The Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Theatre at Chateau de Fontainebleau to open tomorrow

Paris: The Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Theatre at Chateau de Fontainebleau in Paris will be opened tomorrow Wednesday in a ceremony by Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Transport of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture (TCA Abu Dhabi) and officials of French Ministry of Culture '&' Communication. The famous Imperial Theatre at Chateau de Fontainebleau was named by France after President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in recognition of his generous support to the restoration of the cultural landmark following a historic agreement between the government of Abu Dhabi and France in 2007. The Imperial Theatre at Chateau de Fontainebleau, one of the premier examples of Second Empire theatres, has long awaited restoration. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a great lover and patron of the arts, has generously sponsored the renovation of the theatre and its opening to the public. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan supported a number of artistic projects, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and has pledged a renewable annual budget of five million euros to restore the Imperial Theatre at Fontainebleau. In recognition of this donation the French Minister of Culture and Communication, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, renamed the theatre on April 27th, 2007 in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan after the patron of the arts who saved it from falling into ruin. At the behest of Napoleon III, the theatre was designed by the architect Hector Lefuel and built between 1853 and 1856 in order to replace the old Comedie theatre, built in the 18th century in the Belle Cheminee wing and no longer suitable. The original space was too small, had no modern conveniences and was inadequate for hosting the numerous guests invited by the imperial couple during their stays when in residence at Fontainebleau. The natural choice for the new theatre was an unfinished part of the château, the western half of the aile neuve des Princes , (new Princes' Wing) today known as the Louis XV wing that borders on the Cour du Cheval Blanc (White Horse Courtyard), the wing that replaced the Ulysses gallery of François 1st in the 18th century. Restricted by the layout of the facades and the attic area Lefuel managed nevertheless brilliantly and with much ingenuity to build a modern space with seating for 400 including all the associated facilities : foyer, passageways, staircases, rooms, stage and other backstage areas assigned to actors, musicians and stagehands. Making optimum use of the building's layout, Napoleon III's official architect built an elongated space in the form of an ellipse. The theatre consists of four distinct levels, which in a way correspond to the social hierarchy imposed at the time : the parterre (stalls, lower flat area), the first dress circle including the imperial box, the upper second dress circle and finally boxes with protective bars on the last level. This theatre is directly inspired by Marie Antoinette's small theatre at Versailles, no doubt to satisfy Empress Eugenie who greatly admired her. This charming court theatre was inaugurated in May 1857 during the visit of the Grand Duke Constantine of Russia, who was Tsar Alexander II's brother. – Emirates News Agency, WAM