Entertainment sights in South America
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Teatro Amazonas
Manaus’s famous opera house, the Teatro Amazonas, was designed in eclectic neo-classical style by engineers from Lisbon and a team of interior designers at the height of the rubber boom. Opened in 1896, this beautiful theater symbolizes the opulence that once was Manaus. The artists and most of the materials (Italian marble and glass, Scottish cast iron) were imported from Europe. The wood is Brazilian, but even some of that was sent to Europe to be carved. One truly homespun feature is the roadway outside the entrance; it is made of rubber, so that late-arriving carriages wouldn’t create too much noise. The theater has been restored four times (most recently in 1990).…
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Memorial da América Latina
A Niemeyer creation, the Memorial da América Latina is like a mini-Brasília, with a series of glass-and-cement structures in a beautiful if unsettling variety of shapes and sizes. While it looks uninviting at first glance, the sprawling complex has undergone renovations to make it more welcoming – and interesting – to visitors. The Salão dos Atos is a ceremonial space where you can see Cândido Portinari’s enormous painting Tiradentes. The perfectly round Galeria Marta Traba de Arte Latino-Americano displays contemporary art from around Latin America. And the Pavilhão de Criatividade displays a diverse collection of Latin American arts and crafts.
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Teatro Municipal
A striking example of General Guzmán Blanco's Euro-influenced architectural ambitions, the Municipal Theater opened its doors in 1881 with the presentation of Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore by the Fortunato Corvaia Italian opera company. Its sumptuous, domed interior with three tiers of balconies echoes the grandiose European opera houses of the era. After a period of deterioration, it was reinaugurated in 1998, resuming its role as a showcase for operas and plays, as well as concerts by the Municipal Symphony Orchestra of Caracas.
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Theatro Municipal
São Paulo's most splendid construction, the Theatro Municipal was begun in 1903 in the style of Paris' Palais Garnier. Its heavily ornamented façade seems to combine every architectural style imaginable, from Baroque to Art Nouveau, and its interior is clad in gold and marble. The theater hosts the city's top classical music and opera performances.
There are guided visits at 13:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays; reservations are required at least one day in advance.
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Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Brasília’s most important contemporary museum, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil is in a giant building in the South Sports Club Sector. It houses fascinating exhibitions in two galleries, an indie cinema, a café and a bookstore. The monthly cultural program is posted online at twitter.com/CCBB_DF (in Portuguese). There is a free bus every 90 minutes (from 11am to 11pm) that runs along the Eixo Monumental (look for the painted bus that says CCBB).
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Teatro da Paz
One of Belém’s finest buildings, the Teatro da Paz was built between 1869 and 1874 overlooking Praça da República. Built in neoclassical style, the architecture has all the sumptuous trappings of the rubber-boom era: columns, busts, crystal mirrors and an interior decorated in Italian theatrical style. Half-hour guided tours (R$4, free on Wednesday) are offered hourly from 9am to 1pm Tuesday to Friday, and 9am to noon on Saturday.
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Parque Temático Todo lo Nuestro
Two kilometers southwest of the center, on the edge of town, Parque Temático Todo lo Nuestro is a labor of love that has constructed replica buildings from several phases of the valley's history. It's a fascinating project; in some of the buildings it really feels as if the occupants have just stepped out for a minute. There's a rustically styled restaurant here too, and possibly cabin accommodations by the time you read this.
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Estación Mapocho
Rail services north once left from Estación Mapocho. Earthquake damage and the decay of the rail system led to its closure, but it's been reincarnated as a cultural center which hosts art exhibitions, major concerts and trade expos. The soaring cast-iron structure of the main hall was built in France then assembled in Santiago behind its golden beaux arts–style stone facade.
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Parque Recreacional Jipiro
North of town, Parque Recreacional Jipiro can induce the feeling you’ve been shrunk down and tossed into a miniature-golf course. Kids scramble all over little bridges, a giant chess board, a skate park, a Chinese pagoda, a pint-size Kremlin, small animal enclosures, and a paddleboat pond. Green buses ($0.25) go there from the southeast corner of Eguiguren and Peña.
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Auditório Ibirapuera
The Auditório Ibirapuera is another Niemeyer design. Nicknamed 'a língua' ('the tongue') for the bright-red metal awning that sticks out rather lewdly from an otherwise bunkerlike concrete trapezoid, the hall hosts a wide variety of musical styles, from classical to experimental. Concert bookings can be made through Ticketmaster Brasil (6846 6000).
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Teatro José de Alencar
Dating from 1910, the Teatro José de Alencar is an impressive building - a pastel-colored hybrid of classical and Art Nouveau architecture, which was constructed with cast-iron sections imported from Scotland. It is now used for cultural events and is worth a visit in the evenings, especially Friday and Saturday nights.
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Eco Parque
Billed as the largest water park in Latin America, Eco Parque has long, twisting water slides, a wave pool and a slow 'river' you can float down on rafts. There's also a tiroleza (zipline), kayaks for rent and heaps of other activities. Big-name bands from Salvador play here for summer concerts.
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Teatro Juan de Vera
The Teatro Juan de Vera is a striking belle epoque building; ask at the ticket office if you can have a peek inside to see the beautiful treble-galleried theater and its painted ceiling. The cupola retracts when management fancies a starlit performance.
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Camarín del Carmen
One block south of Palacio de San Carlos is another fine colonial building, Camarín del Carmen, which was originally a Carmelite convent. It's now a cultural center with its own 500-seat auditorium, which features theater, cinema and other performances.
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Teatro Municipal
Jumping fountains line the short walkway south to the marble-stepped Teatro Municipal, an ostentatious neoclassical building that has been hosting opera, theater and more since 1890; take a quick peek at the painted ceilings inside.
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Teatro Argentino
The Teatro Argentino is a fantastically ugly concrete monolith, but boasts great acoustics and quality ballet, symphony and opera performances.
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Anfiteatro Martín Fierro
In Paseo del Bosque is the open-air Anfiteatro Martín Fierro, that hosts music and drama performances.
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Teatro Municipal
The neoclassical Teatro Municipal is the main performing-arts center in the city.
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