Herberger Theater Center — Attraction in Phoenix

I'm just a regular joe, and am probably not qualified to review a theater... so let's do this!

Parking was very convenient, as I chose the lot across the street. Stairwells didn't smell like urine, so it already beats out the Greyhound bus terminal parking garage in Riverside CA for ambiance.

On our way to will call, my daughter and I had an intellectual conversation about the pronunciation of Herberger. Was is 'her-burger' or was it 'her-ber-ger'? Curse you, Hooked On Phonics!

My tickets were delivered posthaste. The atrium seemed fancy until I beheld the swap meet tables functioning as the focal point. But I'ze white trash, so I purchased one of them there comedy/drama mask necklace charms.

I liked the bar set in the hallway. I waited less than a minute both times I frequented it. Oh, how very cosmopolitan I felt with my hand crafted soda. You might want to skip the cookies though... a little doughy for this dough-boy. Yeah, I know they don't have goat's milk, but you can bring your own... in a flask... concealed.

BTW, they will only let you bring bottled water into the auditorium... and if you plan on eating and hard candy during the performance, then you best unwrap it before the drama commences, or risk a public cane-ing... because there were many spectators with walking sticks. I'm enamored with the look, and plan on being a man about town when I order my new shillelagh.

The men's room stalls had ample room... a place where a man of stature can put some distance between his knees. Actually, I only had to go number one. Jealous?!?

The theater was very intimate. I don't think there was a bad seat in the house. I did feel a little cramped, as my knees touched the back of the seat in front of me. How I longed for the legroom of the stall. But I'm a big guy. The seats were comfortably padded.

Big Bonus: my shoes didn't stick to the floor.

I thought the acoustics were great, as I didn't miss more than a few words.

My 15 year old daughter enjoyed it enough to come back, so I am looking forward to attending April's presentation of Mockingbird.

Thank you her-burger for a...

Updated 10/12/2025 - Show: Empire Strips Back

It's been a few years since we've been to this venue - and we returned for this sexy show. (BTW, the show was great - highly recommended - maybe see it somewhere else than here in Phoenix, though).

It was a mess this visit. There were tons of staff, but despite that - the lobby was absolute CHAOS. No signs, no crowd control, no proper lines. We paid EXTRA for a "package" that supposedly offered "expedited seating" - which really means "better seats in your zone" because you're allowed to go in BEFORE General Admission. Not only did this NOT happen? One of the staff actually go hostile toward me when I attempted to clarify - basically saying "pick a line, any line goes to any location". But got increasingly pissy with me when I asked "so how does the 'Rebel Package' holders get in with early seating if "every line all goes in at the same time?" and the staff person says "that's why there is two lines". I asked "so which line goes in first with the rebel package?" to which he said "both do". Finally, I said "If that's the case? How to you keep general admission from going in before the package holders?"

It was like talking to a wall. The venue/staff appeared to have no idea that anyone paid extra to be let into the theater early. As it turned out, the prime seats in our zone were already had (based on the lack of merch in their hands, mostly general admission) - so while we got the promised T-Shirt? No "expedited entry" or anything like that and as a result we got far wing seating.

The venue needs to look into why this happened and get someone in there that can handle the crowd and properly handle package deals with expedited seating, etc. We were very disappointed.

We've been here many times. Prices are reasonable and the seating is very intimate. Check out discounts on second viewing and the shows where you can meet the actors after. Great...

I ordered tickets online for myself and my boyfriend to see "The Empire Strips Back" on Oct. 4th, 2025 at The Herberger Theater Center.

We walked to the venue, so I have no comment about parking. However, our show was supposed to start at 9:30pm, but the earlier showing was running a little late and so we were waiting outside for quite a while before we could choose our seats. We were invited to enter the lobby area of the building to order drinks, use the restroom, and buy some merch, so that helped to pass the time.

Since I paid for Row A seating (the closest to the stage aside from the VIP section), I was invited to sit anywhere in those rows- so the rows themselves were reserved, but no specific seats, so you'll still have to call dibs on your preferred spot.

As a 5 ft 8 in woman, the seating felt a little tight for my liking. Most people stood up for me to get passed them, aside from one lady, and when I walked past her I was worried my hips would smack her face. Other than that, I didn't have any problem watching the performance- nobody blocked my view and I think if I sat further away, I'd still have a decent view of the stage. We had a heckler in the crowd who kept yelling obscenities as the host of the show, fortunately by the second act he was removed from the event.

There was a 15 minute intermission for the show, which was a good opportunity for more drinks or a bathroom break. I recommend using the restrooms on the second floor, as they are more hidden than the first floor.

I'm glad I went to this event, and I would consider returning to the Herberger Theater Center when they have any other fun...