Editing Erfurt (section)

=== Theatre ===
Since 2003, the modern opera house is home to [[Theater Erfurt]] and its Philharmonic Orchestra. The "grand stage" section has 800 seats and the "studio stage" can hold 200 spectators. In September 2005, the opera ''[[Waiting for the Barbarians (opera)|Waiting for the Barbarians]]'' by [[Philip Glass]] premiered in the opera house. The Erfurt Theatre has been a source of controversy. In 2005, a performance of [[Engelbert Humperdinck (composer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]]'s opera ''{{lang|de|[[Hänsel und Gretel (opera)|Hänsel und Gretel]]}}'' stirred up the local press since the performance contained suggestions of pedophilia and incest. The opera was advertised in the programme with the addition "for adults only".{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

On 12 April 2008, a version of [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]'s opera ''{{lang|it|[[Un ballo in maschera]]}}'' directed by Johann Kresnik opened at the Erfurt Theatre. The production stirred deep controversy by featuring nude performers in [[Mickey Mouse]] masks dancing on the ruins of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] and a female singer with a painted on [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] toothbrush moustache performing a straight arm [[Nazism|Nazi]] salute, along with sinister portrayals of American soldiers, [[Uncle Sam]], and [[Elvis Presley]] impersonators. The director described the production as a populist critique of modern American society, aimed at showing up the disparities between rich and poor. The controversy prompted one local politician to call for locals to boycott the performances, but this was largely ignored and the première was sold out.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/11/wopera111.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413002501/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/11/wopera111.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 April 2008 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |title=German staging of Verdi's ''A Masked Ball'' on 9/11 with naked cast in Mickey Mouse masks |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>