The Bragança Municipal Theatre (TMB) will mark its 20th anniversary with the inauguration of a “wall of fame” and “an eclectic program” to reach all audiences, the director of the cultural space said today.
At a press conference to present the program for the first four months of the year, the TMB’s director, João Cristiano Cunha, said that the “wall of fame” will now include 20 names, in keeping with the number of years being celebrated.
“We’ve taken the messages that the artists leave in the TMB artists’ book and their autographs to put them on a prominent wall, so that our audience can see what they’ve said about the city and the way they’ve been welcomed,” João Cristiano Cunha explained to journalists.
These messages have been collected since 2020, when the theater became an artists’ book.
“We thought it was important to select those who have the greatest relevance, impact and prominence and who have left the most interesting messages to Bragança,” continued the director, unveiling names such as Eunice Muñoz, who died in 2022, Ruy de Carvalho, Virgílio Carvalho, Maria Rueff, Miguel Guilherme, Nuno Coelho, Rodrigo Leão, The Gift, Pedro Abrunhosa, Rui Veloso, Sérgio Godinho or Paulo de Carvalho.
The figures highlighted by this “wall of fame” are invited to be present at the end of the month, when it marks its 20th anniversary. “We hope that some of them will be able to accept the invitation,” said João Cristiano Cunha.
On its anniversary, January 31st, the TMB will have a new website.
A commemorative concert is also planned for the same day, with a repeat on February 1 for the general public and free admission, where Ludwig Van Beethoven will be played.
“It’s with the Orquestra do Norte. With the particularity of having a participatory choir that includes the city of Bragança – Bricoir-t, Coro Brigantino and Coro do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança – and also a choir from Amarante, from Paços Brandão,” said the head of the TMB.
The press conference also presented the rest of the program until April and the Totally Tina! Tribute to Tina Turner, on May 4, which arrives in Bragança one year after the singer’s death.
On January 27, Bragança hosts the Nirvana Symphonic Tribute.
The TMB will host artists who are celebrating 25 years of career this year, such as Fadomorse (February 28) and David Fonseca, making his debut on the Brigantine stage on April 6, who will be touring national theaters with “Still’25”.
“The idea is to put on a program that is eclectic and that appeals to all audiences. […] The theater belongs to everyone and for everyone, with the prices we charge, which is also relevant. And many of them are free,” said João Cristiano Cunha.
For the prices – in this first schedule, tickets range from 5 to 11 euros – there is a municipal investment of around 350 thousand euros.
“We see these shows in other theaters nationwide where the prices double and sometimes even triple. It’s a great investment in culture and in training audiences, people and access to knowledge,” Fernanda Silva, Bragança City Council’s Councillor for Culture, told reporters, revealing that the municipality is formalizing its application to join the Network of Portuguese Theatres and Cinemas.
In 2023, the TMB had an occupancy rate of 82.4%, with 17,891 spectators in 109 sessions.
The program and tickets can now be purchased, either in person or online.
