Torrington Concert Venues: The Warner Theatre Guide
Torrington's live scene is the Warner Theatre — a spectacular 1931 Art Deco movie palace, rescued from demolition and restored, that's now northwest Connecticut's largest performing-arts center. Its main Oneglia Auditorium seats about 1,700; the smaller Nancy Marine Studio Theatre handles intimate shows.
Out in the Litchfield Hills, where you might not expect a grand theater, Torrington has one of the most beautiful in the state. The Warner is the cultural heart of northwest Connecticut, and a destination in its own right.
The Warner Theatre (~1,700)
The Warner Theatre on Main Street opened in 1931, built by Warner Bros. as a movie palace and designed by the renowned theater architect Thomas W. Lamb. The Art Deco interior was billed at the time as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." After decades of decline, it was slated for demolition in 1982 before a grassroots nonprofit — the Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts — saved it; the Warner reopened as a performing-arts center in 1983, and a full restoration of the auditorium was completed in 2002.
The main Oneglia Auditorium opened with 1,772 seats and holds roughly 1,700 today. The Warner runs more than 160 performances a year — concerts, comedy, dance, tribute acts, and Broadway-style productions — making it the anchor of the entire region's calendar.
Best for: concerts and touring shows in a stunning restored hall.
Never miss a Warner show
See every upcoming Warner Theatre concert — plus 40+ Connecticut venues — in the free CT Concert Center app.
Download on theApp StoreThe Nancy Marine Studio Theatre
The Warner complex also includes the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre, a smaller, flexible space used for the theater's own productions, its performing-arts school, and more intimate concerts and events. It gives the Warner room to program at two very different scales under one roof.
Best for: intimate productions and smaller-scale shows.
Planning your visit
- Getting there: Torrington sits on Route 8 in the Litchfield Hills, about 30 minutes north of Waterbury.
- More historic theaters: compare the Waterbury Palace and the Bushnell in Hartford.
- Up in Norfolk too: the northwest corner is also home to Infinity Hall — see the greater-Hartford guide for more.
Torrington / Warner FAQ
What's the main venue?
The Warner Theatre, whose Oneglia Auditorium seats ~1,700.
How old is it?
It opened in 1931 and was restored after a 1980s rescue from demolition.
Is there a smaller room?
Yes — the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre.
How do I find upcoming shows?
The free CT Concert Center app lists every Warner show in one feed.