Located in the heart of the Historic Center of Mexico City, at number 16 of the Lázaro Cárdenas Central Axisa few steps from the Latin American Tower, the Blanquita theater It opened its doors in 1960 and for decades it shone with the presence of great artists, comedians and musicians, until its closure in 2015.
Today, after almost a decade of being closed, its reopening could be imminent, since it was recently announced that it was declared the nation's cultural heritage.
The golden years of the Blanquita theater
According to journalist Merry MacMasters in an article for La Jornada, the history of this venue actually began in 1949 with the opening of the Margo theater, an initiative of the dancer, writer and businesswoman Margo Su and her husband Félix Cervantes. Likewise, in its nine years of operation, the Margo, inaugurated by Jorge Negrete, consecrated figures such as María Victoria and the composer Dámaso Pérez Prado.
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However, the place was demolished in 1958, giving rise to the construction of the Blanquita, named in honor of one of the daughters of the couple (some sources point to Cervantes' first cousin) and inaugurated in 1960 with Libertad Lamarque and Ninón Sevilla like godmothers From that moment on, it would be one of the most famous performing venues in the capital, where Mario Moreno Cantinflas, Germán Valdés, Tin Tan, Lucha Villa and Sonora Santanera would be applauded.
Likewise, at that time, the Blanquita was a meeting point for the capital's intellectuality: Vicente Rojo, José Luis Cuevas, Francisco Toledo, Gabriel García Márquez and Carlos Fuentes. In fact, Carlos Monsiváis, in his chronicle Save Dayswrote that it was “a warehouse, the site of the preservation and rescue of everything salvageable and preserving.”
New air for the cultural venue?
With the passage of time, the Blanquita lost its shine and it was not until 1999, when it was given as a concession to the OCESA company, resuming its activities as a musical and entertainment forum. Later, in 2015 it would close its doors permanently.
Likewise, thanks to the fact that in 2016 the venue was declared urban cultural heritage of Mexico City, it was not demolished and its exclusive use for performing arts was also assured. However, it has remained closed since then.
Finally, it seems that their situation could change, as it was recently announced that Blanquita is now part of the country's cultural heritage. And although the news has not yet been confirmed by the authorities, it could be part, along with other properties in the Historic Center, of an urban and cultural renewal project in the area.
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