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.
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 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.
Notable MCT alumni making their mark!
Annette Barrios-Torres / Eliza Doolittle/. My Fair Lady Nationa Tour
Henry Gendron
The Outsiders
Broadway
Alysia Velez
Rapunzel /
Into the Woods Broadway
Maria Bilbao
Johanna
Sweeney Todd Broadway
Katerina McCrimmon
Fannie Brice
Funny Girl National Tour
Jessica Darrow
Luisa
Encanto