Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
| Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts | |
|---|---|
 The Ziff Ballet Opera House on opening weekend, as seen from across the street at the Knight Concert Hall |
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| General information | |
| Location | 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Florida |
| Coordinates | 25°47′14″N 80°11′24″W / 25.78722°N 80.19000°WCoordinates: 25°47′14″N 80°11′24″W / 25.78722°N 80.19000°W |
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States. It is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States.
The Center was partly built on the grounds of a former Burdines department store; it was an Art Deco building constructed in 1929, predating the Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive.[1] It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1997 as Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store. However, by 2001, the only surviving part of the original structure was a seven-story tower built by Sears, the space's successor. The department store space itself had been demolished. It was decided to preserve the tower and incorporate it into the new performing arts center.
The Center opened as the "Carnival Center" with a grand opening on October 5, 2006 with many famous performers, politicians and movie stars attending, including Gloria Estefan, Jeb Bush, Andy García and Bernadette Peters.[2]
On January 10, 2008, it was announced that philanthropist and business leader Adrienne Arsht donated $30 million to the facility that would make it financially stable. In recognition for the gift, the former Carnival Center for the Performing Arts was renamed "The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County", or the Arsht Center for short.[3]
Architecture
Designed by the distinguished architect, Cesar Pelli, the Center occupies 570,000 square feet (53,000 m2), straddling both sides of Biscayne Boulevard which are connected by a pedestrian bridge.
Acoustics were designed by Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants company. He is mostly known for the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.
The $470 million Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, part of a gradually progressing redevelopment project in downtown Miami, arrived more than $200 million over budget.[4]
Performing arts and other venues
The Cleveland Orchestra and its conductor Franz Welser-Möst presents a three-week residency each year. The Center has three resident companies which present seasons throughout the year in the Center's halls. Resident companies include: The New World Symphony, the Miami City Ballet and the Florida Grand Opera.
There are three main venues:
- Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House which seats 2,400.
- John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall
The concert hall seats 2,200. Its stage extends into the audience and there is seating behind the stage for 200 additional spectators or for a chorus. The orchestra level can be transformed into a "Grand Ballroom" with a festival floor configuration for dining and dancing for up to 850 people. The floor is installed over the seats.
- Carnival Studio Theater
A flexible black-box space designed for up to 200 seats.
In addition, there are two smaller multi-purpose venues:
- Peacock Rehearsal Studio holds 270 people.
- Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts, an outdoor social and performance space linking the two main houses across Biscayne Blvd.
The center also houses a fine-dining restaurant, Prelude By Barton G., operated by party planner/restaurateur Barton G. Weiss.
The Arsht Center is served by the Miami Metrorail at Government Center Station and directly by the Metromover's Adrienne Arsht Center Station.
Resident companies and programming
The Center is the headquarters and home of the Florida Grand Opera and Miami City Ballet. The New World Symphony also regularly performs at the Knight Concert Hall.
Broadway in Miami Series
The Broadway In Miami series includes: Mary Poppins; STOMP; Fela!; Les Misérables, the 25th Anniversary Production; Rock of Ages; Memphis; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; The Addams Family; Shrek, The Musical; Million Dollar Quartet; Come Fly Away; The Lion King; the 2009 revival of Hair; In The Heights; Jersey Boys; Disney's Beauty and The Beast; Dreamgirls; RAIN – A Tribute to The Beatles; Forbidden Broadway; Spring Awakening; Mamma Mia!; Wicked; 101 Dalmatians Musical; Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple; Chicago; Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy; Cats; Annie; The Wizard of Oz; Avenue Q; Monty Python's Spamalot; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; My Fair Lady; Twelve Angry Men starring Richard Thomas and George Wendt; Wicked; Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life; RENT; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; and The Light in the Piazza.
References
- ^ Lopez-Bernal, Gabriel. "What’s in a Name? A whole lot more than you’d think…", Transit Miami, 2007-05-23. Retrieved on 2009-07-09.
- ^ Tommasini, Anthony. "Miami Vivace: New Arts Center Opens Its Arms", The New York Times, 2007-02-04. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- ^ "Donation prompts Carnival Center renaming", South Florida Business Journal, 2008-01-10. Retrieved on 2008-01-12.
- ^ Barbara Jepson "Cultural Construction Slowdown", Wall Street Journal, 14 September 2011
External links
- Arshts Center's official website
- Dade County listings from National Register of Historic Places
- Performing Arts Center of Greater Miami at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Performing Arts Center District
