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| Great seats, great friends! |
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| Tbilisi Opera House 2016 |
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| 19th century Opera House |
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This famous hand painted curtain was
refurbished in Germany |
Georgia has a rich tradition of performance art dating back centuries, long before it was
swallowed up by the Russian empire and then the Soviet Union. Its movie industry was famous in the USSR. Tbilisi's Opera House is the 165-year-old home of Georgian opera and ballet. The opera house’s history is also entwined with its tortured relationship with its giant neighbor. It was built in the mid-19th century by the tsar’s pro-consul in the Caucasus as a kind of bribe, hoping to win restless Georgians over to Moscow’s rule. During communist rule, Tbilisi was established as one of the premier venues for opera and ballet outside Moscow.
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| 800 lightbulbs were replaced |
The opera house was damaged during the Soviet breakup, and reopened in the 1990s. Tickets were priced very low, citing the fact that in those years in Georgia theatre was more of a necessity than a luxury. The house was then closed for 6 years, for a multimillion-pound refit paid for by the country’s richest man and former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili. It was spectacular. Here are a few pictures of the renovations. Even the bathrooms were amazing, although I held off taking pictures of the massive entrance, mirrors, and beautiful decorations. 
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| I was lucky enough to get a ticket for Gorda. |
Gorda premiered in 1949 in this Opera House in Tbilisi. It is a beautiful 2 act ballet, with beautiful sets, incredible dancers, and a great plot. The dancing integrates ballet with the georgian dances beautifully. The plot has a little of everything, unrequited love, witches, beautiful love scenes and the omnipresent celebration of children that is mandatory in Georgia. There are kings and ambassadors, oracles and warring armies. It was really excellent and has played around the world. It is such a treat to see live theatre here in Georgia. I know how lucky I am.
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| With Marcia and Pam out front |
The opera house was damaged during the Soviet breakup, and reopened in the 1990s. Tickets were priced very low, citing the fact that in those years in Georgia theatre was more of a necessity than a luxury. The house was then closed for 6 years, for a multimillion-pound refit paid for by the country’s richest man and former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili. It was spectacular. Here are a few pictures of the renovations. Even the bathrooms were amazing, although I held off taking pictures of the massive entrance, mirrors, and beautiful decorations. 
