Awesome Theaters Around Cincinnati

Theater is a way for you to escape for a couple of hours to a different time and place. It can be a chance to learn about new cultures, people, or events. And theater can also be a form of pure entertainment. Whether you’re looking for Broadway or ballet, drama or dance, here’s a list of some of the coolest theaters around Greater Cincinnati. Book your tickets, drive your Toyota to one of these places, and enjoy the show!

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The Aronoff Center for the Arts

The Aronoff Center is almost like a multiplex for the performing arts. It’s located in Cincinnati’s “Backstage District” right downtown and features three different theaters, an art gallery, two reception rooms, and a rehearsal hall. Broadway in Cincinnati, which features touring Broadway shows, along with the Cincinnati Ballet, the Cincinnati Music Theatre, and several others all call the Aronoff Center home.

Procter & Gamble Hall is the largest of the center’s three theaters, and it has three levels of seating and a capacity of 2,700. The Jarson Kaplan Theater is the site of Aronoff’s small and mid-sized productions, and the Fifth Third Bank Theater is the smallest of the three theaters and is used for functions as well as performances. Upcoming performances at the Aronoff Center include Disney’s Frozen, Hamilton, and Abbafab – The Premier Abba Experience.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Located in Cincinnati’s famous Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, Ensemble Theatre is a performing arts venue that puts on over 220 productions annually in front of total combined audiences of more than 30,000 theater-goers. Converted from an old 20th-century German bank, Ensemble Theatre is currently the second-largest professional theater in the region.

Their mission is to support local artists while also inspiring their audiences with shows from around the region and the world that examine important social issues. They also provide educational programs and community outreach. Since 1986, Ensemble has been promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity to make theater accessible to all.

Falcon Theatre, Newport, KY

Considered to be the Greater Cincinnati area’s only storefront theater, Falcon Theatre was founded in 1989 with the mission of “providing eclectic, diverse theatre experiences to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.” Located in the former Monmouth Theater location in Newport, Falcon Theatre prides itself on producing intimate theater that is both inspiring and entertaining. They put on several main-stage theatrical shows annually, along with various outreach programs, such as Falcon Takes Flight, which stages dramatic readings in schools, churches, and other places throughout the community.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

For over 60 years, the Playhouse in the Park has been presenting professional theater to audiences in downtown Cincinnati. As a multiple Tony Award winner, the Playhouse aims to present quality theatrical productions featuring top-notch directors, actors, and designers in a wide range of production types, including musicals, dramas, classics, comedies, and recent hit shows. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is planning to build a new, ultra-modern, and sophisticated main-stage theater in Eden Park that is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023.

Taft Theatre

If you’re looking for a modern theatrical experience with all the amenities in a building with that old-world-theater feel, then Taft is for you. The Taft Theatre is a neoclassical/art deco building that opened in 1928 in the days when large, extravagant theaters were all the rage. It’s located right in downtown Cincinnati and is a live entertainment venue that retains its historical charm while bringing you the latest in musical concerts, stand-up comedy, interactive shows, informative speakers, and more.

The Taft Theatre has two different performance venues within, including The Theatre and The Ballroom, allowing them to present a greater number of live shows, including multiple events weekly.

Bogart’s

Originally built as a vaudeville theater in 1890, Bogart’s is now a live music and entertainment venue that shows local, national, and international acts and has a capacity of 1,500 people, six bars, three viewing levels, two entrances, and an elevated stage. Premium seating options are available and offer perks, such as in-seat cocktail service, a dedicated concierge, and better parking. Bogart’s aims to feature some of the latest and best musicians around.

Cincinnati World Cinema

By screening films that might not otherwise make it to the big screens of Cincinnati, Cincinnati World Cinema (CWC) is devoted to promoting diversity and examining cultural and societal issues through film. They feature international, documentary, independent, short (both live-action and animated), and local films that entertain, educate, and inform. CWC is an all-volunteer organization that’s actively involved with arts, cultural, and educational establishments in the Cincinnati community with the goal of combining live music, live theater, readings, and post-film discussions along with their films.

Mariemont Theatre

Voted the best cinema in Cincinnati, the Mariemont is one of those artsy, classic cinemas you so rarely find anymore. It plays a mix of independent and foreign films, along with bigger Hollywood productions, in a quaint old building in the small village of Mariemont, which is a historic landmark itself. The Mariemont Theatre features five different screens, a full bar, freshly made popcorn, and a glimpse into the past glory days of cinema.

Cincinnati Music Hall

A beautiful and iconic Victorian gothic building built in 1878, the Cincinnati Music Hall features performances by the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera (which is the country’s second-oldest opera), Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Not just a home to classical music, the Music Hall also features contemporary and popular acts, including many big-name performers. Even if you don’t come by for a show, the Music Hall offers tours of the historical landmark building that are definitely worth the trip.

The Show Must Go On!

So there you have a list of some of the best spots in Cincinnati for performing arts, live music, and film. Whatever sort of theatrical experience you’re looking for, you can find it in Cincinnati. Did we forget your favorite theater? Let us know! And check out the new and used inventory from Performance Toyota, where you can get a vehicle that’s a real show-stopper.

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