You can find performing arts centers in most any town, but Florida has many venues that are unlike any others in the world. The gems come in all sizes and ages – grandiose movie palaces from the 1920s, small bohemian mid-century film houses and even stages transplanted from 18th-century Europe. Here’s just a sample of Florida’s unique show places.

Performance Palaces

Going to a performance at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville is like a flashback to the age of furs and fedoras. Giant tasseled chandeliers dangle from the ceiling and the ornate proscenium arch reaches nearly six stories high. One of only four remaining grand movie palaces from the 1920s era of decadence, the theater has a rich history including Elvis Presley’s 1956 performance under the watchful eye of a judge who wanted to make sure the heartthrob didn’t move too suggestively.

Operated by a non-profit, it continues to host progressive musical acts as well as the Florida Ballet and the Jacksonville Film Festival. While in the area, visit the smaller Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum, which honors African-American history and art in what was a hub of African-American entertainment during segregation.

One of only four remaining grand movie palaces from the 1920s era of decadence, the theater has a rich history including Elvis Presley’s 1956 performance under the watchful eye of a judge who wanted to make sure the heartthrob didn’t move too suggestively.

The historic Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa is a dramatic example of Florida Mediterranean architecture. The domed ceiling becomes a night sky with twinkling stars and floating clouds during performances more intimate and often more avant-garde than at the larger city performing arts center. After a show, catch a street car to historic Ybor City, which is a club-goers’ playground at night. Make time to visit the Dalí Museum and Museum of Fine Arts across Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg. 

The Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, formerly the Olympia Theater, could pass for the Tampa Theatre’s big South Beach sister. Sharing similar ornate Moorish details and lavishness, the Miami theater also has a unique Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Once host to Vaudeville acts and silent films, today the venue features everything from ballet to classical piano to martial arts contests. Stop by the Downtown Miami Partnership Visitors Center in the theater’s lobby to check out the architecture and get information about shopping, dining and the nearby Art Deco district.

Deco and Avant-Garde Cinema

Originally opened as The Ritz, the Art Deco Martin Theatre in Panama City also has seen its share of glitz. Once hosting celebrities – such as Clark Gable, Constance Bennett, Michael O’Shea, William Boyd and Cowboy Bob Elliot the movie theater fell into disrepair but was renovated and reopened in 1990, bringing life to a downtown arts community in a town most known for its proximity to white-sand beaches. Today, the theater hosts theatrical performances and the surrounding blocks are home to art galleries and shops selling artisans’ wares, giving rise to Panama City’s rank of No. 6 out of the 100 best small art towns in America.

Although Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort commonly spring to mind when thinking of entertainment venues in Orlando, the locals know that the true art scene is nearer the city’s heart. The Enzian Theater in Winter Park is a testament to the serious film scene of the area, and the Plaza Theater in downtown Orlando speaks to the vitality of the theatrical community.

Enzian, Central Florida’s only non-profit alternative theater, serves whole-foods dishes with first-run independent films. It also hosts several film festivals, including the Florida Film Festival. The Plaza Theater, with its space-age marquee, is one of the hippest places to see an off-Broadway play.

 
European Stages

No doubt Sarasota is one of the most cultural cities in Florida, thanks in large part to John Ringling. The circus magnate built one of the nation’s most impressive art museums and gave rise to the Asolo theatrical community that flourishes today on three stages: the Historic Asolo Theater, the Mertz Theatre and the Jane B. Cook Theatre.

The historic 18th-century Asolo Theater, brought from Italy by the Ringling estate, was painstakingly restored to host plays, concerts and films. Nearby, the Mertz Theatre is a former opera house from Dunfermline, Scotland, and is now part of the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts, along with the newer, more intimate 161-seat Cook Theatre. Before watching a performance, be sure to tour the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, just steps away from the world-class stages.