Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theater
280 Miracle Mile,
Coral Gables,
FL
33134
280 Miracle Mile,
Coral Gables,
FL
33134
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 31 comments found
Renovations described in this 1978 trade article: Boxoffice
I remember the Coral, the Gables and the Miracle. Huricane Andrew took the ornate sign of the Miracle, which is now a playhouse, and the other two are gone.
There has never been another Miracle Theatre in South Florida except for this one, Chuck. I went there when it was a single, a twin and also when it was a quad. It was then restored to a single screen for plays.
How could a theatre at 3465 N.W. 2nd Avenue ever have been in Coral Gables?
1948, 1978 and 1983 grand opening ads are now in the photo section.
They are worth a lifetime of cherished memories.
If you want to sell your legacy for dollars, try craigslist.
My great-grandfather, J. Walter Cope worked with William H. Lee, the main architect, and Robert E. Collins the associate architect on building the Miracle theater and he drew up the plans. I found them recently among drawings for Duke University, Longwood gardens and the DuPont estate in Penn. I wonder if they’re worth much?
Here is a photo from September 2010.View link
Thanks, Al!
Hi Michael.
The Miracle opened as a twin on June 23, 1978.
View link
In what year did the Miracle get twinned?
December 7th, 1948 grand opening ad is at View link
November 23rd, 1983 reopening as a quad View link
Here are two photos from 1985:
Photo1
Photo2
Photo of the Miracle from 1981 here.
This is a March 2009 photo.
Loved the children’s matinees in the late 60s/early 70s. When I returned to UM in the 80s, I HATED that they had chopped up the theater.
A 2008 close-up view can be seen here.
This is a recent night view of the Miracle Theater.
Here is a more recent photo of the Miracle Theater.
Two more photos of the Miracle Theater can be seen here and another one here.
Another photo of the Miracle Theater can be seen here.
In 1995 InterAmerica Stage, Inc. installed new stage rigging and a FOH lighting bar. The Artistic Director later desired superior lighting positions for the auditorium. In the late 90’s a full structural front of house catwalk and side lighting positions were manufactured and installed by IAstage.
The unique 300 seat performance space was created by closing off the balcony, using a portion of the original seating riser, walling off the balcony rail to the main auditorium. The outcome is a fabulous and intimate performance space. The Technical Manager labored over how to provide lighting positions for the unique space. Mark Black from IAstage was contacted to assist in the design of the planned lighting catwalks for the challenging space.
Sometime during the numerous planning discussions a light bulb went off†says Black. “How about a tension wire grid?†Well, the rest is history, a wire grid was installed giving the flexibility for creative lighting design while offering a safe means of access to the lights for the stage technicians. The grid system proved to be such a success, a second tension grid system was installed over the main stage.
http://iastage.com/historical_renovations
This is a recent photo of the Miracle Theater and here is another.
Another link about the Miracle.
View link
In the mid seventies, once the downtown houses turned to soft core and blaxploitation, a bus ride to Miracle Mile provided access to the Coral, Gables, Miracle and eventually the Cinematheque. The nearby Twin Gables and Trail provided other choices. When the Coral and Gables went, the Miracle split into two and then four screens. The Twin Gables became the Gables Triple and the whole neighborhood soon settled for the Miracle Center Multiplex outside the Gables. That short-lived latter complex was so daunting even the parking lot was a challenge, so steep my Toyota fell backwards and threw me out every time I tried to get in. Nowadays locals make due with the AMC Sunset Place, a new stadium seated improved version of the Bakery Center, Riviera and Sunset. Alas, the city of Coral Gables has no movie theatres to keep the little shops on Miracle Mile alive at night.