East Pyongyang Grand Theatre

East Pyongyang Grand Theatre
Chosŏn'gŭl	동평양대극장
Hancha	東平壤大劇場
Revised Romanization	Dongpyeongyang Daegeukjang
McCune–Reischauer	Tongp'yŏngyang Taekŭkchang

East Pyongyang Grand Theatre
	The Theatre building seen from the side
	East Pyongyang Grand Theatre Location within Pyongyang
Location	Pyongyang, North Korea
Coordinates	39°01′52″N 125°46′13″E / 39.03111°N 125.77028°E
Capacity	2,500
Surface	62,000 m2 (670,000 sq ft)
Construction
Built	1989

The East Pyongyang Grand Theatre (Korean: 동평양대극장) is a 2,500-seat theatre located in the North Korean capital, 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.^[1]

The hall was built in 1989 and is normally a venue for performances that celebrate North Korea's dynastic leaders and national achievements.^[2] The December before the concert, it had hosted an opera honoring Kim Jong-suk, the mother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.^[3]

In 2005, the theatre suffered a fire that resulted in the loss of its original facade and interior elements.^[4]

On New Year's Day 2007, following reconstruction, the theatre hosted the Mansudae Art Troupe.^[5] 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.^[3]

The overall size is more than 62,000 square meters. A colonnaded great hall (lobby) includes a mural of Ulrim Falls.^[5] 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."^[6]

Gallery

Auditorium of the Grand Theatre, 2006
Staff in the audio monitoring room, 2006
Lobby and chandeliers, 2006

References

^ "North Korea welcomes the New York Philharmonic". Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
^ "In pictures: North Korea concert". BBC News. 26 February 2008. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
^ ^a ^b Evan Ramstad (February 21, 2008). "An American in Pyongyang". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-03-20.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Bianchi, Cristiano; Drapić, Kristina; Iyer, Pico (2019). Model city Pyongyang. Koryo Studio. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-500-34353-1.
^ ^a ^b "Renovated East Pyongyang Grand Theater". Korean News Service. January 22, 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
^ Jeremy Laurence (February 25, 2008). "Kim Jong-il: Will he or won't he go to concert?". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-20.