Jacksonville Theaters and Concert Places

By Jonas Fredrickson


Jacksonville is home to a large number of first-class performance locations, theaters and concert halls. With cutting edge acoustics, state-of-the-art facilities and facilities as well as pretty design and aesthetics drawing from consequential roots, most theaters in Jacksonville are buildings that've been revived and refitted from their architectural origins between 1919 and the 1930's.

Times Union Performing Arts Center

Located in central Jacksonville, the Times Union Performing Arts Center is among the biggest and most high visibility of the Jacksonville theaters promoting humanities, culture and performance. The TUPAC hosts varied events in it's multi locale facility, including the Terry Theatre, the Moran Theater which seats 3000 guests, the Jacoby Symphony Hall, and the Vets Memorial Arena.

The Vets Memorial Arena hosts Jacksonville School Basketball and massive name acts like Jimmy Smorgasboard and Girl Antebellum. The Prime F. Osborn III Convention center hosts Expos, shows and other events in its 265,000 sq. Feet of space. The Convention Center used to be a railroad station before its conversion and keeps its historical design. Whichever location visitors experience, TUPAC is the premiere location to examine for big name acts in all of its Jacksonville theaters, as well as music, comedy, celebrity, sports and events.

The Florida Theatre

With 2 hundred entertainment and cultural events yearly , The Florida Theatre hosts jazz, rock, blues, pop and more. Found in central along the St. Johns Stream, The Florida Theatre hosts 250 thousand guests yearly and is recognised as amongst the best concert locales in Florida and the Southeast, and is on the State's Register of Consequential Places.

This 1927 theater has hosted a number of performances and performers which have included Greg Allman, Gordon Lightfoot, "A John Waters Christmas," and the Florida Ballet. This theater may be older, but it certainly has it's taste of history.

The location itself has fantastic acoustics and is decorated in a stylish and opulent style fitting its roots and its latest position as among the premiere concert halls in Jacksonville.

Theatre Jacksonville

Beginning in 1919, Theatre Jacksonville is one of, if not the longest running community theaters in Jacksonville. With performances, the theatre offers acting and theatre classes for every age and interests. Past performances have included The Storm, Hamlet, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, An Inspector Calls, Over the Brook and Thru the Woods, Seussical, Hello Dolly and more. Performers and artists concerned in Theatre Jacksonville are volunteers with a high level of expertise and info that put their hearts and time into the quality performances at the theatre. Theatre Jacksonville can accommodate a good sized audience, but is an ideal sized fit for a theatre experience that involves more close contact than a larger, more high visibility locale.

Jacksonville Theatre Guild

Offering productions everybody can enjoy, the Jacksonville Theatre Guild performs out of the Studio Theatre with comedies, musicals and eccentric feel very nice theatre. Past and current productions include Lend Me a Tenor and flaky offerings like "Drac's Back", centered on the way that the night unfolds when scholars on a trip take refuge from a thunderstorm in the castle of Dexter Drackman, who is truly Dracula in disguise.

Jacoby Symphony Hall at Times Union Performing Arts Center

Located at the Times-Union Center for the Performing humanities, Jacoby Symphony Hall is maybe one of the few concert halls in the country dedicated only to a symphony orchestra, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. The Hall's capacity seats 1,800 guests and was designed by generally acclaimed acousticians Kirkegaard & Associates and KBJ designers and Rothman, Rothman & Heineman designers. Created in a "shoebox" shape, the design reflects sound to disburse it in equal proportions to the gang for phenomenal acoustics. Aesthetically, the hall is stylish and straightforward, found downtown in the middle of Jacksonville's center of culture, making it the best if the concert halls in Jacksonville.

Metropolitan Park

An outside locale with a covered 2,400 square foot stage, Metropolitan Park plays host to one or two events and out of doors concerts including the Spring Music Vacation, Sector of Countries Party and annual Jacksonville Jazz Holiday.

Past performers have included James Taylor, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jackson Brown and the Beach Boys. Events at the concerthall at Metropolitan Park offer a good experience along the St. John's brook with covered picnic shelters, children's play area, a 27-acre park and event. Related facilities to make any visit outstanding.

UNF Fine Arts Center

Made up of The Exhibition Hall, the Lazzara Performance Hall, and the Andrew A. Robinson Jr. Theater, the UNF Fine Arts Center serves both the Varsity and Jacksonville residents. UNF places host a mixture of entertainers, musicians and performances as well as offering lectures, coaching conventions, receptions, social events and workshops. Recent performances at the UNF fine arts center have included prestigious acts like the Ravi Contrane Quartet, jaxx, Fulte Day, Chamber Music, and piano recitals.

"Movies on the House" offers more non-traditional films one another Thursday at 7pm on a large screen at the Robinson Theater, with complimentary popcorn and prizes. The purpose of "Movies on the House", known around campus as MOTH, is to screen films spectators and fans wouldn't customarily be in a position to see on the big-screen, and to foster an environment of community in the spectators.

Freebird Live

Well-known often as a Jacksonville spot for music, the Freebird Cafeteria books both nationally known artists as well as area and local music, making it the best spot to see what music in Jacksonville is actually like. Freebird Live's performance space houses 700 guests standing room only and offers points of view from the floor and a railed balcony that overlooks the stage.

The location has an external smoking balcony and 2 full bars with an higher level balcony area for 21+ visitors; other areas are elected as all ages. Freebird Live showcases sometimes rock artists, like recent performers Anberlin, Diplo and Attack Attack! The locale is located downtown one block away from the sea, across from the SeaWalk Pavilion.




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