What would you get if you combined Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire …..then sprinkled a little bit of Azucar? You’d get the hot new drama from the Starz network entitled, Magic City! Director Mitch Glazer, who just so happens to be a Miami native, was on-hand for a special screening of the pilot episode alongside stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kelly Lynch, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Yul Vazquez and Steven Straight as part of the Miami International Film Festival on Sunday, March 4th, 2012.Cast members arrived in classic Cadillac’s with lead actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the hottest one of them all–a red convertible. Speaking of JDM, it cannot go without saying what a humble and handsome man he is in real life. The press line was flooded with media, fans, and autograph hounds alike, and he somehow made time for every single one.

After the screening, Mitch, Jeffrey, Kelly, Dominik, Yul and Steven sat on stage for a special Q&A session. I learned so much about the amazing set and the story behind Mr. Glazer’s passion project.

Magic City kicks-off on New Years Eve, 1958 where we are introduced to Ike Evans (Morgan), owner of the Miramar Playa Hotel. It’s a tumultuous time in Miami and abroad as racial and religious segregation are at their pinnacle in the US, while 90 miles away in Cuba, Castro’s rebels are closing in on Havana.

The Kennedy’s, the mob, and the CIA all hold court at the Miramar and Ike, the man with the dream, is the star.

There are a lot of shows that pretend they are shot in Miami with only a handful that actually shoot here, and I can wholeheartedly say that as a native Miamian, I am darn proud of this production. I can’t wait for you all to see it.

During the after party, Jeffrey told me we would get to see both the good and bad about his character much like his Mad Men counterpart Don Draper (Jon Hamm). And though a second season has not been greenlit as of today, I hear they begin production on season two in July.

I couldn’t help but notice how much the Miramar resembles the Fontainebleau Hotel. Jeffrey confirmed that set production did a lot of research on the Miami Beach staple when creating their fictional abode.

He even invited me to check out the set sometime this summer! I can already picture myself arriving at security and saying, “Hi, Jeffrey Dean Morgan invited me to visit” and how they would usher me in.

Tune in to the season premiere of Magic City on April 6th, 2012.

Miami is getting the Hollywood treatment by way of Starz Network. Jeffrey Dean Morgan leads the cast of Magic City, a drama that takes place in Miami Beach, circa 1959. He stars as Ike Evans, the visionary leader at the Miramar Hotel who must deal with the Mob, his complicated family and a city in the midst of dramatic change as Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba, just 200 miles offshore.

By day the hotel at the center of ‘Magic City’ is all diving clown acts and cha-cha lessons by the pool, but at night Miami Beach reveals a darker truth. Dopers, dealers, strippers, gangsters and those who arrest them drift together to hear the top nightclub acts perform. Just beneath the surface, racial tensions stir. Ike must deal with all of this, even while global intrigue is brewing right under his roof.

Magic City is directed by Mitch Glazer (Lost in Translation, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) and co-stars Dominik García-Lorido (daughter of AccidentalSexiness.com favorite Andy Garcia), Kelly Lynch, Olga Kurylenko, Yul Vazquez, and Elena Satine.

I will be front and center on the red carpet this Sunday to get interviews from all the stars before catching the premiere at the Colony Theater! As a local Miami native I really hope this period drama does as well as Mad Men because I’d love for Mr. Jeffrey Dean Morgan to become a staple on our shores!

Don’t forget to tune into the premiere of Magic City, April 6th only on Starz.