Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center

Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré

"Bellas Artes de Santurce"
Former names	Centro de Bellas Artes de Puerto Rico
Address	Ponce de León Ave, Parada 22 Santurce, PR 00940
Location	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Coordinates	18°26′51″N66°4′9″W
Owner	Corporation of the Performing Arts Center of Puerto Rico
Type	Concert hall,Opera house,Theatre,Performing arts center
Capacity	Sala Antonio Paoli: 1,945 Sala Sinfónica Pablo Casals: 1,300 Sala René Marquéz: 781 Sala Carlos Marichal: 210 Café Teatro Sylvia Rexach: 200
Construction
Built	1981
Opened	April 9, 1981(1981-04-09)
Construction cost	$11,372,000
Website
www.cba.gobierno.pr

TheLuis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center(Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferréin Spanish) is a multi-use performance centre located in thebarrioofSanturceinSan Juan,Puerto Rico.It features three main concert and theater halls for plays,ballet,operasand concerts. It was renamed in 1994 after the late Puerto Rican philanthropist, politician and Governor of Puerto Rico,Luis A. Ferré.

The Center opened on April 9, 1981 under the administration of GovernorCarlos Romero Barcelóafter ten years of planning, project financing, and construction. Since then, it has become the most important performing arts venue in the Puerto Rican capital, presenting the highest level of commercial theater in Puerto Rico along with ballets and operas, and also hosting artists such asPlácido DomingoandMenudo.The center is home to thePuerto Rico Symphony Orchestraand the annualCasals Festival.

In January 2019,Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musicalHamiltonbegan its third touring production at the venue, with Miranda reprising the title role ofFounding FatherandSecretary of Treasury,Alexander Hamilton,with higher praise than his original run on Broadway.Miranda returned to the venue after nine years since he reprised the role of Usnavi exclusively in San Juan during the North American touring production ofIn the Heights,which he also wrote.

Facilities

The Center features four mainconcertandtheaterhalls, two eateries and a central outdoor plaza, each with its own unique features:

• Antonio PaoliFestival Hall – Dedicated to a Puerto Rican opera singer, it is the largest hall of the center. Seating is between 1,875 and 1,945, and features two stories with VIP balconies, world-class acoustic system, and a 62-by-50-foot (19 by 15 m) stage perfect for scenic musical performances including, operas, ballet, popular music shows, and symphonic concerts.
• René MarquésTheater Hall – Dedicated to one of Puerto Rico's most famous playwrights and essayists, this hall seats between 748 and 781 guests and with a stage measuring 42 by 40 feet, it is specially designed for plays and musical performances.
• Carlos MarichalPerformance Hall – dedicated to a respected Puerto Rican set and costume designer, the hall features seating for 210 guests in an intimatearena-styledtheater.

Kenny G in the Sala Sinfónica

• Sala SinfónicaPablo Casals– symphony hall dedicated to the SpanishCatalancellist and conductor best remembered for the recording theBachCello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939. The $34 million building, designed by Rodolfo Fernandez and Acentech Incorporated's Studio A, seats 1,300 and serves as the new home of thePuerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.
• Juan Morel CamposPlaza, dedicated to the Puerto Rican composer ofdanzasis located right in front of the center's main entrance, it is a large openplazafeaturing a pair ofsculpturescalledThe Musesand the Las Tablas Restaurant, and is available for outdoor activities and presentations for 800 guests.
• Sylvia RexachTheater Café – Designed to be a fourth, but smaller, concert hall, the Café opened in 1988 and offers a relaxed nightclub theme for up to 200 guests with a small stage for intimate performances. Axylographic muralby famed local artist Antonio Martorell decorates its walls and grants homage to Sylvia Rexach, the famous Puerto Ricanbolerosinger and composer.
• Las Tablas Restaurant (formerly the Arts Pavilion) – is arestaurantwithin the Juan Morel Campos Plaza and features an award-winning architectural design. The restaurant, whose theme literally embodies the phraseThe Beauty of the Caribbean,is owned by international pop starLuis Fonsiand local music and concert producer Tony Mojena. Its menu, developed by Giovanna Huyke, is built around the themethe taste of music,and consists mostly oflocal traditional foodsprepared by its in-house chef Alexis Bartolomei.

Surrounding art

The center is surrounded by various art expositions, including murals, paintings, and sculptures. The two largest halls feature art expositions which distinguishes each one:

• In theAntonio PaoliFestival Hall's second floor, a 30-by-15-foot (9.1 by 4.6 m)muraltitledLa Plenaby Rafael Tufiño is on display and represents twelve famous Puerto Ricanplenasby local songwriterManuel “Canario” Jiménez:Cortaron an Elena; Temporal; El Perro de San Jerónimo; Josefina; Santa María; Tintorera del Mar; Fuego, Fuego, Fuego; Monchín del Alma; Cuando las Mujeres; Tanta Vanidad; Lola; and El Diablo Colorao. The mural was created 30 years before the opening of the Center between 1952 and 1954. It was moved to its current place in 1987 after a three-year restoration project by Anton Konrad.
• In the René Marqués Hall, a 20-by-39-foot (6.1 by 11.9 m)stained glassexposition titledForm and Tropical Crystalsby local artistLuis Hernández Cruzilluminates its lobby with 5,700 multi-colored pieces of crystal arranged to showcase themes related to the sea, the forest, the sky and the overall tropical ambiance.

Near the entrance of the center, various expositions greet guests and visitors, including a 40-foot (12 m) aluminum sculpture byLuis TorruellatitledMelodic Reflection.However, the main art theme of the center's entrance areThe Muses.These are two separate works of art, one being an assortment of 6-foot-tall (1.8 m)bronzefemale sculptures along theJuan Morel CamposPlaza, by Annex Burgos; and the second being a large mural at the center'sfaçade(pictured above), made from a mixture concrete and crystal stones and designed byAugusto Marín.Each muse represents the different arts and cultures which the Center embraces, including local and classical music, theater, literature, dance, films, architecture, sculptures, and painting.

Location

Located along the Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Santurce section of San Juan, the center is located near various retail shops and residential buildings, which produce a vibrant atmosphere around the center both day and night. It has an underground parking garage offering 483 spaces for guests, although adjacent office buildings provide additional spaces.

External links

• Official site(in Spanish)