Cervantes Theatre

© Chris Chaplow Facade of Teatro Cervantes Malaga
Facade of Teatro Cervantes Malaga

Teatro Cervantes

El Teatro Cervantes is situated right in the centre of the city, near Plaza de la Merced and easy walking distance to other historic monuments such as the Roman Theatre, the Cathedral and the Alcazaba. Built in the late 19th century, it has always been famous for the diversity of its performances; it has hosted dancers, musicians and players alike. The theatre has played host to some of the most famous artistes in the world, from Art Garfunkel to Suzanne Vega and Van Morisson, hosting theatrical stagings of Shakespeare, and classic operas such as Guillermo Tell (William Tell), with frequent homage paid to great composers such as Brahms and Beethoven, by the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra. 

 

 

The theatre is open all year round, with special performances at Christmas and Easter to celebrate the holidays. The theatre also hosts Malaga´s Annual Jazz Festival - 2011 marked the festival's 25th Anniversary - and the Malaga Festival de Cine (Malaga Film Festival). To host such events, it often joins together with its counterpart theatre, Teatro Echegaray, an 80-year-old cinema which was renovated in 2009.

Inside the Cervantes theatre
Inside the Cervantes Theatre

History

El Teatro Cervantes is nearly 150 years old; it was built after a serious fire almost completely destroyed El Teatro de la Libertad, Malaga city´s most prestigious theatre in the mid 19th-century. The loss of the theatre – built for the 1862 visit of Queen Isabel II to Malaga - left the city in desperate need of a replacement, and so a new theatre was commissioned. It was designed by architect Gerónimo Cuervo, with painters Bernardo Ferrándiz and Muñoz Degrain.

The works were completed between April and November of 1870, and the grand opening took place on 17 December of the same year: the inaugural performance was an opera - Guillermo Tell (William Tell). Unfortunately, in the years that passed, the theatre fell into ruin, and much of the original structure was lost during the Civil War. In 1950 an attempt was made to restore the building, but sadly the restorations did not stick to the original architectural design and drastic changes were made, including the installation of a bar and a projection room to facilitate the showing of cinema reels, after which point the theatre was used primarily as a cinema. In 1984, the government took over the building and financed its reconstruction.

The theatre was rebuilt with a capacity of 1,171, including a selection of seats and boxes. The projection room was removed, restoring the theatre to its former glory and grandeur. The Teatro Cervantes was reopened on 6 April 1987 by Queen Sofía. The occasion was marked by a performance from the Malaga Symphonic Orchestra.

The view from the stage Cervantes Theatre
The view from the stage Cervantes Theatre

Layout

The theatre has several sections: the stalls (butacas de patio); three levels of balcony boxes (butacas de primero, segundo and tercer piso), some of which have a restricted view; three circles (primero, segundo and tercer piso); and the gods (paraiso), which can also have a limited view. The main box (palco principal) is found in the centre of the first-floor balcony, and seats 12 people.

Address

Ramos Marin, 29012 Málaga

Tickets:

Mon-Fri : 11.00-14.00 and 18.00-21.00.
Sundays and Holidays: the box office is open up to one hour before the show.
On performance days, tickets are on sale up to five minutes before the show.
Telephone Sales: Tue-Fri 11.00-14.00 and 18.00-20.00
Tel: 952 224 100
Uniticket Service: Mon-Sat 11.00-20.00
Tel: 901 246 246.

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