This website (
visit link) indicates that the theater operated from 1874-1964 and after near abandonment, damage from a hurricane and refurbishment, was reopened in 1992. The theater hosts a wide variety of live performances including operas, dance, plays, circus acts and boxing.
A sign on the facade is in Spanish and English. The English portions reads:
"Fine Arts
Municipal Center
Originally, this sprawling building functioned as one of Mazatlan's
first inns and was known as the Exchange Bank. The property was
later refurbished and opened as the Iturbide Hotel. It was here, in
Room 10, that world renown soprano Angela Peralta Castera
succumbed to yellow fever in August of 1882. The story goes that
the diva contracted matrimony with her manager, Julian Montiel,
'in articulo mortis', that is, 15 minutes after her death. At the turn of the 19th century, the Casino of Mazatlan opened its doors for
business on the building's second floor and quickly became a
gathering place for the port town's elite. Later, the building
housed a mechanic's workshop and in 1965, it was the spot where
business Manuel Ramirez Urquijo transformed a humble golf
cart into Mazatlan's most popular form of transportation, the
open-air 'pulmonia.' Finally, in the 1990s, the rundown property
was purchased by the municipal government and later re-opened
as the Fine Arts Municipal Center."
This tourist website (
visit link) has a few photos of the interior and adds:
"Some call it the crown jewel of the Historical Center of Mazatlan. Founded in 1874, it was originally known as the Teatro Rubio. It was later named in memory of distinguished Mexican soprano Ángela Peralta - one of the best operatic voices of her time in the world - who passed away in August 1883 in Mazatlan, a victim of the yellow fever epidemic that ravaged the population. During the course of the theater's lifetime, it came to serve as a stage for the gala Carnaval Balls, as well as a cinema and stage for boxing matches. It has three balcony levels, most of which are preserved in their original form. Since its reconstruction in 1992, it has become an important center for cultural development in Sinaloa. It also has a municipal cultural center, galleries and internationally-recognized fine art schools."