Raleigh Little Theatre

I attended the Color Purple Musical this evening during opening weekend. I arrived an hour before showtime to enjoy the Rose Garden after the rain showers. What an added bonus ! Parking in the Permit lot was fairly easy, however it is a One Way, and you must bring your patience when exiting after the show. Try to find nearby street parking to avoid a traffic jam. I was lucky to score an Orchestra seat front row in A6. The best seat in the house! Plenty of leg room, comfortable and the best view of the stage. I've never sat behind the Orchestra booth, so this was a treat ! This was my first visit to Little Raleigh Theatre and I am very impressed. This production was impeccable. Tia James did a phenomenal job directing. The cast was perfectly tailored to each character and I appreciated that. What a talented cast ! The music was beautiful and the set design blew me away !!! The acting was stellar ! This was in my honest opinion, better than the 2024 Warner Brothers film. By far! I am planning to return again soon. We laughed. We cried. We danced. We sang ! Much thanks to the staff who run a tight ship. Very organized and excellent customer service.

I recently discovered that they also offer acting/ vocal / dance classes for adults at any level. I am excited to enroll this fall and I’m happy to hear that they are bringing classes to convenient city park community centers. A dream come true for me to tap back into my talents and childhood interests.

Raleigh Little Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the United States. It became incorporated in 1936. The building is on land that was once the home to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds for a horse racing dirt track. In World War I, it was used as a training area for combat tanks. It is also land for the Lumbee Tribe and the Tuscarora Nation.

Raleigh Little Theatre shares a campus with the Raleigh Rose Garden and an outdoor amphitheatre. The main stage was dedicated to Cantey V. Sutton in 2000, as she was the one who found Raleigh Little Theatre a permanent campus in 1939. She got a grant to build the campus and cut through the red tape. She is remembered as the "Grand Dame" and "First Lady" of Raleigh Little Theatre.

Raleigh Little Theatre has three theatres, the Cantey V. Sutton theatre, which has 298 seats. The Louise "Scottie" Stephenson Amphitheatre, which seats 2000 on the outside on the terraced grass rows. And the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre, a black box theatre that seats 150.

I attended School of Rock at RLT. The performance was held in the Sutton Theatre, which has 298 seats, and the auditorium has a small slope. I found the sightlines good for watching the performance, as well as the sound and lighting.

I did find the seating challenging as the seat numbers were not clearly marked, just the rows. I sat in the wrong seat and had to move. But I liked my new seat much better. As I was not familiar with the layout and had bought my ticket months ago, it would have been helpful to have volunteers in the theatre to assist guests, as many of us were confused.

Parking was a little challenging for this performance because a downed tree and power lines had closed the parking lot, so off-street parking was the only option.

The lobby was small, with some seating, restrooms and a concession stand that only takes credit cards. Drinks could go in the theatre, but not the food. I did like that we could go outside at intermission and sit on the benches.

Overall, I give Raleigh Little Theatre a solid 4 stars. The production quality, acoustics, and historic atmosphere are easily 5-star material, but the seating confusion and lack of usher assistance held it back from being a perfect 5. It is a fantastic community asset, and I will definitely be back!

The amphitheater was just amazing. The show we saw (The Hobbit) was so entertaining. The grounds are well kept. Can't wait to see more shows there!

Raleigh Little Theatre is such a gem. It is always a joy to experience live performances in this intimate setting, it really allows you to connect with the story and the actors in a special way. The productions are consistently well done, and it is great to see such talent and creativity in a local space. It is a wonderful place to support the arts and enjoy a memorable night out even for the kids.

This is a great theater that has awesome prices with free parking. The plays are well done and all the performers are volunteers but you would never know it. The only thing is the seats need to be replaced- they are not comfortable due to lots of use. However I would never let that stop me from going- i just take a cushion to help make the seat more comfortable. If you want to see a top notch play at a price that is extremely reasonable, yiu should come here- just bring a small cushion to sit on. 😁