For the most part, the Portland performing arts scene revolves around the Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA), 1111 SW Broadway (tel. 503/248-4335), which is comprised of five performances spaces in three different buildings. The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Southwest Broadway and Southwest Main Street, known locally as the Schnitz, is an immaculately restored 1920s movie palace that still displays the original Portland theater sign and marquee out front and is home to the Oregon Symphony. This hall also hosts popular music performers, lecturers, and many other special performances. Directly across Main Street from the Schnitz, at 1111 SW Broadway, is the sparkling glass jewel box known as the New Theater Building. This building houses both the Newmark and Dolores Winningstad theaters and Brunish Hall. The Newmark Theatre is home to Portland Center Stage, while the two theaters together host stage productions by local and visiting companies. Free tours of all three of these theaters are held Wednesdays at 11am, Saturdays every half hour between 11am and 1pm, and the first Thursday of every month at 6pm. A few blocks away from this concentration of venues is the 3,000-seat Keller Auditorium, SW Third Avenue and SW Clay Street, the largest of the four halls and the home of the Portland Opera and the Oregon Ballet Theatre. The auditorium was constructed shortly after World War I and completely remodeled in the 1960s. In addition to resident companies mentioned above, these halls together host numerous visiting companies each year, including touring Broadway shows.
Note that tickets to PCPA performances are sold through either TicketMaster (tel. 503/224-4400) or Fastixx (tel. 503/224-8499), depending on the show. PCPA's box office is open for ticket sales only for 2 hours before a show. All other times, you can purchase tickets at Ticket Central (tel. 503/275-8358), which is located at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA) Information Center, 701 SW Sixth Ave, Suite 1, in Pioneer Courthouse Square. This ticket office also sells day-of-show, half-price tickets to many area performances.
For much more daring and cutting-edge performances, check out the calendar of the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), 219 NW 12th Ave. (tel. 503/242-1419; www.pica.org), which was created as a resource for exploring and supporting experimental art and new music in this city. PICA presents innovative performances by both well-known and less-established performance artists and musicians, as well as visual exhibitions focusing on contemporary trends in the regional, national, and international art scene. Call for a current schedule of performance events, which are held at various venues around town (tickets $16-$23).
One other performing arts venue worth checking out is The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave. (tel. 503/222-2031; www.oldchurch.org). Built in 1883, this wooden Carpenter Gothic church is a Portland landmark. It incorporates a grand traditional design, but was constructed with spare ornamentation. Today the building serves as a community facility, and every Wednesday at noon it hosts free lunchtime classical music concerts. There are also many other performances held here throughout the year.
Tickets--Tickets for many of the venues listed below can be purchased through either TicketMaster (tel. 503/224-4400; www.ticketmaster.com), which has outlets at area G. I. Joe's and Meier and Frank stores, or Fastixx (tel. 800/992-TIXX or 503/224-8499; www.fastixx.com), which has outlets at area Safeway stores. More convenient for many visitors will be Ticket Central (tel. 503/275-8358), which is located at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA) Information Center, 701 SW Sixth Ave, Suite 1, in Pioneer Courthouse Square. This one-stop walk-up ticket-shopping desk sells tickets to events and performances at almost all Portland venues. Half-price, day-of-show tickets are available.
Many theaters and performance halls in Portland offer discounts to students and senior citizens, who can often save money by buying tickets on the day of a performance or within a half hour of curtain time.
Performing Arts Series--The Museum After Hours series at the Portland Art Museum's North Wing, 1119 SW Park Ave. (tel. 503/226-2811), is a great place to catch some of the best local jazz, blues, rock, and folk bands. Performances are held October through April on Wednesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30pm, and admission is $6.
When summer hits, Portlanders like to head outdoors to hear music. The city's top outdoor music series is held at Washington Park Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd. (tel. 503/226-1561; www.oregonzoo.org), which brings in the likes of Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, and Leo Kottke.
Summer also brings the annual Portland International Performance Festival (PIPFest; tel. 800/547-8887, ext. 3307, or 503/725-3307; www.extended.pdx.edu/pipf/), a month-long binge of theater, film/video, dance, performance art, music, and photography. The festival, which takes place between late June and late July, is sponsored by Portland State University and brings lots of great cutting edge performances to town. Main stage tickets are $18 ($14 for seniors and students).
