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Carlos Gomes Theater

Updated: Nov 4, 2024



The Carlos Gomes Theater (Teatro Carlos Gomes, in Portuguese) is a theater located at Tiradentes Square in Downtown Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the oldest theaters in the city, having been inaugurated in February 1872 under the name Theatro Casino Franco-Bréslien.


The then Theatro Casino Franco-Brésilien functioned for its first 8 years as a café-théâtre, being a modest facility. In 1880, a new owner purchased the venue, which underwent significant renovations and was renamed the Sant'Anna Theater (Teatro Sant'Anna, in Portuguese) in homage to the new owner's wife.


On July 15, 1889, the first assassination attempt against a Brazilian head of state occurred at the Sant'Anna Theater. As Emperor Dom Pedro II — accompanied by his wife, Empress Teresa Cristina, and his daughter and heir, Princess Isabel — was leaving the theater after a presentation of Molière's "L'école des maris" and a violin performance by Italian violinist Giulietta Dionesi, Adriano do Valle, a radical republican, shot at the Emperor's carriage once, causing no injuries. The Republican Party, represented by its leader Quintino Bocaiúva, deemed the assassination attempt an act of "madness and anarchy" and stated that Valle did not represent true republican values. Four months later, the Brazilian Republic was proclaimed, and the Emperor went into exile with his family in France.


In 1904, following the death of its owner, Sant'Anna Theater was sold to a new owner. Under this ownership, the theater was renamed the Carlos Gomes Theater — a tribute to the most notable Brazilian opera composer and author of "Il Guarany," Carlos Gomes — and underwent major renovations, becoming a much larger venue and reopening in January 1905.


In 1929, the theater was completely destroyed by a fire; it was then rebuilt in an Art Deco style, the most prominent architectural style in Rio de Janeiro at the time. In 1950, another fire affected the building, but the damage was minimal, and the reconstruction, which included improvements to the venue, was completed quickly, allowing it to reopen that same year. Ten years after that, in 1960, the theater suffered another fire due to a short circuit; this time, the building underwent a massive renovation, with a safer and modern electricity system, newer and more comfortable seating, and a larger stage. It reopened the following year.


During the 1980s, Carlos Gomes Theater faced the risk of demolition However, due to significant public outcry, the project was abandoned, and the theater was designated a historic and cultural landmark of the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1984. In 1988, the theater was purchased by the municipality; under public ownership, the theater underwent minor renovation works in 1993 and 2002, improving its structure, capacity, and acoustics.


Under Mayor Eduardo Paes, the Carlos Gomes Theater underwent its biggest renovation and modernization works, which began in November 2021. With an investment of over 16 million reais, more sophisticated and modern systems for sound, lighting, air conditioning, fire prevention, and stage engineering were installed while preserving the building's iconic Art Deco design. The theater reopened in July 2024, becoming one of the most modern theaters in the city.





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