We have season tickets to Opera San Jose, so four times a year we come up and enjoy a wonderful show, enhanced by General Manager Larry Hancock's entertaining and informative preshow lecture. The California Theater is a beautiful location, and it is not too large. We are able to see and hear perfectly well even at the back of the orchestra section. The supertitles in English allow us to understand everything. The concessions are good and even the lines for the women's restrooms are reasonable. It is the perfect escape weekend for us, complete with dinner at Il Fornaio and a night in the Hotel St. Claire on the same block. Once a year we take a dozen friends for our big night out.
Gorgeous theater with good acoustics. There is not a bad seat in the house. Wonderful for plays, opera and the symphony.Here's a link to read about its renovationhttp://www.shomler.com/calsj/info.htm
The California Theater is great for the opera, the symphony and old movies. It has been faithfully restored to its 1920s appearance. I went there in the 40s and 50s as a kid an it is just as it was then. It is worth stopping in.
With a beautiful remodel, this is an excellent theater for concerts, including symphony, opera, etc.Plan to go earkly so you can look around the lobby and other areas, as this theater has gone through a remarkable remodel.The acoustics are perfect. You will enjoy any performance in this venue!
We like to go to the California Theater in San Jose. They have the annual Cinequest (movie) festival. The symphony, ballet, and other events also occur here. It is in the SOFA district of San Jose. SOFA starnds for South First Area of San Jose, which is a visual arts and entertainment district.San Jose Theaters manages California Theater. The theater, built in 1927, is very beautifiul and has been restored to keep it being a good place to go in San Jose.There is a paid parking lot nearby.
Appears to have had a no-expense spared restoration a few years ago, and seating and acoustics are great.
I love the inside of the theater - it is beautiful. We had balcony seats and could see and hear just fine.
We go to live Opera San Jose performances in this lovingly restored, ornate, old movie theater. There is a mighty wurlitzer organ that gets played as you enter, the theater is small and intimate, the talented young singers form the only repertory opera company in the US and they obviously enjoy singing together. And the price is quite reasonable.
The remolding work is excellent and the acoustics are superb. On some occasions they have a talented guy playing an old restored pipe organ in the lobby. What a treat!
Growing up in the Santa Clara Valley, a real treat was going to a show at the California Theater. Having recently been completely refinished for the San Jose Opera, as well as the Symphony, the California is a must visit. There is an organ that rises from the orchestra pit, that originally played to silent movies.