By Mary Damiano

The dust has settled. Cirque du Soleil has pulled out of its proposed deal to turn the Jackie Gleason Theatre into their permanent Miami Beach venue. The Miami Beach City Commission has decided to go with a proposal from Live Nation, who, if all goes as planned, will become the permanent promoter for the theatre.

	The Jackie Gleason Theatre of the Performing Arts

But not everyone is satisfied with that decision.  Ray Breslin, president of the Collins Park Neighborhood Association, fought hard for Cirque du Soleil's proposal to go through.

“I think that the City of Miami Beach made a huge error in going with Live Nation,” says Breslin. “People are resistant to change, that’s the problem,” Breslin says.  “They want everything the way it was, and the way it was is comfortable, but not necessarily right. I think that the City of Miami Beach has lost.”

Roger Abramson, a former concert promoter who is running for the Miami Beach City Commission, was against the Gleason turning into a permanent venue for Cirque du Soleil, fearing the loss of the theatre as a place for diverse acts.  

“The Jackie Gleason is a Miami Beach icon that needs to be protected and used for local groups, senior citizens, Latin, jazz, comedy, theater, etc.,” says Abramson. “I thought it was ridiculous that we were going to lose our only decent size theater to a concrete circus tent.”

But Breslin says that the size of the Jackie Gleason Theatre was one of the reasons that made him fight in favor of Cirque du Soleil. He says that its always been a challenge to fill the 2,700 seat venue, and that other rental venues have been renovated or are due to be refurbished that are easier to fill, such as the Colony Theatre, the Byron Carlyle and the Little Stage Theater on Washington Avenue.

	The top details of the Jackie Gleason Theatre

“Now that there’s the new performing arts center within spitting distance, I felt this was the ideal time to have a permanent resident come to the theatre,” Breslin says.

A former travel agent, Breslin believes that Cirque would have been a boon to tourism in Miami Beach, increasing the number of conventions that come to Miami Beach each year. 

“You need a permanent tenant,” says Breslin.  “That permanent tenant could be Wayne Newton, but you’ve got to have a permanent tenant.”

Abramson refutes the idea that Cirque du Soleil would have attracted more tourists to Miami Beach.

“I was Chair of Culture and Events for the mayor’s task force on tourism,” says Abramson. “It is very difficult to make Miami Beach a tourist destination for culture. Possibly, those who have second residence on the beach will welcome cultural attractions. Art Basel is an example of cultural tourism on Miami Beach. This is the only city other then Basel in the summer that one can see the wonderful art at Art Basel.”

Breslin fears that because Live Nation also books acts in BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and the Carnival Center in Miami, the quality acts will not want to play the Gleason, and the theatre will suffer with lesser entertainment.

“Live Nation is not going to bring the quality acts to the Gleason,” Breslin says. “What’s going to come to the Gleason, in my opinion, is going to be rap and hip-hop, and the types of things that happen Memorial Day weekend that everybody hates.  If they’re not going to be dedicated to Jackie Gleason and have this be the only property that they market, they’re going to do a half-assed job.”

While Breslin was disappointed that Cirque du Soleil pulled out of the proposal, he wasn’t surprised.

“Cirque du Soleil likes to be embraced by the community, and when all of a sudden you have resentment, that’s not where they want to go,” Breslin says

The Jackie Gleason Theatre of the Performing Arts was originally called the Miami Beach Auditorium. Back then, it was a venue for big-name performers, comedy and even boxing. In the early 1960s, it was the site of many television broadcasts, including “The Ed Sullivan Show”, and the Miss Universe and Miss U.S.A. pageants. In 1964, actor and comedian Jackie Gleason accepted Miami Beach’s invitation to use the theatre as the home for his television show, and the venue was upgraded into a television studio. Gleason loved Miami Beach, with its sunshine and promise of year-round golf.  He also proved a boost to tourism, extolling the virtues of the Magic City and proclaiming in 1964, “Miami Beach audiences are the greatest in the world.” During the 1970s, the theatre was renamed the Miami Beach Theatre of the Performing Arts. In 1987, the same year Gleason died, the City of Miami Beach renamed the theatre in honor of Gleason and his many accomplishments during his long career.

	The Jackie Gleason Theatre of the Performing Arts Photo: Mark Finnen

Abramson is dedicated to making the new venture a success.

“I am looking forward to this company being aware of the community’s wishes and having a very positive impact on our community,” he says. “As a concert producer of thousands of concerts, from the New York City Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera to Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley, I would be pleased to work with the city commission on a volunteer basis to help ensure the future success of the Jackie Gleason Theater.”

Breslin has been a full-time resident of Miami Beach since 1998, although he has owned property since 1994. He served several years on the board of the Collins Park Neighborhood Association and has been president for two years.

Abramson has been a full-time Miami Beach resident for 20 years, although he says he been visiting since the 1950s and even proposed to his wife on Miami Beach.

Both men are passionate about their opinions regarding what’s best for the residents and businesses of Miami Beach.  And while there are many issues regarding the Jackie Gleason Theatre on which the differ, they do share a mutual dislike for Live Nation’s proposed new name for the venue, the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Fabulous Jackie Gleason Theatre. The name Fillmore comes from the theatres created by concert promoter Bill Graham in the 1960s. The Fillmore West in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in Greenwich Village, were legendary venues for the up and coming counterculture rock and roll acts of the day, including Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish, an the Grateful Dead.

“The naming of the theater with the Fillmore in the title is questionable,” says Abramson.  “I have presented acts at both Fillmore East and Fillmore West. They are rock and roll ballrooms. Taking out seats makes me concerned that the programming will not be aimed with enough diversity for the entire Miami Beach Community.”

Breslin concurs.  “If they change the name to the Fillmore---I mean, sex drugs and rock and roll. I would fight vehemently against changing the name to the Fillmore because that in itself has a connotation that we will never dig ourselves out from under.”

Several officials from the City of Miami Beach were contacted for this story and either declined comment or did not respond to requests for comments.

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