NEWLY NAMED CARNIVAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TO PROVIDE WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES FOR VISITORS TO SOUTH FLORIDA
MIAMI (Aug. 4, 2006) – Miami's new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts, opening October 2006, will serve as a major addition to South Florida's visitor attractions through an exceptionally diverse roster of performances and events. Miami's much-anticipated performing arts complex was recently renamed following global cruise operator Carnival Corporation & plc's second multimillion-dollar philanthropic gift to the Center.
A varied series of performances, ranging from classical ballet, opera and symphony, to comedians, renowned vocal artists, musical groups, contemporary dance and dramatic stage productions are scheduled for Carnival Center's opening season. The broad array of presentations is expected to appeal to both South Florida residents and the millions of tourists, including several million cruise passengers, who visit South Florida annually.
“So many people love to take in a show or musical performance while on vacation, which is often when they have the greatest amount of time to truly relax and enjoy a community's cultural offerings,” said Howard Frank, vice chairman and COO of Carnival Corporation & plc. “A huge number of cruise passengers sailing from both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale add on hotel stays either before or after their cruise to enjoy everything South Florida has to offer. Carnival Center's incredible performance line-up creates a great opportunity to include a show when making vacation plans for a visit to South Florida,” he added.
Among the many highlights scheduled during the Center's inaugural season are appearances by comedians Lily Tomlin, Paula Poundstone and Mitch Fatel; musical performances by the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Woody Allen, Bobby McFerrin & Voicestra, Burt Bacharach and The Cleveland Orchestra; a Broadway musical series that includes Tony Award winners The Light in the Piazza and Wicked; dramatic theater performances including The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, the family-friendly Mad Science, and the Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of King Lear.
Additionally, Carnival Center's resident companies – the Miami City Ballet, the New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, and Concert Association of Florida, all of which receive ongoing philanthropic support from Carnival – are scheduled to offer a remarkable and exciting array of classical and contemporary works, young artists, and international stars.
Carnival Center's downtown Miami location is convenient to many of the major hotel areas, including Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and downtown.
For additional information on Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opening season schedule, visit www.carnivalcenter.org or call 305-949-6722.
About Carnival Center for the Performing Arts
Opening October 2006, Carnival Center for the Performing Arts is Miami-Dade County's largest ever public/private-sector partnership, comprised of an $85 million private capital campaign and public funding drawn primarily from the County's Convention Development Tax revenues, as well as the Omni Tax Increment District. Greatly enhancing the artistic and educational opportunities in South Florida, Carnival Center also will have significant and long-term economic benefits for the city and the region.
Carnival Center, designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, will include the 2,400-seat Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House, the 2,200-seat Knight Concert Hall, a 200-seat black box Studio Theater, the Peacock Education Center, a restored Art Deco Tower, and a Plaza for the Arts that will unite the Center buildings across Biscayne Boulevard, providing a magnificent setting for outdoor entertainment and informal gatherings. The design team includes acoustician Russell Johnson of ARTEC, Inc. and theater planning and lighting consultants Jules Fisher and Joshua Dachs of Fisher Dachs & Associates.
Carnival Center will be a Miami venue not only for its four resident companies (Concert Association of Florida, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and New World Symphony), but also for many smaller South Florida arts organizations that will perform in its theaters on a regular basis, as well as for the finest popular and classical performances from around the world. With state-of-the-art performance facilities in Miami for the first time, Carnival Center will offer to South Florida audiences the best and most diverse theater, music, and dance – with a dedication to entertain, challenge, and educate all segments of the community.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the world, with a portfolio of 12 cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, Swan Hellenic and P&O Cruises Australia.
Together, these brands operate 81 ships totaling approximately 144,000 lower berths with 15 new ships scheduled to enter service between March 2007 and spring 2010. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon, Holland America Tours and Princess Tours. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
