Ballet at the Hermitage Theatre

We'll be in St Petes on May 31 and plan on a ballet evening. Unfortunately it looks like the Marinsky has an opera performance that evening, so one option would be the Swan Lake at the Hermitage Theatre. Has anyone of you been there, how is the place, is it worth getting tickets to this show?

The other option would be the cruise line's ballet evening, I think it is at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, but we won't have assigned seats and it can get to be quite a mess. BTW, how is the Alexandrinsky, we might book our tickets and go with SPB's transfer.

Please let me know your experiences, we need to book our tickets by the end of the month. Thanks in advance, Prish

Hi Prish

We haven’t see any ballets in The Hermitage Theater but we have seen the theater itself and it was extremely beautiful. It was during our Hermitage tour. Normally day time the theater is closed. I don’t know how but our guide managed to show it. She convinced the elderly lady who was on duty to open a door so we had chance to give a look. Of course it was done for our daughter who was 3 at that moment. Any way the theater itself is very beautiful and rather small. They have free seating their - tradition from the time of Catherin.

Jess :)

Both theaters are unique, the Hermitage theater is intimate, really small and best with performances without sets. It will be tourist ballet, not one of the premier companies.

Alexandrinsky Theater is beautiful, particularly outside, and the oldest theater. If it is contracted with the ship's tour operator it will be a tourist grade ballet, which is unusual to be using that theater for such programs. Tourist ballet never has assigned seating but it should not be that much of a problem.

Given the choice, I would probably opt out and go see a concert at a good jazz club or try a nice restaurant.

Both theaters are unique, the Hermitage theater is intimate, really small and best with performances without sets. It will be tourist ballet, not one of the premier companies.

Alexandrinsky Theater is beautiful, particularly outside, and the oldest theater. If it is contracted with the ship's tour operator it will be a tourist grade ballet, which is unusual to be using that theater for such programs. Tourist ballet never has assigned seating but it should not be that much of a problem.

Given the choice, I would probably opt out and go see a concert at a good jazz club or try a nice restaurant.

I understand that it may be one of the lesser companies but we are still very keen to see a ballet performance, after all that's what Russia's about, isn't it?:)

If the Alexandrinsky's contracted out to the ship's tour operator how do I get tickets without going through the ship? Thanks!

The other option would be the cruise line's ballet evening, I think it is at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, but we won't have assigned seats and it can get to be quite a mess. BTW, how is the Alexandrinsky, we might book our tickets and go with SPB's transfer.

It's in the cruise line's interest to keep everyone together. You'll be escorted into the theater as a group and shown where to fill in the seats, again, as a group. The more chaotic moment comes when it is time to find the correct bus back to the ship. Since the group sat together, people tend to exit in a reasonably complete group as well, but locating the specific bus will be the big challenge of the evening.

If you read reviews for ballet at trip advisor, the Hermitage is not recommended. In summer of 2014, the performances were of a poor quality. I would recommend you purchase your tickets directly from the theatre yourself (on line) pick out your own seats. Both the cruise company, tour agencies and other on line companies(ballet and opera.com) mark up the tickets. Just notify your CC company that you will be purchasing tickets in Russia as it might not go through.

We are purchasing the tickets directly from the Mariinsky box office and just paying the tour company for transport.

If you read reviews for ballet at trip advisor, the Hermitage is not recommended. In summer of 2014, the performances were of a poor quality. I would recommend you purchase your tickets directly from the theatre yourself (on line) pick out your own seats. Both the cruise company, tour agencies and other on line companies(ballet and opera.com) mark up the tickets. Just notify your CC company that you will be purchasing tickets in Russia as it might not go through.

We are purchasing the tickets directly from the Mariinsky box office and just paying the tour company for transport.

Thank kriilsister, looks like there's an opera at the Marinsky the evening we're in town, so the Hermitage may be our only option since we do want to see a ballet. Am waiting for the end May schedules to be officially announced early April, keeping my fingers crossed...:D

Enjoy your evening at the Marinsky, that's what I was so looking forward to!

It's such a pity Mariinsky doesn't have ballet this day. If I were you I'd opt for the Hermitage theater as despite of the quality of the performance (and I think that it should be good, may be not one of the premier class but I heard really good reviews), the theater itself is wonderful: it's small, intimate and extremely beautiful - you could feel yourself a part of the tsar epoch.

Have a great time in St. Pete!

Jane

You said it Jane, I can't believe they don't have a ballet on our one evening in town:( But we do plan on going to some ballet, it may not be the best but just the thrill of seeing a ballet performance in Russia will be a huge thrill:)