Open doors to culture. This is the main message that the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro wants to pass on to the population this Sunday (14), when it completes 115 years . The entertainment venue, located in a palace in the city center, offers a special, free program, ranging from concerts to dance, jazz and opera, which has not been on the main stage for almost 30 years.
The Rio Municipal Theater celebrates another anniversary with a series of initiatives aimed at expanding the population’s access to culture. Free shows or shows with symbolic ticket prices have become a tradition, as well as performances on weekdays, during lunchtime, to “catch” workers passing through the Cinelândia region.
Related news:Carlos Gomes Theater, in Rio, reopens with awards for artists.In Rio, Theatro Municipal has shows for R$2 at lunchtime.“It is a tradition to open its doors on July 14th with a diverse and free program, because the Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro belongs to all of us. As this year [o aniversário] falls on Sunday, it’s a guaranteed program”, invites the president of the foundation that manages the Municipal, Clara Paulino.
Creative economy
The theater’s artistic director, Eric Herrero, says the theater is “vital” to Rio’s and Brazil’s culture. “Historically, it’s the place where some of the world’s greatest artists, whether singers, musicians or dancers, have performed, where the greatest directors have developed iconic projects.”
Herrero adds that the space, linked to the State Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy, plays a prominent role in the training of professionals, such as singers, dancers and agents in the creative area, such as costume designers, makeup artists, lighting technicians, set designers, stagehands and stage directors.
He also makes a connection between the institution and the economy of Rio de Janeiro. “With its productions, in addition to maintaining hundreds of jobs, it stimulates and energizes the creative economy of the city and the state, through the purchase of materials and supplies, boosting local commerce and public transportation.”
Black presence
Sunday will not only be special for the birthday boy or girl. The date will also mark the debut of black lyrical singer Lorena Pires on the stage of the century-old building . She is part of the cast of the play Il Trittico, by Giacomo Puccini. If for an artist, performing at the Municipal is an achievement, for the 24-year-old singer from Espírito Santo, it is even more emblematic, in an environment marked by the white presence.
“I didn’t see myself being on the other side where I now have the opportunity to become a reference for other people, since, until then, I only had my personal references, like [a cantora lírica negra] Maria D’Apparecida, who faced many barriers imposed by racism to debut at Theatro Municipal in 1965”, Lorena told Agência Brasil.
Winner of the 2nd Joaquina Lapinha Singing Competition in the Female Voice category, Lorena also cites American singer Jessye Norman (1945-2019) and her castmates Edneia de Oliveira and Mere Oliveira as a reference for representation. “I have been following them since the beginning of my studies and today, I have the honor and privilege of sharing one of the biggest stages in Brazil with them.”
Lorena says that, this Sunday, she will fulfill a childhood dream of the 5-year-old girl who “sang for an invisible audience in her room, imagining herself on a big stage”.
“If I am here, it is the result of hard work, study, sacrifices and, mainly, because they opened the doors for me to enter,” declared the soprano who is studying for a bachelor’s degree in singing at the Espírito Santo Faculty of Music.
Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre Programming
The attractions began at 10 am, with a performance by the Banda dos Fuzileiros Navais, in front of the Theatro Municipal, in addition to a guided tour for 40 people.
At noon, in the Assyrio Hall, the public was invited to a performance by artists from the Maria Olenewa Dance School, a theater training center and one of the most traditional in the country, and by dancers from the Municipal Ballet. They will perform the Brazilian Suite, a choreography that mixes rhythms such as bossa nova, baião, forró and samba with classic ballet movements. The space has a capacity for 150 spectators.
At 1:30 pm, in the same hall, a demonstration by the Maria Olenewa School was given to the same number of people.
At 2 pm, in the Foyer, it was the turn of Camerata Jazz Brasil, a contemporary language group that mixes concert music, jazz and Brazilian rhythms.
At 3 p.m., the French Bordeaux Youth Symphony Orchestra was scheduled to perform a concert on the external steps of the century-old building, facing Cinelândia square. Half an hour later, a photography exhibition about Italy in Latin American theaters will open.
The highlight is Il Trittico, a set of three operas (Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi) by the Italian Giacomo Puccini, which returns to the Municipal after almost three decades. The performance is at 5 pm. An hour before, there will be a lecture for 100 people about the composer.
To guarantee access to the program, the public must collect tickets in person, one hour before the performance. In the case of the opera, reservations must be made in advance, via the Theatro Municipal website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
