Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre is truly a gem in the community! I had the absolute joy of performing in their production of Oklahoma!—an experience that was as professional as it was welcoming. From the moment I walked in, I felt supported not just as a performer but as part of a vibrant artistic family. The staff and directors are passionate, the volunteers are incredible, and the level of talent and care that goes into every production is inspiring. Audiences are enthusiastic, the facilities are top-notch, and the rehearsal process is both challenging and uplifting. I’m so grateful for the memories I’ve already made here, and I’m beyond excited to be auditioning for Annie next! The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre doesn’t just put on shows—it builds community, nurtures talent, and brings joy to performers and audiences alike.

Beautiful theater right downtown offers many plays throughout the year. It's definitely worth your time to check it out.

Loved the candle light concert. With music by Cold Play and Imagine Dragon.

My bestie and I attended the Candlelight Concert Halloween series here. It was beautiful and intimate. Lovely and helpful staff members.

An above average community theater. Actors are brilliant, and the backdrops are Broadway worthy. Orchestration is always superbly done.

My husband and I took an acting class together through the Civic. The instructor Stephen was amazing. We took Sword and Sheild. We had an amazing time. Stephen was thorough, considerate, kind and respectful to all of the students who attended his class. The class was well thought out and we learned a lot in the two days. I would recommend this class to anyone who was interested in learning more about stage combat.

We went and saw a show this weekend and will be sure to be back! Beautiful theatre with easy parking, clean facilities and beautiful ambiance.

I love going here. The shows are always well done.

The ciivic theatre is a great place to support the local arts. The venue is decent size and the seating is great for a perfect view of the stage. The plays are well done. If you haven't been, go! The tickets are reasonable.

I am deeply disappointed by my recent experience at the Civic Auditorium. What was once a respected, community-focused venue has unfortunately declined--largely due to the behavior of its staff and ushers. The staff were rude and unprofessional, and shockingly unaccommodating toward children. This was especially upsetting given that we were attending a production specifically geared toward families and kids, Annie. Instead of being welcoming or patient, the usher we encountered was dismissive and unfriendly, making it very clear that children and teens are not truly welcome here. This venue is no longer family-friendly, despite advertising family-oriented productions. If you're bringing kids or teens, be prepared for an environment that feels rigid, uninviting, and uncomfortable. What makes this even more disappointing is my long history with the Civic. My family has donated large sums of money (we could have bought a couple homes with the amount we've donated) over the past 30 years because we believed in its mission and its role in the community. Sadly, after this experience, we will no longer be supporting it. The Civic is simply not what it once was. If you're looking for a welcoming, inclusive place to enjoy theater with your family, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Do not take your family to the Civic!

This is a really neat theatre right in downtown Kalamazoo. The seats are very comfortable, and the stage is a good size for the performances they have. The last show I saw was Madagascar Jr and the Jr performers were amazing! You could tell how much work and time went in because the kids really knew their lines and acted them out well. They kept the attention in the audience the entire time. I loved it!

Amazing!!! Great cast and crew! You can tell everyone took their jobs very seriously.

Saw "Big Fish". It was my first time going to the kalamazoo civic theater. The performance and production far exceeded my expectations for a civic theatre. I highly recommend their venue!

I am so mad at myself for not coming here sooner! My son has an amazing occupational therapist whose daughter was in Elf the Musical and that is how we found out about this sensory friendly day to see the play. Upon entering the theatre we were so happy to see someone in the front translating in ASL the entire play. The acting was superb. It was a fantastic, engaging experience for my son, who loved the whimsical elf ears we purchased before the play. He currently can't wait for his next play and neither can I!

This theater will draw you in with their nice line-up of shows. Keep in mind, the actors/performers are local talent, so while they are very good, they are not amazing broadway stars. Ticket prices reflect the quality that you get vs. other theaters and prices in big cities. It's a small-ish theater but still better to sit near the front. Don't sit too far on the right or left side or you don't get a full view of the stage. The lobby is super small, so if you're looking to get up and walk around before showtime or during intermission, you'll have to head outside.

We saw Calendar girls and it was by far the best civic theater play I have ever seen! The whole town was under water so it was a little tricky finding our way being out of towners. But doing an hour and half of detours and u-turns the play was definitely worth it. We almost gave up and went back home but I am so happy we still went! We were late due to high waters but staff was very understanding and seated our party of 14 immediately. The talent in this show was outstanding!!! The was not one bad seat in the house and had a gorgeous entry way and stage! We made this weekend an all girls trip so I highly suggest anyone to check out any other play they have coming up, I'm sure you will not be disappointed!

We went to the Civic to see Hairspray and sat in the balcony. Team VP has been to the Civic one other time about five years ago and we had excellent seats on the main floor, but the play was so horrible by intermission we left along with nearly half of the rest of the audience. I'm hard of hearing, so we were more than a little worried about how I would do with the Civic and honestly it would have been better for me to just learn sign language because they had a signer during the whole show! Each time I felt like I was catching up with the dialogue, the orchestra would start and drown a mumbling character out, or the audience would laugh over dialogue and I'd be lost again. I can loosely read lips, but again, we were in the balcony and some of these actors were singing and mumbling- on purpose- which made it pretty near impossible. To make everything even more complicated, the gentlemen seated across from us commented on everything happening. None of this is the Civic's fault or problem, but I did want to let other hearing challenged or noise sensitive people know that this theater has an annoyingly brilliant way of being not loud enough (dialogue), while at the same time being way too loud (music and singing).

This is a great place to see classic theatre and children's shows. I wish they took more risks in the shows they do, but the quality of what they do is outstanding and they are sort of locked into a niche of needing to put on shows that will appeal to a wide audience. Pluses: ages 9+ have a multitude of volunteer opportunities, including: children's theatre (one of the best in the region); senior reader musicals; ushering opportunities that give you complimentary admission; acting and working tech for shows. Minuses: none related to the product - so go get some tickets! If you are over 6 feet tall, get an aisle seat on the lower level. No chance of sitting in the balcony without crowding the person next to you, as the Auditorium seating is 70+ years old and built for people who were 5'5" on average. No problems at the Parish Theatre across the street, though.

The Civic is a great venue for live performing arts in Kalamazoo. I always enjoy the time I spend at the Civic as a volunteer or as an audience member. Each season includes something for everyone. From classic musicals to modern dramas to shows aimed at youth and shows performed by seniors, the Civic will have something on their season that will interest you. The designers and directors are top notch and most performances are professional quality. The Civic provides countless volunteer options. You can volunteer onstage, backstage, in the costume shop, in the box office, and in many other capacities.

Saw Matilda the Musical and as always the Civic goes above and beyond for all performances!

What a gem we have in the Civic Theatre! They always put on top-notch shows, and the experience is well worth the affordable ticket prices. Their children's theatre shows are as high quality as their adult shows, and their classes and camps are well designed.

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre sponsors a variety of performances: drama, musicals, comedy, classics, new works, etc. All actors and singers are volunteers, but the quality of productions is very high. I highly recommend this theatre.