Business Insider: For some, a night at the theater sounds about as fun as sticking your hand in a ceiling fan. But even Andrew Lloyd Webber haters would willingly spend a few hours in these beautiful venues.
Whether it's the neobaroque state theater in Wiesbaden or the ultra-modern Guangzhou Opera House, these theaters are incredible examples of both art and architecture.
13 comments:
It would be very exciting to get to work in one of these historical theaters. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if the technical aspect of working in an old, UNESCO-classified theater was actually pretty complicated. I imagine that the backstage spaces would be small, probably not well adapted to the needs of modern productions. Of course, these places get renovated, but you still can't change the building's layout in a consequent way. The equipment needed for today's lighting, sound, and sometimes media systems is not something that these theaters were built for, which could mean they encroach on space needed for other purposes backstage or wherever else. It seems like if you create a production specifically for one of these older spaces, you can definitely adapt to the restrictions caused by the space; bringing on a touring show, or simply an already existing production, would probably pose a greater challenge.
These venues fascinate me. A lot of these spaces, as Camille said, really would pose a huge challenge. Imagine doing a show on top of ancient ruins? I was in Rome once and I took the time to see Tosca at the actual site of Tosca (it was very exciting) and the whole time I was struck by how simple the production elements that had to be integrated with the surrounding structure were. It's really worth noting that although going to see a show at a theater like this has it's benefits for the audience in terms of the experience of just being there, it could potentially mean that production quality takes a hit if the building hasn't been kept up to modern standards or if it's too historic to change the way it needs to. This is also something to consider when booking a show in a venue like this. Will your show be able to sustain the compromise of the venue?
I’m surprised to see some of the theaters that made this list, and others that didn’t. The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC, which I think is a marvelous theater didn’t make the list. I’ve also always thought that the Fox Theater in Detroit was a magnificent venue, I just didn’t realize that other people thought so as well. Some of the other theaters that surprised me include the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Spain which is a concert hall and not a theater. Another surprising venue on the list is the Seebuhne in Austria. I agree that it is stunning, but what makes it so? Is it the fact that its on water? The view? With theaters around the globe, I was surprised to see that there are two from the US on the list. They aren’t the two that I would have thought of. The Orpheum, Radio City Music Hall and others come to mind of stunning theaters in the states before the ones in this list do. Nevertheless, I’m happy to see that something out of Detroit made the list.
I am actually very interested in theater design and construction and am amazed by the beauty of some of these theaters. They are not only historic but beautiful. It would be cool to work in them, but even cooler to just sit in the house and look around. I can foresee it being a major pain to actually work in some of the older theaters while also being really rewarding. Some of these historic theaters are pretty old and do not have the technical specifications of modern theaters. I do not know if they have fly systems and if they do are they counterweight or hemp? And no matter what they are, I am assuming they are reliable, but do they work well? Now it is very likely that a lot of these have had rigging systems retrofitted into them and are reliable and work well. With all that said, it must be rewarding to put on beautiful productions in theaters that might be hard to work in. Also, the theater on the water...that is awesome and poses completely different challenges. I am all around impressed and inspired.
I love the mixture of styles of these theaters. I find the outdoor theater venues to be particularly beautiful. I wonder how much maintenance each of these venue owners put in each year. I imagine it takes an insane amount of money to keep the theaters looking not only beautiful, but also functional for actual performances to take place in them. I was recently talking to a stagehand who has been on many national tours, and we were talking about the Fox theater in Detroit. He was saying how, while the theater is beautiful, it is also a bit off-putting, as the building is very visibly falling apart. I imagine upkeep is even more expensive for the 2 theaters on this list that are outdoor theaters on the ocean. These theaters are not only dealing with aging over time, but also damages from weather. While I agree with the above comments that it is probably difficult to work in some of the more historic theaters, I also think many of these theaters house low tech performances on purpose. After all, the venues are so beautiful that the productions would have to be very bright and loud to outshine them.
These theatres are actually incredible, which really should go without saying, but it does kind of upset me that we don't see that many modern architectural triumphs in the theatre world anymore, and only two of these theatres on the list were actually modern. It's interesting overall that many of the most interesting theatres around the world were built centuries ago. My favorite on this list had to be the sea stage, which looked absolutely amazing. I couldn't help but imagine what kind of scenic design opportunities would exist on that stage in particular, but really at any of the stages on the list. It has to be a very different experience when you're designing in a theatre with such a strong pre-existing atmosphere. I wonder how a designer would be able to incorporate some of the architectural elements of the theatre itself into their vision for a scenic design.
One of the main reasons I'm pursuing theatre is the chance to tour around the world, see how people from all walks of life would perceive my art, and see how people live outside of America. Articles like this just affirm my choice to pursue theatre. Every venue shown in the article is beautiful in their own right, but the outdoor venues are the most striking to me. The Austrian Sea Stage is a personal favorite, as you are literally given a seating area in front of open water, much like Seaworld, and you build things up out of the water, as if an island being created from scratch. Plus, how many strikes can you wear swim trunks to? The Minack theatre is also breathtaking, with the Cornish scenery providing a backdrop better than any cyc ever could indoors. IT's not the right fit for some productions, sure, but a devised piece in that space in which performers comment on the nexus between art and nature would be something for the ages. All in all, performances are at their best when they are an extension of the space, so as to immerse the audiences. In theatres like these, that's probably much easier.
Of all of these theaters, I would have to say that my favorite is the Minack Theater in England by the shore. Its funny sometimes how almost without exception the world over considers Victorian opulence to be the height of beauty and cultural sophistication, I don’t actually think its that pretty. All of the ornately carved and golden leafed opera houses from the 16th and 17th centuries don’t really draw my eye. Personally the open air theater overlooking the ocean has the most power to convey a feeling and a message out of any of these. I was hoping that this list would be comprised of places that if not new, were at least interesting. I don’t mean to belittle the historical significance of those theaters, but 8 of the 15 “most stunning theaters in the world” looked indistinguishable from one another. Shouldn’t they at least be interesting and thought provoking to look at?
The theatres that I find most stunning are the outdoor theatres that make up one-third of this list. The theatre is Seebühne, Austria is particularly interesting to me because I wonder where on the sculpture you would have a playing space, and in this space, would you even create a theatrical set? I do think that many of the non-traditional theatrical setting would create interesting technical challenges that would require 1) embracing that form of theatrical environment, 2) an understanding of its benefits and limitations, and 3) a technical understanding of what is available to accomplish the goals of all designers without damaging any visual aesthetic determined by the director. This would be an interesting challenge in the venues that are aesthetically pleasing because they have nothing over top of them and allow the audience to see the views. I would be curious to see what many (or any) of these performance spaces look like in production.
I think it's amazing how many of these theaters are outdoors. Of the ones that are outdoors, the stages are especially complex. It would be so interesting to work on a show for one of these theaters, since they would pose so many unusual challenges. The design for these shows must be done with the venue in mind, even more than other shows. The outdoor setting creates a certain atmosphere that is very different from the typical atmosphere of a house. The Seebühne theatre especially seems like the show must be completely designed around the stage. The unpredictability of weather must also be taken into account when designing for shows outside, which would lose even more challenges. Regardless, it would be absolutely amazing to work in any of these theaters.
Although I was disappointed that the CMU School of Drama Purnell Center for the Arts did not top the list, this was a pretty neat list nonetheless. Granted, I am not familiar with a bunch of these venues, but they all look really darn cool! That being said, it is interesting to note, like several people above have, that the things that "muggles" find cool and amazing about theatrical venues generally are headaches to the designers and technicians who have to work in them. I.E. Wow! That intricate FOH super tall atrium is totally a blast, but the one FOH lighting truss available is kind of a bummer. FOH Tension grids might be ugly, but there is a reason they exist. Modern performing arts centers may lack the decadent architecture of venues of old, but they do come with all the technical bells and whistles that actually make putting on a show to be relatively easier. It would be pretty cool to work for a company that did technical retrofits on older venues. I certainly feel like I would be the kind of person that would enjoy those kinds of knotty and tough challenges as others have described above.
I could look at these pictures all day. I wish that these types of theatres were still being built. To me, they seem like a marvel of architecture and culture. I love how each theatre is completely unique. Each space has its own distinct feel and beauty that echoes the place in which they are built. One of the theatres that really interested me while reading was the Seebühne in Austria. Partly the amazing set that is pictured and partly the fact that it floats on water,it is just a really amazing space. All of the venues listed seem like they would be quite difficult to design and practically install. However, I think that these beautiful theatres encompass a dream that many theatre professionals have; to work for an as amazing of a space. Difficulties aside, being able to call one of these theatres your office would be a luxury I would love to have.
These venues are amazing and so many of them have historical backgrounds! It's amazing to see these old theatres that people have renovated and touched up so that they can continue being beautiful houses. I think it is very important to take care of historical theatre venues so that we can continue to utilize them and care about them. On that note, I was struck by the fact that the Winter Garden venue had to be cleaned with bread dough... Since the paintings on the wall were so old, I guess bread dough was the only viable way to clean them? Anyway, I'd be thrilled to see some of these venues and learn more about their history! Also, perhaps we could entice more people to go to see theatre if they saw more houses like this. On the flip side, working in older venues like this would present more technical challenges, but I think that'd be worth it to work in such an amazing house.
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