Three and a half centuries of comedy, fire and queens at the Teatro Principal in Palma

PalmIt was formerly called the House of Comedies, and the current building was constructed in the 19th century. But Palma's Principal Theatre stands on the same site where performances were already taking place in the 17th century. For 359 years, comedies have been staged in the same location, next to the former stream that gives its name to the street where it is located. As we approach World Theatre Day, as we do every March 27th, we explore the history of this stage.

The origins of what is now the Principal can be traced back to the old theatre of the Shoemakers' Guild, an organization of artisans, in the mid-17th century. Apparently, those in this trade were particularly fond of the performing arts. According to Gaspar Sabater, the Shoemakers' Hall was very close to the current Principal Theatre, in what is now Can Tagamanent Square in Palma.

The link between that theater and the current one was that, even then, thanks to theatrical performances, what we would now call a social expense was financed: the General Hospital of Palma, a welfare function that continued throughout the centuries. It was precisely the purpose of supporting the Hospital that led Ferran Moix in 1662 to donate some land, owned by his mother, for the construction of the Casa de las Comedias (House of Comedies), which was financed by the Gran y General Consell (Great and General Council). It was inaugurated in August 1667. It was a considerably smaller and simpler building than the theater that would later become its most prominent.

Following the capture of Mallorca by the troops of Philip V in 1715, the Casa de las Comedias was put to one of the least imaginable uses for a theater: it became the barracks for the occupying troops. This situation persisted until 1742. After 27 years without a theater, the citizens of Palma greeted the reopening with "genuine enthusiasm," Sabater recounts. At that time, there were no digital platforms to pass the time.

Around 1852, the Casa de las Comedias (House of Comedies) was in such poor condition that it had to be closed. It was decided to build a brand-new theater, and the initial plan was to locate it between Carrer Paraires and Hort del Rei, but ultimately, the same site had to be used. While the new theater was being built, the 'Coliseu,' an improvised space created specifically for this purpose at the Cercle Mallorquí (Mallorcan Circle), was used.

The bad luck that befell 'Macbeth'

The architect of the new performance space, Antoni Sureda, toured several European theaters for inspiration. French style was fashionable at the time—it was the era of Napoleon III's empire—so the new theater was built in that vein. They even hired a French painter, Félix Cagé, who worked at the Liceu in Barcelona, ​​to decorate the auditorium. Construction took three years and cost the more than respectable sum of 60,000 pesetas.

This space, successor to the Casa de las Comedias (House of Comedies), was named the Teatro de la Princesa de Asturias (Princess of Asturias Theatre), in honor of the eldest daughter of Queen Isabella II: Isabel Luisa, known as 'la Xata'. In fact, the inauguration date was brought forward to coincide with the name day of both of them, who attended: it was November 19, 1857.

Just six months after the Teatro de la Princesa had opened its doors, a fire broke out on June 12 of the following year. The bells of the City Hall and the churches of Palma mobilized the citizens, who rushed to extinguish the flames. But it was all in vain. The fire devoured the entire interior, leaving only the exterior walls standing.

It was speculated that the fireworks used in a performance might have caused the disaster. However, what had been staged the previous evening was MacbethVerdi's opera based on Shakespeare's play. And the entire theater profession knows that "Scottish tragedy"—it shouldn't even be called by its name—is systematically plagued by bad luck. Coincidence?

Rebuilding the Theater

The fact is, the theater had to be rebuilt. A request was made to the state government for assistance. Surprisingly, the state responded positively. With that subsidy, the insurance payout, and some additional contributions, the work could be carried out, using the same architect and decorator. Its size was even expanded by acquiring four neighboring houses.

The new theater was inaugurated on September 14, 1860, now named the Prince of Asturias Theater. Why, now, 'of the Prince' and not 'of the Princess'? Because, in the meantime, the queen had given birth to a son: the future Alfonso XII. So his sister was left high and dry. Incredibly, this preference for male heirs to the throne was maintained in the 1978 Constitution, the current one.

For the second time, work had to be rushed to ensure the official opening of the hall coincided with the visit that Queen Isabella II, her husband, and their children made to Palma around the same time. At that gala performance, a piece was offered—in Spanish, of course; the royal ears must not be offended by peripheral languages— The bell of the AlmudainaA resounding success for the Mallorcan playwright Joan Palou i Coll, which would continue to be frequently performed on the same stage over time. The curious thing is that, in this type of historical fiction, the son of James III, who never regained the Crown, did manage to become King of Mallorca, meaning the island would not have been reincorporated into the Crown of Aragon, nor, therefore, into Spain.

Plague, hats, and electric light

When the Glorious Revolution of 1868 overthrew Isabella II, the theater changed its name to the Principal. Not only that, but the insurgent populace smashed the statue dedicated to her at the head of the Borne de Ciutat, and the marble remains of the monument were recycled, as we would say today, to create the staircase leading from the lobby to the orchestra level. This staircase was lost during the 2007 renovation, thus erasing the last trace of the queen who had inaugurated it.

The Bourbons would return just six years later—the Bourbons always return—but the Principal had already retained that name. Incidentally, other theaters throughout Spain bear the same name, such as those in Barcelona, ​​Zaragoza, and Burgos. The name is also used in the rural areas of Mallorca, as is the case in Inca and Santanyí. And, of course, there is the theater in Maó, home to the oldest opera house in Spain.

The successive political shifts were reflected in the theater's programming. In 1873, with the arrival of the First Republic, a 'Grand Patriotic Performance' was held featuring the performance of Mariana PinedaA revolutionary heroine. When the monarchy was restored, Alfonso XII was honored, and another tribute was paid during the proclamation of the Second Republic. Of course, Francoism also made its presence felt: charity performances organized by the Falange, a zarzuela (a type of Spanish musical theater) to benefit the National Movement, and a performance by the Teatro Azul (Blue Theater), the color of the Falangist shirts, among other things.

A plague epidemic

The Principal Theatre wasn't run directly by the Provincial Council; its management was granted to a businessman. It was outsourced, as we would call it now. This wasn't always a profitable venture: in 1865, the theatre had to be closed due to a plague epidemic. In 1870, the concessionaire, Joan Goula, who was also an orchestra conductor, had to leave the island due to financial losses. In 1883, La Ignorance He accused the Provincial Council of not caring about the quality of the shows presented at the Teatro Principal. It wasn't until 1977 that the provincial institution achieved direct management of the theater, later transferring it to the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca).

Around that time, in 1881, electric lighting was installed in the Teatro Principal, a true novelty, which must have dazzled the audience, quite literally. That same year, the legendary tenor Julián Gayarre performed. Also in 1881, the civil governor established a ban, under penalty of fine, on smoking in the auditorium; which, given the fire a few years earlier, seemed quite reasonable, although it wasn't strictly enforced. The practice of women wearing hats represented a significant obstacle to visibility. And sometimes the audience applauded with such enthusiasm that The Islander He reproached them, saying that it was impossible to hear the performers that way.

Cultured and popular

The Principal was understood to be the refined space, while another venue in the city, the Teatre-Circ Balear, was reserved for more popular genres. At the Diputació hall, one had to be well dressed: some contemporary accounts claimed that well-to-do ladies didn't attend precisely because they had nothing to wear. Around 1895, the Principal underwent one of the many renovations carried out up to the present day, which included the addition of the pediment crowning the façade, based on a design by Ricard Anckerman. It must have been at this time that the majestic elm tree that stood guard over the theater at the foot of the side staircases disappeared—much like the beautiful shadows cast by the Plaça de Llorenç Villalonga recently. Màrius Verdaguer lamented the felling of this tree, which he "loved as a living being and as a distinguished citizen."

The Principal was, to a large extent, a social meeting place, where, as Luis Fábregas notes, young men went primarily to check out the girls, while being closely scrutinized with binoculars by their potential mothers-in-law. It is where some of them met their future wives. Now it is one of Mallorca's essential cultural institutions, and perhaps it has lost—or perhaps not—this social function. But it remains in the same place that has served art for three and a half centuries.

Information prepared from texts by Gaspar Sabater, Juan Mas Vives, Antonio Nadal, Juan Bonet, Miguel de Sants Oliver, Marius Verdaguer and Luis Fábregas y Cuxart and the collective volume Historia del Teatro Principal.