First Time Guests

While going to OPAC is certainly a special occasion, there is no required dress code. You’ll probably be most comfortable in casual business attire, but you’ll often see people in jeans, khakis, and other more less formal wear. Some people enjoy dressing up and making a special night of it, and you can too, but most of all, we want our guests to be comfortable. We would ask you to politely consider other guests’ possible allergic reactions when applying fragrances like perfumes or colognes, as OPAC is a closed area with many people in close proximity to each other.

It’s the #1 complaint we hear from our veteran guests. Late-arriving guests can truly dampen the magic and the mood that is created when the lights go down and a performance starts. We recommend planning your travel so that you arrive in downtown Oxford no later than 30-40 minutes before show time. You should then budget about five minutes to park and walk to the theater. There is nothing worse than having to rush to the theater, and then arrive just as the doors close for the start of the show.

Our lobby doors open 60 minutes prior to show time; seating areas open 30 minutes prior to show time for Broadway shows, and 30-60 minutes prior to show time for concerts, comedy and other events. With the schedule we recommend above, you’ll arrive with plenty of time to find your seat, get settled, or enjoy a pre-show drink or a light snack. Also, if you’re late, you may end up listening to the beginning of the show from the lobby.

Most shows require that our ushers hold late arrivals in the lobby until a suitable pause in the program. The timing of allowing late arrivals into the seating area is determined by the show and designed to cause as little disruption as possible to other guests and the performers on stage.

We invite you to enjoy drinks and light snacks before the show in the main lobby. Our lobby concessionaire features soft drinks, bottled water, and a full selection of theatre candy. Our Studio Bar offers wine and beer.  Please note that our menu is much more snack-oriented than meal-oriented. We recommend checking out local restaurants before your visit to find a great meal before the show.  

Temperature management in a large three-story high, open room filled with 1,200 guests, all with varying perceptions of comfort is a complex challenge. Our temperature settings call for discharge air of between 67 and 70 degrees. By having air of that temperature enter the room, it mixes with the heat from body temperatures and the heat from the theatrical lighting, with the end goal being to achieve a temperature of 69 to 73 degrees.

This range can be affected by many factors including closeness of the air vents, the air pressure of the system, the number of guests at the event and the amount of humidity in the air coming into the system. In analyzing our guest survey feedback, about 6% of guests tell us that temperatures are the #1 thing we could improve at OPAC. Of that 6%, about half said temperatures were too warm and the other half said temperatures were too cool.

As you can see from this survey data, meeting everyone’s sense of the perfect temperature is a complicated part of managing a large public assembly building like OPAC since perceptions of warm and cold can vary greatly and be affected by the age and gender of each guest.

Our recommendation is to dress comfortably for being in a large crowd, and if you are susceptible to cold, just bring a sweatshirt, light jacket or sweater just in case. We wish the temperature could be perfect (and adjustable) in each and every one of our 1,200 seats, but that technology just does not exist yet.

Most concerts last 90 minutes to two hours, whereas Broadway shows often last two to three hours. Many events have an intermission, during which time concessions and restrooms are available in the lobby.  Pro tip:  Additional restrooms are located on the Studio level (lowest level) and often have no lines or very short lines.  

Restrooms are located on all three levels and we have three times the number of restrooms stalls vs. what the building code requires.  That being said, for sold-out shows, short lines may still form during intermission.  Pro tip:  Our largest restrooms are located on the Studio level (lowest level) and often have no lines or very short lines.  

For taller guests looking for more legroom, OPAC recommends seats in the Balcony, Section 400 or 500, Row A or C. Seats in this row offer several inches of added leg room. For more information on these seating options, please contact our Box Office at 256-241-3322.

OPAC offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions may appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. To learn more about show content, contact the box office at info@oxfordpac.org.