Central Park Performing Arts Center — Attraction in Largo

Thursday night was my first visit here to see a performance, and I enjoyed this very small venue! I saw West Side Story, presented by Eight O'Clock Theatre, because my friend's daughter had a role as one of the Sharks' girls. And I thoroughly enjoyed watching my first performance here!

The day prior, when I'd looked online, the only available seats were on the side, general-admisiion obstructed view. Since I would be alone, I wasn't horribly concerned. Because my friend had advised me to call the box office instead of ordering online to save the $7 convenience fee, I called & was delighted my ticket was even a couple of dollars less than what I thought was the ticket price. And then, on the night of the performance, when I found my friend, she told me she'd been able to buy a couple of reserved seats earlier that day so I could sit with her. As we went inside, I noticed those side GA seats WERE very much on the side, but NOT obstructed at all. And the seating looked incredibly comfortable for folding chairs - so that would've been a decent place to sit. My friend's seats were on the next-to-last row of reserved seating, near center... and I felt like I was very close to the action!

The acoustics in the theatre were quite good, and the small orchestra pit had an excellent sound. Our seats were well-cushioned & very comfortable, plus I had plenty of legroom. The quality of this performance was equal to other theatre productions I've seen at much larger venues! I'm definitely looking forward to enjoying another...

Saw 8 O'Clock Theater's Sweeney Todd last night. It was easy to access the theater, a decent amount of parking and the lobby was nice with concessions available. The theater itself appeared more of a band venue stage vs. theater stage, but it worked well for the show. Minimal set with nice transitions between scenes. All of the voices were well cast and strong. It was nice to see/hear an orchestra vs. recorded tracks. The seats were not the most comfortable. My guess is they will be replaced as part of the anticipated update of the space. My only complaint was the sound was not balanced for several key characters. I believe it was a mix of the orchestra being over amplified and the dialect of some characters overpowering their diction. I would have gladly given up the "acting" voice to have been able to understand what was being sung/spoken. Several audience members near me encountered the same challenges. Overall, I was quite impressed w/the show and would recommend it as a very affordable experience, and well worth the cost for the quality of talent and production. I anticipate I will participate in their upcoming season, which includes some fun shows like White Christmas and...

Attended the smooth jazz concert on 10/07/23 featuring Brian Simpson, Jackiem Joyner and Steve Oliver. The incompetence of the sound / electronic engineer ruined the show. He had to come out to the stage repeatedly trying to fix the connection problem with Brian Simpson's keyboard. The fix only lasted for a few minutes at a time. I felt sorry for the patrons in the front row center stage because the only thing they saw for most of the show was the sound man's backside! One couple left the show. The audience was robbed of Brian Simpson's great talent. The venue should be refunding ticket money and apologizing profusely to Brian Simpson and BMG music for their inability to correct the problem! I will not be attending any shows at this...