🎭 Top 10 most impressive theaters in the world
The Internet is replete with selections of the best theaters in the world. There are the top 10, and 60, and even 100 of the very best. At the same time, the authors of such articles make excuses every time, saying that the numbers mean nothing and the places are distributed randomly. I decided to walk with you through theaters that have no equal.
The largest theater in the world – Sydney Opera House (Sydney)
Let's start with the global one. The famous “Sails”, after construction, very quickly became a symbol of Australia and conquered the whole world with their scale. The building has two halls. They can accommodate 5,738 spectators at one time. Before that, the most capacious was the Metropolitan Opera in New York, designed for 3,900 seats. The Sydney Opera House complex also has an outdoor stage area with capacity for 6,000 spectators. And finally, another local record: in the Concert Hall there is the world's largest mechanical organ, consisting of 10,154 pipes.
PS Today you can get under the “Sydney Sails” with a guide. It will cost you about 30 euros, a backstage tour – 100 euros and a trip directly to the production – from 60 euros and above.
Let's move on. The coolest acoustics are in the hall of the La Scala theater (Milan)
In 1778, the Italian architect G. Piermarini created the best theater building for those times. There was no such science as acoustics yet, but the ideal sound within the walls of La Scala already existed. Thanks to the shape of the hall in the form of an irregular oval and a huge amount of stucco, it turned out to be an amazing space in which singers can reveal their vocal abilities. But any falsity is immediately noticed. So performing on stage at La Scala is a kind of exam.
It is worth noting that during the Second World War the building was destroyed. But after its completion, the theater was restored in the same form as planned by the architect. And all thanks to old drawings.
Today, ticket sales on the theater's official website begin two months before the performance. The average cost is from 25 to 250 euros. And there is a dress code!
The most, I’m not afraid of this word, ancient (and at the same time functioning) theater is the ” Arena di Verona ” (Verona)
It has no analogues. This oval Roman amphitheater was built during the time of Emperor Augustus – 30 AD. Gladiators fought here, naval battles were staged, and bullfights were held. Since 1913, Arena di Verona has become a venue for concerts and opera performances. This theater is beautiful in its antiquity, naturalness and truth. It demands pure performance art, and in return it gives amazing acoustics and the praise of an appreciative audience.
This summer, the traditional opera festival Verona Opera 2023 will be held here this summer. This will be the hundredth (just imagine this figure) festival. Ticket sales have already started. The price starts from 40 euros.
” Oscar ” in the category ” Most Modern Theater ” goes to ” Metropolitan Opera ” (New York)
The theater has become famous throughout the world for its innovations, complex modern productions and performances by famous opera performers. In 1995, all seats in the hall were equipped with a simultaneous translation system into several languages. This greatly attracted new spectators and listeners to the performances. The choir and orchestra work here on a permanent basis, but the soloists are different. Some are for the season, others for the duration of the project. And opera connoisseurs are very closely monitoring who, what and when sings at the Metropolitan Opera.
The theater's new season 2023-2024 includes six innovative productions and four premieres. And the theater does not change its status as the most modern. The price for a ticket from Tartu starts from $30.
And for dessert, the world's only two-level theater – Elgin and Winter Garden (Toronto )
1913 In the center of Toronto is the main cinema of the chain of tycoon Marcus Lowe. In one building there are two with prices at different levels. On the ground floor is the Elgin Theater, decorated in traditional red and gold colors with classic interiors. On the seventh floor is the “Winter Garden” theater, the walls of which are painted with frescoes of plants, the ceiling is covered with dry leaves, instead of lamps there are “lanterns”, instead of columns there are “trees”.
The scene itself is a sky with painted clouds and a moon. Both theaters were built to show vaudeville and short silent films. With the advent of sound cinema, the lower Elgin Theater was converted to modern trends, and the Winter Garden was closed for 60 years.
By the 1970s, Elgin had dropped to showing cheap films for adults. The last such film shown in the theater was the film “What the Swedish Butler Saw.” The building was then threatened with demolition, but the Ontario Heritage Foundation showed up just in time. Both theaters were reconstructed and opened.
Today, you can go to both one and the second theater on a one-and-a-half-hour excursion every Monday and Saturday. There is also the opportunity to become a spectator and see the performance. During the Doors open festival in May, the Elgin and Winter Garden theaters welcome guests for free.