A gala opera performance featuring members of the royal family and other high- profile guests will celebrate the re-opening of Glasgow's Theatre Royal next year after a £12 million revamp.
Scottish Opera today unveils its 2013/14 season, marking one year from when the landmark theatre opened its doors to the public after the biggest redevelopment in its 144-year history.
The main addition to the building is a bold "lantern" designed wing from architects Page\Park, which will dominate the corner of Cowcaddens Road and Hope Street in the citys centre and act as the theatre's foyer.
The completion of the rebuild, which will have a rooftop cafe and a spiral staircase, will mean the venue closes for three months in 2014 and Scottish Opera will host three mainstage opera instead of four.
Versions of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Donizetti's Don Pasquale and Puccini's Madama Butterfly will feature in the season, as well as Neuwirth's American Lulu at the Edinburgh International Festival and a concert performance of Turandot featuring notable opera singers Claire Rutter, Ryland Davies and Sir Willard White.
The production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly – the same opera that launched Scotland's national opera company in 1962 – will be the show that re-opens the Theatre Royal on May 21 next year as an invite-only event.
"The opening night audience will be everyone who has participated in the re-opening of the theatre and certainly the Duchess of Gloucester, who is our patron, will be invited and we will make a huge fuss of the night," Alex Reedijk, the opera's general director said.
He added: "Scottish Opera is in a good place, and if we weren't we would not have been able to embark on a capital campaign to do the theatre, because people don't get behind companies that are not in good order."
l Read tomorrow's Arts pages for full coverage of the Scottish Opera 2013/14 programme.
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