State Theatre of Ithaca

What travelers say:

Saturdays attempt at enjoying Michaela Anne and The Wood Brothers was my first and likely last experience at the Ithaca Theatre. Short and to the point, its effort to be a social club and theatre simply doesn't work...the establishment caters well to neither when combined.While I enjoy drinking and good music as much as the next, there is little room for movement, drink sale lines compete with bathroom lines along stair wells, and face-to-face communication can only occur standing in clogged thoroughfares. For those who attend to enjoy the performance, good luck with that. There was constant clamorous socializing occurring, even during a primary, otherwise spectacular event. The audience was never settled, endlessly getting up to grab another drink or to go to the bathroom, requiring all those between them and the isle to exit the very narrow seating rows, to let them out, then in, then out. You get the picture. Think I'm kidding? Reach out to Michaela Anne (opening performer), who initially threw the audience a clear "hint" that performing amidst the clamor was not easy. For her finale, she explicitly asked that occupants attend to the important message within her next song (ironically, about respect for others), though to no avail. Dismissive or oblivious to either plea or the 'shushing' of those who wished to listen, the socialites did not yield. The last bit of folly and experiential impact was the lack of seating etiquette and related encouragement by staff. Rather than take to the isles or rear to move or dance, participants simply remained standing in their seat space, often brushing or hitting those beside or in front of them. Accordingly, once one group gets up in place, so do those behind them if they wish to see the performance...then those behind them, and so on, until everyone in the audience has to stand if they are to observe any of the performance; to the disappointment of children and those less able to stay standing.