Читать книгу 100 Places in Cuba Every Woman Should Go - Conner Gorry - Страница 14

PEOPLE TALK ABOUT “DOWNTOWN” HAVANA, which is a misnomer; asking a local how to get to downtown or the “city center” is met with a question mark written across their face. Havana turns on different axes, so “center” or “downtown” depends on your perspective. There’s Vedado, which for many young Cubans, is the center of all the action; there’s Habana Vieja, where tourists spend the most time (and money) and where Havana was founded 500 years ago, so technically could be considered downtown; and what about Centro Habana? Sure, central figures in the name of the city’s grittiest and liveliest of neighborhoods, but even Cubans can’t agree precisely where it ends and Habana Vieja begins. But there’s a center-of-the-Cuban-universe feeling provided by sitting on a shady bench in Parque Central, taking in the 1950s cars honking the Godfather theme, eavesdropping on the fellas debating the latest in baseball (known as the “esquina caliente,” the hot corner, this is a park highlight), and sneaking sidelong glances at the “Rastafarians”—in quotes because dreadlocks do not a rasta make. The center of the park is anchored by an iconic statue of “the Cuban apostle,” José Martí and directly across the street is one of the jewels in Havana’s architectural crown: the Gran Teatro de la Habana.

This theater has been the headquarters of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba since 1959, taking a brief (for Cuba) recess during renovations concluded in 2014. Upon re-opening, it was renamed the Gran Teatro de la Habana Alicia Alonso, but people still call it simply, the Gran Teatro or the Lorca—shorthand for the Sala García Lorca, the 1500-seat theater where main events are held. The building facade is a poem cast in stone, marble and bronze, exquisitely lit at night, with soaring sculptures representing Theatre, Music, Education, and Charity. Its majesty can be a bit overwhelming and stands as testament to the roots and power of Spanish wealth and influence in Cuba: inaugurated in 1915 after a major overhaul, this was once the Palacio del Centro Gallego, the social club and welcome wagon for transplanted Spaniards. Prior to the Spanish renovation, this space housed the Teatro Tacón, which opened in 1838 with a performance of Verdi’s opera Aida; since then, the list of luminaries who have tread the boards here is long, including Andres Segovia, Ernesto Lecuona, Eliades Ochoa, and of course, Alicia Alonso.

The renovations put a completely new face on the theater, which was in dire need. The facade was scrubbed clean of decades of Havana filth, the ceiling frescoes restored, new seats were installed and the floors now sparkle; the grand ballroom upstairs sits empty, but it’s easy to imagine the Spanish upper crust waltzing around the marble dance floor, peeking at eligible bachelors behind a flirty wave of a fan. There are some interesting sculptures up here and photography opportunities galore, thanks to the wall of windows wrapping around the corner. There are daily tours with a lethargic docent short on facts, but getting access to the renovated spaces and the art gallery upstairs make it worth the $5CUC. The theater re-do included the inauguration of an attached restaurant—Café Intermezzo and the theater’s La Cava is a wonderful place to get a post-performance glass of wine. During intermission, your best bet is to slip into the back bar accessible through a side door inside the theater, a local secret. After dance performances, the ballerinas often have a beer here.