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Monday, November 24, 1997

Theater restoration renews hope for Mexican-American 'cultural zone'

By KELLEY SHANNON / Associated Press Writer

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Well-dressed patrons packed the house and big-name Spanish-language entertainers lit up the stage and screen in the heyday of the Alameda Theater.

With its bold art deco design and prominent downtown location, the Alameda opened in 1949 and became a jewel in a vibrant Mexican-American business district.

Today, the once-radiant Alameda is dark.

But theater enthusiasts hope that won't be the case for long. Proclaiming "Viva El Alameda," they are launching a campaign to restore the colorful building to its past splendor and turn it into a modern performance hall emphasizing Hispanic arts.

They also hope the Alameda's rebirth will rejuvenate a part of downtown considered a bedrock for local Mexican-American culture.

A few blocks away are El Mercado - a Mexican-style marketplace - and the new University of Texas at San Antonio downtown campus, which aims to attract more Hispanics to higher education.

"This is part of my personal commitment to this cultural zone ... a cultural zone that is about the Mexican-American experience," said Henry Munoz, chairman of the non-profit Centro Alameda Inc.

Centro Alameda is working with the city of San Antonio to restore the 2,400-seat, city-owned theater.

A capital campaign to be launched next spring will seek approximately $7 million toward the $14 million restoration. Already, $7.1 million has been committed by the city and private sources.

Also in the works is a deal with the Smithsonian Institution, whereby the Washington museum would work with Centro Alameda and other organizations to create a "satellite" presence in San Antonio and the Texas-Mexico border region, Munoz said.

The Alameda in the 1950s became a nationally recognized venue for Spanish-language acts and movies. Stars such as Maria Felix, Pedro Gonzalez and Antonio Aguilar entertained predominantly Hispanic audiences.

"This is a huge cultural icon for the Mexican-American community, and the Mexican community," Munoz said. "It's very much about the Mexican-American middle-class and being accepted by the United States."

For Munoz and others, the Alameda has personal significance.

Munoz's father and grandfather were movie projectionists at the Alameda, and his grandmother used to take Munoz to Spanish-language movies there.

"I sat right there - right in the middle," Munoz smiled, pointing at a row of bright green seats. "I've been in this building hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times."

Irma Guerrero, who formerly worked on the Alameda project, recalled the Alameda as the theater where Mexican-Americans were welcome.

"This was the only theater that we were allowed to come to. We were not allowed to go to other venues," Ms. Guerrero said. "So this was home for many of us."

The Alameda began losing its luster by the 1970s and has been closed since the start of the 1990s.

G.A. "Tano" Lucchese started construction of the Alameda in late 1946. At its dedication more than two years later he said he intended the theater to be "a symbol of goodwill and better understanding between Latin Americans and Anglo Americans."

The Casa de Mexico International Building adjoining the Alameda once housed the Mexican consul general's office, the Mexico tourism office and the Mexican Chamber of Commerce.

Inside the theater, huge murals by Pedro Teran depict the history of Texas and Mexico - complete with Mexico's pyramids, Spanish missions, the Alamo and the six flags of Texas.

Original architect N. Straus Nayfach blended art deco and the architecture of the Southwest and Mexico in designing the theater.

Blue, green and yellow tile adorn the exterior and some of the theater's interior. Plant life murals on lobby walls add a tropical feel. And daring pink tile gives the women's restroom a most unique look.

Under the guidance of architect Killis Almond, Centro Alameda plans to restore those old fixtures and add to the theater.

The stage is to be expanded from 19 feet to 50 feet deep. Smaller theaters are to be built in other parts of the structure. And a state-of-the-art teaching facility is planned for use in a UT-San Antonio theater arts degree program.

Restoration of the Alameda is one of several theater revival projects taken on in recent years downtown. The nearby Majestic Theatre, a 1920s-era theater, reopened in 1989 after a major restoration. And the smaller Empire Theatre is currently under renovation.

Munoz envisions the new Alameda Theater as a home for Latino performing arts and a showcase for Tejano music. He also hopes the theater and surrounding area interest tourists who want to see another side of San Antonio in addition to the famous River Walk.

Most of all, the reborn Alameda may enchant a new generation of local young people.

"Our vision of this place is not just for the tourists," Munoz said. "It's for the people of San Antonio."Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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