Fort Lauderdale's performing arts center and its main hall
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is Fort Lauderdale's main stage for touring Broadway, opera, ballet, concerts and comedy, on the north bank of the New River at 201 Southwest 5th Avenue. When a ticket says Au-Rene Theater at Broward Center, it means the complex's largest room: a 2,658-seat horseshoe-shaped hall with an orchestra level, a mezzanine, a balcony and tiers of side boxes. The Broadway Across America season, Florida Grand Opera and Miami City Ballet all perform there.
The quick answer on seats: for a touring musical, center orchestra seats in the middle rows give the best combination of closeness and full-stage view. The front of the mezzanine is the next choice and often the better one for dance, where you want to see patterns on the floor. The upper balcony is the budget level and feels distant for a Broadway show.
The same campus holds the 584-seat Amaturo Theater for plays, smaller music and children's shows, and the Abdo New River Room, a cabaret-style room. Check which room your ticket names before you choose seats.
Au-Rene Theater layout: orchestra, mezzanine, balcony and boxes
Fisher Dachs Associates, the theater planners on the original project, describe the Au-Rene as a traditional horseshoe: seating wraps around the room in curved tiers rather than in straight rows, with boxes stacked along the side walls beside the stage opening.
Orchestra
The orchestra is the ground floor and the largest level. The Broward Center's own FAQ refers to a lower orchestra (it names rows Y and Z) and an upper orchestra (with row NN), so the level runs deep, with lettered rows that continue into double letters toward the back. The side boxes limit how far the orchestra extends toward the walls, which keeps side orchestra seats from being too sharply angled.
Mezzanine
The first raised level faces the stage from above the rear orchestra. The FAQ names row K as a mezzanine row, which gives a sense of its depth.
Balcony
The top level is the steepest and farthest from the stage.
Boxes
Boxes line the sides of the hall near the stage. They offer privacy and room, and the Broward Center notes that box seats carry no age restrictions, but the view is from the side, so part of the stage is seen at an angle.
Best seats for Broadway tours, opera and dance
Touring Broadway
Center orchestra, roughly the first third to the middle of the level, is the pick: you see faces and the full set without craning up. Side orchestra seats in the same rows are a good second choice and usually cost less. Back rows of the upper orchestra sit under the mezzanine overhang, which can cut off the top of tall sets and drop-in scenery, so the front mezzanine is often the better buy than the last orchestra rows.
Opera and orchestra concerts
The mezzanine center gives the most even sound and a clear view of the supertitles. Front orchestra rows put you close but looking up at the singers, and close to the pit.
Ballet and dance
Choose the front mezzanine or the middle of the orchestra. Dance is staged to be seen from slightly above, and the raised angle shows the whole floor pattern.
Seats to think twice about
- Upper balcony for musicals: the cheapest seats, but distant; bring binoculars and choose center over side.
- Far side boxes: the angle hides part of the stage on the near side.
- Back rows of the upper orchestra: close on a map but under the overhang.
Parking, valet and getting to the Broward Center
The Broward Center recommends the Arts and Entertainment District Parking Garage, across the driveway from the theaters. As of 2026, you pay at the meter or with the ParkMobile app, and golf carts on the garage's ground floor shuttle guests to the main entrance. Valet parking is offered at the main entrance for most performances, starting about two hours before showtime.
The front driveway serves as the drop-off point for guests with limited mobility, and the accessible entrance is at the bottom of the driveway, across from the garage. Big Broadway weekends fill the garage, so arrive early. The Center sits in the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District, a short walk from restaurants along the New River.
Entry, late seating and house rules
Lobby doors open one hour before showtime. As of 2026, the Broward Center's FAQ does not publish a bag-size limit, but it does set these rules; check the current policy and your event page before you go.
- Tickets for children: everyone needs a ticket, including children; age guidance varies by show, and lap tickets exist for some.
- Strollers: checked in the lobby before entering the hall.
- Late arrival: once a performance starts, ushers may hold latecomers until the production allows seating.
- Food and drink: outside food and beverages, including bottled water, are not allowed.
- Recording: audio, video and photography are prohibited unless the artist allows them.
- Accessible seating: wheelchair locations in the Au-Rene without stairs are in rows Y and Z of the lower orchestra, row NN of the upper orchestra and row K of the mezzanine. Each wheelchair purchase includes up to three companion seats.
Current details are on the Broward Center visitor FAQ.
History of the Broward Center
The Florida Legislature created the Performing Arts Center Authority in 1984 to build and run a hall for Broward County. Ground was broken in May 1988, and the center opened on February 26, 1991, with a national tour of The Phantom of the Opera. The original building cost about 54 million dollars and was designed by Benjamin Thompson and Associates, with acoustics by Kirkegaard Associates. The mortgage was retired at the tenth anniversary, 11 years early.
An expansion of about 52 million dollars, designed by Wilson Butler Architects and finished around 2014, replaced every seat in the main hall, added more pit configurations, doubled the Intermezzo lounge, created the Front Porch outdoor bar and built the Huizenga Pavilion and an arts education center. The center also manages the nearby Parker Playhouse. Pollstar has repeatedly ranked the Au-Rene among the world's top theaters by ticket sales.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Au-Rene Theater the same as the Broward Center?
The Au-Rene Theater is the largest hall inside the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets for Broadway tours and the opera usually name the Au-Rene.
How many seats are in the Au-Rene Theater?
The Broward Center lists 2,658 seats across the orchestra, mezzanine, balcony and side boxes; its architects round the figure to 2,700.
What are the best seats at the Broward Center for a Broadway show?
Center orchestra in the front-to-middle rows is the best view. The front of the mezzanine is the strongest alternative and beats the back rows of the upper orchestra.
Where do I park for the Broward Center?
Use the Arts and Entertainment District Parking Garage across the driveway, paid by meter or ParkMobile, or the valet at the main entrance, which opens about two hours before most shows.
Does the Broward Center have a bag policy?
As of 2026, the visitor FAQ does not publish a bag-size limit, but outside food and drink, including bottled water, are not allowed. Check the event page before you go.
Do children need a ticket at the Broward Center?
Yes. Everyone who attends needs a ticket, including children, though some shows offer lap tickets for infants.