This is a beautiful venue, with nice acoustics. Â The first few times I saw a show here, I (like others) thought there are no "bad" seats. Â I found out recently, though, that this is incorrect. Â On the orchestra level (first floor), there probably really are no bad seats. Â Once on the second floor, though, the ONLY good seats are the "Loge", which is a separate area in the front of the balcony consisting of three rows. Â Those seats are nice and offer great views. Â Going up into the actual "balcony," however, is extremely unpleasant. Â Those seats are TIGHT, uncomfortably so. Â Even the middle seat on a plane offers more room. Â A LOT more room. Â No joke. Â My 6-foot husband could not even move once he'd folded himself in, and I heard many others around me grumbling about how ridiculously tight the balcony seats and rows are.
Other than the balcony seating - which is COMPLETELY unacceptable in my opinion - my only complaint is scheduling. Â Just about all the shows I've seen and wanted to see at the Basie, have all been on weekday nights. Â It's kind of strange how consistent this is. Â Most times you want a night out, you want it on a weekend. Â Yet show after show at the Basie is on a weeknight. Â Once or twice with this, I can deal. Â But rolling on into infinity? Â It's annoying. Â
Beyond that, it is a beautiful, historical facility and the Orchestra and Loge seating are very nice. Â There are bars on both upper and lower levels, which is nice for early arrivals. The Basie offers a lot of stand-up shows, which I personally appreciate. Â Pricing is highly variable, from reasonable prices for local symphonies and choruses, to what I consider very high pricing for big names like Tracy Morgan. Â Parking is kind of an issue, as there is really only one pay lot nearby. Â But, Red Bank is small enough that you can park once wherever you can find a space, and walk to your restaurant, show, bar afterwards, etc. Â All in all, the Basie is definitely worth the trip and a nice aspect of Red Bank (outside of the balcony seating).
Love the Basie!! Have been to a few shows here and there is not a bad seat to be had in this beautifully restored classic theater. Â They have a wide variety of shows here and the prices aren't usually too bad. Tickets can be purchased online or right at the theater box office. They have a bar in the lobby, serving a small slection of drinks and beers. If I can say anything bad about this place, it's the bathrooms and the parking. The bathrooms are on the second floor and the lines can get rather long. As for the parking, between the event at the theater and all of the restaurants and bars in the area, street parking can be hard to come by. There is the municipal lot across the street, but that is often full too. Get here early for a better chance for parking.
Review Source:The Count Basie is a beautiful historic theater that was recently renovated a few years ago and looks fantastic. Â They are currently adding a patio and outdoor bar accessible from the main lobby which should be wonderful. Â This is an intimate venue with eclectic programming; everything from classical music to to rock bands, comedians to magicians, and everything in between.
We really only come to see the Monmouth Symphony now. Â They do feature an excellent small theater troupe that does Broadway musicals during the summer (Phoenix Productions), and some ballet here and there, but I've found other patrons to be too absorbed in their own conversations during these events for my liking. Â Too distracting.
When the Brian Setzer Orchestra does their Christmas show here though, that's a can't miss.
This theater has been beautifully restored, with lots of pretty details inside. The ushers were particularly polite and helpful, seats were comfortable, lines of site, broad and clear, and things sounded good. Something about lovely old theaters like this one just makes a show feel intimate and friendly, even though you're in there with piles of other people.
There's a diner as well as nicer restaurants and bars in the surrounding blocks; I had never been to Red Bank before, but I would be happy to venture back up here again for dinner, a band, and a change of pace.
Just went for the first time since they renovated and it looks beautiful. Â Unfortunately, their miserly use of air conditioning might cause all their hard work to melt. Â With absurd service fees, I don't expect to wilt during an event...but I did.
They open the lobby early so they can start selling drinks and snacks, but A) there's no place to sit, and B) they don't raise the A/C above a whisper. Â And it doesn't improve once you're seated. Â In fact, it was so lukewarm in the theater (on a hot, July day), that even the performer remarked on it; how embarrassing! Â But embarrassed they weren't; what air there was, was shut off 3/4 of the way through the show. Â
Note: Not sure if this theater has landmark status or something, but there is no elevator. Â Keep in mind when purchasing tickets.
I had attended the Count Basie to see Video Games Live on April 4th 2012. Hence, I base my experience on that day. Overall it was a positive experience, however there was one major gripe I have with the theater itself.
First off, the good:
The acoustics are great.
The symphony and choir are top notch.
The staff: The bar tenders don't cheat you on your drink (a rum and coke is about $7)
The Ushers are really as close as you can get to white-glove service. They care about the audience and genuinely seem to enjoy being there (Molly is a credit to the institution). And the managers know how to manage.
The only complaint I have, and this is something that utterly cannot be blamed on anyone, is the balcony seating. ***Note these are not the first three seats on the second floor The Basie shows in all it's photos for Balcony seating.*** Â It's tight. I'm a big guy and my legs were killing me jammed behind the seat in front of me. However, it's also interesting to note that the lady behind me had to cross her legs, as she could not really fit them behind my seat and so her foot was extending past the back of my chair. In other words, her foot was pretty much at the back of my head. Fortunately I was able to change seats. This is a common problem with old theaters, ball parks, and the like. Remember old Yankee stadium? Ever sit in the seats at Fenway Park? You get the idea. People were a lot smaller back then and Count Basie needs to overhaul their balcony/mezzanine seating.
Also if you're afraid of heights you will have a problem with sitting up there. As did one of the people. She explained, it was not the height per se, but the slope and the ceiling which adds to the illusion of a great height. There are also no hand rails on the stairs going up higher, and the steps are steeper than most. I imagine people with disabilities, or those who are simply more clumsy, may have a harder time than most.
Downstairs, orchestra level is an entirely different story. While still a bit cramped, it is no where near as bad as the balcony. The downstairs orchestra level is akin to what one would find on an old Broadway theater.
I would certainly catch another show at The Count Basie Theater if I get the chance. However, I would not sit on the upper level at all.
Nice theatre for concerts. It's an older theatre that has been renovated with many great performers that stop by and perform. This place used to be called the Carlton Theatre and it holds a special place in my heart because this was the first place I saw Bruce Springsteen perform back in 1973 and I haven't been the same since. At least that's my excuse.
Review Source:I came here last week to see Get the Led Out. We had a great time rocking out to all of the old Zep tunes. Staff was very friendly. We sat in row J in the balcony and could see and hear everything! As others have noted, there are many restaurants to choose from and lots of shops only a stones throw away. Overall, I am a big fan of the Count Basie!
Review Source:Great local theatre. Â As others have noted, the interior was recently restored. Â Seats are quite comfy. Â And if you keep an eye on the show calendar via their website or mailing list, you can score good seats pretty easily. Â Prices tend to vary, depending upon the performer. Â I just saw Daniel Tosh (of Comedy Central/Tosh.O fame) last night and was able to get awesome center orchestra seats for $35 each.
Eat dinner before or after at one of the local restaurants. Â Several are just steps away, including Buona Sera and Teak. Â Count Basie does serve alcohol, but you won't find any food inside. Â Parking is free after 6pm on the street and in the lots.
I saw Rent! here on Friday night. Â The venue is in a great location, surrounded by many choices for dinner or lunch and ample parking. I've seen a movie and a presentation at Count Basie previously. Â Both times the sound/ acoustics seemed fine to me. Â Friday night the acoustics were terrible and the sound gave me an awful headache. Â The crowd seemed to disagree with me, though. Â I'm not sure if it was where I was sitting in the theater? Â Stage left, 4th row.
I'll definitely give Count Basie another try, simply because it is so close and convenient for me.
Don't be fooled by this theater's small front inside you will find an elegantly restored theater with a Broadway sized stage. The ushers and usherette's enthusiastically greet you upon your arrival. If you like a cocktail prior to the show they have a wonderful staff behind the bar waiting to serve you. I have seen many shows here and never have I been disappointed. Â The area offers a great variety of restaurants. This is a great night out for all. My only recommendation would be leave time to park your car.
Review Source:This landmark theater was beautifully renovated in the summer of 2008. The fresco on the ceiling, and the rococo details on the walls are stunning.
I saw David Bromberg here last night. Ticket prices were reasonable: $38.50 for sixth-row orchestra. Acoustics here are pretty good, on a par with the State Theater in New Brunswick and the Community Theater in Morristown. The house PA cut out during one song. No big deal, they restored it.
My only complaint is that they sell hard liquor in the lobby before and during the performance. A bunch of rowdy drunks sat right behind me, carrying on, laughing, talking, and making annoying cat-calls continuously during the show. Even the performer had to stop and tell the audence to STFU a couple of times.
Bromberg and his "big band" killed, as usual. Only he could incorporate horns into bluegrass music and make is sound great. He is a master entertainer.
His wife's trio, Angel Band, including the beautiful Kathleen Weber, warmed up the crowd and sang backup during part of his set.
So good to see a concert here. Â The place is smaller than most NJ venues and the acoustics are good. Â The staff and security is relaxed so you don't feel like you are be hassled by the "yellow shirts" at most places. Â Check out the web site for upcoming shows and you'll be surprised at how many good ones you will be patiently waiting for to come.
Buy tickets in advanced though- small theater- tickets go fast sometimes!
A very quaint theatre, you really get an up close and personal vibe with any show that you see here. I saw Jon Stewart here a few years ago, and scored front row seats.. but really, there aren't any bad seats in the house. If you get a chance to see any of the many shows that come here each year, I highly recommend the venue.
Review Source:Great place to see a show: nice intimate theater. We saw Artie Lange (from the Howard Stern show) a couple of months ago-it was packed. We've seen local favorite Bobby Bandiera's themed shows-Phil Spector, British Invasion & Motown show-all fantastic. He is doing one in the fall for 60's music, will be there too! Â I am going to see Huey Lewis on Tuesday 6/24, looking forward to that. Â
We always start the night with dinner at Juanito's mexican restaurant right up the street-excellent mexican and it's byob.
I have never been to a single show at the Count Basie Theatre. Â I am not really sure why since this is a must do for me. Â There is always something going on here. Â The Christmas Charity show used to be a good opportunity to see Bruce Springsteen in a smaller venue. Â This year's show had Jon Bon Jovi booked with some of the other lesser famous musicians like Glen Burtnick.
For Kevin Smith fans this is the location of his birthday show this year. Â I was talking to someone and he told me that Kevin spoke for like 13 hours. Â I would love to know what he spoke about.
John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett are coming in the spring and I am going to try and make it.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,607 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,306 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,904 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,983 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
