Bob Carr Theater (originally the Orlando Municipal Auditorium and formerly the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre) is an auditorium located in

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

. Opening in 1927, the venue is currently owned by the City of Orlando and in 2013, the site was integrated into the Creative Village Development plan.

History

The venue was proposed in 1925 after the city saw a population boom in the early 1920s. In 1926, the land reserved for the Orange County Fair was used for the auditorium. The venue opened on February 21, 1927, with a performance of ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...

'' by the La Scala Grand Opera Company. Throughout the years, the venue became an entertainment mecca, with performances by:

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American country and western singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular and successful singers of his genre for most o ...

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...

and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. In 1974, the Orlando City Council decided to renovated the auditorium and transform it into a state of the art theater and concert hall. Renovations began October 1975. In May 1978, the venue was christened the "Mayor Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre", in honor of

Bob Carr Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947) is an Australian retired politician and journalist who served as the 39th Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005, as the leader of the New South Wales Labor Party, New South Wales branch of the A ...

(mayor of Orlando from 1956 to 1967). The structural and technical changes to the theater helped it become the home to the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Opera, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Festival of Orchestras and Broadway Across America. With the opening of the Dr. Phillips Center in 2014, many performances held here were moved to the new theater. Dance recitals and orchestral shows were moved to the Steinmetz Hall in 2019. The Bob Carr Theater was integrated into the Creative Village district of downtown Orlando, a mixed use commercial and residential development.

Future use

In 2023, Orlando Mayor

Buddy Dyer John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer (born August 7, 1958) is an American politician who has served as the Mayor of Orlando since 2003. A member of the Florida Democratic Party, he is Orlando's longest-serving mayor. He previously served as a representative ...

announced that the development plan would include converting the Bob Carr Theater into a "town square" for technology in the downtown district.

References

External links

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Orlando Municipal Auditorium
Music venues in Florida Concert halls in Florida Buildings and structures in Orlando, Florida Music venues in Orlando, Florida Performing arts centers in Florida Tourist attractions in Orlando, Florida 1927 establishments in Florida Theatres completed in 1927 {{music-venue-stub