The Performing Arts

Opera & Ballet

An opera house in the grand style, the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, place de la Monnaie (tel. 070/23-39-39; www.lamonnaie.be; Métro: De Brouckère), is home to the Opéra Royal de la Monnaie, which has been called the best in the French-speaking world, and to the Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie. The resident modern dance company, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's group Rosas (tel. 02/344-55-98; www.rosas.be), is noted for its original moves. The box office is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm. Tickets run 10€ to 155€ ($16-$248); those 25 and under may be able to get tickets for 10€ ($16) just before a show.

Classical Music

BOZAR, rue Ravenstein 23 (tel. 02/507-82-00; www.bozar.be; Métro: Gare Centrale) -- formerly the Palais des Beaux-Arts -- is home to Belgium's National Orchestra. The box office is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, with tickets running 10€ to 75€ ($16-$120).

Concerts are performed at the Cirque Royal, rue de l'Enseignement 81 (tel. 02/218-37-32; www.cirque-royal.org; Métro: Parc), which was formerly a real circus but is now a venue for music, opera, and ballet. The box office is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, with tickets for 10€ to 75€ ($16-$120).

Le Botanique, rue Royale 236 (tel. 02/218-37-32; www.botanique.be; Métro: Botanique), generally focuses on small-scale modern and avant-garde performances, not only of classical music but also of jazz and other forms.

Theaters

Brussels theater is important among French-speaking countries, with more than 30 theaters presenting performances in French, Dutch, and (occasionally) English. Among the most important is the Théâtre Royal du Parc, rue de la Loi 3 (tel. 02/505-30-30; www.theatreduparc.be; Métro: Parc), a magnificent edifice occupying a corner of the Brussels Park more or less opposite Parliament, where classic and contemporary drama and comedies are performed. The Théâtre National de la Communauté National Wallonie Bruxelles, bd. Emile Jacqmain 111-115 (tel. 02/203-41-55; www.theatrenational.be; Métro: De Brouckere), is mainstream; and the Théâtre Royal des Galeries, Galerie du Roi 32 (tel. 02/512-04-07; Métro: Gare Centrale), is known for its wide variety of offerings, including drama, comedy, and musicals.

Also important are the Art Deco-style Théâtre du Résidence Palace, rue de la Loi 155 (tel. 02/231-03-05; Métro: Maelbeek) and Le Botanique, rue Royale 236 (tel. 02/218-37-32; www.botanique.be; Métro: Botanique), which inclines toward the experimental in mostly French theater. Bringing theater to the city in Dutch, the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, quai aux Pierres de Taille (tel. 02/210-11-00; www.kvs.be; Métro: Yser), is located in new premises around the corner from their neo-Renaissance-style building, dating from 1887, on rue de Laeken.

Puppet Shows: A Belgian Passion

A special word is in order about a special sort of theater -- that of the wooden marionettes that have entertained Belgians for centuries. In times past, puppet theaters numbered in the hundreds nationwide (Brussels alone had 15), and the plays were much like our modern-day soap operas. The story lines went on and on, sometimes for generations, and working-class audiences returned night after night to keep up with the Dallas of the times. Performances were based on folklore, legends, or political satire.

Specific marionette characters came to personify their home cities: A cheeky ragamuffin named Woltje (Little Walloon) was from Brussels; Antwerp had the cross-eyed, earthy, ne'er-do-well Schele; Pierke, from Ghent, was modeled on the traditional Italian clown; and Liège's Tchantchès stood only 16 inches high and always appeared with patched trousers, a tasseled floppy hat, and his constant companion, the sharp-tongued Nanesse (Agnes).

Today a few Belgian puppet theaters still survive and their popularity has increased in recent years after a decline following World War II, when bombing raids severely damaged many theaters and destroyed many marionettes.