SHN

I’ve been a season ticket holder with SHN for four years. I have two kids and we see 5 – 6 shows a year. We’ve really loved this subscription. We get to see tons of great shows, we always have great seats, and e get to pre-​purchase special shows. The staff who handle the membership issues is for the most part very good. My only complaint is that they are too strict on the show-​to-​show exchanges.

I sat on the upper deck (there are 3 levels, I sat on the highest) up at the front and it was fine. I would not sit in the back of the 3^rd level though. I will definitely try the middle level next time, I think it will be a much better view and experience! I would definitely come here again although it can be a hassle to find parking, but what do you expect from the city, it’s like that everywhere!
Cons: bad street parking, bad location in the city, small area during concessions and lines so long you might not even make it to the bathroom before the next act starts, Need to purchase plastic cups for drinks.
Pros: famous theater near lots of public transit.

Good place to catch a Broadway musical without leaving the city. I’ve seen Wicked & The Book of Mormon here.
Pros:
— nice historical theater, remember to look up the ceiling’s beautiful
— in the city, easy access from BART/​Muni
— full bar with adult sippy cups so you can bring it to your seat! SIPPY CUPS!
— great list of shows you actually want to watch
— cozy atmosphere
— staff is very friendly
Cons:
— it’s in the fucking hood, be prepared to be approached by homeless people before and after the show
— drinks are expensive but that’s to be expected
— seats are pretty tight and not every seat is a good seat (not unusual)
— place has an old musty smell that wouldn’t go away (it’s either the venue or someone crop dusting either way it smelled)
— insane bathroom lines for both genders, if you’re a lady I suggest you book it to the as soon as intermission starts otherwise you’d be there waiting until the show starts again

This past year, I started developing an expensive habit. No, it’s not drugz… it’s musical theatre! To date, I have seen «Book of Mormon», «Jersey Boys», and «Wicked». This review is more for SHN Orpheum Theatre than the musicals itself (they are all amazing… go watch them!).
If you are looking to enter the lottery, I recommend coming early to the theatre as there are usually a large crowd of people waiting. I actually won tickets for «Book of Mormon» last year! While it’s a steal for $ 25 (cash only), you also risk having side view seats which may hinder your entire experience. After viewing only ¾ of the entire set, I told myself to actually cough up the extra money see the entire production in the future…
For «Jersey Boys» and «Wicked», I had the opportunity to sit in the middle lower section and balcony, respectively, which gave me amazing views. With the exception of the orchestra seats with limited viewing, I think any seats in the Orpheum theatre is worth it.
For first-​timers, I recommend coming early if you want to use the restroom because there are usually lines right before the show starts. Tip: there are restrooms in the basement, so you can avoid the lines in the 2^nd and 3^rd floor! :)

I have had nothing but great experiences with SHN (ok a few small meh moments so it’s not a perfect ⁵⁄₅) but in general I absolutely adore them. I’ve been coming to see their shows since I was in college up in Davis and now that I’m in the Bay, you can bet your butt I’ve been to almost every show they’ve had.
They have a great selection of shows and are fairly on time when it came to rush ticket sales. They respond to my emails very promptly (usually within a business day) and they are generally very helpful when I’m at the theater itself. I also adore their lottery system through Todaytix because as a student, it’s the only way I can afford tickets and unfortunately my home theater in LA doesn’t do lottery tickets. The theaters themselves aren’t perfect either because they’re a bit more dated but they get the job done. The items they sell are also pricey so I wouldn’t go for those. In general, it’s what you make of it. If you don’t want to take the risk of not being able to attend the show at your ideal time, then you may need to drop some extra cash. But if you’re willing to look for sales or use the lottery, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

First of all, I wish people reviewed SHN rather than the actual shows! Please go to another website for that! To have as low reviews as it has now is totally unfair! I wouldn’t say this is the best theatre but it certainly is not the worst! For how expensive the seats are, it probably isn’t the cheapest theatre and not all seats are amazing, but that’s with every theatre. I have watched 4 shows here so far and the stage itself has made way for great stage production and the sound has been impeccable. I have watched a range of terrible to amazing shows, but the theatre staff is just so accommodating in welcoming you and escorting you to your seat when you are late.
I also highly suggest having a meal before you start as there are usually no in and outs! They do have souvenir cups that have a little more alcohol in it them for a price! You cannot bring your alcohol in the theatre unless you have a souvenir cup! Overall, SHN ain’t no Orpheum, but they do have a large variety of shows and can’t wait to come back!

Missed the tix office by 30 seconds and they would not let me purchase tix. Whatever happened to customer service? Sunday at 4.01pm.

I’ve been a subscriber for over 25 years to SHN Broadway shows on San Francisco & recently was trying to get assistance from SHN staff regarding a special complimentary tickets to an upcoming event «Sean Hayes in Conversation» on Jan 12, 2016. As per SHN’s email instructions, I went ahead and tried to get the comp tickets on-​line. SHN’s website somehow did not function properly & didn’t allow me to download the tickets. I asked for assistance from SHN staff – and all I got from them is that these tickets are «complimentary» so as subscribers we should not expect the same service for getting these tickets as with the tickets included in the annual program. This is very disappointing considering that part of our annual subscription supposedly includes top notch & considerate customer service.

I had two tickets for a weekday matinée. I had a family emergency that morning and was unable to attend the show. I called the box office and spoke with one of the ticketing agents. I was very upset as I explained my situation and asked if I would be able to reschedule my event. The agent was very courteous and empathetic. My tickets were promptly rescheduled. I was very pleased with their customer service.

SHN has gotten a great deal of my business through the years. This outfit is responsible for bringing national tours of Broadway shows through SF. This review is not based on the shows they bring through, but rather their operation.
1) Ticketing fees
The fees attached to each ticket are outrageous. The «convenience fee» for online transactions runs around $ 10 bucks. If you *call* the box office you cannot avoid additional fees. If you go to the box office, you can avoid additional charges… but who wants to take a stroll through The Tenderloin in order to get to the box office?
2) Execution
SHN cannot start a show on time to save its life. I know «being late» is sort of the norm these days, but SHN really needs to make an example of late-​late comers and refuse to seat them if they’re late. If a ticket publishes that curtain is at 8pm, I expected the Overture to start 8pm sharp. But at times we’re talking ²⁰⁄₂₅ minutes late.
3) Damage Control
Imagine sitting in the theatre enjoying a wonderful opening number or a show-​stopping number and being distracted by SHN staff graciously seating late-​comers in the middle of the show. It takes me out of the experience and has occasionally ruined highly anticipated scenes. There’s never a good time during the show to seat late comers. If I’m paying $ 250 for a seat, I expect no conspicuous distractions.
4) Begging for money
SHN does not allow its patrons to enjoy a show without being hassled for… something. Typically after the final bow, the actors on stage linger longer to ask for money for charitable causes. This is unprofessional and puts a damper on the entire experience. After the final bows, I’d like to actually enjoy the exit music or start discussing the show with a friend while things are fresh. Instead, your «last impression» of the show is the actors asking for money. Enough. The tickets + fees are outrageous enough. I support the charities they’re behind, but asking for money does not belong in the auditorium.
I’d like to at least rate this group «A-​OK,» but the truth is that I have experienced better in the bay area.
Bottom line. I keep supporting SHN because they *do* get the national tours I’m interested in seeing. Unless a show is scheduled for San Jose, up to SF I go.

How have I not written a review of this place yet?
I’ve been coming here for the past 4 years as it tends to have most of the good shows that come through town. It’s your standard theater but pretty well run.
Two women’s bathrooms with a men’s bathroom rather far away in the basement. It gets crowded quickly so get here early.
Overall a nice venue. Parking can be rather difficult but there is plenty of space in garages on Mission which is about 1.5 blocks away.

Just bought season tickets for 2015 – 2016 season. I tend to buy tickets separately and end up going to most shows so I thought this time it’s time to get get season tickets. I bought 2 and my packet just came with every show in row v orchestra. Really that’s priority seating? Since when. I have gotten better seats every time I have bought them at the presale. V row was the closest I could be? I don’t believe it and am very disappointed.

My husband and I came here to see the Phantom of the Opera last night. We are both big fans of this show and movie… and soundtrack. We were super excited to finally see it! Neither of us have ever seen this production put on my any other group, however, we are big musical theatre junkies.
I was so surprised to see the poor reviews on Unilocal.We read through some of them as we were waiting for the show to begin. We realize that everybody has their own opinions and critiques for theatre and we ignored the negative feedback. This was going to be a great performance and we were going to enjoy ourselves and our night out together.
We found nearby parking in a garage and paid $ 7.00 for the evening. Had no issues finding our way to the theatre, but it was chilly! I was glad that we dressed somewhat warm.
Many people had arrived early, so when the doors opened everybody was pushing around. It was sort of embarrassing. We all want to get to our seats, so lets just work together and practice patience. Nobody will miss the show… oy.
The theatre itself is beautiful just as we expected it would be. The architecture is impressive and it has a gothic charm to it. Seats were easily accessible, and we were offered assistance by the staff; everybody was very kind and professional.
The show started right on time.
The first scene (auction) was definitely a little bit dark. Phantom of the Opera is a dark, gloomy musical, though, so I can see why the lighting was kept mysterious. It was hard to make out faces or see items up for auction, so a little more lighting on the face/​objects would have made a huge difference. Thankfully, the following scenes for the most part were illuminated perfectly. We were able to see the expressions on actor’s faces and see details. There were definitely certain scenes that were dark, too dark, and I think that could have been improved. Overall it did not take away from the experience and, if anything, added to its charm.
The costuming throughout the entire production was impressive. Everything was very reminiscent of the movie; especially during the actual Opera performances. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the costuming. Even the actors looked similar to the movie cast; Emmy Rossum, Mini Driver and Gerard Butler.
The actress who played Christine was sensational. Her voice was strong and her vibrato filled up the entire hall. She played the role beautifully. Truly her performance exceeded my expectations. I also thought the Phantom was so much fun to watch; especially in the dungeon scene. Raul is always interesting to watch unfold throughout the show. I thought his character was played very well. His compassion and warmth toward Christine was evident.
I was interested to see how the chandelier and the Phantom’s chambers were going to be done. Our minds were blown! The sound/​lighting effects for the chandelier were done so well. I can’t think of any way they could have embraced that scene and its vigor. It would have been fun to be in the audience sitting below the chandelier.
I also thought the rotating stage was amazing! I was so inspired to see how the stairs unwound as they creeped around the corner. What a PERFECT way to take advantage of the space. The Phantom’s chambers were just as eerie, dark and curious as in the movie. They had many candles lit as well as hanging lights in the ceiling that added to the effect. The boat that the Phantom carries Christine in «sailed» smoothly, and combined with the rolling clouds of fog, I felt like we were witnessing the actual scene! Beautiful and well done!
My favorite scene, Masquerade, was a blast. It was the first number after the intermission. I loved the dancing, lights, and special effects that were used (lighting, capturing the essence of the ball room, sound).
The orchestra was DIVINE! Bravo, all of you! The music was so beautiful. I could have listened to them all night. We were able to peek into the pit and see all of the instruments. What a talented group!
This show deserves much more credit. If all people do is hone in on the things they didn’t like about the show then it takes away from the beauty of musical theatre and the arts. Nothing is ever perfect and no two people will ever feel the same way about a production. Rather than list the many things you didn’t like… mention what you did like! Surely nobody could be disappointed with the whole production.
This was a great show and I would recommend it to anybody interested in the arts and that is a dedicated Phantom fan.

My girlfriend and I came to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and it was fantastic! Katie Travis, who plays Christine, is extremely talented with an amazing voice. The stage crew really did a fantastic job with the costumes and the scenery set pieces. I was really amazed at how they could fit so many scenes and landscapes into one production.
Overall, my experience was very positive. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is that the theatre seats were a bit uncomfortable.

Just saw the performance of Phantom of the Opera. Was really looking forward to the show since it has been a while since being in SF.
First off, I have to say that I was pretty disappointed by Chris Mann’s performance. His voice is really not very good and he has a lot of vibrato. I’m more used to lower smooth voice from previous shows I’ve seen. I’ve seen phantom probably about 5 times in my life, own the CD, and movie. You go to phantom really looking forward to seeing him since he has a big part and lets just say Chris Mann does not fill the shoes. I think they hyped him up and probably wanted more publicity since he was on the Voice in 2012. Pretty bummed I paid $ 200+ and me and my wife had what we felt was a mediocre performance.
On the plus side the new stage and props are pretty neat. Christine did a good job and we also enjoyed Colatta (spelling).
I would recommend you not waste your time seeing Chris Mann and wait for another phantom. I feel bad being so critical but this is how we really felt.

Told me my tickets were online for sale, which they were not. Would not disclose their ticket process or «investigative» process. Also, would not allow me to come in day of the show. I wish I could leave less stars. Beware of the tickets you buy.

2^nd year as a member and had another wonderful experience re ordering our season tickets! Jenera (not sure if I spelt this right) was awesome! She knows her theater and wasn’t afraid to be human with me! I appreciate that so much! As the current Dutchess of the Orpheum theater, proudly say if you don’t have season tickets, you’re missing out!!! SHN puts on some amazing theater and I’m so excited to see what next season brings to SF!!! Not only do season ticket holders get priority seats but we also get amazing opportunities to see talk backs with the casts! If you’re a true theater fan, I can’t think of a better way to spend $ 500!!! Keep theater alive and come to SHN!!! Break a leg!

Our tickets were randomly canceled after purchasing them through ticket Galaxy — it was a huge headache and they didn’t even really explain why it happened but we had to repurchase our tickets for Book of Mormon.

Last night we attended a performance of Kinky Boots — what a waste of $ 140 per ticket — mediocre singing and dancing and terrible dialogue and songs!
Plus the seats in Row P on the side were worse than economy seats on an airplace. Plus if you get someone large in front of you — good luck being able to see the center part of the stage.
Horrendous 2 and ½ hours!

Stars are only for the lady who e-​mailed me within an hour when I had a question about group sales tickets before presales and public sales were available.
As for the actual Awful Awful online system. I had tickets in the cart slowly taunting me while it was counting down 6 mins…
5 mins…
4 mins…
3.
2…
1…
…“your tickets have expired“
Due to the inability to check out my order, I watched my chances of getting tickets vanish before my eyes. I’ve ordered tickets to small (USC Galen Center) and larger venues
(Staples Center) which had their own share of problems but never have I had my order in arm’s reach only for it to be snatched away from me to slap me in the face several times for effect before disappearing.
Hire some people to handle high traffic for your website, you are a ticketing service. Very disappointing.