About Us – Miami Childrens Theater

Miami Childrens Theater

Miami Childrens Theater was founded in 1996 by Angela Ardolino as an after school program based at the Coral Gables Youth Center. Ms. Ardolino grew the program out quickly as she transitioned the young company to South Florida's premier performing arts center for young people in South Florida. Combining classes and summer camps with remarkable main stage productions, it did not take long for Miami Childrens Theater to be recognized for it's artistic excellence. In 2002 Miami Childrens Theater was awarded the rights to the newly created Les Miserables Student Edition - the first youth children's theater in the Southeast to earn such a distinction. 2006 proved to be an historic year for Miami Childrens Theater as they won the county-wide bid to become the resident theater operator for the state-of-the-art Robert Russell Theater in Kendall.

The Alper JCC years proved to be fruitful and successful - musicals featuring young and old casts provided South Florida thespians with the most formidable training ground in Miami-Dade County. No less than 21 MCT alumni have made their way to Broadway while others have EARNED major roles in teleVISION and movies. In the Spring of 2024 Miami Childrens Theater transitioned it’s operation to Dance Empire of Miami, merging with the decades-old, award-winning dance studio. The move to Dance Empire affordss Miami Childrens Theater greater flexibility for classes and rehearsal .

The past decade has seen Miami Childrens Theater become one of the top young persons' theaters in the nation with 21 of its' alumni rising to roles on Broadway. (including Ana Villafane (pictured) as Gloria Estefan in the hit Broadway musical On Your Feet. Actors trained at Miami Childrens Theater have been featured in hit Broadway shows such as Hamilton, Kinky Boots, Dear Evan Hansen, Tootsie, Cats, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods., The Outsiders and Water for Elephants, Two significant distinctions occurred in the years 2010-2020: MCT Director Tim Fath was honored with a Tony Award Nomination for Excellence in Theater Education and Miami Childrens Theater was voted Best Overall Theater and Best Childrens Theater in Broadway World's Regional "Best of the Decade" voting.