The Plaza Live

Last updated
The Plaza Live
The Plaza Theater
The Plaza Live logo black.png
The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL.jpg
The Plaza Live located in Orlando, Florida
The Plaza Live
Address425 North Bumby Avenue
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates 28°32′55″N81°21′05″W / 28.5487°N 81.3513°W / 28.5487; -81.3513
OwnerOrlando Philharmonic Orchestra
TypeLive music venue
Capacity Large Room: 903 Seated, 1250 Standing
Opened1963 (1963)
Years active61 years
Website
www.plazaliveorlando.org

The Plaza Live is one of Orlando, Florida's oldest theaters. It was transformed from a cinema, to a theatre space, and finally a music venue. Having established a strong grass-roots following by doing many lower profile, local shows and events, the theater eventually started bringing in larger, national acts. The Plaza Live is home to two music halls: the main hall, and a second room for smaller shows.

Contents

History

Dubbed the Rocking Chair Theatre by locals, The Plaza Live was Orlando's first two screen movie theatre. From the 1960s up until the early 1990s, the theater, small by today's standards, stayed active in a competitive market with declining ticket sales by showing second-run movies and the long running cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show . In 1992, the theater became The Dove Family Entertainment Theatre and changed format, performing only Christian-themed shows. Clearwater-based Salthouse Group purchased the 39-year-old venue in September 2002 for $1.7 million. [1] In 2012 The Plaza removed the old rocking chairs and became a flex seating venue in the summer of 2010 so it could accommodate for standing room or fully seated shows. [2]

The Plaza Live Marquee Plaza Live Marquee.JPG
The Plaza Live Marquee

In August 2013, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra purchased The Plaza Live building, contents and the business for $3.4 million. The Philharmonic is currently planning extensive renovations to the historic building to create office space, a rehearsal hall and a music library, and update the existing 1000-seat music hall to accommodate chamber music concerts, while maintaining a schedule of rock, jazz, comedy and contemporary music events. The Plaza Live will continue to operate as one of Florida’s premier concert venues during and after the renovations. This will give the Orlando Philharmonic a permanent home.

Murder of Christina Grimmie

On June 10, 2016, rising singer Christina Grimmie, known from YouTube and as a contestant on NBC's The Voice , was shot three times inside the venue after her concert while signing autographs and taking pictures with fans and died from her injuries and blood loss at the Orlando Regional Medical Center later that night. [3] Her killer, identified by the Orlando Police Department as 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl from St. Petersburg, Florida, traveled from his hometown bringing two handguns, two loaded magazines, and a large hunting knife into the venue. Loibl was tackled by Christina's brother and shortly after, Loibl committed suicide by shooting himself. According to Orlando police, the bags of the attendees would normally have been checked, but there were no metal detectors at the venue, nor were the attendees frisked. [4] [5]

The Main Hall

The Plaza has hosted many shows in the Main Hall including Ninja Sex Party, Bon Iver, The Civil Wars, Childish Gambino, Tory Lanez, Rick Springfield, Dark Star Orchestra, John Waite, Blue Öyster Cult, Edgar Winter, John Oates, Bonerama, Brandi Carlile, Michelle Branch, Hot Tuna, Marc Cohn, Here Come the Mummies, Gordon Lightfoot, Marc Broussard, Grace Potter, Keiko Matsui, Arturo Sandoval, Little Feat, Jeff Daniels, Gaelic Storm, Styx, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and many more.

The Main Hall during 2012 renovations PlazaLiveRenovations.jpg
The Main Hall during 2012 renovations

The Small Room

Since this space wasn't originally made to be a live music hall, starting in 2010, The Plaza began making improvements to the small room, making it more sound efficient for music performances. The facelift included a new PA system, acoustic treatment added to the walls for better sound, and the removal of the tiered floor to increase capacity. The improvements also included a remodeled lighting rig and a permanent sound booth to provide better overall sound quality. [6] The Plaza has hosted many local and national acts in the small room including Rusted Root, The Lee Boys, Joshua Radin, Boyce Avenue, Old 97's, Zach Deputy, Tom Green, Beth McKee, Wanda Jackson, BoDeans, and many more.

After August 1, 2013 the small hall closed awaiting remodeling as an acoustic rehearsal hall for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in Q3, 2014.

Past shows

Some other shows hosted by the Plaza Live include Iron & Wine, Christina Grimmie, House of Heroes, Andrew Bird, The Subdudes, Janice Ian, Jenny Lewis, Air Supply, Victor Wooten, The Radiators, Pete Yorn, Copeland, Family Force 5, City and Colour, Tab Benoit, Five for Fighting, Duncan Sheik, Colin Hay, Four Bitchin Babes, Punch Brothers, John Waite, Michelle Branch, Bryan Adams, Blue Öyster Cult, Brandi Carlile, Of Montreal, The Naked and Famous, Rick Springfield, John Prine, Arlo Guthrie and many more.

The Plaza Live has hosted local festivals, as well, including Orlando's Jambando, [7] Rock for Hunger [8] and The Orange You Glad Music Festival 2012. [9]

Related Research Articles

Faith Prince is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on Broadway in musical theatre. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in Guys and Dolls in 1992, and received three other Tony nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Orlando</span> Area of Orlando in Florida, US

Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Avenue in the south. There are several distinct neighborhoods in downtown; "North Quarter" to the north, "Lake Eola Heights Historic District" just north of Lake Eola, "South Eola" contains Lake Eola Park and continues to the east and south of Lake Eola, "Thornton Park" in the east, "Parramore" in the west, "Lake Cherokee Historic District" to the south, and the "Central Business District" between Colonial Drive and Lake Lucerne in the center. In 2010, the estimated population of downtown was 18,731. The daytime population was estimated to be 65,000. The 5-mile radius population of downtown is 273,335.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleasure Island (Walt Disney World)</span> Former part of the Walt Disney World Resort

Pleasure Island was an area of the Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district at Walt Disney World Resort. It officially opened on May 1, 1989. In September 2008, all of its clubs were closed, but its retail stores and restaurants remained open. The area is now called The Landing and is the central part of Disney Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra</span> American resident professional orchestra

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is Central Florida's resident professional orchestra, appearing in more than 125 performances each season. Founded in 1993. At over $4 million, the Orlando Philharmonic has the largest endowment of any arts institution in Central Florida. The Orlando Philharmonic entered its 29th anniversary in the 2021–2022 season, led by Eric Jacobsen in his fourth season as music director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music venue</span> Any location used for a concert or musical performance

A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concert halls host classical music performances, whereas public houses ("pubs"), nightclubs, and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock, dance, country, and pop.

Universal CityWalk is the name shared by the entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Destinations & Experiences. CityWalk began as an expansion of Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood, and serves as an entrance plaza from the parking lots to the theme parks. CityWalk can also be found at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan, and Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts</span>

Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts is the premier location for cultural arts and entertainment in Raleigh, North Carolina. The center consists of four unique venues, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater, and Kennedy Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evanston S.P.A.C.E.</span>

Evanston S.P.A.C.E. is a small concert hall and venue for music performance and live recording, and a podcast production facility, as well as serves similarly for the visual arts and literary events located at 1245 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago, in close proximity to the CTA Purple Line mass transit elevated train station Dempster, just south of Dempster Avenue. It opened in spring 2008, along with Union Pizzeria, an affiliated restaurant in the same building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts</span>

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center in Downtown Orlando, Florida, United States. It joined the Bob Carr Theater, which originally opened as the Orlando Municipal Auditorium in 1927, to become Orlando's main performance venue. The center's grand opening was held on November 6, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Music Plaza Stage</span> Outdoor amphitheater in Orlando, Florida

The Universal Music Plaza Stage is an outdoor amphitheater located in Orlando, Florida. The venue opened on February 21, 2009, and is located within Universal Studios Florida, in the New York section of the park, replacing the former attraction, The Boneyard. It hosts 15–20 concerts per season. The amphitheater can hold 8,000 spectators in standing-room capacity.

Broadway Across America (BAA) is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1982. It is currently owned by the John Gore Organization, which purchased it from Live Nation in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Grimmie</span> American singer and YouTuber (1994–2016)

Christina Victoria Grimmie was an American singer and YouTuber. In 2009, she began posting covers of popular songs onto YouTube. After releasing her debut EP, Find Me (2011), her YouTube channel reached one million subscribers. After she reached two million subscribers, she released her debut studio album, With Love (2013).

<i>Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony</i> 2011 live album by Brandi Carlile

Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony is the fourth album by American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, released on May 3, 2011, through Columbia Records. Recorded during two sold-out shows in November 2010 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington, the album features Washington-native Carlile and her long-time band performing alongside the Seattle Symphony. Seattle-based producer and audio engineer Martin Feveyear recorded the concerts, which contained orchestral arrangements by Paul Buckmaster and Sean O'Loughlin. Carlile had previously performed with the Seattle Symphony in 2008 at the same venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacham Theatre</span> Movie theater in Orlando, Florida

The Beacham Theatre is a cinema built in 1921 by Braxton Beacham Sr. in the city of Orlando, Florida. The current address of the theater is 46 North Orange Avenue, and it is located at the southwest corner of Orange Avenue and Washington Street. The building's current lack of impressive architecture is offset by its significant cultural history. The Beacham Theatre was considered an important contributing structure when the Downtown Orlando historic district was created in 1980 and the building was granted local landmark status in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerald Theatre</span>

The Emerald Theatre is a live multi-use entertainment and concert venue located in downtown Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torres (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter

Mackenzie Ruth Scott is an American indie rock singer-songwriter who performs as Torres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leroy Griffith</span> American theater and nightclub proprietor

Leroy Charles Griffith is an American theater and nightclub proprietor, former Broadway theater producer, and film producer. In a career spanning 75 years, he has owned, leased, or operated more than 70 adult entertainment stage and cinematic theaters across the United States, dating from the burlesque era of the 1950s to the present day. During burlesque's heyday, he was a prolific producer of live stage shows featuring showgirls, strippers, comedians, and other stars of the era. After burlesque's decline, he made the crossover to exhibiting adult films and operating adult nightclubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peacock Theater</span> Music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles, California

The Peacock Theater, formerly Nokia Theatre and Microsoft Theater, is a music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles, California at L.A. Live. The theater auditorium seats 7,100 and holds one of the largest indoor stages in the United States.

"Blink of an Eye" is a song by American singer and songwriter Tori Kelly. Musically, the song is an acoustic ballad. It was written by Kelly and Zac Poor, and was released via Kelly's YouTube channel on July 10, 2016.

"The Joke" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. It was co-written by Carlile, Dave Cobb, and Phil and Tim Hanseroth, and produced by Cobb and Shooter Jennings. It was released on November 13, 2017, as the lead single off By the Way, I Forgive You, Carlile's sixth album. With music inspired by "An American Trilogy" by Elvis Presley, the lyrics are intended to uplift people who are marginalized by society. The song received widespread critical acclaim, winning two Grammy awards.

References

  1. ↑ "Plaza Theatre in Orlando, FL - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  2. ↑ "Orlando historic rocking chair theatre seating for sale (900+ units) - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  3. ↑ http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/06/22/grimmie.investigative.supplement.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. ↑ Sanchez, Boris; Ellis, Ralph; Sutton, Joe; Ansari, Azadeh (June 12, 2016). "Orlando police ID man who killed 'Voice' singer Christina Grimmie". CNN . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ Sederholm, Jillian; Chuck, Elizabeth; DiCasimirro, Gemma; Roecker, Molly (June 11, 2016). "Gunman Who Killed 'The Voice' Singer Christina Grimmie Had Two Weapons, Ammo, Knife: Police". NBC News . Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Music & Nightlife - Staff Picks". orlandoweekly.com. Orlando Weekly. July 18, 2012. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved 2016-06-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ↑ "Jambando Orlando: Central Florida's premier jam band showcase since 2003". www.jambando.com. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  8. ↑ "Apache2 Ubuntu Default Page: It works". www.rockforhungerfest.org. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  9. ↑ "Soundboard | Orlando Music Blog - Orlando Sentinel". blogs.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.