Kaunas State Musical Theatre

Kaunas State Musical Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in Lithuania, with roots reaching back to the 1890s, making a must-see for those interested in both theatre and Lithuania’s history. The building itself has undergone a succession of transformations, from its more neoclassical original facade to the incorporation of more neo-baroque forms (the so-called Vilnius Baroque) in the interwar years. Subsequent changes, meanwhile, incorporated stylistic traces of early forms of what then became Kaunas Modernism. These cosmetic changes reflect the turbulent history of the modern state, and this nationalist spirit finds its expression in some of the performances that the theatre is renowned for - the first performances of Antanas Sutkus “National Theater” were performed here as early as 1919. It also has associations with one of the most traumatic events of the long quest for independence from Soviet occupation, Roman Kalanta’s self immolation in 1972, which led to some of the fiercest anti-Soviet demonstrations of the era, occurred in a nearby square. These days, the theatre is host to 30 different performances in repertoire, including operas, operettas, musicals, musical revues, concerts, dance performances, and shows for children.