Remember the golden age of Mexican cinema? The Teatro Metropólitan stands as a survivor from that era. It is a much-loved Art Deco theater in the City Center.
The Teatro Metropólitan is majestic. It opened as the Cine Metropólitan on September 8 1943. The Argentinian film “Dieciséis años” premiered then.
Imagine President Manuel Avila Camacho attending the elegant opening party. Legends of the Mexican film industry flocked here for decades. The architect Pedro Gorozpe Echeverría designed this Art Deco building. Aurelio G. D. Mendoza directed the interior design. He led 400 carpenters plasterers molders and casters. They worked for five months in 1942. Mendoza drew inspiration from Charles Le Brun’s book. It featured the Chapel of the Palace of Versailles.
The Teatro Metropólitan nearly vanished in the 1980s. It was abandoned in the 1990s. OCESA rescued and renovated it in 1996. It reopened as a live show venue. It stages mainly rock concerts.
The Teatro Metropólitan hosts Mexico City’s National Jazz Festival. It held the annual Premios TV y Novelas ceremonies in the 1980s and 1990s. The theater has a capacity of 3165 people. The Teatro Metropólitan’s exterior is a slice of Art Deco. Some say it’s inspired by Radio City Music Hall. The interiors are neoclassical.
Placebo and The Pixies played their first Mexico concerts here. Peter Murphy performed Bauhaus’ 35th-anniversary show. David Byrne brought his American Utopia tour. The red rugs and Greek sculptures witnessed these exciting shows.
The Metropolitan Theater stands at Independencia No. 90. It is one block south of the Alameda Central. Metro Juárez and Hidalgo are the nearest stations. It is an essential landmark. The Teatro Metropólitan offers a terrific night out.