The Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport: A Complete Guide
The Klein Memorial Auditorium is Bridgeport's classic concert hall. Locals just call it "the Klein." It opened in 1940. It has one of the few Broadway-sized stages left in Connecticut. The Greater Bridgeport Symphony calls it home. But it books more than classical music. You'll also find concerts, comedy, and touring shows all year.
A 1940 Art Deco landmark
Leonard Asheim designed the Klein. He used a clean Art Deco style. Bridgeport lawyer Jacob B. Klein left the city money to build it. The hall is named for his family. The main room seats 1,447 people. That's big enough for a full orchestra. It still feels personal, not huge.
Who runs it
Here's an odd fact. The City of Bridgeport owns the building. A nonprofit group runs it day to day. The Greater Bridgeport Symphony is a resident group there. It's not the operator. The Fairfield Theatre Company also puts on shows at the Klein. So one venue hosts many groups. See our Fairfield Theatre Company guide for their other rooms.
Never miss a Klein show
See every upcoming show at the Klein and 40+ other CT venues. It's all in the free CT Concert Center app.
Download on theApp StoreWhat plays there
The Klein books more than the symphony. Expect jazz, R&B, soul, and rock. Comedy and dance play here too. It also hosts ceremonies and graduations. Over 85 years, big names have played here. Leonard Bernstein and Martin Luther King Jr. came in its early decades. B.B. King and Wynton Marsalis came more recently. The Klein also runs a free youth arts program. It's as much a town hub as a concert hall.
Getting there
The Klein sits at 910 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport. It's just off the Route 8/25 connector. Downtown is close by. Parking is easy to find nearby. It's a simple trip from lower Fairfield County. It's easy from the Naugatuck Valley too.
Around Bridgeport
The Klein is one of many big rooms in the city. See our full guide to concert venues in Bridgeport. It includes the waterfront Total Mortgage Arena. The Klein is also one of the state's historic theaters.
Every Klein show shows up in the CT Concert Center app. So does every other venue across the state.