This November, Barcelona will inaugurate a new theater in the Eixample: the Teatre Balmes. Balmes street 137 (between Rosselló and Còrsega) will host this rehabilitated space that focuses on comedy and humor, but without closing the door to dance, flamenco, or shows for the whole family.
Does the location sound familiar? It's no coincidence. The premises on Balmes street have more than a hundred years of history and have lived a thousand lives. It was born as a cinema at the beginning of the 20th century, it was the mythical Sala Parthenon and, in recent years, it became a space dedicated to flamenco (first as Palacio del Flamenco and then as Tablao la Pacheca). Now, after a period with its shutters down, it is preparing to start a completely new chapter.
The renovation of Balmes 137
This inauguration comes from the hand of two cultural companies: MPC Management (the home of comedians like Berto Romero, José Corbacho, Grison, or Charlie Pee) and Brot Cultural, responsible for managing the Rambleta space in Valencia. Both production companies have allied with an agreement for the next 20 years and have dedicated an investment of 1.5 million euros to renovate the space.
Since last March, they have been working on the rehabilitation of the hall to offer an adapted, comfortable, and modern space. One of the most notable points of the renovation is that the new seats are retractable and can be hidden under the stage. This allows the hall to transform according to the occasion: it can accommodate the 490 traditional chairs or become a dance floor for 500 standing people or be a café-theater with tables and chairs for 350 spectators.
The organization wanted to preserve the characteristic 1940s atmosphere of the space and, for this reason, they have added a second smaller hall, for about 100 people, ideal for enjoying small-format shows such as monologues, concerts, or magic.
The theatrical proposal of the new Teatre Balmes
With Rocío Huet as executive director and Julia García managing the hall, the theater will have an almost uninterrupted activity rhythm, especially from Thursday to Sunday, when up to three performances per day will be scheduled. The first confirmed titles make the house's intentions clear: a lot of humor with Txabi Franquesa and his Escocía; Jordi Merca with Yo sobreviví a EGB; and Santi Rodríguez with Como en la casa de uno...
These proposals will share the stage with the gestural and acrobatic humor of Wilbur in Piensa en Wilbur, the couple's reflections by Oscar Saenz in Terapia de parejas, Juampi González's Oveja Negra show, and David Dominguez's nineties vision in El raro de los 90.
The artistic proposal of this first stage goes far beyond traditional stand-up and opens up to other scenic formats. One of the main attractions will be Vaga y maleanta, a show led by Kiki Morgan that combines cabaret, humor, and protest to perform an exercise in historical memory around the persecution suffered by the LGTBIQ+ community during Francoism.
Musical and interactive theater will also have a place on the billboard with proposals like El nuevo musical de los 80s 90s, a journey of nostalgia, rhythm, and the great hits that marked an entire generation. For its part, the musical comedy Se ha escrito un crimen, starring Naim Thomas, proposes a game of intrigue and humor where the fourth wall disappears. In this production, the spectator is not limited to being a mere observer, but gets involved in solving the mystery where each song and dialogue can be a key clue to discover the culprit.
Thinking about the little ones and family functions on weekends, Teatre Balmes offers participatory shows and tributes such as Aventures amb Maui - Tribut a Vaiana, La màgia del gel - Tribut a Frozen, the musical show El baúl mágico - Tributo a Disney and the proposal Chuchuwá: Juga viatjant. The offer is completed with magic by Shado in Cleptómago and humor for new generations by Wiz Problema in El Multiverso.
Barcelona recovers a cultural space in the Eixample thanks to the opening of Teatre Balmes. From November 1st, number 137 Balmes street will be a new meeting point where comedy, musical theater, and magic will be the protagonists.