The Royal Opera House in London, England, is one of the premier opera houses in the world. It has a long and storied history as an arena for many types of performing arts including theater, opera, ballet and dance.
The history of Royal Opera House began in 1728 when John Rich commissioned "The Beggar''s Opera" from John Gay at the Duke''s Theater in Lincoln Inn. John Gay used the proceeds from the performance to finance the construction of the first Theater Royal at Covent Garden. At the time, the King of England, Charles II, granted only two Letters Patent allowing spoken word performances in London proper, Drury Theater being the other recipient. This gave the theaters exclusivity in offering performances to the public.
On December 7, 1732, the Theater Royal opened its doors to the public with a performance of "The Way of the World" by William Congreve. Over the next century, the theater served primarily as a playhouse. Musical performances made their debut in 1735 when George Handel began to give regular seasons there, which lasted until his death in 1759.
The first tragedy to strike the Theater Royal occurred in 1808 when a fire destroyed the entire building. Many valuable items were lost in the blaze, including Handel''s organ, which had held a prominent position on stage. Because reconstruction began immediately, the theater was reopened on September 18, 1809, with a performance of "Macbeth," followed by a musical performance called "The Quaker."
Performances at the Theater Royal were as diversified as the crowds who flocked to the venue. Plays, operas and ballets dominated the playbill, although it was not uncommon for audiences to be regaled with acrobatic performances, as well as excerpts from popular authors of the time.
Fire once again destroyed Theater Royal on March 5, 1856. Construction began on the current building at Covent Garden in 1857, allowing it to reopen on May 15, 1858, with a performance of "Les Huguenots" by Giacomo Meyerbeer. As the number of French and Italian operas performed at the theater increased, the theater was finally renamed the Royal Opera House in 1892.
At that time, the opera house offered a full set of performances during their "on" summer and winter seasons. In the "off" seasons, fall and spring, the Royal Opera house would typically offer other forms of entertainment, such as films and lectures in the off season.
During the First World War, the Ministry of Works requisitioned the Royal Opera House to serve as a storage space for furniture. During the Second World War, it was converted into a dance hall and nearly remained that way after the end of the war. Music publishers Boosey and Hawkes, after long negotiations, acquired the lease to the building and reopened the Royal Opera House on February 20, 1946, with a sumptuous performance of "The Sleeping Beauty."
Construction on the new Royal Opera House began in 1996 as many improvements were made to the land of Covent Garden surrounding the original theater. On December 4, 1999, it was reopened in its current state with the addition of two more theater spaces, along with improved facilities for performers and academics.
The Royal Opera House offers many types of performances throughout the year in its three auditoriums. Visitors can see opera, theater and dance performances and take tours throughout the facility. The Opera House also hosts exhibitions and educational seminars along with workshops for aspiring playwrights, actors, dancers and other performers.
Arthurlloyd.co.uk (n.d.). The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Bow Street, London, WC2. Retrieved on January 16, 2008 from the arthurlloyd.co.uk Website: http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/RoyalOperaHouseCoventGarden
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Royal Opera House (n.d.). Discover the History of the Royal Opera House. Retrieved on January 16, 2008 from the Royal Opera House Website: http://info.royaloperahouse.org/AbouttheHouse/Index.cfm?ccs=288&cs=1017.