City: Fort Lauderdale   County: Broward   Year: 2023
Location: 707 NE 8th Street

The Parker Playhouse, built on land provided by the City of Fort Lauderdale in Holiday Park, opened in 1967. Dr. Louis W. Parker (1906-1993), an inventor who contributed to both the television and space industries, funded the project. The almost 1,200-seat, million-dollar theater was designed by influential and prolific Palm Beach County architect John L. Volk (1901-1984). Volk began working in the 1920s during Florida’s real estate boom and during his long career he designed many impressive residential, civic, and public buildings. Resplendent with marble, red velvet, crystal, and elaborately painted ceiling panels, the theater operated continuously for over fifty years. It played host to innumerable theatrical and musical events that enriched the city’s cultural climate. Parker partnered with producer Zev Buffman to bring legendary performers to the venue such as Elizabeth Taylor and Carol Channing. Funds were raised for extensive renovations including a front addition, partial retention of the original front façade in the newly created lobby, restoration of decorative painted and coffered ceilings in the side lobbies, and the refurbishment of the main theater space that were completed in 2021.