Royal Opera House: India’s only surviving opera house 

Have you seen movies where there is a woman or man, or both, dressed in old English clothes and feathers and singing in high pitch, narrating a story. Well, if you are not familiar with the concept of opera, this is what it usually looks like.  

An opera typically creates a narrative through music and singing. An opera house is a place where opera performances take place. Opera has been a part of European culture for centuries and you will still find many opera houses scattered across Europe. In fact, the very word opera comes from the Italian phrase Opera in musica, meaning ‘work in music’. So, opera translates to theatre consisting of dramatic scripts set to music and staged with background scenery.  

India, however, hasn’t witnessed many of these. You may not be aware, but the Royal Opera House is the only surviving Opera house in India. A lot has changed since its construction, as the opera house was restored several times. The Royal Opera House has hosted live performances of stalwarts like Lata Mangeshkar, Dinanath Mangeshkar and Prithviraj Kapoor (great grandfather of Ranbir Kapoor).  

Mumbai’s cultural hub 
During the 1900s, Mumbai was at the peak of its social, artistic, and cultural glory. The Royal Opera House was inaugurated by King George V in 1911. The structure was completed in 1916. The opera house's interior is a blend of Indian and European cultures. The ceiling was made so that even the people seated far behind could hear each word sung by the performers. The seating arrangement was designed so that viewers could view the stage best. By 1917, the Royal Opera House partly became a theatre. By 1925, it ceased to be a drama theatre when the British Pathe (a collection of films of historical and cultural significance) rented it for their movies.  

Then versus now! 
The Royal Opera House has undergone a series of changes in ownership. After its completion, it was bought by the Maharaja of Gondal, Shri Vikramsinhji, in 1952. After a series of ownership changes, the opera house fell under the custody of Shri Jyotendrasinhji Jadeja, Maharaja of Gondal and son of Shri Vikramsinhji.  

In 2008, renovations began under an architect, Abha Narain Lambah. A close family friend of Maharaja Jyotendrasinhji Jadeja, Ashish Doshi, has been named the opera house director after its opening in 2016. Since then, the building has been awarded the Award of Merit in the 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. It has also regained its title of 'One of the finest theatres in the east.' 

The Royal Opera House: Now open for public  
In the 1980s, when home video players started gaining popularity, cinema and opera houses in Mumbai started incurring losses. In addition, in the 1990s, the advent of cable television led to shutting down of cinema houses due to a dwindling clientele. In 1993, the Royal Opera House had to shut down its operations. 

But now it is open to the public. It re-opened in the year 2016 and hosts many musicals, dramas and shows. It has a seating capacity of 575, segregated as Royal stalls, a Dress circle and a Grand balcony. It also houses an orchestra pit, a green room, and backstage. The orchestra pit can accommodate 15 to 20 musicians comfortably.