Sad news for Central Florida theater fans, as the historic Garden Theatre has announced that it has closed due to financial troubles, caused in part by Gov DeSantis cutting funding to the arts earlier this year.
The Garden Theatre located at 160 West Plant Street in Winter Garden has suddenly closed with no warning to patrons, despite a busy upcoming calendar of events, including the 2024-2025 Broadway On Plant Season.
The announcement was made yesterday, Wednesday, October 2, on the day that the theater switched off the lights and pulled down the curtain on nearly two decades of Central Florida theater history.
The historic theater first opened back in 1935, with the interior of the Garden Theatre modeled after a Spanish courtyard with Romeo and Juliet balconies, a Spanish tile roof and a dark blue ceiling resplendent with stars. The theater was a popular choice of entertainment for locals, until the popularity of television forced the theater to close in 1963.
The theater lay empty, falling into a state of disrepair for many years, until The City of Winter Garden purchased the building in 2002, turning over restoration efforts to the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. The joint effort between the Foundation and the City culminated in the successful re-opening of the Garden Theatre in February 2008 with a gala performance featuring local talent and Broadway star Davis Gaines of Phantom of the Opera fame.
Since then the theater been a staple of of downtown Winter Garden, a haven for artists, performers, and audiences alike, producing multiple productions each year, together with a busy calendar of touring productions, shows, and movies.
The 2024-2025 Broadway On Plant Season kicked off in July with Little Shop of Horrors, followed with Pippin taking center stage on the historic theatre stage from August 23 – September 15.
Upcoming productions including Scrooge, The Play That Goes Wrong and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity have now been shelved.
it is unknown if patrons will be refunded for tickets already purchased.
These projects are funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Art, with additional support for Garden Theatre provided by generous individual donors and United Arts of Central Florida.
In making the announcement, Garden Theatre has blamed the closure on financial challenges that have proven insurmountable, with the running of the theater no longer sustainable due to higher operational costs and demands necessary to keep the doors open.
In addition to the rising costs, blame has been placed at the door of Florida Gov. DeSantis due to his significant budget cuts to the arts, with the Garden Theatre commenting that the axing of the state funding has deeply impacted their ability to keep the theater open.
Here is the full statement from Garden Theatre
"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Garden Theatre, Inc. due to financial challenges that have proven insurmountable. Despite our best efforts to continue providing a space for creativity, community, and the performing arts, we can no longer sustain the operational costs and demands necessary to keep our doors open. Since 2008, Garden Theatre has been a haven for artists, performers, and audiences alike. We have been proud to nurture local talent, bring stories to life, and foster connections through the power of live theatre. It goes without saying that the performing arts contribute greatly to a community’s quality of life. Unfortunately, rising costs and the challenges of recent times, including significant state budget cuts, have deeply impacted our ability to secure the funding required to maintain our mission."
"Garden Theatre has been a major part of the West Orange community for 16 years. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us over the years—our audiences, donors, volunteers, and artists. Your dedication and passion have been the heartbeat of this theatre, and we are honored to have been part of this community for so very long. While our final curtain has drawn, the memories, friendships, and artistic achievements we’ve shared will live on."
"Thank you for being part of our story and for allowing Garden Theatre to be part of yours. With deep gratitude, The Garden Theatre"
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