ruth eckerd hall

We attend 8-10 performances a year everything from Broadway Shows to Headliner Music acts. As a side perk REH offers dinners for most shows at a small cost ($25) that is equal to any good restaurant. We have never been disappointed in the entertainment or the food.

We very much enjoyed a concert here celebrating the career of the Luciano Pavarotti. Excellent production with first rate European talent. The hall, the acoustics, the facilities, all were excellent. Unforgettable night.

I have seen many shows here, as they attract a lot of quality acts. It is a wonderful, intimate place to see a show, if you have a ticket in the first half of the theater. Once you start getting a seat behind that, the act gets so small that you cannot accurately see what is going on. The acoustics are pretty good, except for the back balcony. In the balcony, you can usually hear the person sitting next to you during a rock concert, and the performers are about a millimeter tall, standing up.The front half is a wonderful experience, though. Acoustics are great and you really feel like you are a part of it. It becomes an experience, with most seats good. If you are fortunate enough to get a seat in the orchestra pit, it will be a truly unique experience.The venue has amenities that are very good, also. They have several bars around the venue, a small patio area for smokers where they have an outdoor band perform (yay!) and they even have pretty good food available. The rest rooms are relatively clean and well maintained, and the line seems to flow smoothly. Parking is close to the door, although leaving can be a pain. Overall, I like this place, but you absolutely have to be near the front of the show. Any other seat is a complete waste of money. It is no wonder they rarely sell out the rear seating areas, as everyone seems to realize the problem with rear seating, except for the management and architects.

VIP Package for Dinner, Show and Parking is not worth the package. Skip the meal as it's a very small and poor selection of food. Only 1 vegetable was on the buffet and that was overcooked broccoli, the seafood chowder was all broth and no seafood, and the main course of either flat iron skirt steak or turkey was seasoned beyond quite spicy cajun.

I have been an RHE member for many years and it never disappoints. I recently attended a show at The Capitol Theater, the Ruth Eckerd Hall sister venue in Clearwater, and it is clear that the tradition of excellence continues. Congratulations to the RHE Team and "may the music never stop"!

I saw Alton Brown Live Tuesday, February 2nd and had a great time. Alton told stories, sang songs, and made food in amazing ways with unexpected items. This was my first show at Ruth Eckerd Hall, and I can highly recommend this facility. There is ample parking, and the venue is lovely - outside and inside. The acoustics are great, & there are absolutely no visual obstructions between any seat and the stage. They have made good accommodations for handicapped seating as well as companion seating. There was sufficient staff at the numerous beverage stations for beverage purchases to go swiftly. There were some beverage vending machines available for non-alcoholic beverages. The tour had several stations for the purchase of tour 'swag'. These were set back in such a way as to not impede the flow of foot traffic before and after the show. I highly recommend checking out their website for the seating chart - the Portal information (the entry area closest to your seat) is on your ticket with your seat Row and Number. There are lots of available staff volunteers to point you to your 'Portal' and your seat. This last may sound odd, but if you've ever seen the ladies washroom lines at most venues, many ladies decide they're just going to have to miss part of the show if they need to use the facilities. The lady's room was staffed by attendants who kept the line moving by signaling when there was an opening. This may sound a bit trivial to some, but to me, it speaks of great attention to detail for their patron's comfort and show experience.

Very nice venue. We were towards the back and sounds and view excellent there. Nice not having to sit where there are poles and aisles with people walking up and down them. Rows arranged so even short folks can see over the person in front of them. Look forward to going back.

Ruth Eckerd Hall is a nice facility, with adequate parking. It really is like a giant movie theater. Acoustics could be a lot better. Seating is fairly comfortable, although you enter through one side of the aisle and have to climb over everyone. Show started right on time. I do not think there is a bad seat in the house. Plenty of leg room. Definitely a place to go.

It was a privilege and treat to see Tchaikovsky's Violin Concierto featuring Jennifer Kho. My grandmother would have been moved. She was a concert pianist and I felt her presence.The director was masterful, coaxing and prodding the musicians to their pinnacle. I was riveted and even my uninitiated companion appreciated the level of dedication. My only critique has to do with lighting and the audience. It should be dim and only the orchestra lit. I will be back for more delightful music. And the crowd was a lovely mix of seniors and families with teens. Art is not reserved for the few. It is for all who yearn for transcendence.

Have been visiting the various venues in the Tampa/Sarasota area. Van Wezel had been the highest until we came to Ruth Eckerd Hall last Friday night. Straz just OK, because it's just too big and acoustics not very good, so only will go back unless show nowhere else around here. Have not been to Capitol Theatre yet, but understand it is worth going and most performers exclusively perform there so no real choice of venue if you want to see the show. Some shows are performed at both Van Wezel & Ruth Eckerd so we'll definitely choose Ruth Eckerd because of not only proximity to our home but the seats were more comfortable (both theatres just as clean) and there was a bit more leg room too. Makes a difference when you don't necessarily have to stand up to let folks get by to their seat where as Straz you definitely have to stand up every time because of how close seats are between rows.

I am at REH as often as I can get there, but I don't remember if I've ever reviewed it....so, here it is: I LOVE this venue! I have NEVER had a bad seat; I can't imagine that there is one. The acoustics are as good as everyone says. I agree that the lack of a middle aisle can be frustrating, but it depends so much on the audience. At the 2014 Jimi Hendrix event I had people walking in front of me nearly EVERY song all evening, but that isn't always the case. Then the very next show [David Gray] I think it happened just once. I highly recommend taking in a show here....awesome venue!

Been here several times and have enjoyed the performances. Have seen Broadway, stand-up, singing and dancing, and I can say the views are generally good, even in the higher tiers, and the acoustics are very good.The lobby area gets very congested. It looks like it was not designed for so many people, and the concessions are few, with long lines and not enough staff.The ushers are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you find your row/seats.Leaving the parking can take some time, as it seems there are not enough exits from the lot.One thing that I find odd is that the seat rows have no middle aisle. It is a large theater and with no middle aisle people have to constantly be walking in and out from only two aisles instead of four, as in most places. Not sure about the reasoning for this, but I found it strange and, some times, a bit of a hassle.All in all, it's a good place for a performance.

We went to see Dancing with the Stars.We were in row u and could see perfectly! The seats are fabulous big thick cushions and LEGROOM!! Only problem is parking, we were trying to leave at the same time the next show was arriving! Crazy! Allow plenty of parking time for the second show!

Nice theatre, not too big, not too small. Had great seats for A Christmas Carole and looks like almost all seats have a nice view. Only issue was the Air conditioning was going full force which made it pretty cool in the theatre.

We went to see Lisa Lampanelli at this great venue. Seats are comfortable. Every seat is a great seat. Sound was fantastic. Lisa was amazing. We will go back to this venue again!