Orchestra Hall - MN

Always a fun time. Not only does the Minnesota Orchestra do your usual classical and jazz cuts but occasionally they bring in artists for big shows. In this case, local hit maker and thinkpiece Dessa. A great show and great fun.

The Minnesota Orchestra is phenomenal! Every players is so gifted! I am a priority musician and can tell you I have the utmost respect for people that have perfected their trade and their instrument joining their skills and keeping up with techniques. I went some months ago and saw Back to the Future and MO played the sound track. This time my mom, nephew and I saw the Empire Strikes Back. If I were to leave some criticism & feedback it would be for the designers of the lounge. I think it was originally setup in a way to look more elegant. But when you have a lot of people and they all come out for snacks at intermission its difficult to navigate. They have tried hard to create lots of bars & counters for people to buy drinks 🍸 & desserts but its still a bit much. Lines often snake around in odd directions. 🤔 The bathroom lines are so long. I would recommend larger bathrooms even for men. One last comment, the Orchestra was a little too loud for the movie. Some parts we missed what the actors said. Not sure if its the acoustics of sitting on the lower level vs up higher. I dunno.

We attended Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Concert. The concert was spectacular. It was the first time I had seen a movie with a live orchestra, and I was amazed at the timing. The talent of the musicians and the showmanship of the conductor was jaw-dropping. Soooo Cool! Let's talk about the venue. We arrived early and walked around looking at the merchandise and enjoying a beverage. When we decided to go to our seats, we were met with the usher telling us that our tickets were invalid and that we needed to go to the box office. At the box office, the ticket manager explained that our tickets had been reissued to another patron and that my money had been refunded to a third-party ticket broker. Unfortunately, the third-party broker never contacted me. I did not have tickets, and I was out $250. However, the ticket manager went above and beyond. She thoroughly explained the issue, told me how to respond to the ticket broker, and then gave us two complimentary tickets. She also advised that next time we were in MSP and wanted to see a show ... go to the source. Way to go, Minnesota Orchestra! You have a fan for life!!!

Staff was very friendly and very helpful in locating our seats. The acoustics were amazing and there's no bad seat. The seats themselves were very comfortable, padded front and back with ample space. It was wonderful!

It's always an amazingly fun experience. Great music, beautiful space, and wonderful people.