The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County celebrated the opening night of its new show, Fuerza Bruta, last night with more than 700 people. The center worked with event producer Barton G. Weiss of Barton G., the venue’s exclusive caterer, to create the G Lounge pop-up nightclub in conjunction with the show, making it the largest production of Fuerza Bruta in North America.
“Fuerza Bruta has toured around the world, in New York, Brazil, Mexico, London, and we really wanted to do something unique and make it a Miami experience,” said the center’s executive vice president, Scott Shiller. "All of the energy and the aerobatics that are happening on stage are extended into the lounge, where [after the show] audiences are geared up and ready to party."
Weiss designed the lounge—located by the theater’s loading dock—with an industrial atmosphere created by street barricades, orange-and-white traffic barrels, fire hydrants, and steel highboys throughout the black space.
On opening night, two bars served specialty cocktails for purchase, including three nitrogen-infused drinks created specifically for the lounge. “It’s a sensory integration, so what we’ve done is taken what you’ve seen visually [in the show] and put it into smell and taste,” said Weiss, who also designed the food—such as the California roll sushi pop and American Pie corn dog—to be easy to eat while standing.
The lounge opened at 6:30 p.m., an hour before the show, with light music and food and drinks for sale. Following the 45-minute performance—which takes place behind a black curtain separating it from the lounge—fog machines, strobe lights, and upbeat dance and techno music transformed the formerly low-key lounge into a rave-like nightclub where some 500 guests stayed until 10:30 p.m.
The G Lounge is open to the public nightly after performances and will remain at the Arsht center for the show’s four-week run.
