DeLaMar is a
theatre near
Leidseplein
Leidseplein (English: Leiden Square) is a square in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the Weteringschans neighborhood ( Centrum borough), immediately northeast of the Singelgracht. It is located on the crossroads of the Weteringschans, Ma ...
in
Amsterdam,
Netherlands, with two
auditoriums containing 601 and 939 seats. It is currently in use for
musicals
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
,
plays and
cabaret.
"Het doek gaat op voor DeLaMar"
'' Het Parool'' (in Dutch), 25 November 2010.
History
The building which now houses DeLaMar was built in 1887 and was once used as a school and a warehouse. During the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, the Germans stored data relating to forced labour
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
in the building. The Dutch resistance bombed the building on 7 January 1944, causing part of the building to burn down.
In 1947, architect Piet Grossouw bought the building and opened the De la Mar Theater, which he named after actor , his wife Fien de la Mar's father. Wim Sonneveld
Willem "Wim" Sonneveld (; 28 June 1917 – 8 March 1974) was a Dutch cabaret artist and singer. Together with Toon Hermans and Wim Kan, he is considered to be one of the 'Great Three' of Dutch cabaret. Sonneveld is generally viewed as a Dutch cu ...
bought the theatre in 1952 and reopened it as the Nieuwe de la Mar Theater (English: New de la Mar Theatre). When Wim Kan started performing at the theatre, it became a national success.
The theatre was closed for renovation in 2005 by the VandenEnde Foundation, which was established by Joop and Janine van den Ende. After finishing the renovations in 2010, the theater was renamed DeLaMar and officially opened by Queen Beatrix.
References
External links
* (in Dutch)
{{DEFAULTSORT:DeLaMar
Theatres in the Netherlands