Black Archives - Historic Lyric Theater

A jewel box that holds many iconic moments of Miami's black history and where many tours on area start from.

Many county government agencies here in addition to the intersection of three levels of trains, Freight ( on the ground), in the building (Brightline & trirail) and metrorail

Unbelievable! That so many of the masses whom live within close proximity (0-100 miles!) of this true gem, do not patronize this theater. The roots and heritage of this entertainment hall rivals New York's Apollo (est. 1934) Theater, and quite frankly, most likely surpasses. The Overtown Lyric Theater (est. 1913) has a legacy of some of the foremost artist , in all genres, that were of (color) various ethnic lineage. Subsequently, the Lyric has been renovated three separate times: first it was renovated in 1999; then again in 2005; and finally up to is current state in 2014. Just to give you a 'taste of some pure honey', "back then national stars and their bands jammed with local musicians, trading riffs and ideas, lovers and companionships, day and night. Soul legends Sam and Dave started there, a young Lena Horne lived on the wrong side of Miami's tracks; Sam Cooke and James Brown made Overtown a second home. Flip Wilson honed his comedy there; and Ray Charles made his first records in Overtown." This started the steady stream of titans that were involved in the music/entertainment industry. Should I say anymore? I implore you to visit. Why do they call it the "Historic Overtown Lyric Theater"? Pun intended. JE.

Historical place. Well conserved. Beautiful.

Arnitris Williams is a bombshell of talent! A must see! Was performing at gorgeous Lyric Historic Theatre.

My school performs here every Christmas for our Christmas show, and I have also gone during the Miami Film Festival. Love that it still exists and that we are doing everything to keep it that way! Black history at its finest!

Went here to see an exhibition during Art Basel called If These Streets Could Talk. Highly recommend! I learned so much on the history of overtown and how it's changed over the years. Before entering I walked the hallway looking at the pictures of historic figures that you can scan a qr code to learn more about. It would be nice to see these pictures redone in higher quality imaging and material.

It was such a great experience..I mean this from a deep part of my inner self, so I want many of blacks..young & old to visit this historical place. Thank you for the moment.

Amazing theatre!! My husband and I went to a Moth grand slam and the venue was awesome. You can literally feel the history here but it is clean! There is a bar, although they had to run and buy water on this particular night because they ran out. Otherwise, I would 100% be back!

I went here for The Moth Grandslam and although I throughly enjoyed myself, I would have to really consider returning to this venue. Upon arriving to the venue, a big random man in a store bought neon vest stood outside blocking the entrance to the public parking. He would not let people pass him unless you paid him money first. Then we still had to pay the meter for said public parking. Others once inside had the same complaint and it's a darn shame. Many of the people for The Moth had never been to this theater and would likely not return. I hate being hustled and this left a sour taste in my mouth. The money I would have spent inside supporting the bar, I was nickled and dimed outside. I really would not want to return to this location.

Located in the historic African-American neighborhood of Overtown in Miami, the 400-seat Lyric theater was built in 1913 by Georgia native Geder Walker who owned and operated the theater. The building was a two story masonry vernacular concrete block building sheathed in stucco. In 1915, Miami Metropolis called it "possibly the most beautiful and costly playhouse owned by Colored people in all the Southland." After Walker's death in 1919, his widow Henrietta continued to operate the Lyric which was also used as a community auditorium where school children and civic groups performed. Mary McLeod Bethune, Ethel Waters, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers lectured and sang at the Lyric. Known as Little Broadway in the 1930's and 40's, this part of of Overtown was a source of culture and pride for its residents. The theater held concerts, movies, vaudeville, dramas, political meetings, boxing, rallies, beauty pageants, and school plays. The theater gave rise to a district of hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs and Overtown became known as the Harlem of the South. Headlining names in its hey day included Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday. James Brown, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne and Ella Fitzgerald. In the audience you would have spotted sports heroes Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis. Soul legend Sam Moore of Sam and Dave fame grew up in Overtown while comedian Flip Wilson got his start here. The Lyric continued to operate as a movie theater until 1959 when it then became a church of the General Assembly of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith. Two expressways were built through the center of Overtown leading to the devastation of the neighborhood in the 1960s. Many iconic fixtures of the neighborhood like The Mary Elizabeth Hotel, Knight Beat club, the Sir John Hotel, the Harlem Square are gone and the Lyric Theater was closed and shuttered for decades. The Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc. acquired the Lyric Theater in 1988. In 1989 the Lyric Theater was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is the last surviving structure from Little Broadway. Phase 1 of the restoration allowed the theater to reopen once again for audiences in 2000. Phase 2 included a new lobby, box office, concession area and offices for the theater. Phase 3, expanded the theater and included construction of: a studio theater and meeting space, additional wing space and a fly loft for the stage itself, a catering kitchen, a loading dock, a scene shop, archival administration offices, exhibition space, and other backstage operational areas. The theater officially reopened to the public in February of 2014. You can attend tours and cultural and art experiences. Today the Lyric Theater is named the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex. It is the oldest theater in Miami and it anchors the site of the Historic Overtown Folklife Village. Exciting things are happening in this area. With the opening of Red Rooster Overtown a block, now you can go to dinner and a show just like the old days. This theater is a historical gem.

We are really lucky that they didn't destroy this place. This theatre has been standing proud since 1913 and I hope it has many, many more years to come. The whole staff here was super friendly. You have a choice between street parking or paid lot. I went for the Seraphic Fire concert with my parents and we all really enjoyed it. There is a certain charm that comes from intimate theatres and this was no exception. Well maintained and very welcoming. I highly recommend it.

I came out here for the first time for the OUTShine film festival and it was actually a pretty cool experience. The venue was definitely not what I expected. It's a very well maintained theater with plenty to offer. It is an older theater, maybe more of a small scale auditorium, so don't imagine an IMAX type of experience lol I definitely plan on coming back for more events in the future, or if they simply have general screenings would be reason enough as well. Simply because I liked the feel I got from the location. It's a classic feel, an experience with character. The only thing that was problematic was parking, so just make sure you arrive relatively early so you don't mess up your plans

Had the opportunity to go to the premiere of "The U" at the Lyric theater and came away impressed by Miami's oldest theater and with an even greater appreciation for The Greatest College Football Team Ever Lyric Theater at one point was the center of what used to be called "Little Broadway" and "The Harlem of the South" Northwest 2nd was an entertainment destination for African-Americans in Miami and the Lyric hosted some of the greatest entertainers of the time These entertainers such as Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, Ella Fitzgerald and Redd Foxx could perform at the hotels in the beach but could not stay there Like all good things, they must come to and end but some really good things get a second chance The theater went through some extensive renovations in the late 90's, early 2000's and is now better than ever The new fully glassed lobby is as nice it gets The actual theater itself is not to fancy and reminded me of those old 99 cent theaters in it's seating arrangement but I didn't expect to have unobstructed views from every seat in the house It has 400 seats, a small stage and a balcony The walls are white and bereft of any fancy special effects that would distract you from what you came to see The surrounding area is still not the safest but there is plenty of parking and I felt completely at ease within the confines of the theater area but don't stray to far cause it does get sketchy It's All About The U

Came by for the Art Basel Event, "Art of Conversation," and it was great! Love the theater and the history behind it. From the outside it looks very modern but the actual theater transports you to another time. It's truly amazing. The staff was great and the event was well attended. It's nothing less than a gem in Miami and should be treated as such. I look forward to visiting again and to learn even more about the history of Overtown.

I came here for the first time this weekend for the Urban Film Festival. The location is very nice; it is located in Overtown, so there were some homeless people around, which made me feel a bit unsafe walking from my car to the theatre. The theatre itself was clean, spacious, and had a nice architectural set up. In the main theatre, it was FREEZING. be sure to bring a nice warm jacket or sweater. The seats were of a good size and the customer service was great. I will definitely come back to this location.

Visions of our 44th President! Excellent exhibit - loved the 3 D Projection works of Carrie Mae Weems..exhibit closes on Feb 28...Hurry!

I recently attended the premiere of "The U" it's a fantastic film of UM's collegiate football dynasty. The premiere took place at the historic Lyric Theater. The Lyric Theater opened in 1913. Legendary performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, BB King, and hundreds of others have graced the stage. The theater was a part of Overtown's entertainment district known as Little Broadway and since 1989 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. I'd suggest sitting in the center section. The theater is cozy and provides a strong communal viewing experience. The staff is friendly and helpful. I only wish more people would think to screen their films in this theater and support a part of Miami's past.

It should be renamed the "Big Top" Theatre. What a bunch of clowns! It starts from the manager, who should wear big red shoes. The staff all should put on red noses. It's run horribly, it smells like elephant poop...so why not the new name! I give it two stars instead of one because of the entertainment value in watching these yahoos trying to run a theatre. Lights were all off. Sound didn't work. It's like they are trying to be bad and funny but actually aren't. Similar to the circus!!

I came here for the first time for for the Urban Film Festival. I never been here before but was impressed with the facility.

Went there on a Saturday night for a movie premiere. Very impressed with this theater. It looks good inside and out. The interior is not very big, which gives it an intimate feel. It was freezing in there for some reason. I parked on the street right across from the theater. I will definitely keep checking for future events there so I can attend. Great spot!

Wonderful spot in Overtown. It's been newly renovated, with a modern wing attached to the side of it. The effort to re-open the theater was done in part to foster creative projects among the community of Overtown and thus spark a positive movement within the neighborhood. The hope is that Overtown can experience a renaissance in terms of development, creative projects, and a safer neighborhood that people will come to be a part of. I went there to see a performance during Art Basel and I was VERY impressed.

Had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Melton Mustafa jazz festival at the Lyric Theatre - an amazing experience at a beautiful historic gem. I wish more events were held at this theatre. It has such a rich history and is a great venue for cultural events. Looking forward to going back soon.