Golden Gate Theatre

Theater: Golden Gate Theater is one of the smaller SHN theaters. With most of the other theaters closer to Union Square and/​or BART station, GGT is about a 3 block walk from Powell Station to the edge of Tenderloin. It has been a long time since I have been here, the last time for either Rent or Stomp over 10 years ago. Reviewing the theater itself, keep in mind that there are no elevators so you do have to use the stairs for the mezzanine and balcony level seats. Also there is only 1 women’s bathroom on the main level that you enter. The additional ones with multiple stalls are one floor up or one floor down (orchestra floor level). Ushers were plentiful and eager to help you find your seats.
Performance: I found myself back at the GGT this past Friday to see A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Ever since I saw them perform «I Want to Marry You» at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV last year, I knew I wanted to see it. That was how I found Chicago the first year it hit Broadway and look at them now so I must be doing something right going with my gut instinct. Of course, no longer living back East, I had to wait until they toured out to SF to jump at the chance to finally see it live. The live orchestra reminded me what I have been missing with plays vs. musicals. Amazing acting by John Rapson who took on all 8 male roles of the D‘Ysquith Family makes this a fun light hearted musical about love and murder. Warning, don’t try this at home!

Perfectly reasonable medium sized theater to catch a good show.
It’s not the flashiest or the fanciest, but it works. I came here to watch A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. We sat near the top, but could still see the stage just fine. The seats are a little small, without much space in front or to either side, so you will likely need to take advantage of intermission to stretch your legs. The ushers are plentiful and efficient, and will get you to your seat quickly, as well as sort out seating confusion between parties politely and effectively. There are also a reasonable number of bathroom stalls, but not too many, so it pays to be smart and go before the show (they do have a separate large anteroom with mirrors for primping, which helps relieve congestion in the bathroom itself). And of course, there is a bar where you can acquire drinks.
It’s not going to compare to the Pantages or other big fancy theaters, but it’s a perfectly acceptable place to catch a good show without much fuss getting in or out.

This theatre is just fine, but I have a few tips to ensure that you enjoy your time there:
The cheap seats feel pretty cheap. Vision in the balcony and in the back is not great. Athought, the acoustics in the theatre are very nice at any level. I am willing to pay more here because I am short of stature so the back rows and balcony are not acceptable here.
Parking is not too hard to find around there, as long as you look for a lot. Prices are usually about $ 15 — $ 20. This is really relieving when tight on time!
I like a drink or two at a show. The lines before a show can take awhile. You will want to be there at least 15 — 20 minutes before curtain call. You can also order drinks for intermission before the show. I love this! Highly recommend taking advantage of this.

My boyfriend and I just saw Riverdance at this theater yesterday and the whole experience was spectacular! We loved it. The theater is spacious and has great sound. The only thing I did not like is that the seats are small. If you are a large person, these seats can be somewhat uncomfortable.
Pros:
–huge theater with plenty of seats
–has balcony
–easy to find parking nearby
–great performances like the Riverdance tour that my boyfriend and I saw last night!
Cons:
–the seats are small and can be uncomfortable for large people
–small space in front and back of each seat can make it hard to remain comfortable. When people kick the back of the seats, you can sure feel it. Also, you have to stand up when someone in your row has to get up and walks around you. Yes, those are very tight aisles.

Date: 11÷4÷2015 Time: 1:45 PM 63° Sunny
Aaahhh…the advantage of belonging to the Mastick Senior Center. It’s that time of the month for the monthly excursion. I love these outings and today is the 20^th anniversary Riverdance performance at the Golden Gate Theatre.
My husband and I have never been to the Golden Gate Theatre for any kind of performance. It’s our first time and our seats are not in the balcony! Hurray because he and I would have sore knees for days if we were climbing the stairs to the mezzanine and balcony levels. We’re in the Orchestra Level, Row L, Seats 107 and 108. These seats are fantastic, as they are in the middle section of the theatre and we can see everything that is going on by the dancers, singers and the musicians/​percussionists.
So what if the ambiance of the Golden Gate Theatre is old, small and antiquated, it has its charm. Besides, the architectural style is a classic from the past. The drawback, and somewhat unfortunate, is the location of the theatre — the Tenderloin.
However, the purpose of my visit is to be entertained and to enjoy the performance that is being presented during the day. Riverdance was so vibrant. The high energy of the performers was amazing. My husband and I were in awe of everything from the backdrops, the light and sound effects. My only regret was not buying the program ($ 10) before we left to head home.

Back when I was playing the circuit in vaudeville, I used to headline a bill with Jack Benny, George Burns & Gracie Allen and Al Jolson. I did an act with dancing French poodles and flaming torches, and we slayed them. OK, I’m not that old despite what you think, but this classic theater is. It was built in 1922 as a vaudeville house and despite decades of urban blight, has managed to survive. I come to this venue once every several years usually to see a Broadway show I missed («A Chorus Line») or see a show I want to see again on tour («Rent»). The latter was the case when I saw the wonderful revival of «Pippin» last year with several of the key Broadway cast members still in place (photo:
).
The seat was much more comfortable in the balcony here than it was at the Music Box in New York City. In fact, when I consider the seats at the Curran or even the Orpheum down Market, the Golden Gate offers the roomiest space for my ample derrière, not a small feat since I’m sure people were a lot skinnier in 1922. The location is the problem through no fault of its own. This is where the Tenderloin meets 6^th Street, and despite spurts of hipster-​centric commerce in the ‘hood, it can get tough to navigate. Case in point: when the show’s stars come out of the stage door on Golden Gate Avenue, they don’t sign autographs or pose for photos. They bolt directly to their private cars. Who can blame them?

Have taken several groups to shows here. Can’t really complain, the can hear great, even from the low balcony the seats have good views. Easy to get to from public transport.

This is a review of the theater itself, not of the show from which I just returned.
The Golden Gate is an unacceptably poorly-​run theater. Flow of people into and out of the theater is rubbish. The sound of the show was poorly managed. And, perhaps the greatest insult of all, the bars are a joke. I’d love to complain about the high prices, but I cannot… because I never got a drink. There were two bartenders attempting to serve everyone in the balcony. Not only did they fail to clear the queue prior to showtime, but they weren’t even ready with the pre-​ordered drinks at intermission. So, those of us who didn’t pre-​order never stood a chance! Management — either staff your venue for the audience you draw, or admit defeat and set our expectations that service and quality cannot be expected. I pray that my favorite acts choose another venue when they visit SF.

I’m not sure how this happened. I was having a good time at Annie but when I got home I noticed all my credit cards were gone and someone made a 55 dollar charge at the bar. Sadly this is SF so this is to be expected. Watch your bag! Drinks are also ridiculously expensive. For 55 bucks they maybe got 3 drinks.

Classic theatre. Feels largest when in the balcony, yet quite small when in orchestra. Not my favorite of the 3 classics in The City, but more intimate than the Orpheum.
As others have mentioned, it is in the Tenderloin, so be careful!
Protip: The closest BART is Powell, so either take that and have a short walk, or use Lyft or Über. Parking isn’t too bad if you try, but beware of the countless homeless in the area.

I visited the Golden Gate Theatre for the first time on Tuesday night to see Dame Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirits. The show was great and of course Ms. Lansbury was amazing! I was so excited at the chance to see her perform live, that I was willing to go to the Tenderloin to do it! She didn’t disappoint and it was worth it in the end. However I’ve already decided that unless it’s a headliner I just can’t miss, I’ll probably never come back here. The neighborhood is not worth going to unless it’s really important. Let me make two things clear before I continue this review: 1.) I don’t want to scare you away from this place. It’s not the worst place I’ve EVER been but it it was nowhere near the comfort level I’d like for a night out at the theatre. 2.) They really try. The building itself is nice and they have their own security team at different places surrounding the building. This was very reassuring.
Ok, let me tell you about my night. I was apprehensive to get a ticket for an evening show but I got a good price so I thought I’d chance it. I was going into the city with a couple other people but was the only one actually going to the show. The others had alternative plans. So there was another risk factor: being a 20 something woman, alone in a sketchy neighborhood. The sec I was dropped off just steps away from the door I was encountered by a homeless man. Besides that though, nothing happened. The security man that I saw inside was very friendly and helpful. I forgot to get his name though.
Meanwhile the inside of the GGT is actually rather nice. I was expecting run down but my low expectations were surprisingly exceeded. The whole place was clean, functional and even had elegance, such as the grand staircase. I arrived early so there was no line for the mezz ladies restroom. My view from Loge B 23 was wonderful except that I couldn’t see stage right and only ½ of the upstage set. However what I did see felt very close. During intermission I went to the top of the mezz to compare for future shows (if I come back) and noticed a huge difference. I should also note that unlike others have said, I was pretty comfortable at my seat. Granted, I’m only 5’2 so my leg room may vary from yours. And again unlike previous reviews that said it was stuffy in the theater, I was actually quite chilly. I had taken my jacket off in anticipation of being warm, as warned, but then found myself cold in my short-​sleeved dress. Maybe the air conditioning has improved or something.
Also, I don’t know if this is the setup at every show but for blithe spirit the lighting dept (w/​their computers and everything) was in the exact same row as me. I was on the aisle then just 2 seats over was the team. We were literally the only ones in the row. Now luckily, this wasn’t a big deal to me at all since I’ve been involved in the lighting at my local theatre company and was kind of fascinated by it. I even had a nice little chat w/​one of them before the show but for those in the surrounding area, I’m not sure how they felt. It’s possible to get to distracted by. I bring all this up to you because I was not notified about this at the time of my purchase. I only discovered this upon finding my seat. An usher even came up to me at some point and asked if this seat was actually assigned to me. I confirmed it with her. Of course this was after my original usher directed me to my seat, so I already knew it was not a mistake. Like I said before, I was still completely able to focus. When I did occasionally notice them working on their programming, I chalked it up to experiencing the show behind the show. ;)
So to conclude this unintentionally long review (sorry), I would visit the GGT again based on the building itself and therefore it gets three stars for effort. Sadly though, I just can’t get past it’s location.

Last night I saw Dame Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit. IT WAS AMAZING! I am a HUGE fan of hers, so I splurged on second row seats. (First row seats were sold out.)
I am such a fan of hers I wanted to be able to see her breathe. When I was deciding which seat to buy, here were my choices:
Front row, section close to the wall (not middle section)
Second row, middle section, 4^th seat in from the side.
I read reviews and noted that the seats on the second row are not staggered in between the armrests behind the front row. I was really concerned that I wouldn’t be able to see over the head of whomever was sitting in front of me. However, I didn’t really want to be way off on the side.
Ultimately, I chose to sit in the middle section, second row.
Look at the picture I took. I angled the camera to show both the stage and the heads of the people sitting in the front row so you could get a sense of how close the stage is.
The floor is barely angled at all and yes, the second row seats are more or less directly behind the seats of the front row. For much of Blithe Spirit, the actors are sitting down. When they were sitting down, I had to adjust my head so I could see the actors. When they were standing, it wasn’t a problem. If you sit in the second row, either bring a booster seat or pray you have a short person sitting in front of you. Or, better yet, you might end up with nobody sitting in front!
If you are tall, there is plenty of leg room in the second row.

Golden Gate Theater is a nice, clean theater. The seats remind me a bit of flying. Space is limited. I’m 5’3″ and the leg room seems tight. There are only 7 stalls for the women’s restroom so the lines can get long. But people tend not to linger in the bathroom so the lines do move. Drinks are served before and during intermission of the shows. Employees seem friendly. You can give them your ticket electronically so you don’t have to worry about printing it. It is located in the tenderloin where all of the drug dealers hang out. As we walked from the civic center to the theater on a side street, we passed corner after corner of drug dealers and junkies. They seemed harmless to is but it was 1:30 in the afternoon. I recommend walking on Market instead if you do park your car in a lot. On the plus side, I do like the shows that I’ve seen at this theater.

The gist: A great, unassuming theatre, that gets the job done.
Came and saw Pippin with $ 35 tix. Don’t know how that happened, but it was awesome.
The lobby was small, but that was okay. It took a little finagling to get to our seats, but we had great seats.
Took BART here so had few problems.

At the end of the day, what really matters is the quality of the shows. I’ve been very impressed with the past few seasons of musicals from SHN. So, rather than complain about Golden Gate Theatre, I wanted to provide a few pointers for first-​time guests:
* You can use your cell phone to show tickets, rather than printing them out.
* GGT is located in deep Tenderloin, the worst part of the city. Parking might be easy, but not recommended. Take an Über/​Lyft directly to the theatre, and have one ready for you after the show.
* During intermission, they open the fire escape doors, which provides a nice opportunity to get fresh air.
* You can pre-​order drinks for intermission so you can avoid the lines.
* Drinks and snacks are quite expensive. Beers are $ 8, wine $ 9, regular cocktails $ 12, and top-​shelf cocktails are $ 14. Snacks vary, but are also quite expensive, around $ 6 – 8.
* Shows start promptly on time, so get there early!
* This is a bi-​level theatre, so the Mezzanine and Balcony are on the same level (though Balcony is behind the Mezzanine). It’s probably not worth the extra money for a Mezzanine seat — I’d either go with the expensive Orchestra (floor-​level) seats or try to be low Balcony. That said, the Balcony view isn’t great.

Going to the Golden Gate Theater on the corner of Taylor/​Golden Gate/​Market Street in San Francisco is a quasi dangerous trek to the slums. The smell of urine is ubiquitous as are the throngs of low life. A first thought is to hold on to your purse, wallet, walk quickly, and maintain a low profile. The theater itself has seen better days. At one time it probably was the cat’s meow, but today it just feels old, outdated, and far too expensive for its location. We recently saw Pippin at the Golden Gate. $ 65 bought us nose-​bleed seats in the balcony and without the use of binoculars, we would have missed the show. Although it was October, it was unbearably hot in the seats. Attendees were using their programs as fans. The sound and lighting are excellent, yet this aged theater just feels tired and OLD. Over the years we’ve been here numerous times for performances, but the area keeps getting worse and the theater has just lost its charm. If San Francisco could clean up the neighborhood between the Orpheum, Golden Gate, and Warfield, the experience could be more positive. When orchestra seats go for $ 210 or more, a venue where walking a block one didn’t feel assaulted by the sounds, sights, and smells of the underworld would be greatly valued.

Hate that it’s in the Tenderloin – two young women walking in dresses and heels down Market at 7:30 pm is not a good idea. We ended up taking an Über back to our parking garage.
The theater is also relatively small. It is in great condition, though seemed like an old building. The seats are a TIGHT squeeze. I am only 5’4″ and I did not even have room in front of me to cross my legs. I can’t even imagine how my 5’7″ friend felt.
We came to see Pippin on opening night. The show was great! At least, I think it was. We were in the balcony, near the back. The lady sitting in front of me probably couldn’t see very well, so she kept leaning forward and side to side to try to view the stage. Needless to say, I did not actually see a lot of the stage at all. Apologies to the person behind me for also fidgeting around way too much! Our tickets were free, so not complaining. If I came back to see another show, I’d definitely spring for a closer row.

I saw Pippin last night at Golden Gate Theatre, geez that musical was really bad. Don’t waste your money on it. How it won 2013 best musical revival Tony Award I don’t know.
Bought my ticket at Orpheum Theatre, was able to get Balcony seat, guy said regular price is $ 65, then later said if I paid Cash I’d only have to pay $ 55! Cool that I even had enough money, usually I don’t have it.
It’s between Civic Center Bart and Powell so easy to get to. Across the street from Show Dogs (hot dog place). There is Taqueria Can Cun on Market St if you want to eat before going.
The circus part was just them doing some acrobat stuff, jumping over stuff, hanging upside down, etc. Pretty meh. Music numbers were forgettable.
Pippin is a guy that doesn’t know what to do with his life, lady trying to get him to join the circus and stuff that happens, but it’s so bad! The first half was a lot better than the 2^nd half. 15 minute intermission. I couldn’t wait for it to end, From 8pm start, it lasted until 10:30pm or so (2.5hr show). Got home late.
Save your money and don’t waste it on this mess of a musical.

The star is for the beautiful architecture of this theater. I absolutely love the old style and grace. HOWEVER, the seats (Mezannine) were so crammed together that my knees were digging into the back of the guy in front of me. So when the show started, we looked around for empty seats & moved. But my the back of the seats in the row in front of us was digging into my knees so it was either sit with my body & legs to the side or sit with my legs FAR apart! Well, I chose the latter because I was not wearing a dress — whew!
I got a water and candy bar, four dollars each! Should have snuck them in as it would have been very easy.
We parked around the corner & felt lucky to get to our destination with our wallets. Talk about New Jack City! I’ve been to the Tenderloin a few times before & walked around at night but it’s been years and it’s gotten so much worse. If I could, I would wave a magic wand and erase all of those poor whacked out souls problems. It’s actually sad but scary first.

Been coming back to Golden Gate Theatre over the years for a variety of live-​performance events. Usually these revolve around Plays but this latest visit was for a concert & have to say for a music venue, GGT is A-​OK
Recently saw DIANA ROSS & the setup was just like a Vegas show. There was a big-​band setup on stage, complete w/​stairs for Ms Ross to dramatically descend. She had lots of costume changes & pranced around the stage giving us her best diva poses… it was fab!
Given we were in the front row of the Loge, views were perfect but that’s b/​c I remembered that it’s important to get these front row seats since views & legroom become nonexistent the higher up you go
Sound was perfect — no distortion & would have to assume that after 1000 years as a venue, they have the acoustical settings down pat
So while these legends of theater & music continue to visit the Golden Gate Theatre, I certainly will too… A-​OK indeed!