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6 Top Theatres in Miami

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Miami is a key destination for anyone wanting to experience diverse cultures and lounge on sun-soaked beaches. However, if you’re looking for a different scene from the city’s fast-paced nightlife, check out one of these top theatres in Miami, and enjoy a memorable performance.

Miami Broward Center for the Performing Arts 

The Miami Broward Center for the Performing Arts, or the Broward Center, is a performing arts center dedicated to showing the local South Florida community the world of arts and theater. The 224,500-square-foot facility opened in 1991 and has hosted numerous concerts, ballets, operas, and plays along with various community events. The Broward Center contains three main performance spaces: the Au-Rene Theater, Amaturo Theater and the Abdo New River Room, with a combined seating capacity upwards of 3,400. 

The Broward Center puts on more than 700 performances each year and its arts-in-education programs serve more than 150,000 every year. This performing arts center underwent renovations in 2012, which were completed two years later. The updates included the addition of two new buildings: the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center and the Huizenga Pavilion. The education center seats nearly 500 guests and hosts youth productions, lectures, business seminars and community events.  

Au-Rene Theater & Amaturo Theater

As one of the main performance spaces within Miami’s Broward Center, the Au-Rene Theater has a seating capacity of 2,658, with orchestra, mezzanine and balcony sections. This theater is typically used to put on major regional, national and international performances, which include productions from the Miami City Ballet and the Concert Association of Florida. Noted performances held in the Au-Rene Theater included concerts from Tony Bennett and Indigo Girls as well as touring Broadway productions of The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and Wicked

The Amaturo Theater is the second main performance space in the Broward Center. This theater has a seating capacity of 584 and showcases symphonic orchestra concerts and dance performances along with productions created by the local Miami community and children’s theaters, seminars and film showings. Notable guests and productions that have been seen at this theater include the Second City Revue, Newsies – The Musical, Gold Coast Jazz and West Side Story.

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Miami Dade County Auditorium 

As a premiere performing arts center, the Miami-Dade County Auditorium has served the South Florida community for more than 70 years. The center opened in 1951 with the classic opera Carmen. The Miami-Dade County Auditorium has two main performance spaces, which consist of a main theater, with a seating capacity of 2,372 and a black box theater that can hold 200 guests. The performing arts center launched a Little Havana-based event in 2015 called the “Hot Theatre Summer Series.” The series focused on offering cultural programs to the community using live theater experiences. Get tickets to the Miami Dade County Auditorium and enjoy performances from figures like Jerry Seinfeld, Yo-Yo Ma, the Florida Grand Opera and more. 

James L. Knight Center

The James L. Knight Center is a multi-purpose entertainment and convention complex located in downtown Miami. Named after a famed newspaper publisher, the James L. Knight Center cost nearly $10 million to build and opened its doors in 1982. Shortly after it opened, the event center hosted beauty pageants such as Miss Universe in 1984 and 1985 and Miss USA in 1986. The James L. Knight Center annually hosts graduation ceremonies for Miami Dade College students. The center contains 34 meeting rooms, a lecture hall that can seat 117 people as well as Ashe Auditorium, which has a seating capacity of 444. 

The main performance space in the complex is the theater, which can seat up to 4,569 people. The wedge-shaped theater has a 16,000 sq. ft. stage area and was designed to project superior acoustics. The theater also provides the audience with unobstructed views of the stage. All of these spaces are perfect for hosting events like lectures and seminars as well as concerts, musicals, plays and local productions. Depending on an event’s requirement, the facility can seat up to 5,000 people. Get your James L. Knight Center tickets to enjoy events from artists like DJ Yus and The Smile. 

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County 

The Adrienne Arsht Center was opened in 2006 at the site of a former Sears department store built in 1929. As one of the biggest performing arts centers in the country, this non-profit organization hosts more than 400 events annually, attracting close to 450,000 guests. Home to the Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and the New World Symphony, the Adrienne Arsht Center puts on a variety of theatrical productions and has also hosted political debates and Broadway shows like The Book of Mormon, The Color Purple, and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations

The three main performance spaces of the Adrienne Arsht Center are the Carnival Studio Theater, John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall and the Ziff Ballet Opera House. With tickets to the Adrienne Arsht Center, people can experience performances like The Barber of Seville and Hamilton, along with showcases from local artists and theater groups. 

Get Miami Theatre Tickets Today

Whether you enjoy the opera, dance showcases or touring Broadway shows, find tickets for the top theatres in Miami with TicketSmarter. If you plan to stay in the area for a while, find exclusive Miami travel deals with HotelPlanner.