Most of us fall asleep dreaming about our next big break, but only a handful of people walk into the spotlight.
But performers from the Royal Ballet in London, the Metropolitan Opera and Nederlands dans Theater will be spicing up the Royal Theatre this fall, and bring the world’s best to Trail.
With the help of two commercial satellites on the roof and a booking agency, the Royal Theatre has access to exclusive and world class content from all over the globe.
“There’s only a handful of theatres that do it across the country, probably about 100, and the majority of theatres are large Cineplex’s and big chains,” said Lisa Milne owner of the Royal Theatre. “(There’s) not a lot of independent theatres like us.”
And after several years of airing cultural snacks locally, like the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia and the Metropolitan Opera, for the community, the theatre is diversifying by adding two new acts this season: the Royal Ballet out of London and the Nederlands dans Theater, a contemporary group that combines ballet and modern dancing.
There are 28 productions scheduled this season and Tuesday night’s opening was a success, she said.
“Last night was a hit,” Milne exclaimed Wednesday morning. “It was very full and people couldn’t believe the deal. Every Tuesday will be this awesome, I’m sure.”
The unique atmosphere of the theatre lures people from across the West Kootenay. Only a handful of theatres across the country have access to streaming live performances and there are some advantages to watching the performances.
“During intermission at the (other) theatres, people get up and buy a glass of wine and mingle,” Milne explained. “But in our theatre, it shows the camera crew going behind the scenes and doing one-on-one interviews live with the cast or the stage-hands, so it’s a lot more personal than actually being there because you get a lot more information.”
The season starts on tonight with a live theatre performance from the London-based National Theatre Live.
For more information about the Royal Theatre, visit 1597 Bay Ave. downtown, call 250-231-5672, or go online at www.royaltheatretrail.com.
