State Opera House

On a backstage* tour of the Opera House. This is the main staircase. The tour guide explained about the seven statues (three of which you see) representing the Seven Arts: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Literature, Music, Performance / Dance, and Film. They are the building blocks of Opera, and any piece performed at the Opera House must in theory include some mix of all seven.

*Well, not really backstage. They didn’t take us where sets were built or actors rehearsed, or any of that. Just as well, the real backstage is busy almost every hour of every day, and we’d just be in the way.