Melico Salazar Theatre, Theater venue in downtown San José, Costa Rica

The Melico Salazar Theatre is a public theatre in downtown San José built in reinforced concrete and brick masonry, a technique its architect pioneered in Costa Rica. Its late Neoclassical façades have giant Corinthian order and balustraded balconies resting on masks; Catalan artist Gerardo Rovira's workshop made the friezes, capitals and corbels. The hall seats 1,180 spectators.

The land was bought by Spanish immigrant José Raventós Gual, who wanted a venue for zarzuelas; dramatist and architect José Fabio Garnier Ugalde designed it. Construction began 8 February 1927 and it opened 7 October 1928 with Esperanza Iris's operetta company. A 1960 gallery added a CinemaScope screen; a fire on 23 April 1967 destroyed the hall. After a December 1981 pre-inauguration and further restoration, it reopened 6 March 1985, and law 7023 of 7 April 1986 made it a specialized cultural institution; it was renamed in 1986 for tenor Manuel "Melico" Salazar.

The theatre is named after tenor Manuel "Melico" Salazar Zúñiga, who sang at the Metropolitan Opera and alongside Enrico Caruso. It serves as umbrella institution for the Compañía Nacional de Teatro, the Compañía Nacional de Danza, the Taller Nacional de Teatro, the Taller Nacional de Danza and the PROARTES fund. Its legally defined function is the democratisation of culture.

The venue is located in San José's central zone and is easily accessible by public transit, with several bus lines nearby. Arriving early allows time to explore the lobby and architectural details before your performance begins.

The building was long known as the Raventós Theater, after the Spanish immigrant José Raventós Gual who bought the land to stage zarzuelas; it only took the name Melico Salazar in 1986, honouring the Costa Rican tenor. Look for the curved pediments over the Avenida Segunda and Calle Central entrances, where two floating muses gather around a harp among Baroque floral motifs.