East Pyongyang Grand Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| East Pyongyang Grand Theatre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The East Pyongyang Grand Theatre is a 2500 seat theatre located in the North Korean city of Pyongyang. It was the site of the 2008 concert by the New York Philharmonic, which was the first significant cultural visit to North Korea by the United States since the Korean War.[1]
The hall was built in 1989 and is normally a venue for performances that celebrate North Korea's dynastic leaders and national achievements,[2] and "revolutionary operas that depict North Korea's struggles in song and dance."[citation needed] The December before the concert, it had hosted an opera honoring Kim Jong-suk, the mother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.[3]
On New Year's Day 2007, following reconstruction, the theatre hosted the Mansudae Art Troupe.[4] Its "massive" stage needed an acoustic shell built to properly project the orchestra's sound. The theatre was specifically chosen by Zarin Mehta, who rejected the home of the North Korea State Symphony as too small.[3]
The overall size is more than 62,000 square meters. A collonated great hall (lobby) includes a mural of Ulrim Falls.[4] According to a Reuters journalist, its architecture is "bland communist", and a "hulking, ramshackle structure the locals struggle to keep heated and lit at night."[5]
[edit] References
- ^ North Korea welcomes the New York Philharmonic
- ^ "In pictures: North Korea concert", BBC News, 26 February 2008.
- ^ a b Evan Ramstad. "An American in Pyongyang", The Wall Street Journal, February 21, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ a b "Renovated East Pyongyang Grand Theater", Korean News Service, January 22, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ Jeremy Laurence. "Kim Jong-il: Will he or won't he go to concert?", Global News Blog, Reuters, February 25, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
[edit] External links
- East Pyongyang Grand Theatre is at coordinates Coordinates:
 |
This Korea-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
