It’s the most wonderful time of the year! As we prepare for our production of A Christmas Carol, what could be better than filling the Armory with, well, Christmas carols? Throughout the run of A Christmas Carol we’re inviting singing groups from the community to perform short sets of Christmas carols in the lobby before the show.

So if you’re coming to see A Christmas Carol next month, why not arrive early, 6:45 to be exact, and have some hot chocolate or a Christmas Present and enjoy the sounds of the season?

Are you a member of a local singing group? We still have some openings if your choir would like to carol in the Armory lobby. Contact Promotions Manager, Natalie Gilmore at natalieg@pcs.org for more information.

more posts about A Christmas Carol || get the details about the show || buy tickets

Each show, the ladies of the Marketing Department have the onerous task of going down to the bar and sampling recipes for our “signature cocktail” for the show. It’s really one of the most difficult parts of our day…should there be MORE Godiva liqueur? Is it better on the rocks or straight up?

Okay, I’m kidding. We love to carefully craft the perfect cocktail for you to enjoy before your performances, and for A Christmas Carol we had so much fun we crafted two!

So when you join us for A Christmas Carol, feel free to enjoy:

THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Bailey’s on the rocks with a splash of Peppermint and Godiva Liqueurs, swirled with a candy cane.

All that sweetness making you think Scrooge-y thoughts? How about a BAH HUMBUG?: That would be a vodka tonic with a pickle and an onion. It’ll have you puckered and sloshed in no time.

Join us early before the show to give yourself plenty of time to savor one of these new signature cocktails. We look forward to sharing our holiday season with you!

more posts about A Christmas Carol || get the details about the show || buy tickets

Live, local First Thursday music by some of indie Portland pop’s finest returns to the Armory this week with GREY ANNE–a captivating, seductively sardonic, lyrical talent imbued with a high-thread count of deadpan whimsy (imagine, if you can,  the musical progeny of Buck Henry and Blythe Danner).  Music kicks off in the Main Lobby from 6-7:15 pm and is free, all-ages and open to the public.

The artist formerly known as Per Se, Grey Anne is the the wing-wearing, wisecracking, emotionally-charged musical alter-ego of one, Anne Adams, whom the Willamette Week lauds as:

“a sweet-voiced angel. . .and one of [Portland's] greatest unknown pop treasures.”

Recently adopting Grey Anne as a  new stage moniker (”not only because it evokes pigeons, cobblestones, and foggy morality, but because I was called that as a kid”), Adams is gearing up for  a soon-to-be released album Facts ‘n’ Figurines in the works (rumored to be available in November) which will feature such audience faves and Guys and Dolls-relevant titles  as Adelaide.

Wanna sample? Try this on for size.

Before Guys and Dolls or after work, sample a spectacular array of art from the Mark Woolley and Beppu Wiarda galleries on the PGE Gallery and Ellyn Bye Studio lobby levels and relax with a drink from the Armory Café.

Our free First Thursday series is made possible in part by grants from the Andrew W.  Mellon Foundation, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, and the Oregon Community Foundation

Welcome to the Armory Café at the Gerding Theater. Stop in before the show, and during intermission. Meet our new staff – a friendly bunch of folks who are looking forward to serving you a latte from our espresso bar or glass of wine from our wine list, a bite to eat from our ‘light-fare’ menu, or a tasty treat from our display case. We are proud of our lineup of community-based vendors, including locally roasted NOSSA FAMILIA coffee, Jasmine Pearl Teas (blended right here in Portland), Dragonfly Chai (brewed in the NE quadrant of the city), delectables from Two Tarts Bakery (just down the road from PCS), Nuvrei Bakery baked goods, and our own house-baked cookies (including roll-of-the dice cookies for Guys and Dolls).

The bar will be open before every performance of Guys and Dolls, and at intermissions, and we will feature ‘The Lady Luck’ cocktail, made from Bathtub Gin (aka Tanqueray), Saucy Cranberry, with a squeeze of Hot Box Lime.

Lose the Line! Pre-order for intermission when you come in for the show, and your food and beverage will be waiting from you as you exit the theater.

And remember – The Armory Café is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m.Come in for an espresso! Meet your business associates! Or simply use our free wi-fi to make this your office away from the office. We look forward to seeing you!