World’s Top Places to Catch a Concert, Dance, or Play

Sydney Opera House

Mozart sounds as great on your iPod as the New York Philharmonic does on those "Live from Lincoln Center" broadcasts on PBS, but nothing beats seeing those performances in person. Even better is witnessing concerts, ballets, and other shows in the world's grandest arts venues, the very settings where many of history's great works of performing arts were originally staged. Here's a visual tour of some of the world's top places to get cultured.

With its soaring white scallop shell exterior and setting on Sydney Harbor, the iconic Sydney Opera House is Australia's calling card to the world. The House itself contains eight different venues, including the Concert Hall, which houses a 10,000-pipe organ, and the Opera Theatre, where Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, and the Sydney Dance Company perform. You can browse events and purchase tickets through the Sydney Opera House website. Even if you can't take in a show, it's worthwhile to take a tour of the facilities, which costs $16 AUD (go to XE.com for current conversion rates) when you book it online.

(Photo: Tony Yeates, Tourism New South Wales)

Lincoln Center

New York's Lincoln Center bills itself as the "world's leading arts center," and it's hard to argue with the numbers. Spread over 16 acres in midtown Manhattan, Lincoln Center boasts 12 different performing arts organizations including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, the New York Philharmonic, and the Juilliard School, which combined put on more than 400 performances in 22 venues annually. You can look up event schedules and purchase tickets through the Lincoln Center website. During the month of August, you can attend more than 100 free events on the center's outdoor plaza, including acts by the Trisha Brown Dance Company and the Beijing Chinese Opera Ensemble.

(Photo: David Lamb, Lincoln Center)

Staatsoper

Home to the Vienna State Opera, the Staatsoper hosts Austria's most glamorous event of the year, the Opera Ball, a tails-and-ties soiree that attracts some of Europe's and North America's top celebrities and socialites. Notably, the event is open to the public—if you can get your hands on a ticket and can cover the €230 admission price tag. Otherwise, tickets to see operas at the Staatsoper are surprisingly affordable. Seats start at €10 and standing-room is €3.50 (go to XE.com for current conversion rates). You can purchase tickets online (this website is in German only), or by calling 011-43-1-513- 513.

(Photo: WienTourismus/MAXUM)

Red Rocks

Mother Nature takes the credit for the superb design and acoustics of Red Rocks. Set in the Denver area's Rocky Mountain foothills, this red-sandstone amphitheater was created over millions of years as the earth's surface pushed up two 300-foot-tall monoliths, forming a natural theater. Red Rocks' open air stage has lent itself perfectly to huge stadium acts and music festivals, with the likes of U2, Dave Matthews, Coldplay, and R.E.M. playing shows there. Ticketmaster sells tickets for most Red Rocks concerts.

(Photo: City and County of Denver)

Bolshoi Theatre

Commissioned in 1776 by Catherine the Great, Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre has seen some of history's greatest ballet performances. Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake premiered at the theater in 1877, as did the more recent Spartacus by Aram Khachaturyan. While part of the theater is currently under renovation through March 2008, the Bolshoi will continue to run ballets and operas on a smaller secondary stage. You can purchase tickets for upcoming productions of Swan Lake, Gisele, and other ballets through the Bolshoi Theatre website.

(Photo: Damir Yusopov, The State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia)

Sambodromo

Many people are under the impression that Rio de Janeiro's Carnival parade is a free-for-all through the city streets, but it's actually a highly choreographed competition held in the Sambodromo, a half-mile-long stadium designed specifically for Carnival use. Over the course of three days, about 22 samba schools—associations of community members who put on the parades—compete in the Samba Parade. As many as 5,000 dancers, singers, and nearly nude beauties of both sexes parade with each school down the length of Sambodromo trying their best to wow the crowds and judges. Tickets to watch the February 2008 competition go on sale in September. Rates start at $50 from vendors like Rio Carnival Services.

(Photo: Luoman, iStockphoto)

Estates Theatre

Although Mozart spent most of his life in Austria, the people of Prague venerated him more than those of his home country, and he returned the affection to the Czechs, choosing to stage his 1787 world premiere Don Giovanni in Prague's Estates Theatre. More than 200 years later, the Estates Theatre still makes Mozart operas its bread and butter, although it does occasionally host other operas and ballets. TicketsOnline.cz sells tickets to Estates Theatre Mozart operas, with prices starting around $14.

(Photo: CzechTourism)

Aspendos

A testament to its superb construction, the nearly 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater of Aspendos stills enjoys regular use today. Located on Turkey's Mediterranean coast in the city of Belkis, the amphitheater annually hosts the Turkish State Opera and Ballet's annual International Opera and Ballet Festival in June and July. Recent years' festivals have featured performances of Aida, Carmen, Tosca, and The Magic Flute. Go to the website of Turkey's State Opera and Ballet for more information and details on purchasing tickets for next year.

(Photo: WorldWideImages, iStockphoto)

Kennedy Center

The country's national performing arts center and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center is the country's busiest arts facility, with more than 3,000 performances scheduled every year. While the Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet, and several other companies reside here, the center makes make a concerted effort to bring in top international touring groups like the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Tickets can be purchased through the Kennedy Center website. Everyday at 6 p.m., you can catch a free performance on the Center's Millennium Stage.

(Photo: Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation)

Puri Saren Agung

Home to one of Asia's most unique and artistically-inclined peoples, Bali, Indonesia, is viewed by many travelers as a kind of cultural Eden. The Hindu Balinese still mark important events with dancing and theatrics, wearing elaborate costumes, headdresses, and masks. Visitors can attend dance performances all over Bali, but Puri Saren Agung, or the Royal Place in Ubud, has the most dramatic setting. You can see traditional dances in the evenings at the palace for around $2. Visit indo.com to learn more.

(Photo: Porcsenglar/iStockphoto)