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The newly named The Studio, at the south end of Mizner Park, will feature Rock and Roll Playhouse musical shows in January, February and March aimed at parents and young children. Photo provided

By Mary Hladky

The Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center has completed a transformation that will offer more programming to broaden its reach and attract diverse audiences.
Rechristened The Studio at Mizner Park, the venue at the park’s south end will celebrate its opening on Dec. 16 with an open house featuring a deejay, holiday beverages, light bites and a tour of its spaces.
Stephanie Siegel, an Emmy Award-winning New York City newscaster, is now on board as executive director, replacing an outside theater operator. Common area spaces have been redesigned and redecorated. The kitchen has been enhanced to be a fully equipped banquet kitchen for caterers. Boca Raton-based Potions in Motion is now the in-house caterer.
But the most notable changes are in the center’s programming. Instead of operating only in season, the venue will be open all year and will work with cultural organizations including the Symphonia and Boca Ballet Theatre.
Instead of catering largely to an older audience, The Studio wants to bring in people of all ages with fresh and diverse programming, said Peg Anderson, president of the board.
“We want programming that appeals to parents, children and grandparents,” she said.
One example is choreographer, hip-hop dance teacher and TikTok star Sean Green, who on Dec. 18 will offer a TikTok hip-hop dance party for children aged 5 to 12.
Rock and Roll Playhouse, appearing on three dates in January, February and March, will perform songs created by Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and the Grateful Dead, aimed at parents and their young children.
The Studio at Mizner Park has a 3,750-square-foot flexible theater that seats up to 297 people and a 4,575-square-foot multi-purpose space that can be used as a banquet or party room, exhibition space or a secondary performance venue.
Other amenities include a lounge with full bar and an outdoor terrace with views of Mizner Park.
The Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center opened in 2010, replacing the ill-fated International Museum of Cartoon Art. The transition to The Studio began about three years ago when renovations and equipment upgrades began. The process was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic before getting back on track 18 months later.
“The goal is to really elevate the experience people have when they come here,” Anderson said.
The changes, she said, are intended to work with the planned Center for Arts & Innovation that is slated to be built at the north end of Mizner Park and potentially open in 2028.
Anderson has been involved in that project since its early conceptual days. She is co-chair of its board of directors and was an early donor.
“It’s all about Mizner Park, bringing north and south together and having an art and cultural experience throughout the park,” she said.
The arts center will have a 100-seat jewel box theater and an enclosed studio in the amphitheater with a capacity of as many as 500 patrons. At 300 seats, The Studio’s theater fits in between.
The Studio will also offer up its facilities as rehearsal space for use by the center’s performers.
The two venues “are designed to complement rather than compete,” Anderson said.