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Here's finally some good news for fans of Shanghai's Art Deco architecture – the historic and ornate Majestic Theatre reopened last week on January 5, having been meticulously restored to its former 1940s glory.
After undergoing a five year long facelift, the Jing'an theater, one of Shanghai’s' oldest, got off to a strong start with a one-night-only staging of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet Swan Lake, courtesy of the Russian Imperial Ballet Company. The theatre will officially open in April, so us mortals will have to wait until then to get a look-see.
(Swan Lake is also being staged on January 21-22 at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, tickets here)
Quite incredibly, the reconstruction team allegedly consisted of several engineers from the original construction of the place, many of whom must now be in their late eighties or nineties, at least according to a report by the Shanghai Daily.
Since the theatre was constructed 74 years ago in October 1941, we're guessing there can't be too many of said engineers, who were apparently invited to advise on the techniques and materials used in the original construction. A later article made no mention of this, and instead said that proprieters were able to get their hands on the original building plans, so take it with a pinch of salt.
At any rate, the theater boasts an impressive 1261 seats, all sporting their original color red. No longer a vestige of popular culture, the theater has been fitted with state of the art equipment, including a sound system imported from America. New air-conditioning has been conveniently installed under each and every seat, as well as four large screens designed to broadcast on-stage performances.
Here's a photo of the Majestic Theatre during its heyday in the 1940's. Stay tuned for more updates on shows and screenings at this theatre via our entertainment events, listings and guides.
Images via Xinmin.cn and Shanghai Street Stories
> See a listing for the Majestic Theatre.
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