Went to see PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*sort of) on Saturday, June…read more15th. It was delightful. The actors were so versatile, playing several roles each, even switching genders with limited costume changes. I was very impressed. The venue itself is quite intimate. You really can't get a bad seat. However, as is often the case in small theatres, there was a rush for the small toilets at the intermission. I doubt that everyone made it through the lines. The bar area was nice but small. It appeared that some people made arrangements to have drinks waiting for them at the tables during intermission but there was no signage saying this was an option. Still I would recommend visiting if you get a chance.

I really LOVE this theater, as it is old with a tone of history, however it also has the elegant…read moreand majestic feeling to it when looking from the outside and the inside. One needs to take some time to look UP when inside each of the areas, you will see things you did not expect to see, a very pleasant addition to your experience here. The acoustics are not as good as the new modern theaters, but certainly they are nothing to complain about, but there is a noticeable difference.

The Performeum in Vienna is a spacious and cool new visual and performing arts venue in Favoriten…read more It's only a short walk from the Hauptbahnhof so it is well-served by public transit. The Performeum is found in an old factory building that is almost like a campus as there are a lot of people just hanging outside on the grassy areas near the main entrance. During the Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) it has several exhibitions and performances going on. Some are ticketed and some are free but all are unique. Of course you can purchase food and drinks here as well. Check out this cool new center for the arts!

The Baden Sommerarena is one of the oldest summer entertainment traditions in the world. This…read morepopular summer theatre began during the days of the Habsburg Monarchy and actively continues to this day. What's especially cool about this Jugendstil-on-the-outside and Biedermeier-on-the-inside theatre is that it has a retractable roof. When the weather cooperates (which is most of the time), the roof is open to the skies and the stars. I will admit I haven't been always totally enamored with what I have seen at Baden Sommerarena, but I have always loved the atmosphere. Baden is so close to Vienna, you can easily check out Sommerarena for yourself and experience this summer tradition dating from imperial days!

Attending a concert at this celebrated music hall was a must for our Vienna trip. It was located…read moreminutes from our hotel and beautiful in design both outside and in. We missed the Vienna Philharmonic by days but secured tickets to experience performances in both the Golden and Brahm Halls. The Golden Hall was the premier one of the two with ample seating and amazing acoustics. The Brahm Hall was more intimate for smaller performances but it suffered from air circulation issues especially during the latest heatwave in Europe. We got to see a wonderful performance by a group of Northern California high schools (Monta Vista, Livermore and Lynbrook) in the Golden Hall. Tickets anywhere in the hall were just 10 Euros! The LLMV Symphony Orchestra and LLMV Wind Band split their performance across the almost 2 hours. The music choices and hall acoustics were beautiful. Parents and family were definitely here in numbers to cheer their sons/daughters on. Definitely a must to experience any performance here in the Golden Hall. The Die Schloss Capelle was a recurring performance in the Brahm Hall and the stand out for us with the 2nd half performance with a featured violinist soloist/lead who we felt really livened everything. There was a brief power outage near the beginning but the group was not flustered and kept on playing until the lighting returned! If it wasn't for the heat inside the hall then we would've enjoyed the performance more. So many of us were fanning ourselves with any piece of paper or fans we had. Multiple restrooms were available on each floor and I did not notice any significant lines. Programs were available to download via a QR Code. During the break, drinks and snacks were available outside the halls but not allowed inside. There were tables available for eating but very limited. Highly recommend planning a visit to enjoy the great sounds inside the Golden Hall. It will be memorable!

This is an iconic concert hall and it's worth a visit for a concert. However, I wasn't thrilled…read morewith paying for a program. The performers were generally top-notch and their Baroque attire was a nice bonus. The staff mostly enforced the "no video" policy. People dress fairly decently here, but you'll find those that consider flip-flops and shorts as proper classical music attire. It's a lovely venue overall, so definitely soak in the history.

Dreamy, incredible and full of awe!…read more This gorgeous opera house is everything. We came here for Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi. Disclaimer: I'm not heavy into opera or know a whole lot about them. However, this place was a WOW moment. Being in Vienna, the most incredible, historical, full of life, music and character, city in the world - a visit to the Opera House was needed. We are so glad we did! They have all kind of seat selections, balcony, floor and even standing for a more budget friendly approach. Our little balcony section was awesome though it had a heavily blocked view we were able to hear everything so clearly plus we had the little screens where you can follow along with the vocals. It was an unforgettable experience and so worth it if you're in Vienna visiting. You can also book tours and learn all about the history of the opera house which I think would be fascinating to learn.

here's the thing y'all the building is fire architecture and design fire musicians fire etc etc…read moreyes. I came for il trittico by Puccini, one of my faves. Yes, the end of suor Angelica made me cry, haven't seen that kid stunt in another rendition before. I'm completely on board with the modernization of set design, costuming thing that they're introducing, think that's really cool. HOWEVER, and it's a big, big butt: the sound balance was completely off for me. The singers were amazing, the instrumentalists were amazing, conductor amazing but in the middle of the floor seats you almost couldn't hear the vocalists, esp lower parts of soprano. Bass and tenor parts were mostly fine, don't think there were any alto arias. but man the soprano balance was kind of rough. This could be attributed to a lot of things, I know, but y'all gotta ensure that the listening experience is fire for everyone at that price point. Puccini has such amazing ways of building tension and beauty, and a lot of it was lost for me in this (of course, beautiful) wave of lower strings. OTHER than that, completely perfect. ensemble skills (timing) perfect, drama and acting perfect, and I quite enjoyed the set and costuming. The neon signs were a little on the nose tho lol. minor point - what on earth was the fascism thing in Gianni Schicchi it's been two days and I cannot for the life of me figure out what the point of that was. Im all for inserting stuff like that, but don't really know what the sort of purpose was in relation to the story of Gianni schicchi. maybe my media interp skills need to be refined hmm. (does not affect my rating) 9.8/10, unfortunately. came expecting PERFECTION from the Vienna city opera, can't in good conscience give y'all 5/5 when something so big was off for me :(

Peter's Operncafe in Vienna is a 35 year old temple devoted to opera and operetta. Located on the…read moreeastern edge of the central district, it is only open in the evenings. According to one of the owners most of the big-name opera singers of the last few decades have stopped in here at one time or another. I believe him as the many pictures on the walls testify to that fact. The background music at Peter's Operncafe is of course opera - perhaps even from a rare vinyl recording. The lighting is low and candlelit. The drink of choice is wine. While I find Peter's Operncafe worth a visit for its uniqueness, it is not a place I would hang in. And unfortunately it doesn't appear that many people do these days as outside of a special opera or celebratory occasion, only a few Stammgäste seem to be gathering here. Still, Peter's Operncafe is a well-known spot in Vienna and sometimes a place to change gears in a hectic world with a glass of wine and a Puccini aria from La Boheme.

Originally, personal, unique with a sweet touch of weirdness. Overall: a sweet little hideaway if…read moreyou enjoy operas. I do!! Operncafé I'll be back for sure