History

From Baroque opera to audience magnets
The VEREINIGTE BÜHNEN WIEN offer an attractive variety of genres

VBW and its theatre houses

VBW’s three theatres are steeped in tradition and offer a uniquely broad palette of musical theatre. Thus, it not only plays an essential role in Austria’s cultural life and ranks as one of the country’s flagship institutions but is also of great importance for the economy and the tourism industry. Today, VBW have become a major influence on the country’s music and theatre scene. Through the successes its original musicals have achieved abroad, however, it has also become a producer that plays a role in setting the tone and forming stylistic trends in the international world of musicals. Furthermore, with its celebrated productions at the THEATER AN DER WIEN, which presents itself as Vienna’s new opera house, it has become one of the most innovative opera producers in Europe.

Up until 2005, the THEATER AN DER WIEN played musicals – interrupted only by The Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) and the KlangBogen Festival. This included many a legendary production such as Anatevka, Der Mann von La Mancha, Helden Helden and, thus, Austria’s first musical premiere, as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera. The world premieres of large-scale VBW original musical productions followed: Freudiana, Elisabeth, the most successful German-language musical of all time, and Mozart!

With the Mozart Year 2006, cultural policy took a new turn. As a „musical theatre of the 21st century”, the Theater an der Wien today shows contemporary works and Baroque-era operas. Under the „stagione“ system, ten to twelve opera premieres as well as numerous concert and dance productions are staged annually. In part, this is achieved in cooperation with, among others, The Vienna Symphony, the Radio Symphony Orchestra, and a number of international opera houses.

World-beating musicals

A wide-ranging program and targeted marketing have enabled two historically important theatres such as the RAIMUND THEATER and the RONACHER, which was functionally renovated in 2008, to successfully perform long-running, contemporary musical productions. VBW takes every care when doing so to remain true to the Viennese tradition of staging Austrian or even European premieres, played in German. VBW theatres have been the venue for innumerable debut performances. VBW’s musical productions are renowned both at home and abroad for their high quality and the caliber of the performers, and is one of the most well-respected production houses on the international scene.

Successful VBW musical productions in Vienna

  • A ChorusLine (German-language Premiere)
  • Anatevka
  • Barbarella (Original Production )
  • Cats (German-language Premiere)
  • Chicago (Revised Version – German-language Premiere)
  • Die Habsburgischen (Original Production)
  • Disneys‘ Beauty and the Beast (German-language Premiere)
  • Die Weberischen (Original Production)
  • Elisabeth (Original Production)
  • Evita
  • F@lco – a Cyber Show (Original Production)
  • Forbidden Ronacher (Original Production)
  • Freudiana (Original Production)
  • Spring Awakening (German-language Premiere)
  • Grease (German-language Premiere)
  • Hair
  • Ich war noch niemals in New York (Viennese Version, Austrian Premiere)
  • Jekyll & Hyde (Austrian Premiere)
  • Jesus Christ Superstar
  • Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Team
  • Josephine
  • Kuss der Spinnenfrau (German-language Premiere)
  • Les Misérables (German-language Premiere)
  • MAMMA MIA!
  • MARY POPPINS
  • Mozart! (Original Production)
  • Legally Blonde (German-language Premiere)
  • Phantom of the Opera (German-language Premiere)
  • Rebecca (Original Production)
  • Rocky Horror Show
  • Romeo & Juliette (German-language Premiere)
  • Rudolf – Affair Mayerling (Original Production)
  • Schikaneder (Original Production)
  • Sister Act
  • Dance of the Vampires (Original Production)
  • Dance of the Vampires (Original Production - Viennese Version 2009)
  • The Infernal Comedy
  • The Giacomo Variations
  • The Producers (German-language Premiere)
  • Wake up (Original Production)
  • We will rock you
  • Woyzeck