Graz, Austria.

Why start with Graz you ask? For a few reasons.

1: I think it is a spot I can start and catch up with the rest of the trip.

2: It was a monumental poaching day, that will hopefully hook my audience into following this blog.

3: There was an unexpected event that will forever tie Graz with my personal story… more on that soon.

As my entire trip got turned on its head when I was in Athens, Graz was added after recommendations from a friend (Thank you Sandy!) and it kept me moving through Austria as I waited to hear from a friend about a possible visit.

A two-night stop, I was pleasantly suprised by the history and complexity of this city. My first afternoon I found four theatres, four museums and several UNSECO sites to see, and I only had one full day to pull it off.

Venue #1: Dom in Berg.

I see a sign telling me there is a venue… google confirms. All I see is a tunnel with an opening a couple hundred meters through a mountain… this can’t be right.

Then I recall some of the insane venues I’ve seen and realize there could be anything in that tunnel. I head in and much to my delight they are loading out a show… Perfect! In I go, 2023 Euro tour shirt locked and loaded. Wandering into the room like I own the place, I’m confronted by Gerhardt, the venue manager.

An hour and 23 pictures later…

This venue is literally cut into solid rock, under a medieval fortress. It started it’s life as a 17th century storage tunnel, then was converted to a bomb shelter during WW2 and in the late 90’s expanded into what you see now. Crazy. It hosts 30-50 events a year, mostly music with a few weddings and conferences. What an amazing use of this space.

Bonus content: Massive HVAC unit for this venue. Heat/AC, sure. But the real issue is condensation, when you have 600+ in the room they literally had showers in the early days!

Venue #2: The Orpheum.

After a couple hours touring the fortress above venue #1, and a 34 second slide ride to the bottom, I wander across the bridge to the Orpheum Theatre. Gerhardt tells me to ask for Tosrten… it works! I’m in!

Torsten showed me the entire venue. Shops, pit, grid and the studio. We chatted with the volunteer coordinator, the head carpenter and the audience services manager, all while taking pictures and cracking jokes. As would be the theme from this visit onward, they were all on their last week of work before their six week summer break.

The studio theatre.

Venue notes: Almost completely destroyed during WW2, the venue was rebuilt and back in operation by 1951. It has been a state theatre since 1965 and is part of an inventory of seven theatres in Graz.

However… this is where things take a turn.

After saying farewell to Torsten, I take a few minutes to catch my breath in the park outside the venue. It is then I see in my news feed there has been a mass shooting at a local high school not a kilometer from where I sat.

Tears. Instantly. I was thrust back to April 27. Learning about the Lapu-Lapu tragedy in Vancouver as I was headed for the airport. I can’t lie. It hit me hard.

What would you do? I Struggled to make my next move. In the end, theatre is my happy place. Where I feel most comfortable. Onward I push…

Venue #3: Graz Opera House

Classic poach. Unsuspecting crew hanging out in the loading dock getting “Fresh air”, unaware they are being stalked. A quick hello and I have half the crew leading me on a tour of the venue. Again… all the stops. The shops, the pit, elevator room, grid (fully automated) and the highlight. We went into the ceiling! I managed a photo through the chandelier into the house below. Pure magic.

Venue notes: 10m revolve, elevator in three pieces, two inset elevators, all +2m -6m. Fully automated fly system, DS Flying bridge and two gantry cranes in the loading area.

As my day wound down, I wandered into the city centre and quietly joined the candle light vigil for the ten victims of the school shooting. After laying a carnation kindly donated by my hotel team, I sneak off to a corner to share in the grief and finally grieve for the victims of the Lapu-Lapu tragedy.

Thank you Graz.




Candle Light Vigil for the Graz shooting victims.

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Salzburg, Austria.

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Theatre Poaching 101