MIA Goes Broadway: The Arsht Center Brings the Great White Way to the Magic City

Scott Suchman

Rock of Ages: A headbangers' ball at the Arsht.

The Adrienne Arsht Center's Broadway in Miami 2012-13 season raises the curtain on a lively lineup of entertainment that brings new dazzle and classics to audiences eager to step out with a song.

See also:
- The Five Most Exciting Stage Events at the Arsht This Season

It's time to whip out those mullets and air guitars October 9 through 14, when jukebox musical Rock of Ages delivers a raucous ode to '80s big hair and even bigger romance. The sonic joyride features a mix of 28 rockin' anthems: "Don't Stop Believin'," "We Built This City," "The Final Countdown," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Here I Go Again," "Can't Fight This Feeling," and "I Want To Know What Love Is." Set in 1987, it weaves the tale of a small-town girl who falls for a big-city rocker on the Sunset Strip inside L.A.'s most famous club. The five-time 2009 Tony Award nominee will rattle your ear drums with face-melting hits by the likes of Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake, and many others.

Usher in 2013 with a spoonful of sugar as Mary Poppins descends under a giant umbrella. Presented by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh January 1 through 6, this magical Technicolor production hits the ceiling with a high-flying extravaganza featuring a rooftop bash led by leaping chimney sweeps. There's a reason why this classic has astonished more than 7 million people worldwide on the stage and why the story of everyone's favorite nanny remains one of the most popular Disney films of all time.

Get ready to dream the dream and don't forget to bring the hankies February 26 through March 3, when Les Misérables arrives in a thunderous rebirth that would make Victor Hugo beam with pride. Set in 19th-century France, Hugo's powerful tale follows the stories of student revolutionaries, prostitutes, factory workers, a jailbird, and star-crossed lovers as they struggle for redemption and revolution. Presented by Cameron Mackintosh, this brand-new 25th-anniversary production of Boublil and Schönberg's legendary musical includes new staging and reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Hugo himself. It's an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit that also includes some of theater history's most unforgettable songs.