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254:, Australia, and much of the work was overseen by Wellington architect Albert Liddy. The opera house finally opened on Easter Saturday of 12 April 1914 to an evening performance by the American Burlesque Company, with a full seating capacity of 2141 in three levels of stalls, dress circle and gallery, including 50 box seats. The original seating upholstery was made and installed by the Wellington company
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along with five other venues in the capital city. In
October 2012 it was announced that the Opera House was an earthquake risk and would possibly have to close. By the end of 2016, funding from Wellington City Council and the Performing Arts Foundation of Wellington enabled the building to be
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strengthened and restored to sufficient code to continue to be open to the public. The refit also included an award-winning restoration of its original interior features, by a local architect and 14 painters and artists.
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258:, and the interior features fine plaster mouldings and an ornate dome. The building was designed with brick masonry outer walls with wooden floors and a timber-framed roof. It is registered by
303:. In July 2011 Positively Wellington Venues, an integration between the Wellington Convention Centre and the St James Theatre Trust, began managing the theatre under the new name of
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The present Opera House replaced earlier buildings on
Manners Street. The Imperial Opera House opened in 1878, but burnt down a year later.
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In the 1990s and early 2000s the building was operated by the St James
Theatre Trust, which ran the nearby
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in May 1913 with a plan to open early on Boxing Night that year. The principal architect
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A photo hanging in the dress circle foyer alcove is of
Phyllis Porter a dancer in the
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659:"Wellington Opera House restoration recognised with award for its use of colour"
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In 1977 it was restored with funding from the New
Zealand insurance company
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Heritage New
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The original interior plasterwork in the upper foyer, restored in 2016.
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Construction work on the present building began in 1911. It was named
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408:. Vol. XVII, no. 542. 21 June 1879. p. 5
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Previously: State Opera House, The Grand Opera House
311:The Opera House was used for the theatre scenes in
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Proscenium theatre venue in
Wellington, New Zealand
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683:Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.
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40:The Opera House on Manners Street, Wellington.
501:. Vol. 66, no. 11927. 14 March 1914
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471:. Vol. 87, no. 61. 13 March 1914
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441:. Vol. 6, no. 1754. 20 May 1913
284:, and for many years it was known as the
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575:McConnell, Rhiannon (10 February 2016).
351:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
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685:"King Kong – where versatility was key"
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378:. No. 315. 4 May 1878. p. 13
273:Peep Show Company in 1923 who died in
172:Heritage New Zealand – Category 1
633:"Quake risk building's $ 1m upgrade"
334:, Victoria University Press, 1994,
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549:Chumko, Andre (30 December 2023).
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160:Venues Wellington: The Opera House
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764:1910s architecture in New Zealand
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657:Flahive, Brad (10 October 2016).
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631:Jackman, Amy (23 October 2014).
601:Jackman, Amy (11 October 2012).
551:"The Phantom of the Opera House"
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577:"Opera House Lane's dark days"
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53:111–113 Manners Street
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244:The Grand Opera House
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355:Heritage New Zealand
260:Heritage New Zealand
89:41.2915°S 174.7778°E
465:"Grand Opera House"
435:"New Theatre Named"
330:Kernohoran, David,
275:Wellington Hospital
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469:Evening Post
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412:14 September
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131:Construction
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511:Papers Past
505:21 December
495:"The Stage"
481:Papers Past
475:21 December
451:Papers Past
445:21 December
418:Papers Past
388:Papers Past
372:"Town News"
221:New Zealand
206:Opera House
116:Opera House
105:Designation
92: /
80:174°46′40″E
67:Coordinates
60:New Zealand
738:Categories
342:(page 131)
325:References
217:Wellington
210:proscenium
179:Designated
77:41°17′29″S
56:Wellington
560:2 January
555:The Press
318:King Kong
252:Melbourne
144:Architect
439:Dominion
122:Capacity
694:26 June
616:26 June
534:28 July
227:History
213:theatre
154:Website
50:Address
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136:Opened
663:Stuff
262:as a
208:is a
126:1,381
696:2018
670:2018
644:2018
618:2018
588:2018
562:2024
536:2024
507:2018
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336:ISBN
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