Live entertainment is popular in Quito, with dance shows, concerts, and comedy clubs. Prices are quite reasonable, and the quality is excellent. One popular option is a dance show. The most famous and prestigious folkloric dance group in Quito is Jacchigua Ballet, who have given performances in more than 150 cities around the world. Jacchigua is inspired by the festivity that the landlord used to hold with his workers in the hacienda after harvest time. Performances are held Wednesdays at 19:30 at Teatro Demetrio Aguilera Malta in the Casa de la Cultura (12 de Octubre y Patria, just outside the Ejido park). Tickets can be purchased online or are sold by Metropolitan Touring. Their main office is at Ave. República de El Salvador N36-84 between Ave. Nacionas Unidas and Ave. Portugal, though they have several other offices scattered throughout Quito including ones on Amazonas, inside the Megamaxi shopping complex and in the centro historico. For rates and more information, visit www.galapagosvoyage.com. Metropolitan’s ballet information number is 593-2-2988-200. You can also purchase tickets at the theater itself on the day of the performance (it’s cheaper to buy them at the theater, and ask for a student discount if you have a card). See www.jacchiguaesecuador.com.
Their main competition is Humanizarte Danza Andina. Performances are held at a newly constructed theatre inside the Humanizarte main office located at Leonidas Plaza N24-226 and Lizardo García. The theatre is hidden on a tiny one-block street called Xaura, west of Tamayo between Lizardo García and Baquerizo Moreno. The Ballet “Danza Tradicional Andina” is performed every Wednesday at 19:30.
If you want to see a dance show but don’t want to buy a ticket, one elegant Quito restaurant, Rincón La Ronda (Bello Horizonte 400 y Almagro, Tel 254-0459), offers a traditional dance show every Sunday at 20:00 it is very popular with Quiteños who wish to impress out-of-town guests, so make a reservation, especially if you’re in a large group. There is no additional cost for the dance show if you eat dinner as you watch.
Quito’s most important cultural center is the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana Benjamín Carrión. Located on 12 de Octubre 400 and Patria (just inside the Ejido Park), it is a large complex of theaters, galleries and concert halls. In addition to hosting the world-famous Jacchigua Ballet every Wednesday, the Casa de la Cultura regularly hosts concerts, art and photo exhibits and special events. If you’re coming to Quito, be sure to check out their web page (Spanish only - cce.org.ec) before you go. Call 593-2-290-2272 to get the scoop on current performances.
The venerable Teatro Nacional Sucre, built between 1879 and 1886 and recently beautifully restored, is an elegant venue for high culture in Ecuador. The Sucre offers varied presentations, from Cuban pianists to Japanese violinists, jazz duets and an Argentine tango singers. Check out their website, www.teatrosucre.com. The box office telephone number is 257-2823, and you can also purchase tickets and get more information at the Hilton Colón.
The Teatro Bolívar (Pasaje Espejo, between Guayaquil and Flores) is another old theater in Quito that features live performances. Check their web site (www.teatrobolivar.org/) for more information, or give them a buzz at 593-2-258-2486 or 258-2487.
Quito’s lone comedy club is El Patio de Comedias (18 de Septiembre E-426 and 9 de Octubre). It hosts performances Thursday through Sunday at 20:00. Their telephone number is 256-1902, call to find out who is slated to perform. Performances are in Spanish.