Entertainment - Prague and the Czech Republic - page 148

Opera and Ballet
he National Theatre (Národní Divadlo, on the New Town side
of Legií Bridge)—with a must-see Neo-Renaissance interior
(see page 86)—is best for opera and ballet (shows from 19:00,
300-1,000 Kč, tel. [phone], www.nationaltheatre.cz). The
Estates heatre (Stavovské Divadlo) is where Mozart premiered
and personally directed many of his most beloved works (see page
61). Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Magic Flute are
on the program a couple of times each month (shows from 20:00,
800-1,400 Kč, between the Old Town Square and the New Town
on a square called Ovocný Trh, tel. [phone], www.estates
theatre.cz). A handy ticket office for both of these theaters is in
the little square (Ovocný Trh) behind the Estates Theatre, next
to a pizzeria.
he State Opera (Státní Opera) operates on a smaller budget
and is also not as architecturally rewarding as the National Theatre
(shows at 19:00 or 20:00, 400-1,200 Kč, buy tickets at the theater,
on 5 Května—the busy street between the Main Train Station and
Wenceslas Square, see map on page 76, tel. [phone], www
.opera.cz).
Festivals
World-class musicians are in town during these musical festivals:
Prague Spring (last three weeks of May, www.festival.cz), Prague
Autumn (last half of Sept, www.pragueautumn.cz), and the newer
Prague Proms (July-Aug, www.pragueproms.cz).
Music Clubs
Young locals keep Prague's many music clubs in business. Most
clubs are neighborhood institutions with decades of tradi-
tion, generally holding only 100-200 people. Live rock and Bob
Dylan-style folk are what younger generations go for. A number of
good jazz clubs attract a diverse audience, from ages 18-80. In the
last decade, ethnic music has also become hugely popular: Roma
(Gypsy) bands, Moravian poets, African drummers, Cuban bole-
ros, and Moroccan divas often sell out even the largest venues. You
can buy tickets at the club, or, for most places, at the Ticketpro
offices (see page 143). If you like jazz, I've listed some fine options;
avoid the Jazzboat (advertised by commission-hungry hotels),
which has mediocre musicians and high prices.
In the Old Town
Rox y, a few blocks from the Old Town Square, features live bands
from outside the country twice a week—anything from Irish
punk to Balkan brass. On other nights, the floor is taken over by
experimental DJs who will give you a healthy dose of Japanese pop