The deputy director at Teatro Principal de Alicante, Maria Dolores Padilla, announced the return of large-scale musicals to Alicante Coliseum, signaling a renewed appetite for grand productions after two pandemic years with limited shows. The autumn and winter season will present three major productions aimed at drawing in diverse audiences and rekindling local interest in Alicante. The lineup includes Cage of the Crazy, a Llàcer creation running from October 20 to 23; Forever Young, a vibrant exploration of youth and energy from November 4 to 6; and a drama inspired by Noah Gordon, scheduled for January 26 to 29.
Across September to January, the slate totals three dozen eight performances plus forty, with fifty-five when the seven English-language children’s tales are included in Kids & Stories. The season unfolded with a refreshed theatre image, moving away from a single building photograph in posters and programs. New visuals depict a varied audience and a female spectator, and the theatre released a more accessible, interactive website available in English, Spanish, and Valencian. These updates reflect a renewed commitment to audience engagement while upgrades were kept under five thousand euros in budget.
For years the venue operated without a permanent director since 2019, yet it continues to draw crowds. In 2021 attendance surpassed the figures from 2020. Padilla indicated that the venue would close 2022 with higher attendance as pandemic restrictions eased.
The current programming enjoys the support of Cultural Council member Anthony Manresa and the regional delegate of the Institut Valencià de Cultura, Alicia Garijo. In the absence of a Banco Sabadell representative, the season presents a varied program spanning multiple disciplines. The seventeen performances are complemented by dance, opera, music, humor, circus, magic, and a broad array of family and children’s shows.
The new season features three national premieres by Alicante-based companies. Widowed Brides opens on September 25 to mark the 175th anniversary of the director’s birth; Jose Estruch receives a residency piece on September 30; and a co-production with Railway and Teada debuts on November 17, joining the last two entries in Alacant a Escena.
The program also includes a National Drama Center production, Impostors, on November 7 with Pablo Remón and Javier Cámara performing at the Spanish Theater Showcase of Contemporary Writers, along with Manolita Chen, a Chinese tale on November 12 from the Baltasarans company.
Highlights of the season include gala evenings and tributes, such as a commemorative homage to Pepe Espadero on his 80th birthday and a Vicente Seva documentary treating the same theme. The José Estruch Awards ceremony is slated for October 17, followed by the thirteenth edition of the festival circle you on October 16.
Visitors can look forward to performances by notable figures. Highlights include A Man Passing By on October 1 featuring Manuel Martín Cuenca and Antonio de la Torre; Happiness Curve on October 8 with Gabino Diego; Spirit on October 14 with Santi Rodríguez; To Be or Not to Be on October 29 and 30 directed by John Echanove; The Danger of a Good Company on November 13 with Javier Goma and Fernando Cayo alongside Carmen Conesa; Rot on December 2 directed by Peter Casablanca with adaptations by Benjamin Prado; Death of a Passenger on December 3 featuring Imanol Arias; Unsuitable on December 18 with Kit Manver; Co-Pilot Syndrome on January 13, 2023 with Miguel Ángel Muñoz; and Oh Carmela on January 21 starring María Adánez and Pepón Nieto.