Dale P.
Yelp
Living in the neighborhood, we have visited the Faena development regularly as it has grown over the last couple of years. The hotel opened last December for VIP's attending Art Basel. The doorman who was working the stanchion apologized profusely that he couldn't let us (locals) in at the time, but encouraged us to come back in a week for a personal tour. We did, and we've been bringing guests to see this phenomenal addition to our community ever since.
We toured the theater before it opened, and were wowed by what we saw. Having been to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, this certainly captures its essence, but dare I say goes beyond! It's intimate, with a capacity of only 180 people. There are chairs in the orchestra area as well as tables. Not a bad seat in the house - and I wouldn't even mind standing at the rail at the top of the theater.
Having a bit of a background in local theater and an avid fan of both Broadway and the West End, our expectations were very high given the beautiful room, and the hotel lobby that is unique and fabulous and odd and, and, and...
The show, C'est Rouge, did not disappoint. It took them about 6 months longer than expected to open, as the owner insisted it be polished and world class (according to the folks in the hotel we've come to know). Clearly, they have spared no expense in finding the right combination of talent, production crew and creating what may well be Miami's new magnet for theater lovers.
Calling it "Burlesque" doesn't do this show justice, although it had elements of burlesque. The costuming, the huge floor to rafters high-def LED screen that serves as a backdrop at the back of the stage, the lights, the red curtain, the art deco decor, the massive chandelier, the sound engineering and equipment - I've never experienced better anywhere. The live orchestra and singers were always right on the mark and sounded like a track they were so perfect. These are stars we don't know yet, but will very soon, I'm sure. Casting: The singers/dancers/performers/acrobats/jugglers offered a variety I could have never imagined working together, but it absolutely does.
This is a show with a clearly Miami and Latin point of view. If a juggler was on stage, the awe was that of watching the Blue Man Group perform - but perhaps he would be too talented for them! Trapeze, long a standard in Cabaret shows is taken to the Olympic level here with a team that makes gravity disappear. Acrobats literally bend over backward for you, and display unbelievable body control. Where on earth did they find these alien creatures? There are fun numbers like La Playa (that time-travels you you to the beach in the 1960's) with a couple of fun sunbathers creating a tableau that was a show stopper.
I could go on and on, but this really is a hopeful new addition to Miami's nightlife/theater scene. A new entertainment bar has been set at a very high level, South Florida! This show would sell out for years in NYC or London. It's just that good.
Thanks to Nicole and Nathaly (in Concierge services) and Melonie in the Box Office for helping resolve a glitch. Tickets are ordered currently through Ticketmaster. I was trying to order 4 seats online and and ended up with only 2 (it said two seats per table, so I ordered what I thought were 2 tables adjacent to each other - ended up being 2 seats). I'm pretty good at dealing with online ordering, and their seat map was quite confusing. After discussing this with the above team members, I received a call and they resolved the problem for us quickly and efficiently - and with apologies for our inconvenience - they even threw in a nice surprise for our inconvenience. They are aware of the problem and are working on it. As I told them, the test of quality isn't in having a perfect experience, it's in having a problem arise and seeing how an establishment handles the problem.
Don't be afraid to sit close to the stage in this theater. It's small and there isn't a bad seat in the house, but the orchestra seating is mostly at one level, so fewer heads in front of you might enhance to the experience somewhat. The slightly elevated tables for 2 at the back of the orchestra would be my first choice. The performers come out into the audience and there's even a voluntary conga line (we volunteered and had a blast). The price of $55 - $105 for a theater ticket in Miami Beach may sound outlandish, but compared to other local offerings (even those comparably priced at the Arsht Center) -- there just isn't any comparison. So worth it.
This place exudes art and professionalism. Don't wait to go. Manifique!
A perfect "10" all the way around.
PS: The cocktails were excellent too.