Mad About Madrid

La Bruja (The Witch) at the Teatro de la Zarzuela

According to Wikipedia, Zarzuela

is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. The name derives from a Royal hunting lodge, the Palacio de la Zarzuela near Madrid, where this type of entertainment was first presented to the court. There are two main forms of zarzuela: Baroque zarzuela (c.1630–1750), the earliest style, and Romantic zarzuela (c.1850–1950), which can be further divided into two, main sub-genres of género grande and género chico although other sub-divisions exist.

Well, if you enjoy opera and can understand Spanish quite well, and you're in Spain over the next couple of weeks, you could be in for a festive treat. The 150-year old Teatro de la Zarzuela is putting on one of the best works of the well-known (in Spain anyway!) composer Ruperto Chapi, La Bruja. If your Spanish is a little rusty and you would like to get the gist of what goes on, here's a site that will offer you some advice. Alternatively, you can download the complete synopsis (pdf), in English and Spanish from the Teatro de la Zarzuela website. As someone whose musical tastes are quite varied, I would certainly recommend seeing this unique Spanish experience.

Dates
14th December, 2007 - 20th January, 2008

Location
Teatro de la Zarzuela,  Jovellanos, 4
Metro: Sevilla

Oh Baby it's Cold Inside!

What happens if you put 250 tonnes of ice, 54 ice and snow artists and empty space in Madrid together?

Take a look at the video on this page to find out.

If you fancy going there, you will also find an ice rink and a couple of giant nativity scenes, amongst other things. The area is probably the heart of Madrid's business district and has a number of shopping centres nearby.

Location
Azca (Metro: Nuevos Ministerios)

Christmas in Madrid 2007

This looks like it's going to be a bumper, fun-packed Christmas in Madrid. I have just taken a look at the Christmas agenda from the Madrid City Council tourist section and it looks like 2007 will be even better than 2006. I find that the build up to Christmas in Spain is much better than places like the UK, where trees, lights and other paraphernalia start appearing in November - Marks and Spencer and the like even start selling bloody Christmas puddings in October!

Even though the Christmas lights went on a week ago, many of the other activities are staggered over the Christmas period. Like last year the Plaza de Colón will be turned into a fairytale island. Nativity scenes will be found all over the city - often in churches, history museum - and the new headquarters of the Madrid City Council (in the Palacio de Cibeles) will hold the principal nativity scene, created by José Luis Mayo. If you have never seen these before, the ones in Madrid are often sights to behold.

The Plaza Mayor has the traditional Christmas stalls where you can buy trees, nativity figures and a number of annoying products - like spray snow and fluorescent lights - that kids love.

If you want to go ice skating, you can either go to Azca (Metro Nuevos Ministerios) or the Campo de Moro (Metro Príncipe Pío or Opera). I went to Azca last year with my wife and children and there was both an ice rink and mini toboggan run - both father and son loved it!

The Plaza de España will feature a craft fair from the 20th December to the th January, where around 200 stalls will be displaying mainly gifts from Madrid.

Nore information can be found on the esMadrid website.

Mad About Madrid Back Writing

I haven't posted for a good, few weeks now. I have actually been to my wife's village in El Barraco, near Avila. I had a good time, my son learnt to ride a bike; I actually saw a couple of bullfights (courtesy of free tickets from my brother-in-law); went on a quad ride; ate good food and drank one or two beers!

Anyway, here's something that caught my eye this week. It looks like there will be a couple of new musicals starting in September. The first is Jesus Christ Superstar at the Teatro Lope de Vega. Starring Miquel Fernández, the Andrew Lloyd-Webber production will open its doors on the 20th September, 2007.

On October 4th, 2007 the popular Disney musical Beauty and the Beast (La Bella y la Bestia) will begin its 6-month run at the Teatro Coliseum. It stars Julia Möller, David Ordinas y Pablo Puyol and prices range from abround 24 Euros to 70 Euros.

Veranos de la Villa - Madrid's Summer Festival

I must apologise to regular visitors to this blog for not having written an article for a while but I have been quite busy with work and developing my other website - Marketing Tom. Because of that I failed to write up about one of the big events in Madrid's calendar, the Veranos de la Villa festival. This festival runs from the 2nd July until the 26th August and offers visitors and Madrileños the ability to see around 100 shows covering music, theatre, dance, circus events and zarzuela in some of the most important venues around the city. The Sabatini gardens (next to Palacio Real), Conde Duque, Plaza Mayor, Centro Cultural de la Villa and Teatro Español are just some of those locations.

Here's a brief selection of singers who will perform - Liza Minelli, Laurie Anderson, Carlos Núñez, Andy & Lucas, David de María, Antonio Vega, Patricia Kraus and Mercedes Ferrer, Diego el Cigala, Yossou N’ Dour. Flamenco artists include: José Mercé, Carmen Linares, José Menese, Rafaela Carrasco, Manuel Molina, La Negra and Esperanza Fernández. The Patio Conde Duque will host the Boston Ballet and the Legend Lin Dance Theatre and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess is performed by the New York Harlem Theatre.

Classsic Spanish plays like Calderón de la Barca's Casa con dos puertas mala es de guardar and Shakespeare's Cymbelline will be performed in the Jardines de Galileo.

All in all, there's something for everyone.

For more (much more) information, take a look at the Veranos de la Villa microsite from EsMadrid.

Madrid Flamenco Festival - Suma Famenca - Returns for 2nd Year

This week sees the start of Suma Flamenca, a Flamenco Festival put on by the Madrid City Council. It brings together some of the biggest names in Flamenco and offers the possibility of seeing dance, singing and instrumental shows. Some of the hottest names in Flamenco will be in town this week, including José Menese, Enrique Morente, El Güito, Sara Baras, José Mercé, Serranito, Tomatito and Carmen Linares

The shows will take place both within Madrid, in venues such as Teatro Albéniz, Círculo de Bellas Artes and the Fundación Olivar del Castillejo and there will also be events held in Madrid's surrounding areas. Top Flamenco venues such as El Corral de la Morería, Café de Chinitas and Casa Patas will also be holding special shows.

The festival runs from the 7th - 26th May, 2007; take a look at the Suma Flamenca website to find out about the shows and calendar.

I Love Paris (in Madrid!)

On the 13th, 14th and 15th April, 2007 the Madrid Players are putting on a show called I Love Paris Spring Revue. According to their blog, I Love Paris:

is a tribute to the music of the City of Lights: by the American composers who fell under her spell, and the French artistes who have served as her ambassadors to the world. From Irving Berlin to Jacques Brel, from Cole Porter to Edith Piaf, The Madrid Players’ newest musical revue will feature some of the best songs of Broadway and the Grands Boulevards, all with that certain je ne sais quoi of Parisian flair!

The Madrid Players are an amateur group, comprising some 60 people, which was fouunded thirty years ago. One third of the proceeds of the show will go to Alanda, an NGO for children with autism spectrum disorders. For more information an ticket details, visit the Madrid Players website.

Christmas in the Plaza de Colón

I went to a cool, outdoor spectacular last night in the Plaza de Colón. For the Christmas period (2006)in the Plaza they have turned the area into a recreation area for children, complete with covered tents. However, last night I went with my wife and 4 year-old to see an outdoor show just next to the stone monuments of the plaza. It comprised a water fountain show, which played ´in tune´ with some well-known classical music (don´t ask me to name the music!) and an aerial spectacle, where dancers were elevated above the ground on a crane. It lasted over 30 minutes, and boy did my shoulders hurt with my son on them!, but was well worth it. The show starts at 8pm with another at 9.30pm. I believe it will be on every night for the next week.

Metro
Colón

Christmas Programme for Madrid

If you'd like an "exhaustive" programme of activities on in Madrid this Christmas, download [pdf] the esMadrid magazine. Be aware this is quite a "beefy" 8MB pdf!!

Rubén Olmo Stars as Bullfighter Belmonte

It seems like there has been quite a flood of flamenco shows going on in Madrid recently. Well, here´s another show to add to that list: Belmonte, starring one of Flamenco´s contemporary stars - Rubén Olmo. It is loosely based on the life of one of the 2oth Century´s great bullfighters, Juan Belmonte and runs from the 5th to 10th September, 2006 at the Teatro Albeniz. Ticket prices cost from 15 to 22 Euros.

Cumbre Flamenca en el Metro de Madrid

For the second year running Metro de Madrid will be holding the Cumbre Flamenca en el Metro de Madrid (Flamenco "Festival") in the city. From the 11th to the 15th September 2006, It will be inviting some of the top names in Flamenco, like María Pagés, El Capullo de Jerez, Niña Pastori, Mayte Martín and Enrique de Melchor, to perform in the Hall of Nuevos Minsiterios Metro Station. Aside from the great names is the great price: FREE. All performances take place at 10 p.m.

Summer Suggestions From El Pais

Just came across a guide on the El Pais website about things that you can do in Madrid over summer. It includes some neat little video clips of some of the city's attractions, including the Plaza de ventas, the Aquariem, Xanadu, Parque de Attraciones (fun fair), the Botanic gardens and one on Madrid's terrazas. There is a link on the main page to EP3 which gives details on upcoming events going on in the city.

Veranos de la Villa 2006

From Flamenco, to Hip Hop and from Dance to Jazz, Madrid's Summer Festival Veranos de la Villa has something for everyone. The venues for this popular event include the Sabatini Gardens (next to the Royal Palace), the Retiro Park, the Plaza Mayor, Centro Cultural Conde Duque and various cinemas and theatres. One of the busiest venues will be the Jardines de Sabatini which has various cycles: from musical, jazz and flamenco

You can view the full programme by downloading the Veranos de La Villa brochure (pdf) from the MuniMadrid site or alternatively you can view, if you the patience and like badly created flash sites, the "official" website for this festival. EsMadrid also has a breakdown (in Spanish) of the main events, too.

Antología De La Danza Española

I had an email a few days back from Victor whose company is promoting the Antología De La Danza Española (or the Anthology of Spanish Dance) at the Teatro La Latina. The show features a number of different styles that can be found in Spanish dance, from folklore and Bolero and Flamenco and the Jota. The show certainly looks spectacular and runs until the 2nd July, with prices starting from 15 Euros.

Times
Wed, Thurs & Fri: 8 p.m.
Sat: 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.
Sun: 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.

Ticket Sales
Box Office or Entradas.com

Address: Pza. Cebada, 2
Metro: Latina .

Democrats in Madrid To Hold 4th July Gig

Just got an email from the Democrats Abroad - Madrid Spain Chapter. They are hosting:

a 4th of July party open to the public on July 4, starting at 19:00, at Ribs Arturo Soria, calle Gregorio Benítez 4, Madrid. (Metro Arturo Soria). Everyone is welcome, including families with children. Admission is free. Party-goers are encouraged to wear red, white and blue. The party will feature live rock and R&B music by Guns and Butter.

I'll probably get an email from Republicans Abroad next saying they've got some gig going on (wonder if they'd say that everyone is welcome!). For more information, call Sue Burke.

Festival Madrid en Danza opens

From the 28th March to the 23rd April, 2006 Madrid will hold the Festival Madrid en Danza (Madrid Dance Festival). It will consist of 27 shows in both Madrid and the wider community. Groups from Spain (Madrid, Cataluña y Galicia) and foreign dance groups (Italy, France, the UK, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Hungary) will take part.

According to the Guia del Ocio, these are some of the shows to look out for:

Gallotta.  (from France)
Teatro Madrid. 6th to 8th April

Teresa Nieto.
Teatro La Abadía. 17th to 19th April

Prove.
Pradillo. 18th and 19th April

Metro.
Centro Cultural de la Villa
19th to 21st April

Ballet de Basilea.
Teatro Albéniz. 20th to 22nd April

Cinemas and Films in Madrid (V.O.S)

If you just fancy going to the cinema to watch a Original Version film, or even one in Spanish, 20 Minutos has a neat cinema guide. Simply select from cinema, film or genre and it will give you full details including price, time and address. For original version, look out for "V.O".

Happy San Patricio Day!

If you're in Madrid today and looking for somewhere to enjoy St Patrick's Day, take a look at El Mundo's 'special' on places to enjoy your Guinness. Irlandeses por un día tells you which places to go for food and good music.  Use the Google Translation tool to get a 'rough' translation into your language. For a complete list of Irish pubs, have a look at the Irish Bars in Madrid on this site.

Café de Chinitas at the Teatro de la Zarzuela

From the 17th to the March, 2006 to April, 2nd the Ballet Nacional de España, under the direction of its director José Antonio, is putting on a programme at the Teatro de la Zarzuela. The costumes and staging are inspired by Salvador Dalí. In 1940, Dalí was responsible for the scenery and costumes for a flamenco show which took place in New York and which features "Federico García Lorca’s world of popular music in the background". José Antonio is actually quoted as saying:

Who would say no to uniting Dalí and Lorca through Flamenco?

It sounds like it could be a wonderful show and one that you shouldn't miss if you're in Madrid (I know I won't!).

The second part, Elegía, is a personal tribute to Antonio Ruiz Soler, the legendary dancer who died 10 years ago. The show counts on the collaboration of Chano Domínguez y Grupo and Esperanza Fernández is the invited guest. The Madrid Regional Orchestra provides the music for the show.

Venue
Teatro de la Zarzuela
c/Jovellanos, 4
Metro
Sevilla

Timetable
Tues - Sat: 8pm; Sun: 6pm
Price: 11 € to 32 €
Ticket Sales
Box office (902 33 22 11)
Servicaixa  and Ticket Credit

Suite Española Presents Clave Flamenca at Teatro de Madrid

The Suite Española has been enchanting audiences across the world for the past 21 years, with their innovative flamenco style. Over  the next 17 days – from the  9th - 26th March, 2006 – they will be doing exactly the same in Madrid’s Teatro de Madrid. The Madrid audience will be the first to see ‘Clave Flamenca’, which is a homage to the composers Albéniz, Tárrega y Sarasate. The members of Suite Española will turn the creations of these composers into different flamenco rhythms, all of which will be sung, played and danced to by two female vocalists, a violinist, flautist, percussion and ten dancers.

The second part of the show is dedicated to Garnata, a story of a beautiful Jewish woman who, in the times when Granada was both Jewish and Arabic, breaks the hearts of both Jews and Arabs. It is sure to be a wonderful night of music and dance.

Timetable
Tues & Wed: 7.30 p.m.; Thurs & Fri: 8.30 p.m.
Sat: 7 p.m. & 10 p.m; Sun: 6 p.m.

Prices/Ticket Sales
10-22 Euros; Reduced Price: Tues & Wed (18 Euros)
Groups (over 20): 12 Euros
Tickets can be bought from the Box Office or through Entradas

Address
Teatro de Madrid (Avda de la Ilustración s/n)
Metro: Barrio del Pilar

Fame (Fama) - The Musical - Debuts in Teatro Calderón

From the 1st February, 2006 Madrid will be able to offer residents and visitors yet another musical. The latest offering is Fame (Fama in Spanish), based on the popular series from the 1980's and which will run at the Teatro Calderón .The Madrid version, obviously in Spanish, features singers, dancers and actors from both Spain and Latin America. Much like the series, the musical charts the story of the aspiring performers of the High School for the Performing Arts in New York, with all the usual themes: drugs, finding themselves and their sexuality.

Timetable
Tuesday- Thursday: 8.30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 6 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.
Sunday: 7.30 p.m.

Tickets
Box Office or El Corte Inglés

Price
32-50 Euros

More Details
Sudor y lágrimas, 20 años después (El Mundo Preview)

Two for One Offer on Top Madrid Musicals

I just came across an offer which Top Ticket Line is running between the 29th January and 4th February. If you buy tickets for two of the top musicals on in Madrid at the moment - Cabaret, Mamma Mia or Victor, Victoria - you will have one of them free. You can find more details on the TopTicket website.

XIV Flamenco Festival Kicks off at the Teatro Albéniz

Though the XIV Flamenco Festival has officially been going on since the 23rd January, 2006, the main venue Teatro Albéniz opens its doors to the Flamenco public on the 31st January until the 4th February. For Flamenco aficionados the principal peformers will be: Manolo Sanlúcar, Enrique Morente, Fosforito, Miguel Poveda, La Macanita, Antonio El Pipa y Óscar Herrero. More details, incuding dates, can be found on the El Mundo website.

Alice in Wonderland (dressed by Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada)

From the 27th December to the 8th January, 2006 the Centro Cultural de la Villa (beware! painfully bad website) will be putting on the play Alice in Wonderland (Alicia en el País de las Maravillas). The work is an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's book, full of verse and song, and featuring probably the most colourful collection of clothes ever put together for any work of Alice in Wonderland. The clothes have all been designed by top, Spanish fashion designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, which should mean that it will be a very colourful experience.

Opening Times:Tuesday - Sunday: 12pm, 5 pm and 7.30pm
Price: 8-10 Euros
Location: Centro Cultural de la Villa (Jardines del descubrimento s/n.)
Metro: Colón or Serrano

Retiro Ice Rink Opens for Christmas

For the second year running the Retiro Park will once open up an ice rink for the general public. It opens from 11am to 9pm until the 8th January, 2006. Each session lasts 45 minutes and costs 4 Euros (ice skates included).

Related Links
Madrid Opens Ice Rink for Christmas
Children the Central Focus of Christmas in Madrid
Christmas Lights Around Madrid
Christmas Nativity Scenes and Markets in Madrid

Children the Central Focus of Christmas in Madrid

If you're looking for activities to keep the kids occupied this Christmas, the City Council of Madrid has pretty much covered all bases. Aside from the numerous events that will be going on for children, they have made sure that some of the city's locations/centres will purely cater for kids. The Patio Central and the Patio del Norte of Conde Duque will put on theatre, music and workshops - the funds they get from putting these on will go towards a Foundation which helps out children in hospital.

The Plaza de Colón will be converted into a children's factory where children will be able to visit the three wise men (don't forget children's toys are traditionally given on the 6th January by these men from the East!); go on toboggan rides and carousels; see children's plays; see toys from the 'old days' and go on a train ride.

If you're around on the 5th January, you can see the huge procession of the Three Wise Men (Cabalgata de Reyes) which will go around the main streets of Madrid: Puerta de Alcalá, Cibeles square, calle Alcalá, Puerta del Sol, and Calle Mayor before finishing in the Plaza Mayor.

One further must do thing at Christmas is to visit 'Cortylandia' in the department store of El Corte Inglés in the Puerta del Sol. Every year they put on a show on the outside facade of the store which youngsters always love - the theme is often to do with a latest blockbuster film, like the Lion King. This year, I think it is related to the Little Mermaid.  Afterwards, why not head of to the Chocolatería San Ginés for some chocolate con churros.

Technorati Tags: Madrid

Festival de Otoño

Starting on October 6th and running for a full month, Madrid will host its yearly autumn festival, the Festival de Otoño. The festival showcases dance, music and theatre companies from around the world and is held in the major Madrid theatres: the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Teatro Madrid, the Círculo de Bellas Artes and Teatro Albéniz, to name but a few. Here is a brief overview of some of the artists and performances which will feature during this month:

Music
Joan Manuel Serrat; Elza Soares; Dead Capo; La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI and Racalmuto

Theatre
Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale and Measure for Measure (in English); Sophocles' Antigone (in Brazilian); Macbeth and Othello (in Lithuanian) and Stupidity and Versión Original Subtitulada (in Spanish) - all plays have subtitles in Spanish

Dance
Dance companies from Spain, UK, Belgium and France will be performing across the theatres of Madrid.

The website also has a list of venues, with accompanying prices and addresses.

Los Tarantos - the First Flamenco Musical Arrives in Madrid

Billed as the first Flamenco Musical, 'Los Tarantos' opens its doors this Sunday to Madrid's public in the Teatro Albéniz.  Los Tarantos is based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the book "Los Tarantos" by Alfredo Mañas and the Oscar-nominated film, which featured the dancers Carmen Amaya and Antonio Gades and was directed by Rovira Beleta. In place of the Capulets and Montagues you have the Tarantos and Zorongos, gypsy families who live in Barcelona.

More than 20 artists appear on stage, with a mixure of dancing, singing and guitar playing. The musical score is by Chicuelo, one of the most important composers and guitarrists of flamenco today and well-known flamenco artist Tomatito, the choreography is by Javier Latorre. Auditions for the parts took the production team all over Spain and the main parts have been taken by Ana Salazar (Juana) and bailaor Juan Carlos Lérida (Ismael), with Carmelilla Montoya (Soledad) and Candy Román (Rosendo).

The show runs from Sunday 11th September 2005 to October 2nd 2005.

Timetable: Tues-Fri: 8.30pm; Sat: 7pm and 10.30pm & Sun: 7pm
Venue: Teatro Albéniz
Address: c/Paz, 11
Metro: Sol
Price: 24-38 Euros (Tuesday: 16-30 Euros)

Related Articles
The flamenco musical ‘Los Tarantos’ lands in Madrid (Flamenco World)
Romeo y Julieta calés (El Mundo)
'Tarantos', un musical español sobre un Romeo y Julieta calé (Terra)

Technorati Tags: madrid | flamenco

Flamenco in the Metro

From the 12th to the 16th September, the metro station of Nuevos Ministerios will be putting on a flamenco show every single evening at 10 p.m. Among the guests who will be taking part are: Manuela Carrasco (flamenco dancer), El Lebrijano (flamenco singer), Antonio El Pipa (flamenco dancer), Falete (flamenco signer) and Tomatito (flamenco guitarist). Entry is free to these events but it would probably be advisable to get there quite early.

Metro: Nuevos Ministerios
Related link: “Cumbre Flamenca” en el Metro de Madrid (Zona Musical)

Fiesta of the Virgen de la Paloma

The month of August sees a number of fiestas going on around the city. Probably the biggest and most wel known is the Virgen de la Paloma, which has been celebrated since the 18th century. Around 'old Madrid' - Plaza de las Vistillas, La Paloma and Toledo streets and the Plaza de la Paja and Plaza de los Carros you will find a number of events (concerts, processions and street events) going on and people dressed in traditional Marileño costume. The fiesta starts on the 11th August and culminates on the 15th with the procession of a picture of the Virgin through the streets carried by the fireman of the city council.

La Otra Mirada del Flamenco - Flamenco Festival

The flamenco festival La Otra Mirada del Flamenco will this year celebrate its tenth anniversary at the Teatro Pradillo. It has supported comtemporary flamenco artists and projects over the decade and says itself that some of the productions have been quite risky and have broken new ground. For the tenth anniversary they have put together a line up of both young and well-known artists such as Belén Maya and Rafaela Carrasco, Angel Rojas, Manuel Liñán and Silvia Marín.

The press information actually says that La Otra Mirada del Flamenco will give international visitors to Madrid an alternative flamenco programme of great quality in a small format to the purely commercial offerings that can be found.

Ticket Prices: 12 Euros can be bought at the theatre
Address: C/ Pradillo, 12
Metro: Concha Espina (Exit Plaza Cataluña)

Madrid's Cultural Summer Programme

Throughout July and right up to August 14th, the Madrid City Council puts on its summer entertainment programme, called Veranos de la Villa, which sees events taking place both indoors and outdoors and cuts across the cultural spectrum. It is a wonderful opportunity to see Spanish culture at its best and the programme includes flamenco, dance, music, zarzuela, theatre and much more. Here are some examples of what's on offer:

• Soloists from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden will sing in the Plaza de Oriente (in front  of the Royal Palace).
• Flamenco dance companies and singers like Compañia Manuela Carrasco, La Tana (Montse Cortés), Belén Maya, Carmen Linares and El Cigala will also play the Sabatini Gardens
• Richard III will be performed by the Centro Drámatico Galego
• Miguel Riós, Roberta Flack, Robert Cray and Antonio Vega will play the Patio Central de Conde Duque

This is just a small selection of what's going on over this time. I would suggest you take a look at the  Veranos de la Villa site - it is in Spanish but you should be able to find your way around. Tip: Actividades means activities/events and Espacios, venues. Many of the events are free, though there is a small charge for indoor venues.

The Barber of Seville at the Teatro Real

Rossini's Opera, the Barber of Seville, opens today at Madrid's Teatro Real. Under the musical directorship of Gianluigi Gelmetti the opera will run until the 29th January and is being staged by the Teatro Real company in association with Teatro São Carlos from Lisbon.

There are 14 performances and 6 of these provide for reduced ticket prices (up to 50%)). Should you be unable to get a ticket, you can catch a live performance on TVE2, Spain's public television channel, which is showing a live performance on 25th January at 8 p.m. Tickets can be bought from the Teatro Real box office (Metro Ópera).

What's Going on in Madrid over Christmas

Just before I sign off for Christmas, here's a link to a pdf that you can download from the Madrid City Council website which lists a number of events - concerts, workshops, shows and nativity scenes - that are going on in the city until the second week of January. It is in Spanish but you should be able to make out  a lot of what is said. Consulta al Programa de las Fiestas (2.470 KB) (2004)

Related Links (2005)
Madrid Opens Ice Rink for Christmas (2005)
Children the Central Focus of Christmas in Madrid (2005)
Christmas Lights Around Madrid (2005)
Christmas Nativity Scenes and Markets in Madrid (2005)
Retiro Ice Rink Opens for Christmas (2005)

Music in the Plazas of Madrid over Christmas

Over the Christmas period the City Council of Madrid has organised a series of concerts at some of the main squares across the city.

Plaza del Conde de Barajas - 22nd December (8 p.m.)
Orfeón de Madrid

Plaza de Colón - 23rd December (8 p.m.)
Orfeón de Madrid

Plaza de Carros - 26th December (8 p.m.)
Nueva Orleans Jazz Band 

Plaza Santa Ana - 27th December (8 p.m.)
Orfeón de Madrid 

Plaza del Conde de Barajas* - 28th December (8 p.m.)
Cuadro Flamenco. Talegón de Córdoba y Manuel Malena 

Plaza de Oriente – 29th December (8 p.m.)
Orfeón de Madrid

Plaza del Conde de Barajas – 30th December (8p.m.)
Matritum Cantat

*concerts in the Plaza del Conde de Barajas take place next to the City Council Nativity Scene

Christmas fun for the Children

This Christmas the city of Madrid will be putting on an a number of shows and activities specifically targeted at children. As the events are mainly in Spanish, this article is aimed at my Spanish (or Spanish speaking) readers. You will find Alice in Wonderland (Alicia en el país de las maravillas); Garfield; Sleeping Beauty (La bella durmiente); the Snow Queen (La Reina de las Nieves); Romeo and Juliet and Los Lunnis (a popular Spanish TV programme for children).

In the Centro Cultural Conde Duque children will be able to choose from theatre, music and the cinema; whilst there are a couple of street shows in the Retiro Park related to Don Quixote. The Auditorio del Conde Duque will also project the silent films of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, complete with a piano in the auditorium.

In addition, children can see puppet shows and the 'smallest circus in the world'

More information
Navidad para toda la familia (El Mundo)
Diversión para niños en Navidad (Esmadrid)

Mamma Mia, the musical, comes to Madrid

The International hit, Mamma Mia, has finally landed in Madrid. The show, written by Catherine Johnson, opens on the 11th November in the Teatro Lope de Vega de Madrid. The musical has been translated into Spanish by Juan Martinez Moreno and the lyrics of the songs by Albert Mas-Griera. Mamma Mia is said to be the biggest musical in the world, with over 18 million people having seen it.

The story unfolds on a tiny Greek island. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The show is in Spanish and its main characters are: Nina, Marta Valverde and Paula Sebastiá.

Address: Teatro Lope de Vega de Madrid (Gran Vía, 57).
Times: Tues-Thurs at 8pm; Fri & Sat: 6pm & 10pm; Sun: 7pm
Price: 15 - 65 euros. Ticket Sales: Box Office and El Corte Inglés (www.elcorteingles or 902 40 02 22)

Links of Interest
Mamma Mia Official site
El Mundo Preview

Festival de Otoño - a festival of music, theatre and dance

Starting on the 13th Ocotber and going on until the 14th November, the Festival de Otoño (Autumn festival) brings together dance, music and theatre acts to a wide range of venues across Madrid. You can enjoy music from Brazil, including Caetano Veloso, and the Serrat Sinfónico. Dance spectacles come from Spain, Belgium and Holland and inlcude a flamenco show called the 4 elements.

Top Tips for Madrid (Part 1)

1. Get the Metro or Airport Bus from the airport to the centre of town. It's far cheaper than a taxi.
2. In order to get around the city buy a 10-ticket metro/bus pass. This entitles you to use both the bus and metro - also don't forget to ask for a metro map at any station.
3. Free admission to the Prado Museum on Sundays and for over 65’s and under 18’s with identification at all times.
4. Buy a reduced price ticket(7.66 Euros) for the Golden Triangle of Museums, which allows you to get in to the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen Musuem.
5. Keep an eye out for the Menú del Día (plate of the day) signs. It consists of a 3-course meal and has to be offered by all eating establishments. It is usually accompanied with bread and wine and usually offers great value from around 9/10 Euros.
6. Buy the Guía del Ocio guide or the Metropoli arts/culture magazine from the newspaper El Mundo on Fridays.
7. Change your eating/going out times. The Spanish eat lunch around 2-3 pm; dinner between 8-10 pm and won't go out on the town till around 10.30pm
8. Don't worry about the drinking water, it is exceptionally good and comes from the Madrid mountains.
9. Don't buy/sell currency from the small exhange booths (usually located around Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía). For a much better exchange rate go direct to the big banks but don't forget they close at around 2pm.
10. Remember that most palaces, museums and other places of interest are closed on Mondays.

Sara Baras brings her flamenco show 'Sueños' to Madrid

“… her dance is sculptural and magnificent, her footwork of a virtuosity rarely attained by a female flamenco dancer.” — Le Figaro

From the 17th August to the 5th Spetember, visitors to the Teatro Lope de Vega will be able to enjoy a flamenco show given by one of the countries most popular Flamenco Artists, Sara Baras. Her show Sueños, which has toured all over the world, will display to the audience the various forms of this dance form. She is accompanied by 7 dancers and 3 musicians in a 2-hour show which will mark the end of Festival Chivas Regal. Take a look at the Sara Baras website for more information on her and her shows (some of it is in English, just click on Biografía). You can also find more information on Sara Baras on Flamenco World.

Ticket Prices: 15 to 33 Euros
Ticket Sales:Box Office & El Corte Inglés
Address/Telephone: Gran Vía, 57; 91 547 20 11
Metro: Santa Domingo

Veranos de la Villa - Madrid Summer Festival

For 2006 click here: Veranos de la Villa 2006

During the months of July and August, the streets, gardens, theatres and other public places of Madrid see a number of activities organised by the Madrid Council for Art and called Veranos de la Villa. The city plays host to dance, music, theatrical events and zarzuela throughout this period. You can catch Flamenco Nights in the Sabatini Gardens (next to the Royal Palace); Spirit of the Dance by the Arabic Wall; Bizet's Carmen, Madame Butterfly and Steve Winwood in Conde Duque and a variety of Zarzuelas, too.

Details of the events, times and prices can be found on the Veranos de la Villa website or you can download the Veranos de la Villa press release.  In the 'Useful Information' section of the site, you will find the Madrid locations where these events take place.

Related Links
Veranos de la Villa 2006

Parque de Attracciones - Amusement park

The Parque de Atracciones, set in Madrid's vast Casa de Campo park, is the city's main theme park. It has been around for many, many years and is open all year round. Summer makes it an ideal place to visit, especially at night, because in addition to its many attractions the air is much cooler than the centre of the city. Here is an excerpt from the Spain.info website on the attractions you can expect:

Mythical roller coasters like 7 Picos (7 peaks) are joined by such impressive attractions as El Tornado, La Lanzadera or La Turbina. Roller coasters that reach speeds of 80 km/h, giant pendulums that can move 180 degrees, or free falls from 63 metres high turn your visit into an unforgettable experience. Strong emotions are the order of the day on aquatic attractions such as Los Fiordos or Los Rápidos, which offer a good moment to cool down.

In the Tranquil Zone more relaxing activities are offered such as boats trips in the jungle, a 15 metre high ferris wheel, or great radio control games.Small children have their own area with small roller coasters and water slides, bumper cars or pirate ships, all mini sized.Puppet theatres, train rides or adventure playgrounds complete the offering.

During the summer months the Parque de Atracciones plays host to a number of concerts, with performances taking place in a specially designed auditorium. In addition, there are a huge amount of bars and restaurants to be found within the park - it is also refreshing to find restaurants which will serve up typical Spanish fair and not the usual junk food you associate with theme parks. However, if you wish to bring your own food and drink, there are zones/picnic areas set apart for people to enjoy pre-prepared food.

Entry Prices
Calco (pass) adult (7 and above) 20.90 €.
Calco (pass) child (children 3-7 ): 11.80 €.
Child under 3 : Free admission.
Admission only:5.00 €.

Getting there
Bus: Lines 33 and 35.
Metro: Line 10 (Batán Station).

Cine Doré and Filmoteca - No Blockbuster films here!