The best Almaty theaters: from classics to the underground

Relaxing in Almaty is not only about going to the mountains, trying national cuisine, doing archery, and watching the starry sky. The megalopolis has plenty of theater platforms, talented artists, and cultural sights with an intriguing history. In this article, we will tell you which theaters in Almaty are worth visiting for tourists.

Kazakh State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, named after Abay Kunanbayev

Abay Opera House is more than just a stage. It is a museum of ballet and opera, the best performances ever, and, certainly, an architectural monument. The theater building has a design in the Stalinist Empire style, which is well-combined with Italian classicism and national Kazakh elements. The repertoire ranges from the operas "Abai" and "Eugene Onegin" to the ballets "Swan Lake" and "Romeo and Juliet".

"A beautiful building with lots of paintings and accessories for the opera. The interior itself is a museum", "I saw the performance of the Kazakh opera "Kyz-Zhibek", and it was wonderful, an excellent performance, beautiful costumes, and a nice audience. I’ll recommend it to all tourists coming to the city,” admiring guests of Almaty City write in reviews.

State Academic Theater of Russian Drama, named after M. Lermontov

The best traditions of the classical theater school and, at the same time, modern genres like comedy, drama, romance, and mysticism - it is all about the oldest theater in Almaty. A bust of the theater founder, actor, and director Yuri Rutkovsky is in the building. A monument to one of the favorite actors of Almaty citizens, Yuri Borisovich Pomerantsev, who played about 300 vivid and memorable characters over almost 80 years, stands up in front of the theater.

"Do you like dramatic performances and understand the Russian language? Then this is a great place to spend an evening", "The actors, the scenery, the light, and the director’s ideas were impressive... The result is a loud, well-deserved applause", visitors to the theater, which began its history back in the 30s of the last century, comment on their impressions.

ARTiSHOCK

"The theater of cultural shock" is how the creative team of the first independent theater in Kazakhstan describes their work. The theater's repertoire includes different original genres. These are performances based on world literature and present-day European and Kazakh dramas. At the same time, musical performances and children's and teenagers' shows are held here as well.

"Fans of the underground will appreciate these interesting events. But, if you prefer classical performances and academic acting, then you should take care of your heart", advanced theatergoers say, referring to an unusual presentation and the strongest performances of actors who literally "tear" the audience's heart.

Kazakh State Philharmonic, named after Zhambyl

Although the Philharmonic does not belong on theatrical stages, we could not ignore it. The thing is, it includes more than one famous group: the state brass band, the state choir named after B. Baikadamova, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra, the State String Quartet named after G. Zhubanov, the Academic Folklore and Ethnographic Orchestra "Otyrar Sazy" named after N. Tlendiev, and the woodwind quintet.

"There are enchanting concerts performed by world-class musicians here. Not only classics but also modern trends. Among them are opera performances of The Beatles’ hits", say music lovers, emphasizing the diverse repertoire of the Philharmonic.

Also in Almaty there is the Kazakh National Drama Theater named after. M. Auezov, Russian Theater for Children and Youth. N. Satz, Republican German Drama Theater, Republican State Academic Korean Theater and other classical and modern theaters.