Bliss reopens with spectacular shows

It was an opening fit for a king, or in our case a Baron. On Friday, The Bliss Center for the Performing Arts reopened after a year of construction work to upgrade the facility named in honour of Baron Bliss, Belize’s greatest benefactor, and built in 1955. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, audiences were treated to the very best in dance, music, drama, poetry, and comedy from some of Belize’s most renown performers including Frankie Reneau, Leroy Grandmaster Young, Ugandani dancers, Errolyn Wallen, the Belize National Dance and Theatre Companies, the Garifuna All Star Band, the Ballet Art School, and Vista Dance Company, as well as choral and orchestral ensembles. Artists from Jamaica and Mexico added an international dimension to the shows, which were heavily attended. The Government of Belize invested eight million dollars in the Bliss renovations. Changes include the expansion of the main theatre, which now seats over six hundred people. There are also rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, and enlarged administrative areas.