From Parker Playhouse to The Parker
Dr. Louis W. Parker put $1 million of his own money into a playhouse in Holiday Park, and it opened in 1967. For decades it was the Parker Playhouse, a stop for stars of the stage on their way through Florida. Elizabeth Taylor made her stage debut here in The Little Foxes in 1981, and Katharine Hepburn, Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones all played it.
The Broward Center took over management in 2005 and later led a $30 million renovation. The building reopened in September 2021 as The Parker, the nickname people had used all along. The hall inside carries the name of the Lillian S. Wells Foundation, one of the key backers of the project.
Inside the hall
The hall seats about 1,100 and kept its continental seating through the renovation, which means long, wide rows with no center aisle. The original art deco facade was folded into a larger lobby, and there is a premium lounge and a signature bar for intermission.
The first season after the reopening brought Keb' Mo', Bruce Hornsby, Chris Botti, Lewis Black and Alan Cumming, which gives you the flavor. Think songwriters, jazz, comedy and the kind of acoustic tour that wants a real theater rather than a club.
Parking and the drive in
From I-95 or the Turnpike, take Sunrise Boulevard east, turn right onto US 1 south, then turn left into Holiday Park at NE 8th Street. The Parker is the white building on your left, and the turn for parking comes in the center median before you reach the War Memorial Auditorium. Self parking on site is complimentary, and valet is offered for most performances.
Tips
Continental rows mean a late arrival in the middle asks a lot of people to stand up, so get to your seat early. The FTL War Memorial Auditorium shares Holiday Park if you want a louder night, and the Amaturo Theater at Broward Center downtown is the Parker's sister hall. Curtain times are on your ticket, and the Fort Lauderdale calendar has every other show in the county.
