La Scala Opera House

Our group had a tour of La Scala opera house in Milan today.  It was amazing!  La Scala was closed down from 2002-2004 for complete renovation.  The audience hall was basically restored and brought up to fire code, but with much of the traditional construction and design remaining.  All new fabric was used to cover the walls and seats (fireproof damask).  It took 3 kms of fabric to cover everything!  The entire backstage area was redone to make it a modern stage allowing them to perform 250 instead of 150 shows every year.

Delaney and I and 4 other members of the group got tickets for the ballet performance in the evening.  Delaney and I got ours in advance and had a box of our own.  The group got Gallery tickets in the top level for standing only.

Bryan, Brittany, Casey, Delaney and Steffin

Our group in the royal box with the stage behind us.  It could seat about 30 people.  They don't sell tickets to it.  The                        only way you can sit there is to be an invited guest (it wasn't clear who got to do the inviting).

This is the panoramic view from the box where Delaney and I sat.

Lego model of the opera house in the museum.  There are six rows of box balcony seating with six seats in each box.

Actual opera house looking toward the royal box

There is a huge chandelier on the ceiling with over 300 bulbs.  We discovered during the performance that it was hiding several laser lights as well : )

The ceiling appears to be carved in relief, but it is actually a very well done painting.  It is smooth cedar (?) wood, the best for accoustics.  The opera singers never need amplification to be heard.

Inside view of a box.  The front row has seats with backs, the 2nd and 3rd rows have stools with the 3rd row stools being taller.  

When operas are performed, each seat (and box) has a digital reader that shows the lyrics as they are being sung in the language of your choice.  (As our guide told us, 'Even Italians can't understand Italian when it is sung in the opera').

This is one of two foyers where guests can stretch during intermission.  The building is designed so that people in different rows cannot mingle.  There is a separate entrance for those seated above the 3rd row balcony with a separate foyer.  (Since we had open seats in our box, I wanted to invite our group members to come join us, but there was no way for that to happen).

Our tour included a backstage view.  In the completely rebuilt backstage area, they had space to hold three different sets simultaneously.  They could practice for an opera from 2:00 -4:00, then reset the stage for the ballet in the evening (which they were doing the day we visited).  The area above the stage is 10 stories high with pullies to take up sets.  Likewise there is a huge space underneath (in the picture) with over 150 motors to move and reset the stage in minutes.  The theatre employs 900 people, with approx 30 per performance working backstage.

Our guide said that the Milanese are ambivalent about the new backstage changes (visible on the exterior), but my American attitude is that anything that increases functionality without significant unslightliness is probably a good thing.  (The exterior changes are really not noticable at all).  You can see the dome on top and to the right a white cube that are the new additions to the building.

The show we saw was the Pink Floyd Ballet - yes, all done to the music of Pink Floyd!  It was amazing.  I guess I would describe is as rythmic and mechanical with graceful poses, impressive strength moves and great group sychronization.  All the men had white tights and bare chests.  The women were in full white body suits.  The lighting was pretty simple with orange and white lights with occasional smoke and purple laser lights.