3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Holding sway at 10:30 am Sunday morning, the Chatter chamber ensemble's classical-to-modern music program draws a devoted crowd of regulars. Free cappuccino and a spoken-word performance round out the one-hour shows. Expect the best of local and guest performers—Santa Fe Opera stars have been known to pop in during the season. Arrive early, as the seating is open and limited; it's best to buy tickets ahead of time online. Check online as well for their special first Friday "Late Works" evening programs at 9 pm and the Chatter Cabaret series at the Albuquerque Museum on occasional Sundays at 5 pm throughout the year.

The highly respected New Mexico Philharmonic dips deeply into the full realm of classical repertoire, from the less expected to Handel's Messiah at Christmas. Most performances are at the 2,000-seat Popejoy Hall or the National Hispanic Cultural Center's superb Roy E. Disney Hall; in summer they occasionally suit up for outdoor performances at the ABQ BioPark.

The stunning KiMo Theatre, an extravagantly ornamented 650-seat Pueblo Deco movie palace, is one of the best places in town to see any type of show. Jazz, dance, blues, film—everything from traveling road shows to an inspired city-sponsored film series (Hitchcock pre-Hollywood, for example)—might turn up here. Former Albuquerque resident Vivian Vance of I Love Lucy fame once performed on the stage; today you're more likely to see Laurie Anderson, Wilco, or a film-festival screening.