The Parker

The Parker, formerly Parker Playhouse

The Parker is a mid-size theater in Holiday Park, Fort Lauderdale, that books touring musicians, comedians, dance, Miami City Ballet performances and family shows. Until 2021 it was the Parker Playhouse, and most people still search for it by that name. After a 30 million dollar renovation it reopened in September 2021 as The Parker, a shortening fans had used for years. The auditorium itself is now called Lillian S. Wells Hall, which is the name printed on many tickets.

The seat answer is simple because the room is simple: one sloped floor of roughly 1,150 seats with no balcony. The middle third of the house, a few rows back from the stage, gives the best combination of sightline and sound; the far ends of the front rows are the seats to avoid. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, through the county's Performing Arts Center Authority, manages the theater and programs its stage.

How the seating is arranged

According to the venue's technical specifications, every seat is on a single level in continental seating (long rows with no center aisle, served by two aisles, which allows more legroom between rows). There is no balcony and no mezzanine. The renovation kept the continental layout and replaced every seat.

• Capacity: the March 2025 tech sheet gives 1,147 seats including removable accessible positions; the theater's seating-chart page says 1,167; coverage of the 2021 reopening rounded to about 1,100. The count shifts with how many accessible spaces are set for a show.
• Sides: the theater's FAQ refers to Orchestra Left and Orchestra Right, and accessible seating is in Row M on both sides.
• Stage: the proscenium opening is just under 40 feet wide and the stage sits 3.5 feet above the front of the seating, so even the first rows look slightly up.
• Depth: the back wall of the seating area is about 104 feet from the stage reference line, which keeps the last row closer than the upper balcony of most touring houses.

Best seats and seats to avoid

With no balcony, the choice is about distance and angle only.

• Concerts and comedy: center seats roughly five to twelve rows back. Close enough to read expressions, far enough to take in the whole stage and the sound mix.
• Dance and ballet: center seats further back, around the middle of the house. The rake gives you a clear look at feet and formations that the front rows lose.
• Value: the back rows of the center block. The room is short enough that the last rows still feel connected to the stage.
• Legroom: continental rows are wide, but they are long; an aisle seat on the side saves you squeezing past twenty people at intermission.

Think twice about

• The first two or three rows, where the stage height means looking up and losing the back of the stage.
• The outermost seats of the front rows, where the angle cuts off the far side of the set.
• Middle seats of a long continental row if you expect to leave during the show; ushers may hold latecomers until a break.

Parking at Holiday Park and getting there

Parking is one of The Parker's advantages. As of 2026, the theater says complimentary parking is available in Holiday Park next to the building, and valet is offered for most performances for a flat per-car fee. The theater's driving directions point you into the center median before War Memorial Auditorium to reach the lot.

The theater asks guests to arrive about 45 minutes before curtain; the lobby and bars open an hour before showtime. Arrival details and fees can change, so check the theater's parking page before you go.

Accessibility and house policies

The theater is ADA compliant. Accessible seats are in Row M of Orchestra Right and Orchestra Left; request them with the Request Accessible Tickets option when buying, or by calling the box office. There is no elevator, but a wheelchair lift serves the lower gallery. Assisted-listening devices are available in limited numbers at the box office.

• Everyone needs a ticket, including children; some shows sell lap tickets, and age limits vary by show.
• Outside food and drink are not allowed; the bars sell beer, wine, cocktails, soft drinks and light snacks.
• Recording devices are prohibited unless the artist allows phone photos, which is announced in advance or by ushers.
• Strollers are checked in the lobby.
• Latecomers may be held outside the auditorium until a break chosen by the artist.

As of 2026 the theater does not publish a clear-bag rule. Check the theater's FAQ for current policies.

From The Odd Couple to Lillian S. Wells Hall

Dr. Louis Parker founded the playhouse, and the curtain first rose on February 6, 1967, with E. G. Marshall and Dennis O'Keefe in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. Parker partnered with Broadway producer Zev Buffman, who was also running the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, and for decades the theater brought touring productions and stars to Broward County. Artist Donald Renner painted the East and West lobby rotundas in 1983.

The Broward Performing Arts Foundation's 30 million dollar campaign paid for the rebuild that closed the theater until September 2021. It added a new front lobby wrapped around the original facade, larger restrooms at each end of the lobby, donor and premium lounges and new lighting, electrical and air systems, while keeping the Renner rotundas. The new spaces carry donor names: Lillian S. Wells Hall for the auditorium, the S. Donald Sussman Lobby and the Linda B. Haller Club, a premium lounge sold as an add-on for many shows.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Parker Playhouse
• Broward Center – The Parker prepares to reopen with new name
• Broward Center – The Parker technical specifications (2025, PDF)
• The Parker – Seating charts
• The Parker – Frequently Asked Questions
• The Parker – Parking
• South Florida Theater Magazine – Inside the Parker Playhouse renovation
• Miami City Ballet – The Parker