ORLANDO, Fla. – If all the world’s a stage, then the City Beautiful has one of the best ones, according to a new list released by Architectural Digest.
The report ranks the most beautiful theaters found around the globe, from the Opéra Garnier to the Sydney Opera House, and among them is Orlando’s own Steinmetz Hall, nestled in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
It stands alone as the only theater on the list representing the East Coast in the U.S.
“It was a goal,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, of the theater being named one of the best. “You always set your goals high. In 2003, we said, ‘We oughta build something that this community and the world can be proud of.’ They’re hard to build. There’s not many theaters and centers in the world, so we might as well reach high.”
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Ramsberger added the ranking came as a great surprise. Seeing the name up in lights with some of the most famous theaters in the world, including the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain, and the Harbin Grand Theater in Harbin, China, left the Dr. Phillips Center team honored, especially given how long it took to see watch the project come to life.
“On paper it all looked great, but then executing it and getting it built and staying the course and making sure we achieved the goals that made the hall unique... was a real testament to a city,” the CEO said. “When we started the project back in 2003, I don’t think we really knew that we deserved something like this or we should have something like this.”
Steinmetz Hall opened last year after decades of planning and construction. The theater’s architect, Barton Myers, helped bring his dream into reality in January 2022.
The multiform acoustical, 1,700-seat space is the second theater in the country to use the Gala System seating, transforming the wooden flat floor into 22 rows of seats.
To get an inside look for yourself, check out the Dr. Phillips Center website and the latest shows coming to Steinmetz Hall.
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