| Situated between West Palm Beach and Pompano | | | | Performing Arts Theatre is a member of the Southern |
| Beach, Boca Raton is one of South Florida's most | | | | Theatre Conference, the Florida State Theatre |
| beautiful towns. Among its past and present residents | | | | Conference and the Palm Beach County Council of |
| are Iron Maiden drummer, Nicko McBrain, and prolific | | | | the Arts, Little Palm Family Theatre is an altogether |
| tennis player Andy Roddick. Despite being home to | | | | smaller affair. Its shows are performed at Jan McArt's |
| just 20,000 people, its recent historical and political | | | | Royal Palm Festival Dinner Theatre, on Boca Raton's |
| importance is certainly notable: it was the site of the | | | | Mizner Boulevard. Their past productions have included |
| first anthrax attack in the USA in 2001, and is also a | | | | Winnie the Pooh musicals, and this is very much |
| famous liberal stronghold, with over 60% of its votes | | | | representative of the type of performance art on |
| polled for John Kerry in 2004. However, hidden | | | | offer at Little Palm Family Theatre: wholesome, fun |
| underneath all of this is the Little Palm Family Theatre, | | | | musical performances geared mainly towards children. |
| a wonderful and widely applauded community theatre | | | | This highlights the clear lack of self-consciousness that |
| which is completely run by volunteers.The idea | | | | community theatre possesses: community theatre is |
| underlying the community theatre is a popular one: all | | | | unlikely to use this label for itself, as in their eyes there |
| participants are amateurs, however the players are | | | | is no difference between their art and a standard |
| generally respected as highly as their professional | | | | theatre group. Yet the importance of community |
| thespian counterparts. The heart of the ideals | | | | theatre cannot be underestimated, as its value to |
| enshrined in the tradition of community theatre is that it | | | | society is crucial to building up a rich and vibrant cultural |
| provides a forum for a wide array of amateur or | | | | scene.Certainly, the Little Palm Family Theatre is an |
| aspiring artists to practise their art in a public space | | | | important focal point among many entertainment |
| that everyone can access. Boca Raton's Little Palm | | | | highlights in Boca Raton. The Bocanuts Comedy Club, |
| Family Theatre has been heralded for doing exactly | | | | decorated with pictures of the Three Stooges and the |
| that in a small Florida town where theatrical | | | | Marx Brothers, is popular evening hotspot, and the |
| opportunities may be harder to come by than its big | | | | International Museum of Cartoon Art is sure to please |
| cities.That said, the theatrical scene surrounding Boca | | | | visitors of all ages. Similarly, the Boca Raton Museum |
| Raton is far from dead: nearby West Palm Beach is | | | | of Art attracts over 90,000 people each year, and the |
| home to the Royal Palm Performing Arts Theatre, the | | | | Sports Immortals Museum possesses over a million |
| first of its kind in the county. Established in 1922, this is | | | | pieces of sports memorabilia. With all these cultural |
| also a not for profit organisation, made up entirely of | | | | attractions, as well as the conveniently placed |
| volunteers who claim their sole wish is to inject culture | | | | accommodation at the Hilton Suites, Boca Raton |
| into the community they serve. While Royal Palm | | | | seems an essential stop off point in any tour of Florida. |