SAN ANTONIO — The Wonder Theatre has opened the curtain on a new chapter this year at its new location in Wonderland of the Americas mall.
The non-profit theatre organization had been at the Historic Woodlawn Theatre since 2012 and announced in 2022 it would begin the process of moving to a new location.
Wonder Theatre specializes in Broadway musicals and its inaugural show is Kinky Boots, the story of an unlikely partnership that helps to bring new life to a struggling shoe factory.
It’s a fitting story for the brand new stage, as Wonder Theatre staff hope joining forces with Wonderland of the Americas brings a boost to the aging mall.
“We wanted this to be a partnership and for us to be a beacon here in Balcones Heights so we can bring new life and energy to Wonderland of the Americas,” Wonder Theatre's Executive and Artistic Director, Christopher Rodriguez, said.
A grand staircase, complete with elegant chandeliers, welcomes visitors to the former home of the Santikos Bijou.
“Moving to our new home, the Bijou, where so many people watched wonderful art films here,” Rodriguez said.
The same way the organization brought the joy of Broadway to Woodlawn Theatre, Rodriguez is confident they can recreate the magic.
“I actually grew up in this area when it was Crossroads Mall, and I have a specific memory of my mom bringing me here to see Aladdin, the Disney cartoon, so it’s been great talking to people about all the wonderful memories of the movies they saw here, memories of the Wonderland of the Americas,” Rodriguez said. “So it’s exciting for us to continue that tradition of entertainment, just in a different way.”
A unique thing about Wonder Theatre is the opportunities it provides to young performers. The growing youth program offers weekly classes as well as full-scale productions for young people to feel like stars.
“One of the reasons why we made the move is our youth program [and] our outreach program are just busting at the seams. We are just growing so much,” Rodriguez said.
Kids and adults of all ages will soon be able to participate in some exciting shows as the Wonder Theatre as its staff looks forward to the coming season.
“We are really excited about everything we have going on. Kinky Boots plays for two more weekends. Finding Nemo is coming up in May with our kids program. And we have an exciting season of shows, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Wiz, Prom and we are ending our season with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Rodriguez said.
Click here to learn more about the Wonder Theatre and its youth programs.
