Boston's new hip 'hood: gilded theatres and must-try eats
Boston’s “Combat Zone” was once known for strip clubs and prostitutes, and the mix of sailors, thugs and just-plain curious that potent brew attracted. Now, though, except for a few holdouts, this neighbourhood between Washington and Tremont streets has morphed into a different kind of entertainment hot spot. Restorations of iconic theatres (spearheaded by two of Boston’s universities), posh restaurants, a Ritz, and a W hotel are harbingers of dramatic change in the neighbourhood.
Here are the highlights:
THE PLAY’S THE THING
Boston’s run-down, turn-of-the-century movie, vaudeville and opera theatres have been gloriously renovated down to the last gilded, plump-cheeked putti. The latest theatre-house dowager to emerge from cosmetic surgery, thanks to Boston’s performance-oriented Emerson College, is The Paramount, an art deco movie theatre that first opened in 1932. The interior with its trompe l’oeil mural, grand fixtures and little museum of vaudeville memorabilia offers productions from legends such as Peter Brook and Robert Lepage to Montreal’s cutting-edge Les 7 doigts de la main, and the oddly mystical Rude Mechs. A visit is worth the time, but the showstopper is the theatre’s glorious marquee and its 7,000 colourful bulbs that light up the whole district. 560 Washington St.; 617-824-8000; artsemerson.org
ON YOUR TOES
The Boston Ballet, known for its classical repertoire and innovative performances of Balanchine works, moved to the magnificently restored Opera House in the old Combat Zone. In the 1920s, the Opera House was a palace of vaudeville, its opulence unrivalled in the city. The dance company’s residence in this exactingly restored confection of a building has been a thrill for audiences and dancers alike. “It creates a great intimacy between the performers and the audience,” says Toronto-born dancer Rachel Cossar. The respected company has dancers from 17 countries as well as Finnish choreographer-in-residence Jorma Elo. 539 Washington St.; 617-695-6955; bostonballet.org
FOOD MAESTRO
The flowering of this once seedy and boarded-up neighbourhood has attracted restaurateurs hoping to lure the trendsters from the city’s hip South End. One of the front-runners is the Milan-esque BiNA Osteria.
Milan Opera House - News
560 Washington St.; 617-824-8000; artsemerson.org The Boston Ballet, known for its classical repertoire and innovative performances of Balanchine works, moved to the magnificently restored Opera House in the old Combat Zone. In the 1920s, the Opera
"Maybe in a few months we will be able to give some good news about other symbols of our country, like Pompeii, Venice and Florence," Diego della Valle said in a joint news conference with the director of the Milan opera house.
Vehicles drew up in front of the Trussardi building by the La Scala opera house on Sunday, with each model's outfit matched to the transport: a luxury sedan disgorging a bearded grandee in a snake-collared coat; a cool-suited guy from a green Mini;
And selling mugs and T-shirts in an opera house gift shop is also at least several steps removed from Laura Pancoast's dream of life on the stage — and of tragic death each night as a doomed, love-besotted soprano. But in an unlikely plot twist that
He has retained his house on the outskirts of Milan for his Italian jaunts. The return to Australia has meant adjusting to a distinctly different opera culture and a distancing from an often-scathing press – just as European soccer stars come under
A Business Executive's Guide to Milan « Corporate Class Inc. Articles
Jeff Mills, May 20 2011
What it’s like: Unlike many Italian cities, Milan doesn’t insist that you fall instantly in love with it and pay homage for ever more. That, as with many successful affairs of the heart, can take rather more time.
At first glance the city can seem rather more style than substance, but get to know it and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Milan may be best known on the international stage for fashion, particularly twice a year, in spring and the fall, when fashionistas, designers and supermodels arrive for the fashion weeks. Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, Pucci, Versace and the rest may manufacture their clothes elsewhere, but Milan is where they choose to put them on show.
But don’t forget the city is also one of Italy’s main business centers, home to the stock exchange and plenty of corporate headquarters. And then there’s the dramatic cathedral, La Scala opera house and, of course, two of Italy’s top football teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
It may be fashionable to dismiss Milan as lacking the cultural masterpieces and splendor of cities such as Rome and Florence, but when it comes to doing business in Italy, with a little fun and entertainment thrown in for good measure, few places can beat it.
Getting around: If you are staying in the city center, you can, of course, walk to many of your appointments. But if you tire of dodging motor scooters, there is a comprehensive transport system operated by Azienda Trasporti Milanesi that allows you to swap between the metro, buses, trams and trolleybuses using the same tickets.
Alternatively, taxis, which are usually white or yellow, can be hailed on the street or hired at taxi ranks outside train stations.
Milan Opera House - Bookshelf
Verdi: Milan and "Othello.", Being a short life of Verdi, with letters written about Milan and the new opera of Othello: represented for the first time on the stage of La Scala theatre, Feb. 5, 1887
The opera was a triumph, and from that day forth we see Verdi on the high-road to success. Nabucco was given at the Carcano Opera House in Milan several ...Milan
The opera house never showed a single opera. It was the place for school ... 1889 and eventually established the Smith Foundry on Wells Road south of Milan. ...Italy, The land
Another impressive building is La Scala, which has been Milan's opera house since 1778. La Scala is often called the world's best opera house. ...Royal Opera House, Covent Garden present Teatro Alla Scala, Milan
Milan & the Lakes
FOUR GREAT DAYS IN MILAN AND THE LAKES A couple of days in Milan will give you a good ... Teatro alia Scala opera house (see pp52-3) and its Museo Teatrale, ...Everyday Information Directory
La Scala - Wikipedia
Hyperlinked history of the opera house.
Opera house - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The first opera house in Germany was built in Hamburg in 1678. ... Much the same happened in the remodeling of Milan's La Scala opera house between 2002 and 2004. ...
La Scala opera House Milan, Italy. Opera and concert tickets ...
Tickets for Teatro alla Scala - Milan - Italy. Opera and concert tickets for Teatro alla Scala!
La Scala: Definition from Answers.com
La Scala Opera house in Milan, Italy. Built in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (which country then ruled Milan), it replaced an earlier
Teatro alla Scala
Official site for the world famous opera house. Contains information about the operas, as well as ticket information.
