Nightlife

Portland is Oregon's cultural mecca, and the city's symphony orchestra, ballet, and opera are all well regarded. A lively live-theater scene includes plenty of mainstream and fringe theater companies that offer classic and contemporary plays. In summer, festivals move the city's cultural activities outdoors.

To find out what's going on during your visit, pick up a copy of Willamette Week, Portland's free weekly arts-and-entertainment newspaper. The Oregonian, the city's daily newspaper, also publishes lots of entertainment-related information in its Friday "A&E" section and also in the Sunday edition of the paper.

The Performing Arts

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; www.pcpa.com), which comprises five performance spaces in three buildings. The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 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 performances, lectures, and many other special events. Directly across Main Street from the Schnitz, at 1111 SW Broadway, is the glass jewel box known as Antoinette Hatfield Hall. This building houses the Newmark and Dolores Winningstad theaters and Brunish Hall. The two theaters host stage productions by local and visiting companies. Free tours of all three of these theaters are held Wednesdays at 11am and Saturdays every half hour between 11am and 1pm.

A few blocks away from this concentration of venues is the 3,000-seat Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 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 the resident companies mentioned above, these halls host numerous visiting companies every year, including touring Broadway shows.

The PCPA's box office is open for ticket sales Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Tickets to PCPA performances, and performances at many other venues around the city, are also sold through either Ticketmaster (tel. 800/745-3000 or 800/982-2787; www.ticketmaster.com), which has outlets at area Fred Meyer stores, or Tickets West (tel. 800/992-8499 or 503/224-8499; www.ticketswest.com), which has outlets at area Safeway stores. The PCPA also has a Half-Price Ticket Hotline (tel. 503/432-2960) that sells day-of-show, half-price tickets.

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 concerts. There are also many other performances held here throughout the year.

Opera & Classical Music -- Founded in 1896, the Oregon Symphony (tel. 800/228-7343 or 503/228-1353; www.orsymphony.org), which performs at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, is the oldest symphony orchestra on the West Coast and is currently under the baton of conductor Carlos Kalmar. Each year between September and May, the symphony stages several series, including classical, pops, and children's concerts. Ticket prices range from $15 to $102 (seniors and students may purchase half-price tickets 1 hr. before classical and pops concerts).

Every season, the Portland Opera (tel. 503/241-1802; www.portlandopera.org), which performs primarily at Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay Street, offers five different productions that include both grand opera and light opera. The season runs September through May. Ticket prices range from $20 to $135.

Summer is the time for Portland's annual chamber-music binge. Chamber Music Northwest (tel. 503/294-6400; www.cmnw.org) is a month-long series that starts in late June and attracts the world's finest chamber musicians. Performances are held at Reed College and St. Mary's Cathedral (tickets $22-$45).

Theater -- Portland Center Stage (tel. 503/445-3700; www.pcs.org), Portland's largest professional theater company, holds performances in the Pearl District's converted Portland Armory building, at 128 NW 11th Ave., which now goes by the name Gerding Theater at the Armory. They stage a combination of as many as 10 classic and contemporary plays during their September-to-June season (tickets $27-$75).

Portland's other main theater company, Artists Repertory Theatre, 1515 SW Morrison St. (tel. 503/241-1278; www.artistsrep.org), often stages more daring plays. They can be hit or miss, but they're frequently very thought-provoking. The season often includes a world premiere. Tickets run $25 to $47.

If it's musicals you want, you've got a couple of options in Portland. At the Keller Auditorium, you can catch the Broadway across America series (tel. 503/241-1802; www.broadwayacrossamerica.com). Tickets mostly range from around $20 to $65, but some shows are more expensive.

Dance -- The Oregon Ballet Theatre (tel. 888/922-5538 or 503/222-5538; www.obt.org), which performs at the Keller Auditorium and the Newmark Theatre , is best loved for its performances every December of The Nutcracker. The rest of the season includes performances of classic and contemporary ballets (tickets $17-$130).

Fans of modern dance should be sure to check what's being staged by White Bird (tel. 503/245-1600; www.whitebird.org). This organization brings in such celebrated companies as Twyla Tharp Dance, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Also keep an eye out for performances by Imago Theatre, 17 SE Eighth Ave. (tel. 503/231-9581; www.imagotheatre.com), which, though it is also a live theater company, is best known for its wildly creative productions of Frogz and Big Little Things, both of which are fanciful dance performances that appeal to both adults and children. Do Jump, Echo Theatre, 1515 SE 37th Ave. (tel. 503/231-1232; www.dojump.org), is another highly creative dance company worth watching for. Their performances incorporate dance, acrobatics, aerial work, and plenty of humor.

Performing Arts series -- When summer hits, Portlanders like to head outdoors to hear music. The city's top outdoor music series is held at the Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd. (tel. 503/226-1561; www.oregonzoo.org), which brings in the likes of Joan Baez, Indigo Girls, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Ticket prices range from $11 to $23.

Brewpubs

Although brewpubs have now become commonplace throughout much of the country, here in Portland they're still brewing beers the likes of which you won't taste in too many other places this side of the Atlantic. This is the heart of the Northwest craft-brewing explosion, and if you're a beer connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to go directly to the source.

Brewpubs have become big business in Portland, and there are now glitzy upscale pubs as well as warehouse-district locals. No matter what vision you have of the ideal brewpub, you're likely to find it. Whether you're wearing bike shorts or a three-piece suit, there's a pub in Portland where you can enjoy a handcrafted beer, a light meal, and a convivial atmosphere.

With dozens of brewpubs in the Portland metropolitan area, the McMenamins chain is Portland's biggest brewpub empire. The owners think of themselves as court jesters, mixing brewing fanaticism with a Deadhead aesthetic. Throw in historic preservation and a strong belief in family-friendly neighborhood pubs and you'll understand why these joints are so popular.