Miami Beach in March: Performing Arts, Music and the Magic of Theatre

Miami Beach has long been touted as a top destination for its miles of world-class beaches and famed nightlife. This year, travelers seeking a getaway with a side of cultural enrichment can dive-in, head first, with a variety of unique shows and experiences that showcase Miami Beach’s artistic side. With a diverse March calendar packed with cabaret dinner shows and symphonic masterpieces, guests visiting Miami Beach this month will have no shortage of events to enjoy.

“In addition to a vibrant beach and night life scene, Miami Beach also offers a collection of cultural events that span music, theater and performing arts,” says Peggy Benua, Chair of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA). “From the New World Symphony’s complimentary WALLCAST Concert to this month’s Miami Beach Youth Music Festival, visitors and locals have the opportunity to experience our special local talent, firsthand.”

An array of performing arts and theater venues call Miami Beach home, including The Colony Theatre and the New World Center, offering stunning sensory-awakening performances. The New World Symphony’s free WALLCAST concert series is premiering a show of the “Symphonic Giants” on March 25th. The WALLCAST concerts are free and open to the public and projected on the soaring 7,000-square-foot wall of the New World Center at SoundScape Park.

In the Faena District, the cabaret-styled “C’est Rouge!” dinner show, the illusion performance “Magique: Experience the Illusion”, and the “Return to Tomorrow” art exhibit are all being showcased this month. Though a newcomer to the Miami Beach arts scene, The Faena District has quickly become a cultural cornerstone, featuring attractions such as the Old Hollywood-inspired Faena Theater and the Faena Forum, which hosts several seasonal modern art exhibits.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to support local talent at the inaugural Miami Beach Youth Music Festival at the North Beach Bandshell on March 18th. The event, hosted by the City of Miami Beach and The Rhythm Foundation, offers young Miami Beach musicians the chance to perform live in front of a large audience.

“Miami Beach has evolved into a true cultural hot spot”, says Grisette Roque, Executive Director of the MBVCA. “The destination offers such diverse entertainment options, night and day; Miami Beach is truly like no other place in the world.”

“Must See” March Events Include:

Faena District

Home to several cultural offerings, the Faena District includes the 150-seat Faena Theater at the Faena Hotel inspired by Europe’s grand opera houses and the allure of Old Hollywood glamour, the Faena Forum, a spacious performing arts center, and Casa Faena, a historic hotel styled after 1900s Spanish artisan and architecture. Some of the many events during March include:

•The “C’est Rouge!” dinner show and “Magique: Experience the Illusion” at the Faena Theater.
•”Return to Tomorrow”, an exhibit by artist Beatriz Monteavaro showcasing at the Casa Faena from March 15th – March 30th. The exhibit features a lo-fi, slow motion rocket ship to outer space and is an intergalactic must-see.
•Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien on March 28th at the Faena Forum. Faena Art presents the violin and piano duo as part of the Soledades Program, a series of one-time-only solo performances by cultural practitioners across philosophy, science, music, poetry, and other disciplines.

The New World Center

The New World Center is home of the New World Symphony (NWS), a laboratory aimed at training and preparing graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in professional orchestras and ensembles. The NWS provides beautiful performances open to the public and has helped launched the careers of over 1000 alumni worldwide. This month’s events include:

•The free WALLCAST® Concert, Presented by Citi®, showing a performance of Symphonic Giants on March 25th. The concerts are open to the public and invite visitors to bring blankets and lay out at SoundScape Park to enjoy the sounds and sights of the New World Symphony.
•DIMENSIONS on March 31st. The performance, organized by Zach Manzi, a clarinet fellow at NWS, invites the audience to become a part of the inner world of Symphony members and connect as they play their favorite compositions.

Miami Beach Youth Music Festival

All will have the opportunity to support local musicians on March 18th as the City of Miami Beach and The Rhythm Foundation host the inaugural Miami Beach Youth Music Festival at the North Beach Bandshell. Aimed at giving young talent exposure in the community, all participants are under the age of 18 and have at least one band member that is a local of Miami Beach or a student at a Miami Beach school. Performers were selected through an audition process by a panel of judges including third generation musician Stephen Gibb, Gloria Gibb, music industry executive Betsy Perez and Miami Beach commissioner John Elizabeth Alemán. Local bands being featured include the Miami Beach High Rock Ensemble, Just Billy, Arrow Head, Monet and more.

The Colony Theatre

Located in the heart of South Beach on Lincoln Road, the Colony Theatre opened in 1935 and has since been a Miami Beach institution. The historical 415-seat venue hosts an array of events year-round. From March 16th – March 26th, guests can catch performances of “A Special Day”, a play based on Ettore Scola’s 1977 Oscar-winning Italian film “Una Giornata Particolare”. Award-winning artists Ana Graham and Antonio Vega tell this epic story using minimalistic elements that celebrate the powerful imagination of the theater.

ArtCenter/South Florida

The ArtCenter/South Florida is a non-profit organization that advances the knowledge and practice of contemporary visual arts and culture. Located on Lincoln Road, the center hosts an audience of approximately 80,000 people per year. This month, the ArtCenter/ South Florida is hosting an array of workshops and classes ranging from watercolor painting to community paper marbling workshops. Special March programs include, Flooded Sanctuaries, a performance art showcase that tackles socio-political issues via works and performances led by local artists, running until March 19th.