By Yours Truly and Jan Engoren
A culture and theater buff, I thought I knew a lot about the variety and scope of Theater in Miami and Broward counties, but was I ever surprised and excited to find out there are over twenty in the two counties. Thanks to my culture blogger, Jan, and the help of the Funding Arts Network (FAN), I developed this list that is planned to be a “keeper”. . Here is Part 1 of a two part series on theater in Miami and for Part 2, click here.
Theater in Miami: Downtown
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – arshtcenter.org
Choose a cocktail and channel your inner Annie! Bringing Broadway to Miami among other cultural offerings, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (and Zoetic Stage – known for producing regional premieres and developing new works) is a cultural magnet in Miami.
With three main venues – the Ziff Opera House, the Knight Concert Hall and the Carnival Studio Theatre, since 2006, the non-profit organization has brought award-winning talent and nationally renowned performances to its stage. Resident companies include the Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony.
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is located at 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida 33132. Tel: (305) 949.6722.
New World Center – www.nws.edu
Follow every rainbow until you find your dream. In the heart of Miami, America’s only full-time orchestral academy, the New World Center is home of the New World Symphony, and grooms graduates from conservatories to find their dream career in the symphony. A pioneering laboratory at the intersection of music, education, technology and architecture, the Center hosts concerts both classical and experimental.
Guest teachers include Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman. Past guest conductors have included Sir Neville Marriner and Paavo Järvi. Founder Michael Tilson Thomas, also with the San Francisco Symphony, often returns home for guest appearances. Since 2011, the symphony’s home has been a Frank Gehry-designed masterpiece in SoundScape Park. The flexible, multi-use space creates an urban oasis and allows for cultural and special events, including the Symphony’s WALLCAST concerts.
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The New World Center is located at 500 17th Street, Miami Beach, Florida 33139. Tel: (305) 673-3330.
Theater in Miami: Coral Gables
GableStage – www.gablestage.org
As they say in “Newsies,” “Arise and seize the day.” One of the longest-running and highly acclaimed theater companies in South Florida, GableStage at the Biltmore Hotel offers an eclectic mix of contemporary drama and comedy, with an occasional classic . I’ve been a subscriber for years, and look forward to every new season! It being in the Biltmore, before or after the theater you can enjoy a drink, meal or coffee at this landmark hotel.
GableStage is located at 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida 33134. Tel: (305) 445-1119 or 1.866.811.4111.
Actor’s Playhouse – www.actorsplayhouse.org
While life may not be all song and dance, Actor’s Playhouse offers both.
A prime location on Miracle Mile makes this a great destination for theatergoers, who can enjoy dinner and a show and some early shopping. This non-profit theater presents a full season of staged productions for adults, a children’s theater series, educational programing, acting classes and a wide array of community services.
Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre is located at 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Florida 33134. Tel: (305) 444-9293.
Jerry Herman Ring Theatre https://ring-theatre.as.miami.edu
Give my regards to Broadway!
The University of Miami’s historic theatre company and the producing arm of the Department of Theatre Arts, The Jerry Herman Ring Theatre has been serving audiences in Coral Gables and the greater Miami area since 1946. Named after the Broadway composer and lyricist, the Ring Theatre has presented at three different sites – including a circus tent and building used to train Allied navigators during World War II.
Over the years, the Ring has been a platform for budding talent, such as Scarface’s Steven
Bauer, Rocky’s Sylvester Stallone and Goodfellas’ Ray Liotta.
Specializing in productions of both big-name musicals and classic dramas, recent productions have included “Cabaret” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
The Jerry Herman Ring Theatre is located at 1312 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33146. Tel: (305) 284.3355.
Theater in Miami: South Miami
South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center https://smdcac.org
Community programming and events are at the heart of this world-class, multi-disciplinary cultural venue located in Cutler Bay. Since its inception in 2011, the Center has made a name for itself with an eclectic repertoire of traveling shows and one-off performances from the likes of comedy troupe The Upright Citizens Brigade and choreographer José Limón. Recent events have included Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, American blues artist Albert Castiglia, Siempre Flaminco, jazz singer Nicole Henry and pianist Martin Bejerano.
South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center is located at 10950 SW 211 Street, Cutler Bay, Florida 33189. Tel: (786) 573-5300.
Theater in Miami: Miami Beach
Colony Theatre https://colonytheatremiamibeach.com
Putting on the Ritz…. The Colony Theatre, originally built in 1935 as a Paramount Pictures movie theatre, offers a wide variety of programs, including music, dance, theater, opera, comedy and performance art and film.
The Art Deco style gem sitting on Lincoln Road, is also the home of Miami Lyric Opera and Miami New Drama which has recently produced “The Cuban Vote,” “Papá Quatro,” and the streaming premier of a musical biography of Louis Armstrong titled, “A Wonderful World.”
Pop in if you can to see the recently restored theatre’s entrance, facade and lobby which have all been returned to their original Art Deco splendor.
Take advantage of all the nearby bars and restaurants for a little aprês-show cocktail.
The Colony Theatre is located at 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida 33139. Tel: (305) 674.1040.
Theater in Miami: Aventura
Aventura Arts & Cultural Center www.aventuracenter.org
Is there more to Aventura than its mall? Yes! Check out the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, a 326-seat theatre located on the water in Aventura. Managed by the same people as the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the theatre offers spectacular views and a full lineup of events, from dramatic stage productions featuring well-known actors to Beatles tribute concerts.
The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is located at 3385 NE 188th Street,
Aventura, Florida 33180. Tel: (305) 466.8002.
Looking for other cultural highlights in Miami? Here’s an earlier post you’ll want to check out:
Theater in Broward County:
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
https://www.browardcenter.org/
Like Cassie in “A Chorus Line”, if you have a passion for dance as well as theater, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts offers it all. For Lauderdale’s equivalent of the Adrienne Arsht Center, the venue is a centerpiece attraction for the city, hosting operas, ballets, concerts, plays, lectures and numerous community events in four theaters. Locataed in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts hosts many Broadway road tours including the recent tours of CATS, Pretty Woman the Musical and of course Hamilton.
In addition, the Slow Burn Theater Company under the direction of director-chereographer Patrick Fitzwater and actor Matthew Korinko produces musical ttheater in the Broward Center’s 580-seat Amaturo Theater. Coming up in February, 2024 is Johnny Mathis.
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Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Slow Burn Theatre Company are located at
201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. Slow Burn Tel: (954) 468.3280 and
Broward Center Tel: (954) 462-0222.
The Parker Playhouse
https://www.parkerplayhouse.com/
As they say in “Les Miz,” “Do you hear the people sing?” There’s plenty of singing going on at The Parker Playhouse. Now under the auspices of the Broward Center, the curtain rose for the first time in 1967 as E.G. Marshall and Dennis O’Keefe starred in Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple.”
One of Fort Lauderdale’s first venues, the neo-classical, intimate 1,168-seat theater has hosted many of Broadway’s best including Elizabeth Taylor and Carol Channing and continues to draw big names to the venue, including The Manhattan Transfer, Bruce Hornsby and The Marshall Tucker Band.
The Parker Playhouse is located at 707 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304. Tel: (954) 462-0222.
Empire Stage
If you’re looking for original and off-beat, this could be your ticket. Described as “an eclectic, intimate Off-Broadway style theater, Empire Stage is an artist-driven collective that produces new and existing works from both South Florida and New York City playwrights aimed at diverse audiences, including LGBTQ and senior populations.
Past productions have included “Helen on Wheels,” “2 Across,” and their most recent show was Yasmina Reza’s “Art.”
Located in downtown Wilton Manors, the intimate Blackbox theatre, founded by actors and playwright Garet Scott and David Gordon, is a cozy venue with couches in the lobby, snacks to buy and a feeling of partaking in real hip theater.
Empire Stage is located at 1140 North Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304.
Tel: (954) 678-1496.
Island City Stage
https://islandcitystage.org/
Also focusing on topics of interest to the LGBTQ community and the larger community as well is Island City Stage, located in Wilton Manors.
They specialize in developing new work in addition to featuring the works of playwrights who expose audiences to different voices and experiences.
The cozy venue is a “no-distance-between-audience-and-play” experience. The stage and six rows of stadium seating foster a feeling of intimate participation in the theatrical experience.
Since their founding in 2012, the theatre has been nominated for more than 20 Carbonell Awards and has won ten.
Recent productions have included Charles Ludlams “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” Donja Love’s “One In Two,” and Tom Jacobson’s “The Twentieth Century Way.”
Island City Stage is located at 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, Florida 33305. Tel: (954) 928-9800.
One Response
Great blog edition !
Thanks for all the information.