COMMA Performing Arts Center — Attraction in Morganton

This review is for the COMMA auditorium, not the show that we went to see. The space is functional with quite a bit of room for improvement. We went to see the cinderella balet. The show was billed for ages three and up. The show itself was fantastic but there were loads of young children there, So naturally there were lots of people having to get up and disturb all the other people in the various rows in order to get out to the aisle to go to the bathroom or for whatever other reason. This is to be expected when preschool children are in attendance. I believe that the venue could have done a better job to encourage parents with young children to purchase seats towards the back and by the aisles. I am five feet and eleven inches tall. The seats were uncomfortable, especially towards the end of the show. Each time someone needed to pass. I couldn't just move my legs to one side, I had to actually stand up, Thereby blocking the view for all those seated behind me. The seats are obviously intended for those of average height; taller individuals will find a lack of comfort. Having said all this, the space is adequate and has been built to maximize revenue rather than prioritizing atmosphere, ambiance, and comfort. I will go back and hope that perhaps one day, Morganton will have a better...

The Swan Lake Ballet was very good. The costumes and the production were beautiful!! The stage sets were very impressive! The orchestra sounded wonderful! The live music was the highlight of the event for us. The venue is nice but there is room for improvement in the facility and the policies. More bathrooms are needed (especially for women). Concessions on the second level would be very helpful. The lines for women’s restrooms and concessions are just too long. MOST importantly, the unexpected allowance of popcorn/snacks and crackling water bottles in the auditorium during the performance was very disappointing. It’s not a movie theater or a baseball stadium. Audience members were so loudly consuming their snacks and beverages, it interfered with the enjoyment of a production that should be a more refined experience. Various attendees were complaining about this during intermission. It significantly diminished our enjoyment of the dancers, who deserve the focused attention of the audience, as well as the enjoyment of the beautiful music of...

It's always nice to see a concert and show venue in a smaller sized town, or so I thought. Seats are narrow. We had larger people sitting next to us and we didn't have room to move since they were taking part of our space. We had front row seats, but far right side. We could only see two thirds of the stage. We could hear people singing and talking in the show but couldn't see part of it. Management should definitely put this info on the seating chart. I found that very deceptive. We also had to park 2 blocks over, in a grassy lot. Not from the area and had to guess where to go. We were told that there is a golf cart shuttle after the show but never saw anyone and had to walk in the dark back to find our car. All of this might have worked if the venue had been upfront about the seating problems and the lack of parking. You can do much better. If this was in my town I'd be embarrassed to take...