Teatro Politeama in Lisbon, Theatre in Santa Maria Maior, Portugal.
The Teatro Politeama is a theatre and cinema building on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, in the central Lisbon neighbourhood of Santa Maria Maior. Its facade is marked by a large arch framing three pairs of windows, with carved stone details typical of early 20th-century construction.
Luís António Pereira commissioned the theatre, and architect Miguel Ventura Terra designed it; the first stone was laid on 12 May 1912. It opened on 6 December 1913 with the operetta Valsa de Amor, attended by President Manuel de Arriaga. Films were shown from 1914, and it became solely a cinema in 1928. Filipe La Féria remodelled it in 1991, and it has not screened films since 1995.
Since 1994 the theatre has been acquired and restored by director Filipe La Féria, and it has served as the stage for musicals he creates and directs. The building has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 2002.
The Teatro Politeama stands on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, a central street that is easy to reach on foot from many parts of downtown Lisbon. Even outside of show times, the facade is worth a look from the pavement as you walk along the street.
The theatre opened in 1913 with a capacity of 2264 spectators, and its first night was attended by Manuel de Arriaga, the first elected President of Portugal. The operetta performed was Valsa de Amor, starring Cremilda de Oliveira and Sofia Santos.
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