Kaunas State Musical Theatre
Operetta, opera and musicals in the historic city theatre on Laisves Avenue in Kaunas.
The theatre on Laisves Avenue opened in 1892 as the Kaunas city theatre and has been rebuilt several times, notably in the 1920s and again in the 1930s, when Vytautas Landsbergis-Zemkalnis gave the auditorium its present form. The building has a place in Lithuanian political history as well: the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania held its first session here on 15 May 1920, and the first Lithuanian opera performances in Kaunas took place on the same stage.
The State Musical Theatre was established as a separate company in 1940 and now specialises in operetta, musicals, opera and dance. Its repertoire mixes classic operettas and Viennese works with Broadway and West End musicals staged in Lithuanian, alongside opera productions such as Mozart and Puccini. Performances take place on the main stage in the auditorium, while the small garden in front of the building is used for open-air summer events.
Highlights
- Historic city theatre of 1892 on Laisves Avenue
- Site of the first session of Lithuania's Constituent Assembly in 1920
- Repertoire of operetta, musicals, opera and dance
- Theatre garden used for open-air summer performances
