Stoughton Opera House — Attraction in Stoughton

Second time been to Stoughton Opera House in past 2 months. Saw David Bromberg Quintet Sept. 9th, a great show with excellent musicianship by all band members. There was a 3 piece mandolin segment with full participation by all 5 players that just sent me into the stratosphere, & many other highlights. The fiddle player was very accomplished & knew all the reels & accompanying pieces by heart, & put a lot of soulful interpretation into appropriate sections. Tonight, Oct 21st I saw The Weight Band with members from The Levon Helm Band, & Jim Weider original guitarist with The Band. They all took turns at solos & lead singer for different songs. Playing original songs & classics such as The Weight, Long Black Veil, and Up On Cripple Creek really got the crowd going. The 2 keyboardists & electric pianist were excellent & at one turn even took on the accordion & what a crowd pleaser that turned out to be. Jim Weider is an electric guitar virtuoso & plays the steel slide to great effect on his Fender Telecaster, one of the few artists Fender actually endorses. He's played with Bob Dylan, The Band, Doctor John, Taj Mahal, Los Lobos, Keith Richards, Bob Weir, Hot Tuna & many more. The Opera House itself is a throwback to old vaudeville theatres & stage coach heydays. Renovated & adapted down the ages as civic center & town hall meeting place, it now is a music venue with a lot of feel for a bygone era, & yet still able to please with excellent acoustics & lots of panache. Michael Perry Returns! was wonderful Feb 23, 2023. I've enjoyed Michael's spots on public television since 2013 or so. His personal presence on stage, the roughneck charm, and ability to slipslide easily through his storytelling of New Auburn and it's not so fictional characters, & his own family history is fun to listen to. So pull up a seat , hunker down to a fine evening's tales of roughneck grace and writer's inspiration. From family to farm, New York book editors and publishing accounts, to homemade snow plows & daughter's infatuation with K pop (Korean Pop) and more, it's a nite of pure fun. There are also some moments of pure poetic license, without the poetry, only the poignant face of beauty in the midst of adversity. And through it all, a smile & a laugh at the absurd and heartfelt, from one breath to the next, always a surprise & sudden turn of...

The Stoughton Opera House is a venue like no other in Wisconsin. It’s historic, intimate, and simple setting is a welcome change from the mega-complexes that are usually seen today. The opera house was built in a way that is perfect acoustically, with no echo or annoying bounce back of sound. Tickets are very reasonably priced with minimal fees attached and much, much lower than tickets at larger facilities. It’s safe to say the price of two tickets at the opera house is substantially lower than the price of only one ticket at other venues. There’s not a bad seat in the house, whether you’re on the main floor or the balcony. Keep in mind that the historic wooden seats are from the original build and therefore not the softest, but seat cushions are available to use and guests are welcome to bring their own from home as well. Honestly, the wooden seats are hardly noticeable in comparison to the endless outstanding overall qualities of the opera house. We attend several times each year, and appreciate that some of our favorite artists return to The Stoughton Opera...

Summary: Well maintained historical theatre with very good accoustics and seats sized for turn of the (last) century sized bodies. The venue selects well for the acts that make the best use of the theater. Atmosphere: Get an appreciation for the period flavor of the theater and take the stairs to the balcony! Marvel at the physical fitness of our ancestors to clamber up there! Then, take a breath and go down to row one or two of the center balcony and look around from the best atmosphere spot in the building. Nice, isn't it? Acoustics: Very good. Yes, it only seats 475, but it provides a nice sound. (Though I have not sat far under the balcony). View: above average. It has the benefit of smallness, so nothing is very far from stage. Comfort: Ugh! As mentioned above, wooden seating with width and row spacing designed for what is now an average to smaller person. I read/heard it can be an issue. You can get a cushion there, or...