Engman Theater

as an engagement present me and my fiance got tickets to come here. it was nice and well done. of course it's not broadway but sometimes it's nice for lowkey and not have to go all the way into the city. it's just sad the whole village shuts down so early. we wanted to get ice cream after and everything was closed.

Of course it is not Broadway, but the production here are truly top notch. Professional actors, great sets and costumes. Very high overall production values. The place itself is a gorgeous theater. I have seen several shows their and have enjoyed myself immensely.

The John W. Engeman Theater of Northport is what this town needed, a place for citizens from other towns to come and support the local economy.   The theater is named after the brother of the current owner who was killed in Iraq, while on military duty, on May 14, 2006.  (Read the entire theater history plus John's biography at the theater site).

The theater has gone through major renovations and now is a place to have a great time before and after the show.  A full bar service, named "The Green Room", opens an hour before showtime and stays open after the show with a piano player (a young kid who needs quite a bit of practice but fun to listen to in the background).

Here is my suggestion to you:  Come early and go to the bar!!!  We really enjoyed the bar and talking to all the other patrons and bartenders.  While having a glass of wine, I met the make-up artist for the stars of the movie "Rolling Stones" and the owner of the bus company that shuttles the actors from Manhattan to Northport on a daily basis.  

But be ready to shell out top dollars for a glass of wine...  I am not lying to you when I tell you that a glass of red wine costs $17.00!  Yeap...  Amazingly enough, there is plenty of mixed drinks and beer menus on the tables, but the wine list is nowhere to be found...  because maybe no one will buy a glass of wine knowing that they cost more than a bottle of wine!  $34 plus tip for 2 glasses of wine... ridiculous!  But they will have mix drinks named after characters of the show playing which cost between $8-9.00 and beer of tap or bottles cost between $5-9.  Better go with the well-mixed drinks or a beer...  

However, the bartenders are super friendly!  They are very chatty, nice and they let you do a little bit of wine tasting if you are undecided on which one to order.  In addition, they fill your glass pretty high.  But $17 for a glass...  I can just buy a bottle for less!  Since I am so cute, we stay after the show to have another glass and the bartender 'took care of that bill'....  she got a good tip!

As for the theater, there is a great bar-seat service... a server comes around taking your drink orders and she will deliver them to your seat before showtime (you are welcome to bring your drinks with you inside the theater, glass and all) and this is the best part... you can pre-order the drinks for the intermission and the server will bring your drinks to your seat!!! Cool!!!  They swipe your credit card, keep your tap open and keep ordering...  

As for the theater, it is very open, spacey, seats are very comfortable and amazingly, there is plenty of leg room too! Every seat has a glass holder and bottle water fountain available with glasses to take with you.  The sound system is fab too and the decor, ambiance and atmosphere of the theater is high quality.

The actors are all from the Broadway pool... the auditions are run in Manhattan and the actors are shuttled on a daily basis from the city to Northport.  The acting, singing and production of the show is Broadway quality.

If you stay after the show to have a 'night cap' as we did, you get to meet the actors, musicians and production team at the bar on their way to the bus to Manhattan.  The only time I don't bring my camera and it is the time I needed it most!  Darn...

Most of the restaurants and bars in town now stay open after the show for anyone who is in the mood for a late night dinner and/or drinks.  Valet parking available for the theater but there is plenty of parking, specially on the Municipal Parking Lot across the street and at the waterfront, which is my ideal parking spot; because then you can walk up to the theater via the nicely kept Main Street, looking at all the store front windows while enjoying the town's architecture.

I highly recommend this theater for the high production quality, fab sound system, convenience, ambiance, Broadway acting quality, comfort and friendly staff.