San Jose Theaters

San Jose can be proud of something: the National Theater.

The theater was inaugurated in 1897 with panache as the Paris Opera Company came to Costa Rica especially for this event and performed Faust. It must have been quite a night! San Jose decided that it simply had to have a theater when the famous Italian Opera Singer Angela Pelati refused to come to Costa Rica to perform, when she was in Guatemala, as there was no decent theater where she could perform! So the crème de la crème of the coffee companies decided that something had to be done and proposed to help by giving five centavos per exported bag of coffee towards the construction of a theater.

So it all began. Many parts of the building were actually crafted in Europe, mainly Belgium and Italy and France, and were shipped here for assembly. The impressive metal framework for example was cast in Belgium while many statues and murals came from Italy, produced by artists that had never set a foot in Costa Rica, and who never saw the end result of their work! Pure gold was used for the magnificent baroque design and Carrara marble is everywhere. No expense was spared. It is said that the Opera de Paris originally inspired the design of the theater; looking at it, one can see a certain resemblance, on a much smaller scale it goes without saying!

Construction was of course not without its drawback and endless list of problems. A project of this scale demands lots of planning, knowledge, skills and determination. Before long the press started to throw some negative comments into the mix; the stage was too small, the acoustics were inefficient and the foundations were too weak, to mention just a few. The architects and engineers had more on their plate than they could eat! So many details to think about; the installation of the lightning system, the safe arrival of the ornaments in Limon, every step was followed closely by the Ticos who could not wait to see their theater. Success came with the Italian architect Ruy Cristofo Molinari, a theater expert, who was hired in 1895.

After 7 years of waiting, the Ticos had their theater. Today it is a popular tourist attraction and still functions for its original purpose with several performances per week. At the front, statues of Calderon de la Barca and Ludwig Van Beethoven stand proudly, inviting visitors in. The main hall is truly splendid, displaying Baroque style at its best. If the stone exterior is eye-catching the interior will certainly take your breath away. Just stepping into the lobby with its Italian pink marble and gold trim makes you think you've stepped across the ocean to Europe.

Gold is everywhere. Looking up, we see a mural of the Allegory of Coffee and Bananas; the theater would not stand today without the coffee money, and on the wall is the famous large replica of the old five colones bill, representing coffee picking. The actual atmosphere of the theater has a unique effect, suddenly transporting visitors back to old Europe, Vienna maybe, or Rome, or Paris.

In 1990, the National Theater suffered damages because of an earthquake, and when the repair work was completed, the Costa Rican people rejoiced probably just as much and as heartedly as they did when it was first completed a century ago!

The theater reserves itself for high quality performances only, and is very selective, eager to maintain its standards and reputation. The performance of the National Symphonic Orchestra (OSN), which is excellent, takes place during the regular season from March to November with performances on Thursdays and Fridays and again on Sunday mornings. The Moscow ballet and Chinese acrobats have made appearances there, and sometimes it has been the chosen venue for some Costa Rican theatrical reproductions. The lineup includes both national and international composers and attracts a huge audience not only because it is very affordable with tickets starting around $10, but also due to the high quality of the performances.

The coffee shop, which is of the Viennese style and run by Café Britt, is a great place to drop in for lunch or for coffee in the afternoon. It offers a nice variety of international food and pastries that is always of the greatest quality.

During the day the building is opened to the public from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday.