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 Exterior of the theatre in 2014 | |
 Interactive map of Teatro de los Insurgentes | |
| Location | San José Insurgentes,Benito Juárez,Mexico City |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 19°21′51″N99°10′56″W / 19.36417°N 99.18222°W /19.36417; -99.18222 |
| Public transit |   Teatro Insurgentes |
| Owner | Televisa |
| Operator | Ticketmaster |
| Type | Theater |
| Capacity | 959 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1953 |
| Opened | 3 April 1953 (1953-04-03) |
| Architect | Alejandro Prieto |
Teatro de los Insurgentes (English:Theater of the Insurgents) is atheater located onMexico City'sAvenida de los Insurgentes. Opened in 1953, the theater seats 959 spectators.[1]
The construction of Teatro de los Insurgentes was funded by José María Dávila in 1953 as part ofPresidentMiguel Alemán's program ofurban renewal. Architect Alejandro Prieto, chosen by Dávila, was in charge of designing the theater. Dávila commissionedmuralistDiego Rivera to paintLa historia del teatro, a visual history of thetheatre inMexico on the building's façade. TheMarxist artist placed the character ofCantinflas in the center of the mural in the form of aRobin Hood figure, distributing the wealth of the rich to the poor. The mural also references Mexican historical characters likeMiguel Hidalgo orJosé María Morelos.[1][2]
The theater's inaugural performance was Cantinflas' elaborate return to the stage after considerable success infilms. The work,Yo, Colón, placed Cantinflas in the role of thePaseo de la Reforma statue ofChristopher Columbus, who came to life and made candid "discoveries" about contemporary Mexican society. The play was written by Alfredo Robledo and Carlos León, Federico Ruiz was the music composer andGuillermo Keys-Arenas was in charge of choreographing the show.[3]
In 2005, Rivera's mural was restored, funded byTelevisa, owner of the theater.[4][5]
In 1974,Pippin made its Spanish-language debut at the theater. It was produced by Mexican pop singerJulissa, who also played Catherine. Also in the cast were Burt Rodríguez as Leading Player, Héctor Ortiz as Pippin,Guillermo Rivas as Charles,Anita Blanch as Berthe, andJacqueline Voltaire as Fastrada.
In 1975 a version ofSugar was produced in the theater. It starred the singerEnrique Guzmán and the actorsHéctor Bonilla,Chabelo andSylvia Pasquel.[6]
In 2022, the Mexican production ofNetwork, featuringDaniel Giménez Cacho,Zuria Vega andArturo Ríos, debuted in the theater.[7][8]
Teatro de los Insurgentes was one of the venues of the1968 Summer Olympics, hosting theweightlifting competitions.[9] In order to host the Olympics, some modifications were made to the theater: a gym was built inside the theater as well as bathrooms, a sauna room and individual locker rooms for the competitors. A giant sculpture of a weightlifter, nicknamed "Judas", was placed on the Avenida de los Insurgentes in front of the venue.[10]
AmericanLatin rock bandSantana played in the theater on 24 September 1973, as a part of theirCaravanserai Tour.
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| Geographic | |
