Encore! Florida’s Premier Performing Arts Centers
By Kellie Walton Benz
There are many attractions may seem like a natural draw to the state of Florida – and with good reason. Miles of pristine sand, tranquil water, fantastic seafood, and world-class amusement parks set the stage for a getaway filled with either relaxation or adventure.
These vacations aren’t the only stages being set, however, as Florida is home to a number of noteworthy performing arts centers immersing locals and visitors alike into a world of creativity.
Catch a show, enjoy a concert, or browse fine art at these performing arts centers this year.
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Orlando, Florida
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a nine-acre cultural staple in downtown Orlando, Florida. The Center is home to The Walt Disney Theater, which hosts touring Broadway shows, concerts, performances, and private events, while the slightly smaller Steinmetz Hall’s transformative shape, seating and sound is able to accommodate a variety of arts. The impressive 2023 lineup is packed with can’t-miss shows, from Wicked to Moulin Rouge The Ballet and Dancing With the Stars: Live!
In addition, the Center houses the AdventHealth School of the Arts, event spaces, a community theater and an expansive front lawn for events.
www.drphillipscenter.org
Adrienne Arsht Center
Miami, Florida
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, set in the heart of downtown Miami, is committed to welcoming and connecting all people to the arts. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center has served more than 50,000 youth and offered more than 100 culturally diverse and inclusive education programs, and is home to resident companies the Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony.
With more than 300 events each year, the stages are alive year-round, hosting a robust series of touring Broadway musicals direct from New York, the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and an award-winning Miami-based theater program. This season, catch the Cleveland Orchestra, Modern Masters ballet, GospelFest, and many more.
www.arshtcenter.org
University of Florida Performing Arts Center
Gainesville, Florida
Home to five distinguished venues, the University of Florida Performing Arts Center is a versatile space on the Gators’ campus. With the Phillips Center at the helm, visitors can catch a Broadway show, music ensembles, or a public figure sharing their story on any given night. Also inside is the Squitieri Studio Theatre, an intimate venue with a capacity of 200 constructed with flexibility in seating, lighting, and performance. For a truly unique experience visit UpStage at the Phillips Center – which brings performers and audiences literally onto the main stage as it transforms into a jazz club atmosphere. Step into the 19th century at the University Auditorium, where hammerbeam ceilings and a magnificent pipe organ create a grandiose experience. Here, catch chamber ensembles and other world-class music acts. Lastly, said to be one of the most beautiful, peaceful spots in Gainesville, is the Baughman Center, an elegant contemplation space on the heart of campus. The design draws the outdoors inside through soaring windows for a relaxing retreat.
This season, catch performances including Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Swan Lake, and more.
https://performingarts.ufl.edu/
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is home to spectacular entertainment. Located in Fort Lauderdale, the Center ranks among the top ten most-visited theaters in the world, with more than 700 performances each year drawing more than 700,000 patrons. Opened in 1991, the Broward Center is home to multiple buildings and theaters to host its Broadway musicals, operas, ballets, concerts, plays, multi-cultural performances, lectures, and more. In addition to the performances, the Center also offers one of the largest arts-in-education programs nationwide, serving more than 150,000 students each year.
Sure to draw crowds in 2023, consider catching a show at the Broward Center this year. The lineup includes Jerry Seinfeld, John Mellencamp, Disney’s Mary Poppins, and many more Broadway productions, musical acts, and varying performances.
https://www.browardcenter.org/
Center for the Arts Bonita Springs
Bonita Springs, Florida
Since 1959, the Center for the Arts Bonita Springs has remained committed to enriching the lives of the community through art. The 10-acre campus holds four buildings consisting of fine art galleries, art studios, an art resource library, sculpture gardens, and a nature preserve. In the spirit of education the Center also offers classes including painting, drawing, clay, sculpture, glass, mixed media, and more, all with a goal to further expand art and art education throughout the Bonita Springs area. The Performing Arts Center, specifically, holds the 400-seat Hinman Auditorium and Gallery and the 200-seat Moe Auditorium and Film Center/Dance Studio.
All year long, visitors can enjoy an array of live concerts, theatre, comedy, film, and more, with 2023’s lineup including One Night in Memphis and Footloose. The Center will also host three top-rated Art Festivals in January, February, and March, showcasing the works of more than 200 national and international artists. The festivals mark the largest attendance of any event in the area.
https://artcenterbonita.org/
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts is the largest performing arts center in the Southeast and the only one with an on-site performing arts conservatory. Big names taking the stage this year include Hamilton, Annie, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.
In the 1990s, the Straz Center established arts education as a priority in the community, placing a dedicated emphasis on working with youth programs throughout the area. The Straz works with more than 40 underserved schools, offers free community events and has a program making tickets available at low or no cost to people who face economic and other barriers to accessing the arts. In addition to its focus on arts education, The Straz hosts touring Broadway and community shows, and is home to resident grand opera company: Opera Tampa.
www.strazcenter.org
The Kravis Center
West Palm Beach, Florida
The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach is celebrating “30 Years of Live” this year, with a show lineup worthy of the celebration. The 2022-2023 season will bring beloved productions like Disney’s Aladdin, Hadestown, Pretty Woman, Wicked, and Ain’t Too Proud, in addition to many more showstoppers taking place this year. The mission of the Kravis Center is to “enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach” by presenting a high-quality diverse schedule of artists, offering comprehensive arts education programs (it has served 3 million school children since its inception!), providing a home for local arts organizations, and by supporting tourism efforts in Palm Beach County.
The 10.6 acres of land house three onsite performance venues including the 2,195-seat Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall, and the 300-seat Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse and Helen K. Persson Hall. In addition to hosting both theatrical and intimate performances, the venues are available to rent for personal use, also including banquet centers and ballrooms centered around the arts.
https://www.kravis.org/
Manatee Performing Arts Center
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton, Florida’s Manatee Performing Arts Center is a comprehensive facility dedicated to education and the arts. In late 1947, a group of aspiring actors organized a community theatre group called the “Manatee Players,” selecting Hasnel & Gretel as their first show. Years later, a small community theatre was built, which has grown and evolved to the performing arts center standing today. This year’s lineup of diverse productions include Next to Normal in January, an emotional journey exploring grief and loss. In March, see Company, a sophisticated and honest look at adult relationships. In April and May, see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning masterwork come to life in Sunset Boulevard.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the action by taking a Backstage Tour, where audience members can peer behind the curtain of show preparations, history, costuming, and technology.
https://www.manateeperformingartscenter.com/
Make 2023 a year for immersive arts and art education with a visit to any of these renowned performing arts centers.
