Known also as the 'theater of a hundred doors' (in reference to the French windows adorning its exterior), this neoclassical gem is a masterpiece of restoration. After 40 years in dereliction, it reopened in 2014 with new air-conditioning and audio equipment, an orchestra pit, intricate wood- and ironwork, as well as an adjacent cafeteria and well-kept surrounding gardens.
The venue opened in 1884 as Teatro Irijoa and in 1900 it was the first theater to be named after Cuba’s national hero, José Martí. It hosted the heated debates over the Platt Amendment that tarnished the newborn republic’s first constitution in 1902. Many Cuban zarzuelas (Spanish operettas) premiered here, but the theater was more famous for its satirical plays, which often mocked the Spanish authorities and called for social rebellion. Famed singers and musicians such as Gonzalo Roig, Rodrigo Prats, Ernesto Lecuona, Rita Montaner and María de los Ángeles Santana performed here before its closing in the 1970s. Although today it does not have a regular program, all important music and dance festivals have a place here.
