One of the most anticipated moments of this year for the illicit culture has come in an unexpected context, in the midst of the crisis of the coronavirus, with the population confined to their homes. Despite this, it should not be overlooked that this March 24 marks the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of the current building of the Great Theater of Elche, a centennial anniversary that will be commemorated with all the honors when the situation permits, at which time the celebratory acts that, for a long time, had been preparing for both the City Council and Elx Culture, some acts in the It also included special programming that has been interrupted.
About forty high-level shows, with artists of the highest order on the national scene, were part of the special program that had been prepared for the first half of the year and which, for the moment, has suffered a break. Apart from the commemoration events that have been prepared for the Grand Theater, the purpose is to extend the celebration to other cultural rooms and locations in Elche. Beyond the coronavirus crisis, the Gran Teatro has reached its centenary at a good time, as the cultural promoter José F. Cámara assures: “It is not rooted in symbols such as the Misteri d’Elx, the Lady of Elche or the Palm Grove and sometimes feels forgotten, but the Grand Theater has reflected during its 100 years the evolution of the entertainment world “.
The original building was built in 1906 and the hall was named the Circus Theater. In 1918 it was demolished and in 1920 the construction of the current building was completed, which underwent its great reform in the nineties of the last century, to achieve its current appearance. Returning to its origins, the property was bought in 1909 by a zarzuela singer who lived in Santa Pola, Felisa Lázaro, who paid 42,000 pesetas and baptized it with the name of Kursaal. Later, it was acquired by the Equitable Electromotor company, before its demolition in 1918. And it was in the period of the Civil war when it was baptized as Grand Theater.
Mainly dedicated to performing arts, the venue has also been closely linked to the seventh art. In fact, in 1930 it hosted the screening of the first sound film in Elche, “The jazz singer”. In 1941, it also hosted the premiere of a film about the Feast of the Coming of the Virgin, which is currently not preserved. For a long time the Grand Theater rivaled the Capitol for becoming the main cinema in Elche, as evidenced by the fact that both rooms premiered “The Last Cuplé” at the same time in 1957.
It was in the late 1980s that the town hall ilicitano reached an agreement with the company of the exhibitor Luis Martínez Sánchez to acquire the building and it would become municipally owned, which has decisively contributed to its becoming the current coliseum. The great reform of the 1990s was made, among other things, to provide a larger stage that had become too small for theatrical performances, since the room was built thinking that the cinema would be its main engine. Since the reform, its programmers have been to a great extent the great drivers of its development, mainly Vicente Pérez Sansano and Julián Sáez, although that role has also been carried out, in shorter periods of time, by Antonio González and Pepe Miravete.
“The Grand Theater reaches its centenary at a good time and complies with the approaches for which it was created”, considers its current programmer, a Julián Sáez who has been performing this function since 2008, with a parenthesis of a couple of years. Consolidating a program with the main names in the performing arts is one of the challenges for the leaders of the centennial theater, as evidenced by the commitment to this season, which includes figures such as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Blanca Portillo and Jose María Pou.
At the City Council they are aware of the importance of the Grand Theater and its weight in the world of culture, consolidated as the main stage of the city. For this reason, a special program has been prepared for the months of February to May and different events will be held to commemorate the centenary, both in the theater and in other venues. “We want to involve all the people related to the Grand Theater because it is our flagship, the jewel in the crown,” says mayor Marga Antón.
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