FORT LAUDERDALE – The Broward Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2011-12 season with a line-up that underscores why the show business magazines Pollstar and Venues Today recently placed the Fort Lauderdale landmark among of the top five venues in the world.
“In the latest survey by Pollstar, the Broward Center is just ahead of Radio City Music Hall in terms of ticket sales and we look forward to delivering a season that keeps us in that world-class company,” said Broward Center President and CEO Kelley Shanley. “Thanks to the audiences we bring in to enjoy our performances and events, and the wide range of acclaimed touring productions, the Broward Center has an economic impact on the region exceeding $90 million a year. That’s equivalent to the impact of a Super Bowl on Broward County each and every year.”
The season bursts beyond the Broward Center stages to include presentations at the historic Parker Playhouse, the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center, the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and the Miramar Cultural Center/ArtsPark. Educational workshops and lectures join with pre-show dining and hospitality offerings to give audiences more to enjoy throughout the season.
The previously announced Bank of America Broadway Across America-Ft. Lauderdale and Florida Theatrical Association season presented in partnership with the Broward Center delivers the blockbusters with RAIN – A Tribute To The Beatles (Oct. 4-16), Disney’s Beauty And The Beast (Nov. 15-27), Jersey Boys (Jan. 11-29), Billy Elliot The Musical (Feb. 29-March11), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific (April 10-22),* La Cage Aux Folles* (June 12-24) and the seasonal spectacular Cirque Dreams Holidaze (Dec. 27-Jan. 1).
The Broadway hit Say Goodnight Gracie brings back the timeless comedy of George Burns (March 14 – April 1). Loretta Swit stars in Love, Loss, and What I Wore (Jan. 17-22), the current Off-Broadway hit written by Nora and Delia Ephron, as one of the highlights of the Broward Center 2011-2012 Off-Broadway Series which also includes the foremost political satire troupe Capitol Steps in Desperate Housemembers (Jan. 12-15); the return of the mystifying mental exercises of Marc Salem’s Mind Games (Jan. 21); the Bard like you’ve never seen him before in Improvised Shakespeare! (Feb. 11); the Forbidden Broadway comic masters taking on Tinsel Town in Forbidden Hollywood (March 11) and the return of the Sirius XM Broadway channel radio host in Seth Rudetsky’s Big Fat 70s Show (April 1).
The theatrical season offers even more treats for theater fans with the 2010-11 Pride Series when interactive comedy gets hip again in Jon and Juan’s Wedding (Oct. 12-23); the holiday mayhem of The Kinsey Sicks’ Oy Vey in a Manger (Dec. 3); and two stars on one stage with Leslie Jordan and Varla Jean Merman (April 7).
The Broward Center 2011-2012 Classical Series presents seven concerts that are sure to be highlights of the arts season. The series begins with violinist Hilary Hahn with pianist Valentina Lisitsa (Nov. 6); the New York Pops in a holiday concert underwritten by Rosemarie and Gary Wendt (Dec. 8); Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with principal guest conductor and violin soloist Pinchas Zukerman, underwritten by Micki and Bernie Peck (Jan. 3); the Tchaikovsky St. Petersburg State Orchestra (Jan. 31); acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves with pianist Louis Salemno (March 16); and the world’s reigning male chorus Chanticleer (April 18). Music historian and wine and food journalist Lyn Farmer offers a provocative series of pre-concert lectures for each presentation.
The Broward Center 2011-12 Season also rings with the sounds of popular music, gospel, jazz and rock in a lineup that includes folk rock pioneers Tom Rush (Jan. 28) and Arlo Guthrie (Feb. 24); Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame members The Temptations and The Four Tops (Feb. 1); a tribute to one of rock’s biggest acts Led Zeppelin in Get The Led Out (Feb. 18); the inspiring sounds of the 52-member Soweto Gospel Choir (Feb. 10); and jazz and popular music favorites* Jane Monheit* (Feb. 24), George Winston (Feb. 25) and Piano 2 Piano: Brian Culbertson and David Benoit (March 23).
The immortal standards of the American Songbook add sophisticated elegance to the season as Mazel Musicals, Inc. and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts present the Melodies & Memories Series at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. The series contains How Lucky Can We Get? The Songs of Kander and Ebb (Dec. 14-18); The Song Is You: The Songs of Jerome Kern (Jan. 18-22); At Last: The Songs of Harry Warren (Feb. 8-12) and Thanks for the Memories: the Music of the Paramount Pictures Era (March 7-11).
Classic entertainment gets a new life in Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show celebrating Las Vegas superstars (Feb. 3-4) and Freddie Roman’s Monticello Memories with comedy, song and dance from the heyday of the New York mountain resorts (Jan. 25-29). Comedy continues as four renowned Canadian comedians take the stage in Women Fully Clothed (Jan. 19).
During the height of the season, dance reigns supreme as the Broward Center presents the work of one of the most sought-after choreographers working today with Trey McIntyre Project (March 2-3) and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the final tour of world-famous Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance (March 17).
Families and young audiences have a variety of programming to enjoy together. One of the most popular children’s TV shows comes to South Florida in the Broward Center and Kia Motors presentation of Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! It’s Time to Dance (Dec. 10 – 11). Smart Stage Matinees offer affordably-priced professional school-day performances covering themes which reinforce classroom learning and the Broward Center’s 2011-12 Family Fun Series presented by Coventry Health Care of Florida pairs performances based on classic children’s literature pre-show and post-show activities.
Students and adults of all ages can participate in educational workshops offered throughout the season including a free workshops with Step Afrika, the first professional company dedicated to stepping (Jan. 15), and the cast of Improvised Shakespeare (Feb. 11), as well as an interactive workshop with Seth Rudetsky (April 1).
Laffing Matterz at the Broward Center (Nov. 3 – May 19) returns serving up free belly laughs with every delicious dinner as a cast of multi-talented performers presents hilarious satire. The Broward Center’s fabulous culinary staff also offers Serenade pre-show dining for select Saturday performances. On the first Sunday of each month, the Broward Center offers a delicious and plentiful Sunday Brunch buffet, complete with all the trimmings, to the sounds of the SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch. The Intermezzo Lounge treats theater-goers to hors d’ouerves and an open bar in a private setting on select nights.
Information on these and other shows in the Broward Center 2011-12 season is at BrowardCenter.org. Subscription packages, group discounts and single tickets may be purchased through the Broward Center AutoNation Box Office at 954/462-0222 and BrowardCenter.org. All dates, times, programs and artists are subject to change.
Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, TAM Airlines and Sun-Sentinel are proud sponsors of the Broward Center. The Sun-Sentinel is a proud sponsor of the Parker Playhouse. Vi at Aventura is a proud sponsor of the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center.
About The Broward Center for the Performing Arts
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is one of America’s premier performing arts venues. Presenting more than 700 performances each year to more than 700,000 patrons, the Center showcases a wide range of exciting cultural programming and events, and offers one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the United States, serving more than 150,000 students annually. In 2007, the Broward Center was named the Cultural Embassy of Broward County in recognition of its success in linking cultural activity with the region’s economic development.
The Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. receives and maintains funds to sustain, develop, and secure the future of the Broward Center. The Broward Performing Arts Center is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit www.BrowardCenter.org.
The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment Consortium is a cultural partnership between the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Grand Opera, Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Historic Stranahan House Museum. It is supported by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.