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Stage West Theatre Restaurant
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Cinema Arts & Entertainment Performing Arts Cinema, Performing Arts [Edit]
727 42 Ave SECalgary, AB T2G 1Y8
(403) 243-6642
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
6 reviews for Stage West Theatre Restaurant
6 reviews in English
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Review from Jewal K.
Calgary, AB
2/8/2012
'My dog groomer treated me to a nite out for "Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps!" 'First trick she taught me is that when you park go down a wee bit past the regular Stage West parking on the right hand side of 42nd as well, ' to the private parking lot. 'Alot of the reserved parking is just till 5PM and since your show will probably start at 6PM you're good to go and will not get caught up in the rush to exit at the end, yeah! We had nice seats, $62. got us a sitting just a few rows down on the main level at Center Stage. Yeah again. The buffet was huge. The sushi was very fresh however hastily cut up and presentation sucked, big pieces of tuna and salmon slammed altogether on a pile. 'Just a wee blip tho as there was so much food to choose from, 'salads galore, every kind of seafood from wee crab legs to giant shrimp, the veggie tempura was excellent, deserts were plentiful and delish, lots of kinds of meat, pasta, potatoes, 'you will get very well fed and if you didn't eat abundantly before the show you have a second chance at the half hour intermission. The show didn't start till 7:45PM so that was almost two hours to visit and dine! Wine was minimal and regularly priced, 'approx. $23. for two glasses of acceptable Merlot.
The show was so imaginative, fast paced, 4 actors played approx. 150 characters. 'Funny, great acting, 'well recommended! Our Tuesday nite was probably only about 1 third full so it felt nice to not feel hemmed in to our seats. There appear to be at least three private rooms seating 8-10 guests in balcony seating above the main level too.
Two thumbs up for an approx 4 hour outing, 'the audience for this show was mostly older couples, however I'm sure that can vary depending on the show. -
Review from Moez T.
Calgary, AB
10/16/2009
Welcome to my first live review. What does that mean? It means I'm writing it from my table at Stage West. Thanks, iPhone.
This our first visit to Stage West after they completed renovations. Not much has changed, but the newly created buffet room is a definite improvement. In the past, while structured, the trip to the buffet was almost always a long wait. With the new room, people move through rather briskly and the food is easier to access. My only gripe is that the food isn't clearly labeled, so it's easy to visit the same station twice (as there are duplicate stations).
The food quality was excellent, no huge surprise here. I've rarely heard anything bad about the food at Stage West. I was pleasantly surprised by the Dijon Panko Crusted Rack of Lamb. I'm a huge lamb fan, having grown up eating it regularly. So it was nice to see it on the menu and even nicer to find it was prepared well. The beef was about what you would expect and the Sauteed Jumbo Shrimps with Garlic Butter & Cognac, which is prepared for you as you wait, was delicious. The deserts were good, but nothing fantastic. I was a little disappointed by the selection, which seems to have gotten smaller since our last visit.
On to the show. We had the pleasure of watching Married Alive, staring Joyce DeWitt of Three's Company fame. The most important thing here is that we genuinely enjoyed the show. I have a few critiques, but overall the show was fun. I found Joyce DeWitt's performance to be wonderful, although it took a bit of adjustment to get used to her. The problem here is that the playbill is still using a photo from her Three's Company days. Likely taken almost 30 years ago, she does not look the same. She looks great, don't get me wrong, but it was just unexpected to be inundated with photos of a 20-30 something and then being greeted by a woman who just turned 60. The supporting players were good, although at times hard to hear. Both of the younger performers, Tory Doctor and Ksenia Thurgood, seemed to struggle projecting their voices when singing. But maybe it's just me.
The play itself was good, but a bit slow. The first act was fun, funny, and energetic. The second slowed down quite a bit and was somewhat disappointing. Overall, a great experience. -
Review from C T.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 9/11/2009
Stage West has recently finished its renovations. The buffet for lunch is in a separate room. Overall, not too bad a buffet. Still working out the kinks, I think, about what to serve and how much to serve.
The seating area in the theatre part is now extended now that the buffet was taken out.
Love the mussels and shrimp in the appetizer side of the buffet! Delicious and very fresh.
The butterfly shrimp was so good. Yum!
Smaller selection of desserts. Hopefully, they will come out with more desserts.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/3/2009 First to Review
Did you know that Stage West has lunch buffets on Thursdays and Fridays? There is no show with… Read more »
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Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
10/14/2009
Being someone who has been fortunate enough to have seen broadway in Chicago and incredible shows in Toronto, I gotta be honest: When it comes to theatre, my expectations are very high.
I've been to Stage West about 6 times and yes, it is one of the best theatre companies in Calgary. In the world however, it pales in comparison.
The acting at Stage West is good. The casts work very hard and the productions are well done.
The stage itself is quite small, however the entire space of the theatre is impressive as they have full size dinner tables throughout the area.
What I love about Stage West is that you can eat while you're watching the performance. However now that I've seen better performances, I wonder if this is a gimmick to take a bit of attention off the show itself? I know that's a little harsh, but none of the mainstream broadway shows ever allow food in the theatre...your full attention is on the production and ONLY on the production.
The buffet at Stage West isn't that great for vegetarians. You can let them know ahead of time that you're vegetarian and they'll stirfry veggies for you or make you some veggie pasta. As for the buffet itself, if you're a vegetarian and are expecting to fill up without giving them advance notice, then expect to fill up on raw veggies, salads and dessert. I've gotten to know the rumballs at this buffet a little too well... the sprinkle ones are my favourites :)
Right, back to business. The other thing I don't love about eating while watching the show is that mid way through the show, you get REALLY uncomfortable. Dinner tables aren't made for sitting and watching theatre and even if you turn your chair to face the stage, it still gets really uncomfortable.
Overall, I like the traditional form of theatre. If my options are watching an ALRIGHT show during a meal, or watching a top notch show in a top notch theatre, I pick the latter. -
Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
10/14/2009 3 photos
I've been lucky enough to visit Stage West a handful of times... my parents have season tickets so whenever they don't want to go, I get to. It rocks!
I seriously love Stage West days. I've only been for the lunch performances but I say with great conviction that it's up there with the best way to spend brunch time. The food they have is breakfast combined with dinner, so you can pretty much eat anything. It's buffet-style so you can choose what you eat and how much. The cost of food is incorporated into the ticket so don't feel bad about stuffing your face until you think you'll explode!
My favourite thing about Stage West is that you can eat during the performance. I usually start my meal with breakfast, then go for seconds to get salads and more lunchtime food, then I go for thirds and stock a plate (or a couple) full of fruit and desert... oh, and one plate for shrimp. I love being able to snack away on the food while the show is on.
Food aside - because I could talk about it forever - the shows are always a lot of fun. There isn't usually much audience participation, but that doesn't even matter. Stage West always chooses the best plays, mostly comedies or musicals, and the production are extravagant and outstanding. The actors and technical support really go out of their way to put on a great performance.
The place is pretty big, with plenty of seating, but there isn't a bad seat in the house. They have it laid out so that no matter where you are you're getting a good view of the show.
The price of the tickets may be a little expensive (which is why I'm glad my parents give me their season tickets sometimes) but I definitely think it's worth it. After all, you get as much food as you can fit in your belly (or purse) and then a wonderfully performed production. This place is a little fancy, so don't dress too casual. I really do love going to Stage West... what a great way to spend time with your family, or have a nice date with you significant other! -
Review from DD M.
Calgary, AB
12/29/2010
So my 2 stars is based more on the food then the show. The show was great (Motown) but the buffet was just whatever. If you are not a huge seafood fan then I would suggest you go elsewhere because you don't get the most bang for your buck.
The desserts were pretty lame. Too bad. I used a groupon so I only paid half price. There is no way I would pay $98. Plus drinks are not included, there free refills on coffee but that's it.
I had tons of fun watching the show but the food was a huge let down. But if you love seafood maybe check it out. I think I'll stick to Jubilation's.
