Panama's Secret National Theater |
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| Written by Matt |
| Tuesday, 09 October 2007 01:00 |
 Panama's National Theater is like a jewel on the eye. From the outside, the building is sort of ambiguous in that it appears to house government offices just like those all around it in Casco Antiguo. But the inside is wonderful and warm, the roof deck one of the better secrets in the capital city. It's like a miniature Mariinsky Theater; all the detail and charm of the Russian landmark yet you don't have to wade through snow storms or aggressive cigarette vendors too get there. I remember a time when I was sitting in that theater in St. Petersburg wishing the damn opera would end. It was perhaps the longest event known to man and the sorry feeling in the end was that War and Peace probably could have been portrayed in about fifteen minutes. Instead of Napoleon riding a mini pony on stage, when I entered the National Theater for the first time, there was a team of children dressed like little flowers and fruits and vegetables. They were filming some commercial for Sony, so when I caught glimpse of the boy in the carrot costume trying to urinate in the corner, I realized this was a much more laid back sort of theater than I was used to. One of the janitors, a guy named Alberto, offered to show me behind the scenes where lights and wires and bags of sand reminded me of a time in high school when I tried out for a play. I did the audition in front of a small panel of peers who wore black eye shadow and gothic-inspired clothing. I even remember the head woman because her purse was in the shape of a baby coffin. Rosemary was the name she went by. Alberto showed me up a tall and windy flight of stairs which lead above the stage, and then above the lights, and soon enough, we were standing out on the roof looking out over the entire city of Panama. 360 degrees of fantastic views: the causeway, city skyline, Cerro Ancon, Casco Viejo. I offered Alberto a junior mint and he accepted kindly. There was talk of Panama's Teatro Nacional preparing for a big concert featuring none other than Kenny G and while I usually prefer to limit my Kenny G intake to elevators and dim hotel lobbies, it might be nice to experience a show as the acoustics seem quite defined. The place doesn't look like it could fit many more than 150 people so the ambiance is intimate and there's probably no better feeling than sitting in the first row and reaching out to touch Kenny on the thigh. The National Theater is one of those places that has always been right under my nose, yet I'd never really taken the time to see what it's all about. The hall is beautiful, the art is amazing, and the roof is pretty much my new favorite place to hang out and watch the sunset. In a country that lacks museums and cultural landmarks, it's quite the welcomed anomaly. And with urinating carrots, theater doesn't get much better than this.
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