Small on purpose
The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center has 330 seats, which puts the back row close enough to read faces on stage. The City of Aventura built it, and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts runs it, the same team behind the Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale. The first show went up in July 2010, and Patti LuPone headlined the official grand opening that October.
It is a waterfront building of just under 15,000 square feet, with a proscenium stage, a full fly system and a loading dock, so touring productions fit here in a way they never could in a club. For a theater this size, that is a lot of backstage.
What plays here
The calendar leans on tribute concerts (Jackson Browne, the Carpenters and Carole King catalogs have all had their nights), a Broadway concert series and comedy. Ballet, classical and jazz piano festivals and Latin themed shows fill in around them. The center has also staged productions in Spanish, French, Arabic, Turkish and Haitian Creole, along with Jewish and Yiddish themed shows and an international film series.
Rentals take a big share of the dates, so a night here might be a touring act or a local company, a dance recital or the summer theater camp's showcase. Read the listing so you know which kind of evening you are buying.
Parking and arrival
The center is at 3385 NE 188th Street, and parking is in lots right next to the building and in front of the neighboring recreation center and school. Biscayne Boulevard around Aventura Mall gets heavy on weekend evenings, so leave a cushion if you are coming from the south.
Tips
A small house can sell out quickly for the most popular tribute nights, so do not wait on those. Check your ticket for curtain times. For more around the county, open the Miami page, and browse jazz and blues dates across Florida.
