About Gem Theatre
Located just minutes from the 22 Freeway, this intimate 172-seat playhouse sits adjacent to the Festival Amphitheatre at the end of Historic Main Street in the community of Garden Grove.
Gem Theatre (Garden Grove, CA)
Twain's timeless classic sweeps down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River. Their adventures along the way are hilarious, suspenseful and heartwarming, bringing to life your favorite characters from the novel. Propelled by an award-winning score from Roger Miller, the king of country music, Big River is pure Americana.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last event was Sunday October 12, 2008 / 3:00pm. (view all dates)
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The show was enjoyable and I was really impressed with the set. My only complaint is that it was difficult to hear the soloist on occasion, and I was in the 2nd row.


The singers/actors are very talented...beautiful voices! We had front row seats...a little too close since some of the stage is built out in front of the stage, and they do a lot of running in and around it. It was our first time seeing this show and although there were no songs that stayed in my head after leaving the show, we really enjoyed it. The theatre is a beautiful converted 1930's movie house with a great winding staircase.


This was a very fun evening. The Gem IS a gem, with a nice, intimate size and good casts for their production. Tell a friend!!

An exceptional performance in a lovely small theatre. The acting was believable, the singing was moving, the music was toe-tapping, and the dancing was energetic and fun! I also have to compliment the director, Damien Lorton, on a very well staged show. This is a small space but seemed like plenty of room for all the dance numbers, and having the performance come out into the audience really made us feel part of the story. I also enjoyed the live music and being able to see the musicians added a lot to the show. Darius Rose as Huck was charming and thoughtful, Jayson Del Valle as Jim was emotionally moving. This show has everything, from extremely solemn moments to hysterical laughter. They tackled the difficult portions of the subject matter with grace. There was not one moment where I excused the performance as "community theatre".
We had been to the Gem before the refurbishment, this was our first time since the re-opening. And I can say, "WOW"! It looks great, what a terrific job they did. This theatre is a true Gem, and One More Productions a very talented company. Thanks for a wonderful show!

Wonderful family show with great music, excellent singing and good acting. We didn't want it to end! This was our first play at the Gem Theatre and we are definitely looking forward to going to more plays there.

The play was done well, however the Gem Theather is VERY SMALL and has the feel of a Elementry school auditorium.
Extremely small and home made snacks for sale at intermission. I felt like I was at a School Play.

This was a good production in a lovely small theater. The live blue grass band that accompanied the singers added alot to the overall experience. I would reccommend this production to anyone who likes the story of "Huck Finn "

The singing, dancing and acting were all A+! It was, by far, the best community theatre musical I have seen. Took two 15 year olds and they enjoyed it too. Can't wait to see the next performance at the Gem theatre!

Excellent performance ~ true professionals. Theater small and intimate. They were able to do a lot with the small space. Visually pleasing. Great seats!

We were given excellent seats right up front so this worked out well for my grandson who is 11. The actors did a great job with this. Gave 100%.
The theater is very clean, bathrooms, etc. People working there were very friendly. A pleasant experience. My grandson loved it.

The show, the cast, the music, the set, the lighting all worked to make this a totally enjoyable theater experience. I would recommend this (and have) to friends. The actor playing Huck brought to the stage an energy that was contagious. Most notable was the actor playing Jim his presence and voice grounded the play. This was my first time at the Gem Theater - It will not be my last.

great location, nice seats, plenty of parking.
The show was amazing, a bit long (2.5 hrs), but a great flow and great cast. would highly recommend

One More Productions at The Gem in Garden Grove did an outstanding job of presenting this wonderful piece, closely based on the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The recently remodeled Gem is truly that, an outstanding community venue. The theater seats only about 200, so there literally isn't a bad seat in the house. The company did a terrific job, particularly the music and dancing/staging. Highly recommended!
Afterwards, walk a short 1/2 block down Historic Main Street for dinner at Azteca Mexican Restaurant. Great food, and an amazing collection of Elvis memorabilia.

What a wonderful show, incredible talented cast! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

small intimate venue allowed us to be completely into this production... outstanding singing and acting! thoroughly enjoyed this play as did my birthday group of friends..will order more in future.. al in HB

The band is fantastic and the cast is talented. A very moving performance. Highly recommended.

This was a fantastic show, a talented cast, and a lovely theater. This is a must go!

Enjoyed the songs and singers. Thought Huck and Jim had great charisma together.

I thought the actor who played Huck and narrated the story was very homey and funny and had great chemistry with Jim, the runaway slave and Huck's traveling partner. The set and lighting worked. We traveled down the Mississippi and saw how the different characters they encountered along the way often belittled slaves, but sometimes emphathized with them.

The cast's singing and acting was outstanding. This was by far the best performance I have seen in community theatre. The play is emotionally stirring, humorous and thought provoking... My niece and I enjoyed this play so much that we are planning on taking her Grandparent's before the show ends.
Big River is the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It's the story of Huck's escape from his brutal father and his evolving relationship with Jim, a slave fleeing from even more brutal oppression. As they raft down the Mississippi toward freedom, their comic adventures pit prejudice against hope and courage.
Published in 1884, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is widely considered one of the best American novels. The controversial book was once banned from public libraries because of its explicit language description of Southern culture and slavery. The language used in Big River is closely adapted from Twain's text and reflects the vernacular of the period.
Book by William Hauptman
Music and lyrics by Roger Miller
Directed by Damien Lorton
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