Chaos at the 'New' Theater an der Wien!

After two and a half years of renovation, the newly refurbished Theater an der Wien will not be able to stage operas until January 2025, instead of the originally planned 12 October 2024.

The opera house, renovated by the City of Vienna, had scheduled regular performances to resume in October. However, Idomeneo, which was set to open on 12 October, will now only be performed in concert form. The same applies to the second production, Schumann's Paradise and the Peri. The children's opera The Little Prince has been cancelled altogether.

The delay stems from issues with stage technology that could not be resolved on schedule. "A lot of factors came together," said Franz Patay, Managing Director of Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. He also mentioned a thunderstorm, which caused water damage, as contributing to the delay. The audience was informed that to ensure smooth coordination of the complex stage technology with all technical departments, extensive training, familiarization sessions, test runs, stress tests, and safety checks are required. This process will take several more weeks. Tickets that have already been purchased will be refunded.

Despite the setbacks, the opening ceremony will go ahead as planned. The first fully staged production, Johann Strauss' operetta Das Spitzentuch der Königin, is now scheduled for 18 January 2025.