addressing the audience at the
Philippine Assembly in the Manila Grand Opera House. The Manila Grand Opera House was built in the mid-19th century as the H.T. Hashim's National Cycle Track, a circular wooden structure with a
nipa roof. In 1890, the name was changed to the
Teatro Nacional (National Theater), where the Russian Circus and some American theater companies performed. The name was subsequently changed to the Manila Grand Opera House after a
remodeling, extensive expansion of the original theater by L. Balzofiore and its conversion to an opera house in time for the visit of the ‘
Compania de Opera Italiana’ in 1902, after the American takeover of the Philippines, It was in Manila Grand Opera House where the Philippines' pioneer symphonic group, the
Manila Symphony Society, performed its first concert on January 22, 1926. The purpose of the concert was to raise funds for the building of the Philippine Constabulary Orchestra's music library. Another key event is the convention organized by the socialist and communist parties of the Philippines on November 7, 1938, where both parties officially merged as one, taking the name “
Communist Party of the Philippines,” which was later renamed Communist Party of the Philippines-1930 (PKP-1930), in order to avoid confusion with
the splinter group of the same name. The theater served as the home for theater productions, operas and zarzuelas in the Manila area until the onset of
World War II. Toribio Teodoro, then referred to as the "shoe king of the Philippines," acquired the property in 1942 and used the MGOH as his residence during the Japanese occupation and the
Second Philippine Republic, at which his house and shoe factory were seized by Japanese forces. operas, concerts and
bodabil (vaudeville) performances were occasionally staged in the complex. The continued slump in Avenida eventually forced the closure of the club and the demolition of the theater.
Manila Grand Opera Hotel Partially fulfilling Cabangon Chua's vision for the site and as a contribution to the revival of the Avenida area, the Manila Grand Opera Hotel was constructed on the site of the former MGOH. The eight-storey hotel opened in August 2008, with its second building opening sometime in 2009. It will be the only hotel with a direct connection to the
LRT Line 1, connecting to
Doroteo Jose station, which is also rumored to be constructed on the MGOH grounds. MGOH's facilities include Ambassador A, B, C, D, E (8th floor), rooms (3rd-7th), casino and KTV bar (mezzanine), business center, meeting room 1, Multi Carats Jewelry shop, Circa 1900 bar and restaurant, New President Sharks Fin Seafood Restaurant, Mister Donut Coffee and swimming pool (1st floor). ==See also==