{"id":15658,"date":"2023-07-17T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/?p=15658"},"modified":"2023-07-11T13:36:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T12:36:29","slug":"a-night-at-the-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/2023\/07\/17\/a-night-at-the-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE ALHAMBRA:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The  Jewel In The Crown Of Bradford<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Norman Warwick<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.visitbradford.com\/thedms.aspx?dms=3&venue=1583637<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alhambra Theatre is the jewel in the crown of Bradford. Built in 1914 and refurbished in 1986 with stunning results.

Today, the Alhambra is regarded as the North’s premier touring venue and hosts the best in large scale entertainment from ballet and opera to variety and comedy, musicals, drama and, of course, the annual pantomime.

Regular visits are made from prestigious companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Northern Ballet, Disney Theatrical, the National Theatre, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and David Ian Productions.

Enjoy a pre-theatre meal at the sumptuous Restaurant 1914 or upgrade your booking for any Alhambra Theatre show and gain access to the VIP Laidler Room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The facilities of the building and high quality of the programme ensure that the Alhambra Theatre is popular with patrons throughout the region as well as being a source of pride in Bradford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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TMA National Award Winners 2009 for Most Welcoming Theatre. Bradford Theatres welcome people with access requirements. If you require specific assistance or advice in advance of your visit, please contact our House Managers on 01274 432375. Or please ask for a copy of our leaflet, Access to Bradford Theatres. Wheelchair access There are six wheelchair spaces at the Alhambra. Level access via Great Horton Road for the Alhambra. Please let us know if your requirements at the time of booking. Wheelchair accessible toilets are available at the Alhambra. Hearing enhancement The auditoria at the Alhambra and St George’s Hall are equipped with infa-red audio systems. Headsets available from confectionary kiosks. Signed \/ Captioned performances for deaf \/ hoh patrons. There are sign language interpreted performances and captioned performances at stated shows. Our Minicom Number is 01274 305592 or fax your booking on 01274 431033. Visually impared There are audio described performances at stated shows. Brochures are available in large print and Braille. Call 01274 432375. Guide dogs are welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0might be a theatre in\u00a0Bradford<\/a>, West Yorkshire, England, but it is named after the\u00a0Alhambra<\/a>\u00a0palace in\u00a0Granada<\/a>, Spain, which was the place of residence of the\u00a0Emir<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Emirate of Granada<\/a>. It was built in 1913 at a cost of \u00a320,000 for theatre impresario\u00a0Francis Laidler<\/a>, and opened on Wednesday 18 March 1914. In 1964,\u00a0Bradford City Council<\/a>\u00a0bought the Alhambra for \u00a378,900 and in 1974, it was designated a Grade II\u00a0listed building<\/a>. It underwent extensive refurbishment in 1986. Today it is a\u00a0receiving house<\/a>\u00a0for large-scale touring theatre of all types and the main house seats 1,456.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Francis Laidler<\/a>, who already owned two\u00a0music halls<\/a>\u00a0in Bradford, opened the new Alhambra Theatre in 1914. The architects were Chadwick and Watson, who described it as “English renaissance of the Georgian period”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building is recognisable for its large domed turret with giant-paired\u00a0Corinthian columns<\/a>\u00a0an iconic landmark on the Bradford skyline together with the complementary domes on the adjacent, disused\u00a0Bradford Odeon<\/a>. Behind this, the building is stepped up, culminating in tall square towers with smaller domes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is situated on a sloping site amongst other Bradford landmarks \u2013 the\u00a0National Media Museum<\/a>, aforementioned Bradford Odeon, the former Windsor Baths building and\u00a0Bradford City Park<\/a>. The entrance to the building is on the corner on the other side of the building to the dome and has a distinctive iron and glass\u00a0canopy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, the exterior is faced in white faience<\/a>, which has now been painted white and grey. The faience was produced by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inside, the\u00a0auditorium<\/a>\u00a0consists of two tiers, a balcony and an aisle. It is highly decorated with plasterwork. There is moulded plasterwork to the curved balcony fronts and elliptically bowed balconies to the\u00a0boxes<\/a>, which are situated in round arched openings with giant fluted Corinthian columns. The circular auditorium ceiling is decorated and has a small rectangular dome to centre. There is a rectangular\u00a0proscenium arch<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alhambra is part of the Bradford Theatres group, which also includes St. George’s Hall<\/a> and King’s Hall, Ilkley<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theatre is also a member of the Dance Consortium, a group of theatres who collaborate to bring international dance theatre to the UK<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1,400 capacity main house is a major touring venue and hosts a wide range of stage shows from ballet and opera to variety and comedy, musicals, drama and, of course, the annual\u00a0pantomime<\/a>. Regular visits are made from prestigious companies such as\u00a0Opera North<\/a>, the\u00a0Royal Shakespeare Company<\/a>,\u00a0Birmingham Royal Ballet<\/a>,\u00a0Northern Ballet Theatre<\/a>,\u00a0Matthew Bourne<\/a>‘s New Adventures and the\u00a0Royal National Theatre<\/a>\u00a0to complement spectacular\u00a0West End<\/a>\u00a0musicals such as\u00a0Grease<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Miss Saigon<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Whistle Down the Wind<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0The Phantom of the Opera<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0Wicked<\/em><\/a>\u00a0started its world tour at the Alhambra Theatre in 2016<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complex also houses a smaller\u00a0studio theatre<\/a>, with seating for 200, or standing room for 300. This is mainly used for new comedy, including tours by\u00a0Alun Cochrane<\/a>,\u00a0Tom Stade<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0Patrick Monahan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012 a new restaurant, called\u00a0“Restaurant 1914”<\/em>\u00a0was opened at the top of the Alhambra theatre, with views overlooking\u00a0Bradford City Park<\/a>.\u00a0This new restaurant, headed by head chef John Monkhouse and senior bars and catering manager Marc Johannson, was constructed at a cost of \u00a3250,000 and has more than doubled the dining capacity of the theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my wife, Dee and I, were trustees of Can\u00b4t Dance Can (nee Spiraldance) in Rochdale our Chair organised a trip over the Pennines to see the Alvin Ailey dance group, from the USA perform at The Alhambra. That was many years ago now, but the sight of the theatre lit up against the dark sky as we approached is as vivid now as it was then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As the title of show promised, the performance was one full of Revelations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dance routines, a look at the ante-bellum, were using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey\u2019s Revelations <\/em>fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans. Seeing Revelations<\/em> for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive \u201cI Been \u2019Buked\u201d to the rousing \u201cWade in the Water\u201d and the triumphant finale, \u201cRocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ailey said that one of America\u2019s richest treasures was the African-American cultural heritage\u2014\u201csometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.\u201d This enduring classic is a tribute to that tradition, born out of the choreographer\u2019s \u201cblood memories\u201d of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church. But since its premiere in 1960, the ballet has been performed continuously around the globe, transcending barriers of faith and nationality, and appealing to universal emotions, making it the most widely-seen modern dance work in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole evening was incredible and the sense of inspiration as we then left the theatre was almost tangible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ailey said that one of America\u2019s richest treasures was the African-American cultural heritage\u2014\u201csometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dance","category-performing-arts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15658"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15664,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15658\/revisions\/15664"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}