Civic Theatre of Allentown

I loooved this historic theater! Very cool atmosphere and pleasant staff! 10/10 will go again! Also loved the free parking at the Wells Fargo bank after bank hours.

I had never been to Civic before. The building is amazing and beautiful. The customer service provided by box office and the ushers gave me big city vibes. (In a good way) I loved that they took a risk with Reefer Madness. Its not a well known crowd pleaser, but its a fantastic show. Thank you for a great experience!

The civic theater is a small cozy but professional venue. The productions here are high quality and absolutely worth supporting. Some nights there are pay what you want tickets which is recipe for a packed house if you like a lively event

It is a beautiful theater! The production was excellent, the actors were very professional! The only down sides were that the fake British accents were not always good and extremely exaggerated making it almost impossible to discern what they were saying at times. And there is I believe only one bathroom total for everyone. The play lasted an hour and 45 minutes making the tickets well worth the price.

Beautifully restored theater. Nice clean friendly venue. Cup holders at the seats. Comfy seats with decent leg room. Great little attached bar. Restrooms on both sides. Small single restroom near the bar and large nice restrooms on the other side.

They have great shows. They give young actors a chance to perform. I have been attending their monthly mystery movie. You find out what classical movie you are watching when curtains open. It's a free activity. Everyone is welcoming and friendly.

Prepare yourself for a box office & theatre experience that your unlikely to forget or regret! I have seen several musicals in this theatre & have loved each one of them for their genuinely incredible execution. The theatre has been renovated & expanded upon in the past few years to retain it's original prestigious and magnificent look & offer patrons a new area to indulge. The website is fine tuned to offer a better insite in regards to the programs the theatre offers interested theatrical parties. *CONSIDER PURCHASING AN AFFORDABLE TICKET TODAY TO SEE WHAT THE 19TH ST. CIVIC THEATRE HAS TO OFFER!*

Beautiful venue. Parking is a bit of a challenge but not impossible. Many great places around to stroll to before a show

It was the first time I visited. What A Gem! I saw a movie with my God daughter, Beauty and The Beast new release, and her family today. I enjoyed every part of this beautiful old school environment and recommend it highly. No overpriced gimmicks, 20 minutes of commercials-stadium seating and cup holders, but lots of fresh treats to purchase as well as respectful children and adults there to enjoy a film..... in a vintage clean comfortable theater affordable that should be supported and treasured (8.00 adult tickets. 1 large popcorn-4 sodas-2 snacks 14.00 com paired to the chain theater $30-40.00 & not always enjoyable humans). I suggest the review reader research the amazing talent that have been a part of the history(yep I'm learning) and consider being a part of it as well.... I will be joining as a member and spreading the word about this community Gem. Next stop Cinderella community theater next month .... just the beginning for my family and I

I love this place. I've seen plays here, and I've been in them. I absolutely adore this place, and everyone here is just so happy!

I had an amazing time tiday watching sister act. I will definitely be back for another show. great job!

After moving from NYC to the Lehigh Valley we were looking for local theatre venues. We discovered Civic Theatre of Allentown and have been loyal fans ever since. The quality of the productions and the talent blew me away. A performing arts treasure in a historic theatre built in 1927. And they have an arthouse cinema with some great movies. Check it out.

Great theatre! It's a beautiful old theatre that was built in 1928 and the building shows off its history. They show terrific independent films and have great prices. I just wished that they'd show some more mainstream movies from time to time. It'd definitely bring in a lot more guests!

I last lived in San Diego, CA where there is a multiplex that shows independent/foreign films - I seldom saw films at a regular theater. While I was staying in Delaware County with a friend when I first returned to East Coast, I used to pop across the bridge and go to the Ritz Theater in N.J. It was a 1/2 hour drive and easier than going to the one in the city. When I was looking for a home in the Lehigh Valley several years ago, I came across the 19th Street Theater, but they were only showing films occasionally when the theater was not being used for live performances. They were hard at work on restoring the theater when I first saw it. I'm delighted to report that things have changed for the better with the addition of the 'Theatre 514' across the street. Now they have an independent/foreign film series showing one movie at a time that changes roughly weekly. The movieline phone number is (610) 432-0888. It's not quite as good as the multiplex showing 5 or 6 independent films at a time, but it is a valiant effort that I applaud. The 19th Street Theater is a lovely old theater that has been lovingly restored and is much like small off-Broadway theaters in New York City. Like the independent theaters in CA that I so miss, they offer coffee and tea in addition to the usual pop corn and soda. General admission is $8, Seniors/Students $7, Matinees $6, Members $5 - so prices are comparable to regular movie theaters, but the experience of this lovely old theater is so much nicer than the multiplex experience. Live stage shows are priced very reasonably, usually in the $25 range or less - well worth the price! I was originally looking just for an independent film theater, but I found so much more. Every live stage show that I have attended at this theater has been above average. I often go into Manhattan to the theater with my daughter who lives there, and I can truthfully say that I have found the quality of performances at the 19th Street Theater comparable to performances at similar small theaters in NYC, and on occasion even better. If you like independent film and/or live stage shows, this lovely old theater for you. Just saw "Tuesdays with Morrie" in the little theater, and I thought it was exceptional :-)

19th St Theatre holds a special place in my heart - I started seeing movies here about 20 years ago (yes, 20.) I went here a LOT in my late teens & early 20s. I dragged many friends & had many dates here. :) I now live on the West Coast but went back, last night, for the first time in many years. The place hasn't changed one bit - except they serve alcohol now. In any case, it's exactly as it was & as expected. I've always gone here cause they show indie movies, it's never crowded, and not very expensive. Yeah, not the best screen or sound or seats - I don't care. I also used to go here to grab coffee across the street at Analise's Hava Java (it's just Hava Java now?) I keep bemoaning the lack of good coffee & coffee shops in the LV, but haven't been back to Java in awhile, either. BUT! This is a review about the theater - parking is still ample & easy. Love this place, hope it never goes away.

A great small local theater. I've seen A Christmas Carol here several times, and it has been great every time. They also host independent films.

We generally attend movies at Civic. They have a wonderful rotation of independent films and documentaries. The newly refurbished Theatre 514 is a wonderful small theatre for films like that. The main theatre is comfortable and convenient. Tickets are reasonable as well as refreshments. They have beer and wine if the mood strikes you. And there are local restaurants you can walk from or to to make it an evening. There's a reason Civic Theatre is and will continue to be an institution in Allentown.

I've seen plays and movies both at the main venue and the smaller movie only setting across the street. Very dedicated and professional staff who put on a great show with great acting. They host meaningful events and really make a difference in the artistic and social service community.

One of the best places to go outside of the Muhlenbubble. During my time at Muhlenberg, I went to this theater several times. Not just for the movie night events such as Night of the Living Dead; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; and Back to the Future which were done away with after President Helm left. As someone who during their time in college was a film nerd. Seeing more films than the average moviegoer about 15 in theaters a year this film as invaluable resource. Along with showing wide theatrical releases such as Bridge of Spies and Steve Jobs for cheaper prices than at the local AMC. If you are trying to do Oscar homework this is an invaluable resources this year most the best picture contenders are shown here. Recently one of the theaters was renovated to feature comfier seats and more spacious leg room. It's a major improvement and a sign that the people here care. The only hiccup that occurred was when they were supposed to screen The Breakfast Club. The theater screened it the day before by mistake. This is the only time anything like this has happen though and their track record has proven that this was genuine mistake. Residents of Allentown you have an amazing theater that I wish I had back home and will miss after I graduate. If you are at Muhlenberg please take advantage of this especially given it is in walking distance.

Great place to see indie movies that the other theaters in the valley won't touch. It's in the best spot, on 19th street right in the middle of "hipster Allentown". That sounds like an oxymoron, but I promise you it isn't. The Civic Theatre does put on A Christmas Carol every year, as the other reviews point out. They also have other plays and musicals variously through out the year. This year the major highlight seems to be Rent, but be on the look out for plenty of other shows.

My date and I had a good time. We both are in our 20's. The crowd was a nice age mix but we were probably the only minorities there. I love the antique look throughout the theatre. They kept everything original to what it must have looked like when it first opened. They do accept credit cards for tickets and snacks. They serve alcohol as well, wine and beer. The bathrooms were nice and clean. And the wait for tickets was not long at all as we arrived 20 minutes before a Saturday night show. The seating is nice since it's a small theatre. But the actual seats definitely need reupholstering. Overall though, a good time. Ill most definitely return.

Very beautiful place, great shows and movies, wonderful ambiance. One of my favorite ones in town.