn’t have that 4 or 5 star sound quality I would think that a large theater designed for audio-​rich performances should have.

I’ve been to the Landmark many times over the years. It’s a classic-​style theatre with good acoustics, comfortable seats and a helpful staff, and does well with all types of performances. I’ve listened to David Sedaris readings, where the audience goes from whisper quiet to bursts of unrestrained laughter; I’ve seen theatre productions like War Horse where the only sounds are the actors and the occasional Skittles wrapper; and I’ve heard Paul Simon incite a sold-​out baby boomer and gen-​x audience to near riot levels, as we cheered for a third encore. There’s nothing that can compare to live events and the Landmark serves Richmond well.
There’s a parking garage on the next block and there is usually street parking within a couple of blocks, depending on the time of day. Their concessions are minimal, offering some candy, beverages and light snacks, but they do serve beer and wine and allow you to take it to your seat if you’re so inclined, though there are no cup holders. The restrooms are downstairs, split M/​F on opposite sides of the theatre.
If you haven’t been to a live performance recently, or ever, you’re really missing out. The Landmark is a big part of Richmond’s continually growing arts culture along with many local theatre companies and live music venues. The Landmark also takes us back in time when people dressed for the theatre and really made it a night out. Take a break from your Netflix queue, check out their upcoming calendar and make a plan for the Landmark.