Coconut Grove Playhouse (now: State Theatre) Review

👏 I absolutely loved my time at the Coconut Grove Playhouse (now: State Theatre). The shows were incredible, and the ambiance was fantastic. Can't wait to visit again!

The theater was amazing! 😍 The performances were outstanding, and the staff was very helpful. It's definitely a must-visit when in Miami!

Coconut Grove Playhouse (now: State Theatre) was a great experience! The performances were top-notch and the staff was really friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!

The show I watched at the theater was absolutely fantastic! The actors were incredibly talented, and the direction was spot on. It was a memorable experience.

I had a great time at the Coconut Grove Playhouse (now: State Theatre)! The shows were wonderful, and the atmosphere was perfect. I'll definitely be back!

I had a great time at the theater! The performances were amazing, and the staff was very friendly. I would definitely recommend it to others.

👍 The theater was absolutely superb! The performances were top-notch, and the overall experience was fantastic. Can't wait to go again!

I visited this theater recently and was blown away by the incredible performances. The actors were so talented and the production was top-notch. The entire experience was a delight.

🎭 The Coconut Grove Playhouse (now: State Theatre) is a gem in Miami. The performances are always top-notch, and the venue itself is beautiful. Highly recommend!

Standing on the corner of Main Hwy and Charles Avenue in Coconut Grove is a gorgeous Mediterranean Revival building designed to resemble a Spanish Rocco Palace from the 1920's that has been abandoned. This is the Coconut Grove Playhouse. It was once the epicenter of the Miami theater scene. It opened on January 3, 1927 as part of the Paramount movie theater with a D.W. production of Satan of Sorrows. The 1,130 seat theater was designed by architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. It was built by Miami local realtors Irving J. Thomas and Fin L. Pierce. Albert Peacock served as the contractor. The building originally had seven stores on the first floor, ten offices, on the second floor, and a third story of apartments. It was the second movie theatre on the east coast of Florida to be air conditioned. It also had the largest Wurlitzer organ in the United States. Although now blue, the original color of the building was sienna.

In the 1930's the theater closed due to the Florida land boom bust, an economic downturn caused by two hurricanes and the Great Depression. During WWII the theater found new purpose as a school to train Air Force navigators.

After the war the building was again closed until 1955 when George Engle, an oilman spent one million dollars on the theater to remodel it to accommodate the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami's first live theater. The renovated theater reopened on January 3, 1956, with the U.S. premiere of Samuel Beckett's existential play, Waiting for Godot starring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell.

Financial success eluded Engle in the ensuing years and the theater again closed in 1960. Producer Zev Buffman bought the building in March 1966 for more than $1 million. In 1970, former actor Eddie Bracken and his associates purchased the building. When Bracken's group failed to pay its debts, the Playhouse was sold at auction at the county courthouse. Arthur Cantor and Robert Fishko purchased the theater, and opened it for the 1971-72 winter season. Cantor and Fishko sold their interests in 1977. In 1980 the State of Florida became the owners. In 2004 the title was transferred to the Coconut Grove Playhouse LLC Inc.

Through the years many famous people have performed at the theater including Jessica Tandy, Tallulah Bankhead, Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Linda Lavin, Bea Arthur, George C. Scott, Colleen Dewhurst, and Ethel Merman. On November 22, 1996, the Late Show with David Letterman originated from the theater.

In 2005 the Coconut Grove Playhouse was designated historic by the City of Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. Four million dollars in debt, the theater abruptly closed in 2006. It has not been used since. In 2013 The Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables and the University of Miami were able to get inside and rescue many of the items including costumes, playbills, documents, and posters. The items are being stored at the University of Miami. The Playhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. It is so sad to see this majestic building with so much history shuttered. A master plan to renovate the theater was approved by Miami's Environmental and Historic Board on April 4, 2017 but it was appealed. Since then nothing has been done as the building is broken into by vagrants and allowed to rot. Miami has so many beautifully preserved historic buildings. I have faith that they will get it together eventually.