OPERA
Club
Photo from Elizabeth R.
Backstage
Experiences at a
Guided Tour of
the
er
u
Foto von Hamburgische Staatsoper, Zuschauerraum Bühne von Niklas Marc Heinecke
After having spent many lovely
evenings sitting in the plush red
velvet seats of the Staatsoper
Hamburg, it was high time for
the Opera Club to finally take a
look behind the scenes. Our re-
cent group outing to a Guided
Tour of the Staatsoper provided
us with a most intriguing insider
view of this wonderful theater.
Our guide, a lawyer for the op-
era who got bitten by the the-
ater bug at a very early stage of
her career, provided us with a
most interesting point of view
24
The Clubs within Our Club
as she proved to be the ideal
bridge between the performers
and the organization’s structur-
al background. She led us into
the familiar audience area and
then up onto the stage as tech-
nicians juggled sets, raised and
lowered platforms, and con-
structed background scenery;
meanwhile the orchestra pit
was shifted up and down until
it got to just the right position.
These are certainly perspec-
tives that one does not see ev-
ery day at the opera house.
We also explored the labyrin-
thine structure of the rooms,
workshops, and offices under,
over, and behind the opera,
an experience which left most
of us spatially disoriented, but
consistently fascinated. Our
overview of the workings of
the theater included a visit to
the wig department and prop
room, along with glimpses of
the ballet practice room and
much more. The details of this
highly structured environment
left us with no doubt as to the