Rozentheater

Rozentheater is a theatre and former cinema located at Rozengracht 117 in Amsterdam-Centrum, Netherlands. The venue opened on 22 March 1913 with a mixed programme of light music, variety acts and the film 'Het geheim van den galeiboef', and was founded by merchant Hartog Zwaluw (Swaluw) and his son Michael Zwaluw (Swaluw). The building, designed by the architectural duo Zeeger Gulden and Melle Geldmaker, was intended to serve a neighbourhood that then lacked its own theatre or cinema, and it originally seated around a thousand people. Over the following decades the house changed names several times: Asta (1926–1948), Capitol (1948–1971) and Mickery (1972–1988), before returning to the name Rozentheater in 1994. It began as a cinema, added variety performances from 1918, and in 2002 the building was designated a national monument (rijksmonument). Since 2013 Rozentheater has been the home of the improvisational comedy company Boom Chicago. In addition to its stage programme, the Rozentheater name is used by an online platform that documents and analyses theatre: it publishes reviews, background stories on makers and rehearsals, and articles on dramaturgy, stage technique, creative processes and audience psychology, covering both classical drama and experimental forms.

Rozentheater occupies a building at Rozengracht 117 in Amsterdam-Centrum, designed by the architectural duo Zeeger Gulden and Melle Geldmaker. The initiative came from merchant Hartog Zwaluw (Swaluw, 1861–1933) and his son Michael Zwaluw (Swaluw, 1885–1942), who saw that the neighbourhood around the Rozengracht had no theatre or cinema. The venue opened on 22 March 1913 with a varied programme: Albert Bol (light music), Miss Lona (pony and dogs), the Nederlands Dubbel Mannenkwartet (classical music), The Great Martialo and Co (balancing act) and the film 'Het geheim van den galeiboef'. Jacques Bruske composed the specially written 'Rozenmarsch' for the opening and conducted the ensemble himself. The house originally had around a thousand seats. In its first years it served as a cinema, and from 1918 variety performances were also staged. The theatre changed names several times: it was called Asta (1926–1948), Capitol (1948–1971) and Mickery (1972–1988). Since 1994 it has again been known as Rozentheater. In 2002 the building was designated a rijksmonument (national monument). Since 2013 Rozentheater has been the home of Boom Chicago, an improvisational comedy company. Alongside the physical venue, the Rozentheater name is used by an online platform that documents and analyses theatre, publishing reviews and articles on dramaturgy, stage technique, creative processes and audience psychology, and following both classical drama and experimental forms.

• 2013

  Rozentheater becomes the home of Boom Chicago.

• 2002

  The building is designated a rijksmonument (national monument).

• 1994

  The venue returns to the name Rozentheater.

• 1972

  The theatre is renamed Mickery (1972–1988).

• 1948

  The theatre is renamed Capitol (1948–1971).

• 1926

  The theatre is renamed Asta (1926–1948).

• 1918

  Variety performances are added alongside cinema screenings.

• 1913

  Rozentheater opens on 22 March at Rozengracht 117 with a mixed programme of music, variety and film.

A historic Amsterdam venue combining cinema and live theatre, now known as the home of Boom Chicago and as an online platform for theatre analysis and stories.

• Theatre performances

• Cinema screenings

• Variety shows

• Boom Chicago improvisational comedy

• Rozentheater online theatre blog and reviews

1. 1Rozentheater – Recensies, cultuurverhalen en podiuminzichtrozentheater.nl
2. 2Rozen Theater – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Rozentheater – Wikipedia (NL)nl.wikipedia.org