It served as Manila's cultural center for almost a decade and has played host to world-renowned musicians, choirs and symphony orchestras over its 53-year history, including Renata Tebaldi, Franco Corelli, Marian Anderson, Pinchas Zukerman and Cecile Licad.

It has a rectangular floor area in front of the stage with curved walls and a large concealed cavity above the ceiling where elegant glass light panels hang.

The 1,536-metre (5,039 ft) multi-panel carved narra murals depicting Philippine folklore, traditional musical instruments, and mythical characters like Maria Makiling and Malakas at Maganda was designed by Filipino sculptor José Alcántara in 1961 and created with the help of local artists from Paete, Laguna.

[1] An online petition was launched in March 2013 by French conductor and former Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra musical director Olivier Ochanine calling for SM Development Corp. to spare the theater from demolition following news that the 52-year old complex was purchased for redevelopment.

[2] The petition which received more than 10,000 signatures in its first month argued that the theater "has some of the best acoustics for Manila's orchestras, choirs, and solo musical artists and its destruction would be a gigantic loss for Filipino culture and heritage.