Theatres of Turin

Teatro Regio
The Teatro Regio (Royal Theatre) of Turin was commissioned in 1730 to Filippo Juvarra by Carlo Emanuele III, who just ascended the throne. He thought that it was necessary to transform Turin into a capital of European rank.

Eight years later, Juvarra died and the charge passed to Benedetto Alfieri. He made a hall with 2500 seats, which is appreciated for its advanced technical answers and for the perfection of its decorations.

The Teatro Regio was inaugurated on 26th December with the Arsace of Francesco Feo; each season went on from 26th December to the end of Carnival, and it included two operas expressly created for the theatre, also by great Italian names: Galuppi, Jommelli, Cimarosa, Paisiello and foreign authors like Gluck, Bach and Hasse;

Moreover, the most famous castrated men and prima donnas of the time performed here, and the dancers excited the audience by performing in the two balls of entr'acte and in the final coreographical action that accompanied every opera.

As a consequence to five years of closing, from 1792 to 1797, the Teatro Regio changed its name more than once, reflecting in this way the historical events:

in 1798 it took the name of Teatro Nazionale, in 1801 Grand Theatre des Arts and in 1804 Theatre Imperial, until the Theatre went back to the Savoia's family during the Restoration period. With Carlo Alberto, the hall acquired a neoclassical feature, but with the repair works of Moja in 1861, it took a neobaroque layout.

Then, there was the Carnival-Lent season, the operas were now repertory ones and not expressly written, and also funny operas were put up (starting with The Barber of Seville, in 1855).

In 1870 the property of Teatro Regio went to the Municipality of Turin;

During these years, the history of the Theatre interlaced with the one of the Civic Orchestra and of the Popular Concerts created by Carlo Pedrotti, who brought strong innovations in the repertory by introducing in the program the music of Wagner and Massenet.

Also Arturo Toscanini's debut at theatre was in Wagner's name, who collaborated with the Orchestra from 1895 to 1898.

Other great authors in the Regio's history are Giacomo Puccini and Richard Strauss. The last great "first" guest of the old Regio was Francesca da Rimini di Zandonai, about the libretto di D'Annunzio (little book of D'Annunzio). After the suspension of the war time, the Theatre dedicated itself to the repertory operas.

In the night between 8th and 9th February in 1936, while Liola di Mule was running, the hall was burnt out by a violent fire:

It took about fourty years to rebuild it.

In 1937 Aldo Morbelli and Robaldo Morozzo della Rocca won the banishment for the rebuilding of Teatro Regio.

However, their plan was never carried out, because in 1965 the civic administration promoted a new solution, commissioning the new task to the architect Carlo Molino and to the engineer marcello Zavelani Rossi. The works started in September 1967.

The new Teatro Regio was inaugurated on 10th April in 1973 with the opera of Giuseppe Verdi " I Vespri Siciliani ", under the direction of Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stafano.

From this date on, the productive activity of the Teatro Regio gradually increased.

The season of the Opera counted about ten titles from October to June and many other activities accompanied it. There were the Season of Concerts symphony-choral and "cameristico" with the Orchestra and the Chorus of the Teatro Regio. There were also exhibitions, tour guides and initiatives for schools, conferences, conventions about many topics concerning the world of musical theatre and from the editorial news to the presentation of the works of the playbill. At last the recent theatre and contemporary dance's season of Piccolo Regio Laboratorio.

All these shows put Theatre Regio in the centre of Turin's and Piedmont's cultural and artistic life, and not only.

• Site: P.zza Castello, 215
• Tel: +39 011 8815241
• Web:www.teatroregio.torino.it

Teatro Alfieri
It represents one of the biggest halls in Italy. This theatre houses the playbill of Torino Spettacoli (Turin Shows), which is based on comedies, great classics of light theatre and some pieces of the Theatre Stabile.

• Site: p.zza Solferino 4, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 5623800
• Web:http://www.torinospettacoli.it

Teatro Carignano
The Teatro Carignano is the most beautiful historical theatre in the city. It does not have its own playbill, but rather, it houses the shows of Teatro Stabile since it has its own playbill but doesn't have its own site. The hall of Carignano is a real pearl: it is full of red velvet, golden stucco works and wooden furniture.

• Site: p.zza Carignano 6, Turin
• Tel:+39 011 547048

Teatro Nuovo
Teatro Nuovo (New Theatre) is surrounded by Parco del Valentino and it presents great productions with a special care to dance.

• Address: c.so M. d'Azeglio 17, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 6500200
• Web:http://www.teatronuovo.torino.it

Teatro Colosseo
Its hall is balanced between prose and music: the theatre of via Madama Cristina dedicates itself to the shows for the general public, from light theatre to comedy, from cabaret to musical (by now the Rocky Horror Show is the norm here since years)

• Address: via Madama Cristina 71, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 6698034
• Web:http://www.teatrocolosseo.it

Alfa Teatro
The operetta is the speciality of this little theatre that stands a stone's throw from the river Po. This is the right place for light music lovers, but also for the ones keen on prose and puppets. The company of Grilli, the theatre's owner, has got a large tradition of puppet theatre.

• Address: via Casalborgone 16/i, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 8193529
• Web: http://www.alfateatro.com

Teatro Massaia
It is learned in light theatre with a particular attention to prose, to Piedmont's protagonists and to stand-up comedies.

• Address: via C. Massaia 104, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 257881
• Web: http://www.teatromassaia.it

Teatro Stabile
The biggest theatre of Turin indeed doesn't exist concretely. As a matter of fact, the building is not really "a building", because it does not have its own site. So, its rich playbill, which all along tries to fulfill the needs of classical theatre lovers and of theatral new tendency lovers, is hosted in the stage of Carignano, Alfieri and Gobetti.

• Address: Via Rossini 12, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 5169411
• Web: http://www.teatrostabiletorino.it

Teatro Agnelli
It is the site of one of the most appealing companies in the city, which is the Assemblea di Teatro, it suggests a modern theatre and it is also particularly interested in the piece of civil care.

 

• Address: Via Paolo Sarpi 111, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 30 42 808
• Web: http://www.assembleateatro.com

Teatro Araldo
The Araldo Theatre is a small but also very charming reality. The little hall presents for years the interesting shows of the Compagnia dell'Angolo (and many successful shows such as Pigiami) and it is also interested in children's shows. From the season 2002/03, the theatre lead the Garibaldi theatre of Settimo (in collaboration with the Teatro Stabile of Turin).

• Address: via Chiomonte 3, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 331764
• Web: http://www.teatrodellangolo.it

Cineteatro Baretti
This little hall entirely renewed stands in the heart of San Salvario. It gives life to theatre's, music's and cinema's seasons, under the banner of interculturality in the multiethnic area of Turin par excellence.

• Address: via Baretti 4, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 655187
• Web: http://www.cineteatrobaretti.it

Teatro Erba
The Teatro Erba has got two seasons: one dedicated to Grande Prosa - Per una nuova coscienza teatrale (Great Prose - for a new theatral consciousness) and another dedicated to classic culture.

• Address: corso Moncalieri 241, Turin
• Tel:+39011 6615447

Teatro Monterosa
Cine-teatro with an interesting program for schools.

• Site: Via Brandizzo 65, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 284028

Teatro Gianduia
The micro theatre in via Santa Teresa houses only marionette's shows of the Lupi company. It preserves in the same rooms the Museum of Puppets. These shows are very nice and entertaining also for adults.

• Address: via Santa Teresa 5, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 530238

Teatro Gioiello
It was reopened in 2000, and it polarises itself on an interactive mistery story called Forbicifollia. Today, it presents pieces that stand between thriller and comedy, which are the most loved genres by the public.

• Address: via Cristoforo Colombo 31, Turin
• Tel: +39 011 5805768

Teatro Matteotti
The theatre of Moncalieri presents prose (with special attention for comedy), dance and pieces for children.

• Address: via Matteotti, 1, Moncalieri (TO)
• Tel: +39 011 6403700
• Web: http://www.monteatro.com/

Teatro Juvarra
The little theatre in via Juvarra is simple but elegant, in the research of vanguard and testing. It periodically represents interesting shows, with special care to new technologies and multimediality. It has an outbuilding, which is the Cafe Procope. It is a perfect post-theatre that presents also its own playbill. There is also a sort of Cafe Chantant, which houses shows, concerts and happenings. In the big basement there is a little stage, a nice counter and chairs in semidarkness. In the evening it also becomes a club.

• Address: Via Juvarra 15
• Tel: +39 011 540675
• Web: http://www.juvarramultiteatro.it