Sydney's New 1500 Seat Theatre A Long Way Off
The New South Wales Government has announced plans for a new 1500 seat theatre to be built on the site of the decommissioned Powerhouse Museum in inner city Ultimo.
Details are very thin on the proposal - except that the Government says it won't be paying for the new theatre but will seek expressions of interest from the commercial sector.
Under the plan, by 2023 the Powerhouse Museum will transfer to the banks of the Parramatta River and parts of the former Ultimo site will be retained for cultural spaces, including plans for a new design and fashion museum and a Broadway-style lyric theatre.
“We want to ensure that Ultimo remains a destination for arts and culture as part of a vibrant and engaging precinct,” Arts Minister Don Harwin said.
Absent was any commitment to help build the theatre - which would be about one kilometre from the Lyric Theatre at the Star Casino.
The lack of financial commitment for a new theatre contrasts with the 1.5 billion dollars the NSW Government is spending on knocking down and upgrading recently built sporting stadiums.
Sydney is in dire need of another theatre. At the present time only two theatres can house large scale Broadway musicals - the Lyric and the Capitol.
The Theatre Royal in central Sydney remains closed pending a renovation and the owners of the State Theatre used potential back stage space to construct a hotel - meaning that the venue is only suitable for concerts.
Pictured above is an artist's impression of a blockbuster exhibition that will be able to tour to the new Western Sydney Powerhouse Museum.
