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Orlando's Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center is Growing!


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As many of you are aware, not only do we love theme parks, but we also love Broadway musicals and the theater! In many ways the two go hand in hand which is why we have been very fortunate here in Orlando to see the opening of the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in 2014, and now it's second and final expansion of the project is well underway with a planned opening in a couple of years!

 

The current venue houses two different theaters: The Walt Disney Theater (again, another tie-in to the theme park world) which seats 2,700 people and the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater which seats about 300. Both theaters are BEAUTIFUL and function extremely well for different types of shows. I've seen performances in both theaters and I absoultely LOVE them!

 

The focus of this update though is the new Steinmetz Hall which will seat 1,700. The new theater is an acoustic hall for ballet, operas, orchestral performances and will carry one of the highest acoustic ratings but what makes this venue even more interesting is the stage, walls and floor will move, getting longer, shorter or lower to host all kinds of entertainment.

 

This new addition will also house a large rehearsal room and performance area called "The Green Room" which the Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center is planned to make performances.

 

We'll also see some new food offerings come online with a new kitchen facility that will cater to the entire Dr. Phillips Performing Arts venue.

 

As always we highly recommend checking their website to check their show schedule and be sure to add Dr. Phillips Center as part of your next Orlando visit: https://www.drphillipscenter.org/

 

Let's have a look at some photos from the construction tour....

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Good morning from Dr. Phillips Performing Arts center!

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The 2018/19 Broadway season is FANTASTIC! Cannot wait to see these shows!

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The current "Walt Disney Theater" at Dr. Phillips Center is where you'll view touring version of Broadway shows.

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New food items for us to try out!

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These items pictured are not just for the future expansion but you can get them NOW during select shows.

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And yes, everything we sampled was delicious!

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I could not decide between the chocolate and the key lime!

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This is just a perfect example of how theme parks and the theater world go hand in hand!

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We are about to start our construction tour of Steinmetz Hall!

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The new theater is going to be massive and will seat 1,700 people.

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Standing in front of the concrete walls makes you feel tiny next to the gigantic structure!

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This area here is the "garage" in which the movable area will slide into.

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You can begin to see the outline of what will eventually be 1,700 seats!

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That large area behind the stage is on wheels and can move back and forth depending on what is required for specific shows.

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Here we are looking down at what will be the stage.

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Construction tours are always a lot of fun! It's great to have a behind the scenes look at these venues!

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This gives you an idea of how the new venue will attach to the current structure.

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And here's another look at that.

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This model here shows what the Steinmetz Hall will look like when it is completed.

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And that section behind the stage is the part that will move back and forth.

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We can't wait for this new phase to be completed! As fans of the theater, we spend a lot of time at the Dr. Phillips Center and we highly recommend to all of our readers checking it out when you are in Orlando!

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This looks like an amazing venue. It's great to see an ultra-modern, high capacity venue built from the ground up specifically for the performing arts. While New York is obviously known for musicals, that's not something you often see here. This place looks awesome.

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...The 2018/19 Broadway season is FANTASTIC! Cannot wait to see these shows!

 

Do you guys buy the full subscription of shows for the season, or do you buy them one show at a time?

 

Just curious. We usually get only three shows for a season, with one or two add-ons to it.

 

This lineup looks great! Damn, I would love to see Betty Buckley in Hello, Dolly! I got to see her

as the original Grizabella in "Cats" waaaaaaay back in the fall of 1982. Great voice, great show.

 

There's a great interview with her about the Dolly! tour at Broadway.com .....

https://www.broadway.com/videos/158875/the-broadwaycom-show-betty-buckley-of-the-hello-dolly-national-tour/

 

The new Hall is looking awesome, too!

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Betty as Grizabella, 1982 at the Winter Garden Theater.

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