By Coral Gables Gazette staff
The Miracle Theatre will roll out the red carpet for cinema lovers on Sunday, November 2 at 5 p.m., when The Godfather Part II returns to the big screen as part of The Great Movie Ride Film Series, presented by the Kirk and Lydia Menendez Family Endowment in partnership with Actors’ Playhouse. Admission is free, though reservations are required.
The event marks the continuation of a philanthropic tradition that has helped bring some of Hollywood’s most enduring classics back to Coral Gables. Through their family endowment, former City Commissioner Kirk R. Menendez, his wife Maria Teresa, and their children Kirk and Lydia have ensured that the next generation can experience milestone films the way they were meant to be seen — in a grand art-deco theatre surrounded by a live audience.
Cinema as civic gift
The Great Movie Ride series launched earlier this year with The Godfather and other American touchstones, drawing packed houses and sparking conversations that lingered long after the credits rolled. The free screenings, underwritten entirely by the Menendez family endowment, underscore the family’s belief that shared cultural experiences build stronger communities.
Organizers describe the Great Movie Ride series as a way to keep classic films within reach of all residents — modern epics about power, loyalty, and legacy presented as public art rather than private luxury.
A masterpiece returns
Released in 1974, The Godfather Part II earned six Academy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the finest sequels ever made. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it follows Michael Corleone’s consolidation of the family empire while flashing back to the early life of his father, Vito Corleone, portrayed by Robert De Niro. The film’s sweeping scope, emotional precision, and haunting score by Nino Rota have secured its place in the pantheon of American cinema.
The theatre and the tradition
Actors’ Playhouse — located in the historic Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile — has long served as a cultural cornerstone for the City Beautiful. The Great Movie Ride series restores the venue to its cinematic roots, blending nostalgia with civic pride. Seating is limited, and reservations for the Godfather Part II screening can be made at actorsplayhouse.org.
Author: Coral Gables Gazette News Staff
Originally established in 1996 and relaunched as a digital publication in February 2025, the Coral Gables Gazette is an independent local news organization dedicated to factual, objective and accountable community journalism. Our newsroom reports on the people, policies, institutions and events shaping Coral Gables, Florida, providing residents with timely, informative coverage of the issues affecting their community. Our reporting includes City Hall, local government, municipal elections, public spending, real estate development, business, education, arts and culture, and neighborhood affairs throughout the City Beautiful. We follow City Commission decisions, examine public records and report on the businesses, organizations and individuals contributing to Coral Gables. We believe informed residents are essential to a healthy, engaged community. Stories published under the Coral Gables Gazette News Staff byline are prepared or compiled by the publication's editorial team. We strive for accuracy, fairness, transparency and clear distinctions between news reporting, opinion and advertising. Readers are encouraged to submit news tips, corrections, editorial inquiries and story suggestions through our Contact page and learn more about our standards through our Editorial Policy.
