Opera House, Wellington facts for kids
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Previously: State Opera House, The Grand Opera House
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The Opera House on Manners Street in Wellington.
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| Address | 111–113 Manners Street Wellington New Zealand |
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| Coordinates | 41°17′29″S 174°46′40″E / 41.2915°S 174.7778°E |
| Designation | NZHPT classification I |
| Type | Opera House |
| Capacity | 1,381 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1914 |
| Architect | William Pitt |
| Website | |
| Venues Wellington: The Opera House | |
| Designated: | 27 June 1985 |
| Reference #: | 1432 |
The Opera House is a famous historic theatre in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a type of theatre known as a proscenium arch theatre, which means the stage is framed like a picture. You can find it on Manners Street, right across from Te Aro Park.
Contents
History of the Building
The Opera House we see today wasn't the first one on this spot. An earlier theatre, called the Imperial Opera House, opened in 1878 but sadly burned down just a year later.
A Grand New Beginning
Work on the current building started in 1911. It was first named The Grand Opera House in 1913. The main architect, William Pitt, was from Melbourne, Australia. He worked with a local Wellington architect named Albert Liddy to get the job done.
The theatre officially opened on April 12, 1914. It was a huge space that could seat 2,141 people! The seats were on three levels, and there were even 50 private boxes. The inside of the theatre is very fancy, with beautiful plaster designs and a large, decorated dome on the ceiling. The building was constructed with strong brick walls and a wooden roof frame.
Because of its historical importance, the building is protected by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 Historic Place. This is the highest level of protection for a historic site.
Remembering a Performer
A photograph in the theatre honours Phyllis Porter, a dancer from 1923. She was part of a performing group when she died after a tragic accident involving her costume during a show.
Changes and Upgrades
In 1977, the theatre was renovated and renamed the State Opera House after an insurance company helped pay for the work.
Later, in the 1990s and 2000s, it was managed by the same group that ran the nearby St James Theatre. In 2011, a new group called Positively Wellington Venues took over and gave it back its original name, The Opera House.
Making the Theatre Safe
In 2012, experts found that the building was at risk from earthquakes. To keep everyone safe, the theatre needed to be strengthened.
By the end of 2016, the building was made much stronger and safer. The project also restored the beautiful original decorations inside. A local architect and a team of 14 artists carefully brought the theatre back to its former glory.
The Opera House in the Movies
The Opera House is so impressive that it was used as a movie set! The theatre scenes in Peter Jackson's 2005 blockbuster film King Kong were filmed right here.
See also
In Spanish: Ópera de Wellington para niños
