The Queensland Performing Arts Center description and photos - Australia: Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast (Topic)

The Queensland Performing Arts Center description and photos - Australia: Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is The Queensland Performing Arts Center.

Photo & Description

The Queensland Performing Arts Center is part of the Queensland Cultural Center located at the corner of Melbourne and Gray Streets in Birsbane.

The center was designed by local architect Robin Gibson in the mid-1970s after the government officially recognized the need for a new art gallery and performing arts complex in 1972 to complement the existing Queensland Museum and State Library. The Center was inaugurated by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent in 1985.

The location for the construction of the Center was not chosen by chance: for many years it housed the Cremorne Theater of great cultural importance - an open-air stage with 1,800 seats ... The theater was opened on August 5, 1911 with the musical performance "Dandy". The subtropical climate of Brisbane contributed to the fact that the theater was often interrupted by torrential rains, and, in the end, in 1917, the theater was closed for the construction of a canopy, which was supposed to protect the stage and the audience from bad weather. Until 1929, the theater flourished, on its stage vaudeville and comic plays were staged, which were popular with the public. In 1934, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer converted the building into a cinema, installing a proscenium, a screen, a new sound system and reducing the number of seats to 1,300, but in 1940 the Cremorne Theater was literally a theater again. During World War II, it was a popular vacation spot for American and Australian military personnel. Many celebrities of that era performed on the stage of the theater. But after the war, the theater's importance in public life in Brisbane began to decline, and in the mid-1950s, the building was already used as office space and a warehouse. In 1954, the theater completely burned down during a fire, it was decided not to restore it. In its place in the mid-1980s, the Queensland Performing Arts Center was built, which consists of several divisions.

The Lyric Theater is the largest part of the Center, with a capacity of 2,000. Here musicians give performances, perform operas and stage ballets. It is a permanent performance venue for the Queensland Opera artists.

The Concert Hall is the second largest subdivision of the Center, it can accommodate 1600 spectators (1800 when using additional seats on the balconies). This is the main stage for orchestral performances, as well as comedy shows, awards ceremonies and proms. Clay's organ, striking in its size, is also installed here - it consists of 6566 tubes! The Queensland Symphony Orchestra regularly gives concerts on stage.

The Queensland Ballet performs on the stage of the Theater. Built in 1997, it has 850 seats.

Finally, the Cremorne Theater has a capacity of 200 to 300 people, depending on the configuration. This part of the Center is rebuilt as necessary: it can turn into a proscenium, a round theater, a concert hall, a cabaret, a cinema or a flat area. Queensland Theater Company regularly performs here.

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Topic: The Queensland Performing Arts Center description and photos - Australia: Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.