The Studio at Mizner Park has a theater that seats up to 279 people, a multipurpose space that can transform into a banquet/party room or second performance space, as well as a lounge with a full bar and outdoor terrace. (Eduardo Schneider / Courtesy)
The Studio at Mizner Park is rebranding and reaching for new heights.
The performance space in downtown Boca Raton — known in the past few years as the Mizner Park Cultural Center — is making a bid to be a buzzier venue with more elevated service when it relaunches on Dec. 16 with an open house. Also, Potions in Motion has signed on as the on-site caterer and will produce the bar program.
“This long-awaited and much-anticipated opening is poised to usher in a new era for downtown Boca,” says Peg Anderson, president of the Cultural Arts Association Board, the organization responsible for managing the space. “The Studio at Mizner Park will bring a year-round calendar of fresh and diverse programming to the area.”
Stephanie Siegel is the newly name executive director charged with booking acts for a roster being billed as “multidimensional, multigenerational” — that means that there will be something for the diverse audiences here in South Florida, she says, but with an emphasis on trendier fare for everyone from parents looking to entertain children to adults wanting leading-edge experiences.
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“So when you think about the programming, I think it’s going to be a little more edgy. It’ll be cosmopolitan, more energetic, right? Something that will activate — like people can have dinner here and then come to your show. Who doesn’t love that? That’s so fun.”
So far, the December calendar has:
The Studio at Mizner Park plans on bringing a new multidimensional, multigenerational and multi-operational mix of arts and entertainment to downtown Boca Raton. (Eduardo Schneider / Courtesy)
The Gallery is a lounge on the second level with a full bar and outdoor terrace with views of Mizner Park. Next to it is the kitchen where Boca Raton-based Potions in Motion will operate as the venue’s exclusive in-house caterer. (Eduardo Schneider / Courtesy)
The Studio is also upping its game with the food and drink being offered through Potions in Motion, according to Siegel. It means “we’re gonna have a really elevated kind of food and beverage service that I don’t think is offered anywhere else. It’s not just concessions, like hot dog stands, pretzels and [inexpensive] chardonnay. I think we’re gonna have more of a selection, which would also be a draw for people.”
Some South Floridians may remember when the building was the The International Museum of Cartoon Art, which opened in 1996 and never attracted much attention, closing in 2001 with the burden of a $2 million debt.
After years of sitting in the dark unused, there were further construction delays before the space was reborn as the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center in 2010. On and off for a few years between 2012 and 2014, regional theater talent staged readings, plays and musicals there, often calling the performance space The Studio at Mizner Park
“The Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center was actually called ‘The Studio’ for a moment in time,” recalls board president Anderson, an active civic and community leader for more than 20 years. “We have come full circle, embracing the history of the venue as we look forward to an exciting, inviting future.”
WHAT: The Studio at Mizner Park
WHERE: 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
INFORMATION: 561-203-3742; TheStudioAtMiznerPark.com
Mitchel May and Alex May walk their dogs, Kiki and Milo through a sitting area of a restaurant in Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton on Thursday, February 3, 2022. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Stephanie Siegel is the new executive director of The Studio at Mizner Park. (Eduardo Schneider / Courtesy)
Copyright © 2022, Sun Sentinel
Copyright © 2022, Sun Sentinel