Lyric Theatre

The Lyric Theatre is one of the many cultural venues on the Treasure Coast. While this region of Florida is often thought of as being a destination for fishing, boating, and watersports, there is also a thriving arts scene, of which The Lyric Theatre is an important part.

Located in downtown Stuart, Florida, the Lyric Theatre is historic. It’s on Southwest Flagler Avenue, with the building facing Southwest Osceola Street on the north side. Originally built as a silent movie house and vaudeville theater, the historic Lyric Theatre is now a music and stage venue. The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The Lyric Building, when it was first constructed, had seating for 900 in the theater, and it also had a soda fountain counter and retail space. 

The first talkie to ever be screened in Martin County debuted at the theater in 1930, but after the Great Depression, the Lyric Theatre suffered hard times. Over the years to come following the Depression, it was rented by community groups and was used for presenting movies and traveling vaudeville shows. A church bought the theater in 1978, but after it moved, it was once again sold. The theater was eventually purchased by community resident Roy Laycock, who saw a need for a Martin County entertainment center. 

Roy pulled together a team of people to help with fundraising to purchase the theater, and in 1993, two large grants were secured to repair the building. In 2001, the community once again came together, adding an elevator and new balcony seating to the venue. In 2014, renovations were done, including structural repairs and adding a new bar.

The goal of the team running the theater, which is operated as a nonprofit, is to provide the Stuart community with a venue for the performing arts, promoting entertainment, education, and the stimulation of artistic growth and expression.

The Lyric Theatre in Stuart, FL, regularly hosts live shows, including its own presentations, as well as touring shows. There are still movies shown at the theater, including cult classics and free showings.

The Lyric Theatre in Stuart, Florida, offers a variety of educational programs on a regular basis. For example, the Discovery Series for Young Audiences is an ongoing event that provides programming to Treasure Coast-area schools and has done so for 20 years. The Awesome Summer program each year offers the chance for campers to learn about drama, music, and dance for three weeks as they put together a theater production. The Family FUN Series at the theater brings in a family-friendly program for kids of all ages. The KidTix program is available through a partnership with the Women Supporting the Arts group, and it provides free tickets to nonprofits serving low-income or at-risk youth.

The Lyric Theatre has a long history in the Stuart community. To many, it shows the close-knit nature of the city itself, which has come together to bring the theater back to life over the years.

Tickets for events can be purchased directly through the Lyric Box Office. Reserved tickets can be picked up there as well, or if tickets are bought online, they can be printed at home and presented to ushers.