Big plans for the Met Theater 2017 in
THERE will be major changes at the Metropolitan Theater in 2017.
As the Metropolitan Theater (Met) celebrated its 85th anniversary on Dec. 14 and opened its doors for a whole day of festivities, it also signaled its upcoming “METamorphosis” which will happen first thing next year.
Banyuhay, from the Filipino phrase “bagong anyong buhay,” marked this year’s anniversary celebration wherein the National Commission for Culture and the Arts ( NCCA) honored the history and story of the Met and its people, while it unveiled the future direction of the cultural landmark.
“We will reinvent the spaces within the theater to accommodate the requirements and needs of our time,” Gerard Lico, the architect in charge of the Met’s restoration, told BusinessWorld.
Mr. Lico noted that the iconic parts of the Met’s interior such as the lobby, main auditorium, and ballroom will be preserved, while the rest of the spaces will be redesigned using principles of adaptive reuse. Certain spaces can possibly be used for workshops, galleries, and exhibition halls, or as a library, a cinematheque, a black box theater, and a dance studio.
For its 85th year, the Met is paying tribute to the men and women who played a part in its journey — including actors, producers, and members of the staff who had memorable experiences in the performing space. The people behind the restoration of the Metropolitan Theater also extended their gratitude to the volunteers who have held clean- up drives
and for the public’s support for their other programs such as the London Biennale Manila Pollination which was held in September and October this year.
“For decades, Met has been forgotten and a generation was not able to experience the culture it once stood for... the clean-up drive is a move to reconnect the people and the youth with the heritage structure,” Mr. Lico said.
In addition, the first Metropolitan Theater Coloring book, a bilingual volume charting a comprehensive history of the theater and which showcases dozens of the Met’s exquisite art deco ornamentation, was launched on the same night. The Met’s future cultural direction through the “METamorphosis” project was also presented.
Met also opened an exhibition featuring its history to remind the public of the theater’s heyday. The exhibit is displayed on the fences around the theater. The Grand Metropolitan Fence Exhibition was curated by Mr. Lico and art critic Reuben Canete. The night also saw performances by the NCCA Rondalla, the Met Chorus, the Met Dance Company, the UP Dance Company, and other performing groups. The evening’s celebration was capped off by a monumental facade lighting, allowing Manila’s art deco jewel to shine through this holiday season.
“Banyuhay is a process and principle of transformation which requires a new change in form to make a better version of its former self,” Mr. Lico said. “It is the same theater, but breathing new life.”