Heinz-Hilpert-Theater, Municipal theater in Lünen, Germany.
The Heinz-Hilpert-Theater is a listed guest-performance theatre in Lünen, built to plans by Gerhard Graubner and opened on 20 September 1958 with an Aida performance by the Essen stages. The auditorium seats 765 spectators, and the programme ranges from opera and operetta to comedy, tragedy and ballet.
The building opened in 1958 and features design elements from the 1950s era, created according to the vision of architect Gerhard Graubner. It was constructed during a period when theaters were being established as cultural centers in German towns.
The theatre is named after director Heinz Hilpert, who often guest-performed in Lünen with the Deutsches Theater Göttingen and gave the opening speech in 1958. Each November since 1977 it has hosted the international Jazz-Light-Festival, together with the adjacent Hanse-Saal.
The Heinz-Hilpert-Theater is a guest-performance house (Bespieltheater) with 765 seats, so visiting companies bring their own productions rather than a resident ensemble. The adjacent Hanse-Saal is used alongside the main auditorium during the International Jazz-Light Festival each November, when the building is busiest.
The theatre has been a listed monument and in 2018, its 60th year, received the "Big Beautiful Building" plaque in the European Year of Cultural Heritage. Its New Year's concert has been held annually since opening, first by the Westphalian Symphony Orchestra and now by the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen.
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