East Pyongyang Grand Theatre
Encyclopedia
The East Pyongyang Grand Theatre is a 2500 seat theatre located in the North Korea
n 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
.
The hall was built in 1989 and is normally a venue for performances that celebrate North Korea's dynastic leaders and national achievements, and "revolutionary operas that depict North Korea's struggles in song and dance." The December before the concert, it had hosted an opera honoring Kim Jong-suk
, the mother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
.
On New Year's Day 2007, following reconstruction, the theatre hosted the Mansudae Art Troupe
.
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.
The overall size is more than 62,000 square meters. A collonated great hall (lobby) includes a mural of Ulrim Falls. 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."
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n city of Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
. It was the site of the 2008 concert by the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, which was the first significant cultural visit to North Korea by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
The hall was built in 1989 and is normally a venue for performances that celebrate North Korea's dynastic leaders and national achievements, and "revolutionary operas that depict North Korea's struggles in song and dance." The December before the concert, it had hosted an opera honoring Kim Jong-suk
Kim Jong-suk
Kim Jong-suk was a Korean independence activist and Communist politician. She was North Korean Great Leader Kim Il-sung's first wife and Kim Jong-il's mother.-Biography:...
, the mother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
.
On New Year's Day 2007, following reconstruction, the theatre hosted the Mansudae Art Troupe
Mansudae Art Troupe
The Mansudae Art Troupe is a North Korean troupe of musicians that create operas and music, as well as dance pieces.It is the successor to the Central Art Troupe that was formed on September 27, 1969...
.
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.
The overall size is more than 62,000 square meters. A collonated great hall (lobby) includes a mural of Ulrim Falls. According to a Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
journalist, its architecture is "bland communist", and a "hulking, ramshackle structure the locals struggle to keep heated and lit at night."