Performance venues
Bühne Baden, with its three venues Stadttheater, Sommerarena and Max Reinhardt Foyer, is THE music theater of Lower Austria and is one of the leading theaters in the field of musical entertainment theaters.
The year-round repertoire includes operetta, musicals and concerts.
The program is complemented by the nighttime program “Club Night at Bühne Baden” in the Max-Reinhardt-Foyer, as well as a special program for children and young people.
The Stadttheater and the Sommerarena, two "denkmalgeschützte" historic buildings (= protected object listed on the Austrian cultural property list as kept by the Federal Monuments Office known as the Bundesdenkmalamt) that are more than a hundred years old, offer a unique historical ambience.
The Stadttheater is also home to the Max-Reinhardt-Foyer, the youngest of the three venues.
The Stadttheater Baden
THE PREHISTORY
The theater in Baden boasts one of the oldest theater traditions in Lower Austria. In 1775, the city built the first theater building on its current site on Theaterplatz. It was a brick building with a shingle roof.
Due to dilapidation, the building was demolished in 1811 and a new theater was built by the Viennese architect Josef Kornhäusel, which was inaugurated in 1812. The Hoftheater an der Schwechat was originally only used in the summer—the spa town demanded entertainment. From 1867 onwards, performances were also held in winter, and the theater's program soon covered the whole year.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STADTTHEATER
At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was dilapidated and posed a serious fire hazard. Under Mayor Rudolf Zöllner, it was decided to build a theater similar to the Schwechat Theater. The entertainment association, the trotting club, and the Baden savings bank agreed to cover one-third of the construction costs for a new building. In 1908, it was decided that the architectural firm Helmer and Fellner, which specialized in the construction of theaters, would be commissioned to build the new theater and various ancillary buildings.
Construction work began on September 14, 1908, and was completed on October 2, 1909 - an impressively short time! Originally, the new theater was to be named the “Kaiser-Franz-Joseph-Jubiläums-Stadttheater” in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph, who celebrated his 60th anniversary of reign in 1908. However, the Viennese court did not give its consent, and so the theater was henceforth called the “Jubiläums-Stadttheater.”
When the curtain rose for the first time in the new theater, the program included Beethoven's “Die Weihe des Hauses” (The Consecration of the House) – composed in Baden, Grillparzer's investiture scene from “König Ottokars Glück und Ende” and “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss (set in Baden).
FROM THE OPENING TO THE PRESENT
Minor renovations were carried out in 1929 and 1939, followed by a complete overhaul of the building in 1959. The respective reopenings featured the same program as in 1909.
In 1979, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the city of Baden, the theater underwent a complete exterior and interior renovation.
In the anniversary year 2009, several offices were adapted, a new porter's lodge was installed, the auditorium was equipped with a new sound system, and the public areas were fitted with new carpeting and wallpaper. A new, spacious, and modern rehearsal room was built for the choir.
In 2014, the exterior façade was renovated, and in 2017, the seating in the auditorium was replaced. In 2020, a ventilation and air conditioning system was installed.
The Sommerarena Baden
THE PREHISTORY
The Sommerarena in the heart of Baden's magnificent spa gardens is extremely popular with audiences.
From 1841 onwards, the site of today's Sommerarena was home to the “Imperial and Royal Privileged Day Theater of the Sovereign City of Baden,” whose box office opening and performance start were announced each time with three gun salutes that could be heard far and wide. At that time, the fair-weather theater did not yet have a roof. The trees in the spa gardens formed the back wall of the stage and thus provided a romantic backdrop. The arena was a wooden building that could accommodate around 900 guests, including standing room. The fact that smoking was permitted at the time, in line with the motto: „In der Arena, da is’ schena, weil die Männa rauchen kenna!“ (“It's nicer in the arena because the men can smoke there!”), was a slogan that attracted many people to the theater.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SOMMERARENA
The new Sommerarena was built in 1906 in a record time of less than four months. There had been disputes beforehand about whether to leave the wooden structure as it was, cover it with a tarpaulin roof, or erect a new building with a sliding glass roof, with the latter option ultimately being implemented based on a design by architect Rudolf Krausz. The iron construction work was carried out by the company IG Gridl. The summer arena was opened with the comedy “Der arme Julien” (Poor Julien), the second act of “Die Fledermaus” (The Bat), Nestroy's “Frühere Verhältnisse” (Former Circumstances) and L. v. Beethoven's “Die Weihe des Hauses” (The Consecration of the House).
FROM THE OPENING TO THE PRESENT DAY
In 1939, the arena was used for the last time for a long period. After being closed during World War II and the turmoil of the post-war period, the renovated Sommerarena reopened on June 29, 1957, and remains unique among open-air theaters to this day with its glass roof that can be closed or opened depending on the weather. In 2006, the 100th anniversary of the Sommerarena was celebrated with a grand concert. From fall 2021 to early summer 2023, the Sommerarena underwent extensive renovation by the city of Baden.
The Max-Reinhardt-Foyer
FROM THE OPENING TO THE PRESENT
In September 2010, on the 137th birthday of Baden theater genius Max Reinhardt, the third venue of the Bühne Baden, the “Max-Reinhardt-Foyer” (formerly the balcony foyer), was officially opened. With a maximum capacity of 95 seats, the Max Reinhardt Foyer is the newest venue of the Bühne Baden.