By Mary Damiano

	Interior of the Knight Concert Hall at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts    Photo: Robert Figueroa

You could still smell the paint on the walls inside the Ziff Ballet Opera House when the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opened for its first show, The Light in the Piazza, Tuesday night, September 26.

And what a complex it is.  Literally no matter how you look at it, the Carnival Center is impressive.  Partly because of its location on Biscayne Bay, architect Cesar Pelli designed the complex so that there was no backside, no ugly behind the façade.  The Carnival Center, therefore, is gorgeous from all sides. 

The inside is equally impressive.   Standing in one spot in the lobby of the Ziff Ballet Opera House and looking up, the view is reminiscent of the exterior of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City—all sparkling white circular swirls, a vision of sleek modern design.  Looking up from other spots, the white scallops look like the outside of the Sydney Opera House.  And the windows—well, let’s just say that by the time all that glass was washed, it would probably all be dirty again.  But the views, of the bay, of the city, of everything—are stunning.

	Sanford and Dolores Ziff, whose name graces the Ziff Opera House at Carnival Center.    Photo: Mary Damiano

The Light in the Piazza was the perfect show for showing off the Ziff Ballet Opera House.  The musical frequently treks into operetta territory, and from the orchestra level, the acoustics were amazing, so the voices came through strong, clear and decipherable.

The Carnival Center marks a rebirth for Miami.  Since construction began on the complex five years ago, developers hot on building condos and luxury living spaces have latched onto the concept of a culture-based urban renewal and have used proximity to the Carnival Center as a selling point in advertising. Indeed, living nearby would put arts lovers in an easier position of attending shows.  As things stand now, there is no free parking and no onsite lot.  The lots that are available can be a bit of a walk, especially for car-dependent South Floridians.  On top of that, parking is pricey, $20 and up, and in some cases must be bought in advance.  While Carnival cites its proximity to public transportation, will arts patrons from outside the immediate area, from Broward, for example, really go that route? 

	Chita Rivera will bring her Broadway show Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life to the Ziff Ballet and Opera House this season.   Photo: Joan Marcus

The Carnival Center encompasses buildings on either side of Biscayne Boulevard and include many spaces for just events of different scales.  The Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House on the west side of Biscayne has 2,400 seats.  Knight Concert Hall, on the east side of Biscayne, has 2,200 seats.  Studio Theatre, a black box theatre, has 200 seats. It ill be the home of City Theatre’s annual Summer Shorts play festival next summer.  The Plaza for the Arts is Carnival’s spacious outdoor area that will be used for social gatherings and performances.  The Peacock Education Center offers companies 8,200 square feet of workshop and classroom space.  The Art Deco Tower will soon have a café.

The various spaces in the Carnival Center, including the lobby and other areas, are available for rental, and are being touted for everything from weddings to awards shows. Those who rent the facility will have many services available, including catering, seating, linens, full service audio and visual.

Many arts organizations will present shows at the Carnival Center, including City Theatre,  Concert Association of Florida, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Miami Light Project, New World Symphony and the Rhythm Foundation.  Broadway Across America will bring touring Broadway entertainment to the Carnival Center.  The Cleveland Orchestra will also spend three weeks in Miami each year on a residency. In addition to all of these partnerships, Carnival Center will also present more than 100 shows on their own.

	Hitting the bricks: Sam Carson and Garrett Yebernetsky with their brick at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts  Photo: Robert Figueroa

Even though the Carnival Center is already presenting shows, the official grand opening will be held October 5.  An all-star event, Concert for Miami, will kick off four days of celebrations for Miami’s new arts complex.

Tickets for the star-studded Concert for Miami, the official opening event of the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts, are practically sold out.  But the show, which will be held at the Knight Concert Hall, will be simulcast across the street at the Ziff Opera House.  Tickets for the simulcast are $20 and are still available. 

Concert for Miami includes performances by Albita, Jose Carreras, Gloria Estefan, Andy Garcia, Quincy Jones, Bernadette Peters and Arturo Sandoval, among others.  The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. with an opening ceremony in the Center’s outdoor Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts and on Biscayne Blvd., which will be closed that night.

	Gloria Estefan, who will be on hand this weekend for the Carnival Center’s official grand opening bash

The festivities continue on Friday, October 6, when two Carnival Center resident companies will share the spotlight, New World Symphony, and the Concert Association of Florida. New World Symphony Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas will lead the orchestra in the world premiere of Turn the Key, a festival fanfare by acclaimed American composer Stephen Mackey, commissioned by the orchestra and Carnival Center. Joining the NWS are two special guests presented by the Concert Association: Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, soloist for Heitor Villa-Lobo’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 and Grammy Award-winning Russian violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov,  performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. The program will also feature the finale to Copland’s Symphony No. 3.

On Saturday, October 7, Carnival Center resident company Florida Grand Opera will stage Act II of Puccini’s La Bohème; Patricia Racette sings Musetta. Miami City Ballet, also a Carnival Center resident company, for the first time in its history will stage “Aurora’s Wedding,” the final act of Tchaikovsky and Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty. The evening also will star Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein.  Following the concert, a grand opening black tie gala will be taking place inside the elegant “Boulevard Ballroom”, an 1,800-seat supper club, built specifically for the occasion across from Knight Concert Hall. Guests will enjoy a three-course dinner and be entertained by an all-female orchestra.  The party continues as the Center’s Peacock Studio is transformed into an exclusive after-hours dance club with top-notch DJs.

	The Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami

The grand opening festivities will conclude on Sunday, October 8 with “Target Globalbeat,” presented by Target, a free gospel, reggae, rumba, cumbia, calypso, konpa, samba, and hip-hop performances by a host of local musicians and performers. Designed as a community open house, 70 hours of music from more than 20 different countries will be performed on eight stages.  The annual Miami Carnival Parade & Festival will also be incorporated into the celebration.