Salzburg Marionette Theater
Salzburg Marionette Theater
Salzburg Marionette Theater
4.5
About
Famous for its puppet shows, this theater has been delighting children since 1913. It is also home to performances of opera at various times throughout the year.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
395 reviews
Excellent
265
Very good
95
Average
23
Poor
6
Terrible
6
Mary L
Hamilton, Canada50 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
Within 5 minutes, I forgot that the marionnettes in the show were' not real. The show, (The Magic Flute) was deeply affecting and the puppeteers who skillfully pull the strings made these puppets exceedingly graceful and real. I cannot give this review a 5 because there was no air conditioning in the theatre and it kept me from enjoying it immensely.
Written 2 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CorneliusfudgeGM
Stockport, UK1,503 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
100 metres away from our hotel and a great way to spend a hour on New Years Day. The artistry of the puppeteers is amazing. No surprise that at the end of the show they got 3 rounds of applause. Well worth the money. I can see why young children would get restless.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LizR
Midlands, UK3,312 contributions
In June 2010 I was lucky enough to be invited backstage at the world famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre. This was following a performance of The Sound of Music which, to everyone’s delight, included a scene where puppets are operating smaller puppets. The music was great and once or twice it was easy to forget that these little people were being operated by puppeteers at all.
The Marionette theatre has been in existence for ninety-seven years. Over this period of time it has provided charm, hilarity and beautiful music not only to audiences in Salzburg but also on the many world tours they have undertaken. Their repertoire is extensive. From the pen of Mozart they perform Don Giovanni; The Marriage of Figaro; The Abduction from the Seraglio and The Magic Flute. I can recommend the latter, having seen their production a couple of years ago. There is also a Best of Mozart evening when a selection of his music is performed. Mozart is not the only composer enjoyed; the Marionettes also perform Rossini’s The Barber of Seville; Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretl; Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann; Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus; Tschaikowski’s The Nutcracker and Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The theatre itself is a lovely, scaled down opera house. Very helpful for overseas tourists are the subtitles which appear to the sides of the stage in several languages.
Back stage it was fascinating to see what a tiny space the puppeteers have to work in. Every movement is synchronised, involving them switching places, leaning round each other or over shoulders. All these manoeuvres must be performed carefully to ensure a smooth action will appear below on the stage. An example of this occurs when a telegram is delivered to the Von Trapp residence. I stupidly imagined that there was a magnet holding it in place on the puppet’s hand but the telegram had its own string and is transferred from one puppeteer to another. I felt privileged to see the puppets up close and admire the fine detail of their clothing; even their shoe laces are beautifully tied.
The Marionette theatre is certainly not just an attraction for children; adults enjoy the shows just as much. I wholeheartedly recommend an evening with these wonderful puppets and the brilliant expertise of the puppeteers who make these performances possible.
The Marionette theatre has been in existence for ninety-seven years. Over this period of time it has provided charm, hilarity and beautiful music not only to audiences in Salzburg but also on the many world tours they have undertaken. Their repertoire is extensive. From the pen of Mozart they perform Don Giovanni; The Marriage of Figaro; The Abduction from the Seraglio and The Magic Flute. I can recommend the latter, having seen their production a couple of years ago. There is also a Best of Mozart evening when a selection of his music is performed. Mozart is not the only composer enjoyed; the Marionettes also perform Rossini’s The Barber of Seville; Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretl; Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann; Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus; Tschaikowski’s The Nutcracker and Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The theatre itself is a lovely, scaled down opera house. Very helpful for overseas tourists are the subtitles which appear to the sides of the stage in several languages.
Back stage it was fascinating to see what a tiny space the puppeteers have to work in. Every movement is synchronised, involving them switching places, leaning round each other or over shoulders. All these manoeuvres must be performed carefully to ensure a smooth action will appear below on the stage. An example of this occurs when a telegram is delivered to the Von Trapp residence. I stupidly imagined that there was a magnet holding it in place on the puppet’s hand but the telegram had its own string and is transferred from one puppeteer to another. I felt privileged to see the puppets up close and admire the fine detail of their clothing; even their shoe laces are beautifully tied.
The Marionette theatre is certainly not just an attraction for children; adults enjoy the shows just as much. I wholeheartedly recommend an evening with these wonderful puppets and the brilliant expertise of the puppeteers who make these performances possible.
Written 16 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joemontana16
Mission Viejo, CA735 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
we were really looking forward to this show as my wife had read such good reviews about "the magic flute". she even read that it would be wise to read up on the story beforehand so that we would better enjoy the show. well, that did not happen. we had a good idea how the story would flow, but the subtitles that are provided were really only a gist of the story. we don't understand german so any of the talking was pretty much lost to us. as this show is attended by a lot of travelers, that really doesn't seem correct. we were told to sit in row 6 or further back in order to see the subtitles - forget that. you can see them from any row. after intermission we moved up to the 4th row primarily to get out from having to deal with people's heads in front of us blocking our view. besides, the subtitles are up for maybe 5% of the entire show so it's not like you have to spend too much time turning away from the stage. the puppets were okay, but they really didn't move too much. their mouths did not move so you could not tell who was singing. all we can say is that it was very disappointing. probably will not be visiting another puppet show any time soon, if ever. and that's too bad because it is a fun medium to witness when done properly. spent nearly $90 to witness this. money not well spent. would have left at intermission, but due to the fact that we spent all this money we were determined to see it through.
Written 17 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rb2391
Madison, WI6 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
A friend and I went to see The Nutcracker and it was absolutely remarkable. A number of the reviews mention children, but my friend and I (both in our 20s) thought the world of this performance and would highly recommend a show to anyone passing through Salzburg. The showmanship and artistic precision is thoroughly impressive. Everything was so lifelike, I could not believe that the show we were watching was in fact marionettes. If I pass through Salzburg again in the future, I will definitely return and would recommend that you do as well!
Written 3 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IndianaTravelmom
South Bend, IN317 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We spent 2 weeks exploring Austria last summer and this was one of the highlights of our trip. We saw SOUND OF MUSIC( done in English) and found it delightful. The puppetry was magical and the singing was very high quality. My husband, myself and our 2 thirteen year old daughters all thought it was fabulous and not to be missed
Written 18 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelNReviewer
San Diego153 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
My wife and I visited Salzburg in early June of 2013, and we had been told there was this "puppet theater" that we should see. It turned out to be about 1 block from our hotel (Sachar) so we popped for a couple of tickets and gave it a try. The theater is very quaint, kind of like a mini opera house, with comfortable seating. We attended in the off season (just before the big tourist rush) so there were lots of empty seats in the house. The stage is well off the floor so you will probably have a good view unless someone 6 feet or higher sits in front of you.
The performance was the big surprise. The marionettes are first rate and the sets are breathtaking. The soundtrack is a full opera, with orchestra, and the singers are outstanding. The sound system really delivers the experience of a real opera. We saw Don Giovanni, which was lots of fun. They have two big screens left and right of the stage for you to see a translation in several languages of the opera text. If you sit in the first 7 rows, that will be hard to see as you would have to turn your head well right or left to view those screens. So best seating is probably about row 10. Staff was friendly and they have a very nice lobby area with lots of memorabilia about the history of marionette puppets.
Of course, Salzburg is the mecca for Sound of Music Tours, where the movie was filmed, and there was a great scene featuring a marionette show in the movie, so this was something we really wanted to see. All in all, I think you will be impressed with this show and I do recommend it if you have any interest at all in opera.
The performance was the big surprise. The marionettes are first rate and the sets are breathtaking. The soundtrack is a full opera, with orchestra, and the singers are outstanding. The sound system really delivers the experience of a real opera. We saw Don Giovanni, which was lots of fun. They have two big screens left and right of the stage for you to see a translation in several languages of the opera text. If you sit in the first 7 rows, that will be hard to see as you would have to turn your head well right or left to view those screens. So best seating is probably about row 10. Staff was friendly and they have a very nice lobby area with lots of memorabilia about the history of marionette puppets.
Of course, Salzburg is the mecca for Sound of Music Tours, where the movie was filmed, and there was a great scene featuring a marionette show in the movie, so this was something we really wanted to see. All in all, I think you will be impressed with this show and I do recommend it if you have any interest at all in opera.
Written 20 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
theoriginalsid
Leeds, UK305 contributions
Went to see the all-new Marionettentheater take on The Sound of Music. This is an amazing show for fans of the film as you are whisked away into the film and totally forget that these are puppets. It is very clever indeed and the tricks with perspective are very impressive. When the Mother Superior is played by a real person it totally disorientates you (I thought it was a hologram). Agree with the above poster: the puppets manipulating the puppets (The "....lonely goatherd" scene) in the encore is very very good.
Granted it is quite new but it was scandalously underattended (the TSOM tour guides need to get clued up on when it is being performed!). One anomaly: it also included a few songs not from the film but from the AL-W London stage version!
Granted it is quite new but it was scandalously underattended (the TSOM tour guides need to get clued up on when it is being performed!). One anomaly: it also included a few songs not from the film but from the AL-W London stage version!
Written 5 September 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James H
London, UK339 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
It was so wonderful to watch a live puppet show I felt I had stepped into a fairy tale of into sound of music. The only issue was booking the tickets online as there was no way of picking your seats and was allocated on sections. Given that when we went there was a great deal of seats available it felt cheeky not to be allocated closer to the stage. I went to the short version of The Magic Flute and as I paid to be near the front i had good view of the subtitles. I don't understand reviews saying it was not subtitled obviously it is not word for word but you get a gist of the story that aids the experience. I am glad i went a short revision as 2 hours of strange storytelling in peculiar opera may have been to much for me. I would suggest booking in the front area as the stage is small and you want to be able to see the puppets. i was in row 9 which had good view of stage and subtitles. Child friendly for families
Written 25 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JF Bordeleau
Ottawa, Canada1,594 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
We had seen a more amateur Marionette production of the Magic Flute in Vienna so we did not know what to expect in Salzburg which is "the" Marionette Theater. We decided to go for a "Salzburg-classic" and the only show they have in English - The Sound of Music.
What I liked: Very nice theatre with comfortable seating. Excellent puppetry, throwing in some humour with special movements. About just the right length when going with younger kids (even if this was an evening presentation). Good sound quality. Some reasonably priced snack available during the break. As we had bought well in advance, we had excellent seats toward the front. Surprised to see that the place was not jammed-pack, but then again we were competing with the festival that was going on at the time.
What to watch for/could be improved: If you know that you will need to rely on the subtitles, book seats toward the middle of the theater, rather than the front (not an issues for us)
Overall, the perfect "cultural" activity with young kids and a nice evening out. Perfect rainy day/night activity as well
What I liked: Very nice theatre with comfortable seating. Excellent puppetry, throwing in some humour with special movements. About just the right length when going with younger kids (even if this was an evening presentation). Good sound quality. Some reasonably priced snack available during the break. As we had bought well in advance, we had excellent seats toward the front. Surprised to see that the place was not jammed-pack, but then again we were competing with the festival that was going on at the time.
What to watch for/could be improved: If you know that you will need to rely on the subtitles, book seats toward the middle of the theater, rather than the front (not an issues for us)
Overall, the perfect "cultural" activity with young kids and a nice evening out. Perfect rainy day/night activity as well
Written 21 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What languages are the subtitles for The Magic Flute?
Written 4 July 2019
Scene summaries were projected on the side walls in at least 4 or 5 languages, one which was English. Sorry, I can't remember what the other languages were--thinking Italian and/or French plus a few others.
Written 5 July 2019
Will it be close in September? I checked the official website and there is no show the whole month!
Written 25 February 2019
Wir werden demnächst in die Zauberflöte gehen und freuen uns schon sehr auf das Marionetten Theater . Gibt es dort eine Bekleidungsvorschrift ? Lässig leger , schick oder sehr fein ? Was trägt man dort ?
Written 16 September 2018
We went to this theater this summer after visiting the town and it was hot outside. So we wore casual clothes and it was ok.
Written 16 September 2018
Hi,
We're planning to take our young sons to watch The Sound of Music this May. Would like to know which would be the best rows to try to get seats in from the viewpoint of our children. They are 7 & 9 years. Would the first row be too upfront ?
Thank you,
Written 14 March 2018
Hi Roshan, yes, i think the first row would be too close. I think the first row of the second section would be good as there is the aisle in between. So there will be no one blocking the view.
Written 15 March 2018
Por favor si alguien sabe si comprando entradas baratas fila 12 central se puede ver bien a las marionetas?
Written 22 January 2018
Me gustaria saber si en fila 12 central
Empieza las baratas, se ve bien.
De otra manera alguien ha esrado fila 10 a 12?
Gracias
Written 20 January 2018
Should I buy tickets before our trip and can you pick up tickets at will call at theater? Or do you think it will be ok to buy tickets that morning? There is one show the day we wanna go.
Written 23 July 2016
I would like to take my kids to the short version of the magic flute. Is casual dress ok for the 2pm show?
Written 22 May 2016
Yes. From our experience, most people wore casual dress even to the evening session.
Written 22 May 2016
chi ha esperienza degli spettacoli al teatro delle marionette? meglio acquistare on line o ci sarà disponibilità di biglietti sul posto? quanto tempo prima occorre acquistarli?
Written 5 August 2015
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