Page 130 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

128  HA V ANA AREA B Y AREA

ENTERTAINMENT IN HAVANA

The lively, pleasure-loving capital of Cuba scene is world-class. You can dance ’til
offers entertainment to suit visitors of all dawn in the discos, while those who prefer
ages and tastes. Theatres, cinemas and more traditional entertainment can inves-
concert halls are active year-round, while tigate the neighbourhood Casas de la
the city’s annual ballet, cinema and jazz Trova or Casa de la Cultura. The bar scene
festivals draw admirers from afar. Havana is starting to pick-up as old pre-Revolution
has the biggest and best nightclubs in the stalwarts compete with new, hipper
country, offering all kinds of music from venues, which have started opening
salsa and jazz to bolero to rap. The cabaret as the economic climate improves.

The Teatro Nacional de Cuba,
a complex with several
auditoriums (see p106), often
hosts major international
companies, while the large
Teatro Karl Marx puts on the
city’s biggest events. The Teatro
Hubert de Blanck specializes
in contemp orary drama, while
the Teatro Mella has a more
varied pro gramme, as does
the restored Teatro José Martí.
The Teatro Trianón and Teatro
El Sótano are committed to
presenting experimental theatre.
Cuba’s National Symphony Orchestra The Café Teatro Brecht shows
alternative plays.
Information ticket office, from tourist Cuban comedy tend towards
The airport, hotels and travel agencies in the hotels or bawdy slapstick. The best
agents all distribute information through Paradiso: Promotora venues are Casa de la Comedia,
brochures. The elusive Cartelera, de Turismo Cultural. offering shows at weekends,
a biweekly newspaper, and the Tickets for cabaret shows and Café Teatro Brecht.
online Cuba Absolutely events at the world-famous Tropicana
publication provide addresses nightclub and Cabaret Parisien
of nightclubs and other can be obtained at the tour Classical Music and Opera
venues, with details of shows. bureaus of any tourist hotel. There are two main classical
The Granma daily lists major For smaller shows and events, music venues in Havana.
events, which are also broadcast you will need to stand in The Teatro Amadeo Roldán,
on Cubavisión (channel 6) on line on the day or night of currently being restored, is home
Thursdays at 10:05pm. Visitors the performance. to the National Symphony
can tune in to Radio Taíno
(93.3FM), which broadcasts in
Spanish and English. Theatre
Havana’s thriving underground Theatre has a long and
scene requires seeking out. The illustrious tradition in Havana,
corner of Calles 23 and L (out- though the range of offerings
side Cine Yara) is a good spot has been severely curtailed
to find out about impromptu for political reasons since the
parties and shows – especially Revolution. The Festival
for the gay scene. Consult Internacional del Teatro, held
http://promociones.egrem.co. cu every two years, offers both
for all Casas de la Música. mainstream and experimental
theatre, and some companies,
such as El Público, have their
Buying Tickets
own venues. Havana’s most
To avoid long queues for fes- important and active theatres
tivals and other major events, are located mostly in the
visitors can purchase tickets Vedado quarter and are pre- The impressive exterior of the Gran Teatro
in advance from the venue’s sented exclusively in Spanish. de La Habana

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