The Hudson Theatres

(Attended 03÷23÷16 W @ 8:00pm): «The theater, the theater, what’s happened to the theater???»
My friend and I were HUGE fans of the theatre, recently took the plunge and purchased discounted annual memberships to FillaseatLA, and for our first foray into this FREE entertainment service we attended the final preview showing of «Italian Bred» at The Hudson (Mainstage) Theatres. Located along famous «Theatre Row Hollywood» and nearly at the border where Hollywood ended and West Hollywood began, was the show and rush hour traffic worth the price of admission!?:
Refreshments (n/​a) — My friend and I grabbed a pre-​show drink next door at the Hudson Lobby Café since none were sold at the actual theatre. However, you are unable to bring anything inside.
Seats (FREE; regularly priced between $ 20.00-$ 25.00) — General seating first-​come first-​serve. All sightlines were unobstructed. However, each worn creaky seat was rather small, cramped, and there wasn’t sufficient passing room in front of each row of seats so you were required to stand up. Since the theatre was so small, it nearly felt like you were almost on stage with the performer!
The Show (03÷23÷16−05÷24÷16) — Similar to «My Big Fat Greek Wedding» but from a female Italian’s perspective was want I took away from this 80-​minute one-​woman comedic play. Written by and also starred Candice Guardino, she willingly invited the audience into a glimpse of her family and upbringing in New York where no relatives were safe under her impersonations and storytelling of them. Here were additional tidbits:
1. The set design was simply an empty stage with a back screen that showed various images pertinent to the storyline throughout the performance
.
2. Self-​effacing and straightforward, this comedy had its moments with some each of us were able to relate to!
3. A cast of one where the spotlight glowed brightly as a target on a defenseless prey.
4. The writing was catharsis, funny, heartfelt, and personal — all wonderful storytelling ingredients.
5. Costume design was basically whatever the solo performer wished to wear; there were no costume changes whatsoever.
Service — Here was the easy-​peasy play-​by-​play: we walked up to a young woman at the ticket booth inside the lobby, provided our names, and scored our tickets… which was actually our Stage Bill
! Although there was a young male usher inside the theatre it wasn’t necessary unless you had any disabilities.
Parking (Free to varies) — There was a nearby private lot earmarked for the theatre
that offered $ 7.00 valet parking
. Otherwise, there was plenty of various-​limit metered parking (enforced until 7:00pm nightly) along the main drag of Santa Monica Blvd. and all surrounding streets… which is where we parked for a short walk.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — Three stages were housed in a shabby concrete exterior building while a simple marquee adorned the façade
. The ticket booth was located inside a cramped lobby which also led to a next door café. A short two-​flight narrow staircase led up to the stage
. Natural lighting came through the front glass windows while a couple electric lighting fixtures filled the lobby area. Finally, you walked into the 99-​seat Mainstage Theatre which was equipped with older slightly worn padded seats. The basic sound system was fine for this facility. There was no stage monitor and background music.
Attire — As I’ve always said, «it’s the performing arts in a theatre so show respect for the craft and medium and dress at minimum business casual.» Sorry, no t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops this time around.
Overall, I will undoubtedly find myself here again at The Hudson Theatres. It certainly wasn’t one of the better local community theatres I’ve been to as I found deficiencies regarding theatre size and nearby options to grab drinks or food. Having put those aside, I was still happy for the mere fact of another place to get my theatre on! I found fairly good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was FREE; no tip required). Even at full ticket prices ($ 20.00-$ 25.00 comparable ticket price ea.), the nearly 90 minutes was an enjoyable evening. And, my credit card of choice was accepted by the theatre for future purchases… AMEX! 3.5 STARS

This is one of those great small Hollywood community theaters. Saw the one woman show Italian Bred. The show was enjoyable. I did have an issue with another theater patron who was texting in the middle of the show. She would put her phone in her lap, but the backlight was distracting. I politely asked that she turn off her phone. She looked at me as if I were a bug, kept having conversations with her friend, and twice got up and walked out of the theater. The show was a total of 90 minutes long. I honestly don’t understand why some people even go to the theater. Can you not be separated from your precious phone for 90 minutes, and give the actor/​actress the respect they deserve? They have worked hard to put on their productions, and if you are that disinterested, please do us all a favor and stay home!

Good coffee, good service, decent atmosphere, decent artworks on the walls. I like this place.

My friends and I are big fans of these two local magicians, David and Leeman. I found out about this theatre because they performed a free show on the Comedy Central Stage here. I found out about it the day before and my friend called the box office and was able to reserve seats for the both of us. I am not sure how expensive the shows here normally are, but this particular one was wonderfully free… mainly because the magicians were trying out some new acts which had not yet been perfected.
If you are lucky you can find street parking nearby, but my friend and I were running late so we gladly paid $ 5 to park in the lot across the street. The person working that lot was really nice and even opened our car doors for us. The theatre building is pretty small and has a café with limited seating in the front. We did not get anything from the café but there were several people lounging there in the comfortable looking sofa seats.
The Comedy Central Stage is pretty small but I enjoyed its intimacy. Small theatres also mean that there are usually no bad seats. The audience was small and I got to chat with the guy next to me, a fellow magic fan, which was nice. While I recognised a lot of the tricks in the show, having gone to many of David and Leeman’s shows in the past, there were some new material that was cool to watch, even if it was not perfected. Not only was the show free, however, but they also gave everyone in the audience a free DVD of their previous show. AND they stuck around after the show to talk to audience members and autograph the DVDs and take pictures if requested.
I enjoyed our evening here and am definitely interested in coming back for future shows, especially if they are free ;)

This review is for the «Ghoulmaster’s Haunted Playhouse» at the Hudson theater. This show is really fun. it is sort of pee wee’s playhouse meets rocky horror picture show with a little bit of nightmare before christmas thrown in. The show features great original songs and dance numbers, a big cast and of course your host, the Ghoulmaster. This show is a must see for halloween fans. Buy tickets now before it sells out. Highly recommend.

One of the worst front of house experiences i’ve had. Ushers were blasé and unhelpful. Not able to bring drinks into the theatre, which most 99 theatres allow. Insufficient signage about gunfire and strobe lights.

We had a very pleasant evening at the Hudson. I am not sure what I was expecting as I had never been to the Hudson but I can say that the intimate theater experience is one I would like to experience again. We saw the play Visionary Man and we were blown away by the performance and the very talented cast.
The theater itself was small but comfortable and the small café downstairs was pleasant and the gentleman behind the counter was very pleasant.
I suppose if I had any criticism it would be the lack of adequate restroom facilities, it took forever to get into the single men’s room and also the traffic getting to the theater on Santa Monica was awful but neither would keep me from visiting again.

I came here for a meeting as well as the café. Its a nice size theater… very intimate and would be a great place to see a play. Any seat in the house gives you a great view of the stage.
The café downstairs have a nice few selections and don’t forget to use the bathroom once your there because its a trek from the theatre.
Parking is usual Hollywood find street parking if you can or pay for valet which sucks but ehh what can you do.
More of a 3.5 but its the arts so it can get a 4, I wouldn’t mind coming back here to see a show.

Not bad, but not great. The layout of the theater is super funky. I had reserved tickets in advance so I went to the box office on the Santa Monica Blvd. side and the clerk first asked me which show I was seeing and then told me I had to pick up my tickets around the corner on the Seward Ave. side of the building. I rounded the corner and there was another stand-​alone Box Office hidden in a hole in the wall. They gave me a pamphlet to serve as my ticket which they never checked.
There are three stages and possibly three plays going on at once so I’m not sure how you know which one to go to. Behind the kitchen are signs for the restroom but there were hoards of people going that direction and I figured they couldn’t all be going to the restroom so I followed them. There was a long line that just halted so I asked a woman if she was waiting for the restroom or to enter the play room. She told me to keep walking if I wasn’t waiting for the restroom.
The theater itself is pretty average: 99 seats, no frills. Minus one star for the layout and one star for the annoying lighting posts at the front of the stage that obstruct views. The cafeteria had affordable meals for around $ 6.50 but I ate next door so I’m not sure how good anything was.
PARKING: There is a $ 5 lot on Seward Ave. or street parking, which might be difficult if there are multiple plays occurring on a weekend. I parked across Santa Monica and found a lucky spot. Beware of the permit only parking the deeper into neighborhoods you search.

This theater is a fun one! It’s a small intimate place with a nice little coffee shop attached. Parking was easy and prices for Rent were cheap! I enjoyed myself and I felt like I got a little closer to the quiet LA Life.

I love the feel of an intimate theater! I had not attended a show here in awhile until I actually got there. LOL So, I recently saw a production of Rent. Now, I have seen Rent on Broadway, so I was kind of wondering how they would work it out with a small stage. Surprisingly, it turned out better than I thought. I felt like I was there with the actors and the raw emotion was more viewable on their faces. Plus, it’s great to pay less for these seats (versus Pantages). I actually got my tickets off of Goldstar for $ 21.50 each. Pretty easy to find tickets for this theater on Goldstar or Discount Plays 411 for a lot less than their website.
I suggest getting here at least 30 minutes before your show, if you’re very particular about where you wanna sit. Granted it is open seating, but at least there’s not one bad seat in the house. I came here on a Sunday and barely half the theater was full. Also, if you come here earlier there is a café to hang out at and grab a quick snack. The crowd from the Comedy Central Theater also hangs out here too. :) it’s nice to people watch.
Now there is a small lot next to the theater to park in for $ 5, but you can easily find street parking. That’s me… street-​parker and cheap-​ass! LOL I have two feet. I can walk. LOL Anyways, the bathroom situation is not ideal because it’s single rooms (per gender) so you need to either hold it or get their early. Yah, as a chick this does not fly so well with me. I hate waiting for the restroom! LOL
I would still come back here. They have really great productions here. Support this theater. I wanna come back sooner than later. Who’s with me?! :) Let’s support the arts together. LOL

A very cozy and intimate space where the latest production is Rent. Parking was easy ($ 5) and secure. Although there are 3 theaters and a small café at this location, there are plenty of directional signs and friendly staff members to welcome you. The Mainstage was very comfortable and views were good from any seat in the house. I loved the Q&A session after the show (apparently only on Sunday nights). Highly recommended!

I have seen two shows here and have not been dissapointed! The acting, singing, choreography were all really well done. The theater is small, (seats 99) so you get such an intimate feeling with the actors. Tickets are about $ 35.00 but they often run specials through Their website or Goldstar.
They have a couple of restroom options to help with the flow during intermission. They have a cute lobby with a coffee shop in it, where you can get some tasty coffee and sandwhiches, all reasonably priced. If you want to grab dinner before a show I reccommend Los Balcones Del Perú, which is about a half a mile from the theater. My husband and I loved it. I look forward to coming back for the next show!

came here to see RENT!
since i’m not here reviewing the show i’ll just say that food options were pretty good and the staff was friendly.
the theater itself is pretty small so i was a bit concerned on how they were going to pull of RENT!
but, it seemed to have gone fairly well.
my only complaint was how hot it was. i dont know if it was the body heat from the actors or that the AC just wasnt high enough but, my suggestion is to adjust that thermostat!

I always like seeing plays here — and we’ve produced plays here.
They have a restaurant on the corner.
A café for the lobby and always great plays to choose.
The plays here are produced better than a lot of other small theatre’s in town.
The staff (when producing) is excellent.
Also, Valet parking in a secure parking lot which we like.

I am going here later tonight to see a friend’s comedy improv show on the Comedy Central Stage. According to the website, they have a lot theatre spaces to rent and valet parking for $ 5.
It’s not actually valet parking, but a $ 5 lot. The show I saw was awesome!

This is my go to on my lunch break when I don’t know what I want but know I don’t want subway ;)
They make great turkey club sandwiches… It’s never crowded… It’s super close to my work And love the laid back atmosphere.
Their coffee is really great too… A bit strong but it hits the spot. Their also very friendly.
I can see parking being a «b» …only street parking but I usually have no problems.

I love small playhouses. I love the coziness and that every seat is a good seat. Hudson was clean, the stage area fairly large than most little playhouses I’ve been to, and the people working will-​call and the food stand are very friendly.
I came here on a Friday night to catch a play written by Dan Via called «Daddy». This play was GREAT! I didn’t know what to expect or what the storyline would be about. I only knew it got great reviews and for $ 30 a ticket, why not see it? It’s affordable. The acting was superb and the ending had a crazy twist… wow. Didn’t expect that, but it didn’t perturb me either. Once the play was over I felt the acting was so great that the ending could actually be believable and could happen in real life. I mean, I suppose you can’t just make that stuff up… who knows.
I loved the theater and I loved the play. I hope to see more plays at Hudson.

We came to the Hudson Guild Theater to watch Bail Me Out.
There is a parking lot on the corner of Hudson + Santa Monica (next to the theater) for about $ 6, but we found street parking and walked over.
The Hudson Theater is a collection of 3 theaters: Hudson Mainstage (99 seats), Hudson Backstage (99 seats), and Hudson Guild (42 seats). Café Muse is right next door, but connects the theaters together, and is used as the «Comedy Central Stage», as well as an art gallery. It was a little confusing when we got there; we walked into «Hudson Guild», then were sent next door to find our theater, but we found where we needed to go.
The Hudson Guild is a small theater and as stated above, only seats 42. The seats were comfortable enough and no problems with sound or stage as far as I could see. Upon entering the theater, I noticed that there was not much of a set — just a small stage and a few black box blocks (try saying that 3x fast), but once the show started, I was so engaged, I didn’t notice the props or set any more. Good show.
This is a humble theater, so if you prefer the red velvet curtains and grand theater with special effects, this is not the place for you. But if you don’t mind a small and intimate venue with the essentials of theater (actors, of course), then you might really like the Hudson Guild.

Connected to Caffe Bacio which makes parking and locating the theater very awkward. Mandatory valet parking… which you park yourself. The parking lot closes at a certain hour so no loitering or walking around the area after your play or else your car is locked in.
The theater itself only seats 99 people which makes watching any play there intimate. However, due to the seating arrangement and the entrance connected to the café, they will not seat you if you arrive late… which my friends and I did when we went to West Side Story. So they comp’ed us seats for a smaller play that was playing in a smaller attached theater (stadium seating, seats probably 30 people) and we snuck into West Side Story for the second act.
Tickets for the West Side Story production we saw were around $ 35. I understand that this is a small theater and I should take comfort in the independent feel of it. But when the Center Theater Group is offering tickets for $ 20 through Hot Tix, I’d very much rather be a sell-​out and enjoy an evening in Downtown LA at the Mark Taper or Ahmanson.