Benaroya Hall

Benaroya Hall Sounds Good to Me!

Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle is home to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra; it's opening in 1998 made a giant impact culturally on the city, giving us a new venue perfectly suited for orchestral sound. Benaroya Hall hosts hundreds of events every year and is a major factor in the Seattle arts scene; a musical performance here is an unforgettable experience.

Great Concert Hall!

Benaroya Hall is outstanding. The main auditorium is in the traditional European "Shoe box" style - tall, narrow and deep. The acoustics are excellent. In use several nights a week, Benaroya Hall has been an important part of the resurgence of downtown Seattle. A word of warning - if you're afraid of heights, don't sit in the front rows of the 2nd or third balcony - it's a long way down and those railings seem pretty low.

Will attend anything here

After two hours of thoroughly enjoying Play! A Video Game Symphony at Benaroya with my kids, I was a little sad that no one I know enjoys the more traditional symphony offerings and I'd have to go by myself. Then I realized I don't care. The Symphony is too good and Benaroya too nice to mind attending solo. The camera shots of the orchestra playing were interesting and well done and the video screens were easy to see. My son, of course, was in raptures over the video game scenes interspersed with the orchestra shots.

We had the cheapest seats I could buy and my apprehension about that was totally unfounded. Row X on the outside aisle provided a clear view of the stage and excellent acoustics. The seats are pretty close together, but perfectly comfortable for two hours. The National Geographic Live lectures are also a treat at Benaroya. Again, the video screens come into play beautifully, but the closer to the stage you sit for a lecture the better.

I've also attended a company meeting in the Illsley Rehearsal Hall, which went very well. And here's a tip if you do something like that and the event is catered. Stand by the top of the stairs, because not only can you admire the Chihuly glass piece there, the servers will come up the stairs and be mobbed by hungry people so by the time they make it to the middle of the crowd the Crab Rangoon and prawns and chicken skewers will all be gone. Not that I'm bitter about that.