On
March 4, 2011, I made my first trip to the Adrienne Arsht Center for
the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (hereafter called the Arsht) to
see “Jersey Boys” in their main auditorium called the Ziff Ballet Opera
House. It had been over 40 years since I had been in that area as when I
lived in Miami Beach in the mid 50s to early ‘60s it became a ritual
every Monday for me, Joe and Albyn to come to downtown Miami, have lunch
and go to the movies near what is called The Little Havana section.

Since
that time, both Joe and Albyn, after being together 50+ years died a
few years apart. My aunt Flo and I would come into Miami and have lunch
at Burdine’s department store before she did some shopping and that is
where the Knight Concert Hall is now standing across the street from,
and part of, the Arsht Center. In front, facing Biscayne Boulevard, off
the Arsht plaza to the south on the corner is all that is left of the
Sears building, their 7 story tower which is an historic landmark, and I
don’t see it without thinking of the 3 very important people in my
life: Flo, Albyn and Joe and though the area may be completely changed
they will always be the same.

To the south of the Arsht Center,
going east, is the MacArthur causeway that takes you straight into Miami
Beach and, also south, on Biscayne Boulevard, a few blocks down is the
American Airlines arena where the Heat lost their championship bid and
Bayside Park, the latter made up of shops and restaurants and, in front
is The Torch of Friendship that was dedicated to the memory of Jack F.
Kennedy. The torch was lit up until about a year ago when so much
construction has been going on that it had to be turned off, hopefully
temporarily.

Aside from the Ziff Ballet House auditorium, which
sits 2,400 people and the Knight Concert Hall sitting 2,000 there is
also the Carnival Studio theatre which holds 200, in which I saw “The
Sparrow” which originated in Chicago . In addition there is an upscale
restaurant called The Prelude. Surrounding the Arsht Center were 4
parking lots but now one has been demolished for more construction. The
area surrounding the Arsht and the Arsht itself are in constant change.
Recently there was talk of Beckman bringing his soccer stadium to the
area but that was shot down.

Aside from Broadway in Miami the
halls play host to the Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, New World
Symphony, celebrity concerts presenting over 400 shows a year!

I
have seen over 20 Broadway touring shows in the Ziff Ballet Opera House
and this coming season on the schedule are: “The Book of Mormon”, “I
Love Lucy On Stage”, “Cinderella”, “Newsies”, “Sister Act”, “Wicked” and
“Beauty and the Beast”. I have seen most at the Broward Performing Arts
Center but with different casts, and also being presented in different
auditoriums, it will almost be like seeing new shows and I am certainly
looking forward to seeing all of them.