New Slovak National Theatre completed

Bratislava - The new building of the Slovak National Theatre (SND) will finally open to the public on April 14 after two decades of construction. However, not with the originally planned Slovak opera Krútňava, but with a gala evening featuring opera stars such as Gabriela Beňačková, Eva Urbanová, Peter Dvorský, and Sergej Larin. This was announced today by the SND management. The celebratory evening will also include works by Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák.
    The new SND headquarters began construction in 1986 with planned costs of 874 million Czechoslovak crowns. However, funds ran out for this financially demanding and architecturally controversial project, and completion was postponed. The total costs have reportedly soared to five billion crowns.
    As of today, the new SND building is still not fully completed. For example, the drama hall is scheduled to be finished this weekend. However, the ballet company is already based there. By the end of the season, nine premieres are expected to take place in the new national theatre. Tickets are expected to go on sale in the coming days.
    Originally, the national theatre was to open with a gala evening featuring performances from all companies. However, the trial operation was postponed twice from the autumn start, resulting in rehearsals beginning only at the end of February, and the program could not be prepared.
    The SND management then planned to open the new building with the first Slovak opera Krútňava by Eugen Suchoň, directed by the famous director Juraj Jakubisko. However, the leading actor Miroslav Dvorský could not be released by the prestigious Italian stage Teatro Alla Scala, where he is making his debut.