Nashua Center for the Arts — Attraction in Nashua

I really wanted to like the new Nashua Center for the Arts, and mostly I did. It's very pretty on the outside. On the inside it resembles nothing so much as a newish sports stadium built at public expense, with a minimalist vibe and lots of exposed concrete. The immediate impression one gets is that every possible expense was spared to build this facility.

Lobby areas are smallish and crowded, corridors are narrow, and with only one elevator we waited a while to get to our floor. If like me you can't manage the stairs, you'll just have to be patient.

The concession stands are numerous and prominent, and they really want to sell you alcohol. I know this is how non-profit theaters have to balance their budgets, but I find it tacky and off-putting. YMMV.

As we reached our seats, a staff member appeared to uninstall a seat for me so I could stay in my wheelchair. I appreciated that we didn't have to go looking for someone to do this. Once seated, the sight lines are terrific, in part because the pitch of the seating is so steep, making a virtue of the limited ground space onto which the designers needed to shoehorn 750 seats.

Sound quality in the theater is apparently inconsistent. For the show we saw it was just fine, but many people, including the friends we were with, have remarked that they've attended events here where the sound was terrible. Perhaps the theater's sound staff is still learning how to get the best out of their equipment.

While there are plenty of places in New Hampshire I'd rather go to see a show, the new Nashua Center for the Arts is good enough, and I'm sure we'll be back.

EDIT: we’ve attended two shows in a row now where the sound quality was terrible. We aren’t going to try again. Do...

Okay, hear me out. First of all, there is not a bad seat in the house. Really great job building this new facility into existing city-space. Even balcony edge seats are really great. Speaking of seats, terrific. For small and plus-sized people alike, lots of room. Unobtrusive railings everywhere. Made some many things just a little bit easier, like standing and being able to lean back during intermission without losing balance or crowding into the people behind you when someone needed to pass by. Sound was excellent. We saw the Fleetwood Mac tribute band, Tusk, and they were terrific, the sound quality was really top notch. I could pick out the Tamborine even during wailing guitar solos. Good concert venue drink and snack choices. Don’t expect much more than that though. Even a bit of room to break out and dance by the stage if you are at that type of concert. My only criticism, and please again hear me out: the volume was too loud. Now, I get it. It was a concert. But if they had dropped 3-6 decibels I would have been able to take out my hearing protection, still hear everything, feel the emotion in the singers voice, feel the wail of the guitar, and the drums pounding in my chest. A few friends who we met there said they were there for another concert it was also too loud. At one point I was screaming out singing and could only even barely sense I was making any sound at all. Unlike Emeril, take it down another notch. It will be no less enjoyable, and perhaps...

It's really nice having an arts center in town, and we've been there a couple times already for musical acts. Overall it's a nice structure and we've enjoyed our visits. The volunteers/staff are all very nice. A few observations: Aside from the art gallery wall, when you first enter, it comes across as sterile and lacking in warmth and personality. I hope to see more local artwork and photos on the walls throughout the building over time. Continue on that theme... For a place that celebrates the arts, it felt like a library in the lobby areas of the each floor. Before the performance starts, and at intermission, a little background music over the speakers in those areas would go a long way, so it's not so eerily quiet. Concessions: Rather than or in addition to the typical movie theater mass-produced faire, it would be lovely to see local Nashua made or at least NH made snacks and drinks. The seating has nice leg room, which is comfortable. It seems very clean (sterile) still, but I find the carpet color (light gray) and the cloth upholstery an odd choice for a place that allows food and drink. For one show. We were up in the balcony (there doesn't seem to be a bad seat) and the view of the catwalk is quite ugly. I'm not sure why additional paneling wasn't used across that area. Again, we're happy to have this new center in town and look forward to seeing more...