La verbena de la paloma

For the 2025–2026 season, Ópera de Tenerife is reviving the zarzuela tradition with three performances of Tomás Bretón’s La verbena de la paloma, produced by Teatro de la Zarzuela.

The Tenerife Opera season closes with a double bill. Tomás Bretón’s bright and fresh music will shine with his unforgettable prelude, the seguidillas performed by the choir, and the famous habanera ¿Dónde vas con mantón de Manila?
But before delving into Bretón’s work, another sainete (one-act farce) called Adiós, Apolo, written by Álvaro Tato, will show us a rehearsal of La verbena de la Paloma carried out by the Teatro Apolo company. This is not a prologue, but a piece in itself that precedes this zarzuela of the género chico genre, providing a theatrical context that broadens our view of the inner workings of the theater, highlighting certain social aspects and paying tribute to this legendary theater before its destruction.
The idea for Adiós Apolo was conceived by Nuria Castejón, who is also in charge of stage direction. After a lifetime linked to zarzuela, she pays tribute to the Apolo company, her family, and all the zarzuela artists with whom she is connected.