The historical Manila Metropolitan Theater will finally reopen in just a few months – and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) gave a glimpse of what the public can expect once it opens its doors this coming April.
For the longest time, the Manila Metropolitan Theater (also known as the MET) has been a haven for local artists performing zarzuelas and dramas for decades – serving as one of the oldest performance venues in the Philippines. From the 1970s all the way to the mid-90s, it also became a venue for various awards shows and home to Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos’ Vilma Variety Show.
But since it closed down in 1996, it has become nothing but home to street dwellers and turf for snatchers targeting mostly jeepney and UV Express passengers. If you’ve seen the critically-acclaimed film “Pamilya Ordinaryo,” you’d probably know what we’re talking about. Or if you’re a graduate of institutions located inside Intramuros, you can definitely attest to this.
Thankfully, various efforts to bring back its old glory have been made in the past several years. In fact, negotiations were made between the City Government of Manila, the National Historical Commission, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) during the time of former Manila Mayors Alfredo Lim and Joseph Ejercito Estrada, but to no avail.
While it faced many challenges along the way, incumbent Manila Mayor Francis “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (aka Yorme) made sure the MET makes its much-deserved comeback under his watch as part of his plans to rehabilitate Manila specifically the areas surrounding the Manila City Hall.
Finally, the MET is once again opening its doors to the public – and it’s all we ever imagined thanks to photos the NCCA shared on social media. Honestly, we can only wish for this pandemic to be over so we can finally see what the buzz is all about!
See some of the photos below:
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the NCCA will house a show on its inaugural night this coming April.
“The Metropolitan Theater will house the quincentennial evening show on April 27, 2021, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan, which will serve as the maiden show of MET after 25 years since its closure in 1996,” said the NCAA in its post.
Right now, it has yet to be determined which shows and events would be allowed to stage once it reopens. But plans for the City of Manila to commemorate its 450th founding anniversary in the Art Deco structure is currently in the works.
