Postal Heritage Tour Part 4: Metropolitan Theater

Dems Angeles

13 years ago

Fond of ghost hunting? Well, not me. Swear to God I’m a big scared-y cat until now. I think this is the effect of people around me watching to much horror movies, especially when I was young and Shake Rattle & Roll will be broadcast on local channels..

Anyway, I’m already sweaty and tired but go lang ng go! Our next destination is the Metropolitan Theater, which is across the Liwasang Bonifacio.

Manila Metropolitan Theater (or better known as MET) is an art deco building designed by Juan Arellano, one of the great Filipino architects in our history, is tagged as the “grand dame” of Manila’s theaters. It has gone through renovation but it hasn’t been restored to it former glory.

This is how MET used to look like:

1945, after the war. Photo from Sir Lawrence’s blog.

Sir Lawrence told us that the theater became an ice cream parlor, boxing arena, a gay club and a squatter’s colony of around 50 families before it was rebuilt. Ms. Vilma Santos used to host a popular variety show there in the 1980 to early 1990s and several top Filipino celebrities debuted their respective careers in the same stage.

One of the four Siamese dancer sculptures. This one is specifically in the front.

Off we go inside~ Flashlights on everyone!

Where we entered. Hallway on the first floor. Costumes poorly stored :/ [my camera’s lens seem dirty The First Manila Contemporary Dance Festival, 1991

We went to the stage area of the Conchita Sunico Hall but I don’t have photos of that area. It was too dark that my point and shoot camera can’t handle, even with flash. 🙁

Main Entrance Hall

Here’s what everyone has been waiting for: going to the top of the MET. I was about to stay on the third floor, because I saw how steep the stairs is and I was too tired to move. But thinking that I will be there alone and it was close to getting dark, I went upstairs, even if I had to do it slowly and get dirty in the process :))

LRT 1 Train approaching Central Station.

We stayed there for 10-15 minutes. I got some pictures of me taken by my new friend Ate Bebang but I’d rather not post them 😛

Has the tour already ended? There’s more! 🙂

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