The Musical Comedy Theatre (Teatr muzykalnoy komedii, known locally as Muzkomediya) is the St Petersburg theatre where operetta plays almost every night. It also stages musicals, from Gershwin classics to new Russian productions. In autumn it makes an easy plan for a dark, rainy evening: the theatre is right by Nevsky Prospekt, a show lasts two to three hours, and tickets start at 400 roubles.
We looked at what's on in November 2026, what to choose if you have never been to an operetta, how long the shows run and how to buy tickets without overpaying. The programme, rules and running times were checked on the theatre's website, and prices on Yandex Afisha, one of the theatre's official ticket partners, on 19 October 2026.
🎭 The theatre on Italyanskaya Street: operetta since 1929
The theatre counts 17 September 1929 as its birthday, when the merged Leningrad and Kharkiv operetta companies gave their first performance. It moved into the building at 13 Italyanskaya Street, by Arts Square (Ploshchad Iskusstv), in 1938. The company kept performing through all 900 days of the Siege of Leningrad, and the theatre's website has a whole section about those years.
One of the theatre's grand foyers: chandelier, fireplace and gilded stucco — Photo: Knizhnaya pyl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
There are several halls. The Large Hall seats 846 and hosts almost all the operettas and musicals. The Small Hall seats 382 and is used for children's shows and smaller productions. There are also the Grotto and the Pink Foyer, with 50 seats each. Take a walk through the foyers before the show or in the interval: the gilded stucco, chandeliers and wood panelling are part of the evening.
🎼 What's on in November 2026
The first half of the month is operetta week: "Countess Maritza" on 5 November, "Die Fledermaus" (Letuchaya mysh) on the 6th, "Time of Love" on the 7th, "Giroflé-Girofla" on the 8th, "Sevastopol Waltz" on the 11th (replacing the musical "Bely. Petersburg"; tickets remain valid), "A Trip to the Moon" on the 12th, and "The Count of Luxembourg" on the 13th and 25th. In the second half: "The Merry Widow" on the 17th, "The Csárdás Princess (Silva)" on the 18th and "The Circus Princess" on the 24th.
Musicals: "Treasure Island" on 3–4 November; "Two Captains" (Dva kapitana), a rock musical built on songs by Vadim Samoilov and the band Agata Kristi, on 14–15 November, after its premiere on 24 October; "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" on 21–22 November; and the Gershwins' "Nice Work If You Can Get It" on 27–29 November. At the end of October "Peter the Great" and "Romeo and Juliet" are on.
The theatre's Walnut Foyer — Photo: Knizhnaya pyl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
🎟 How to choose for a first visit
- For classic operetta and a shorter evening: Lehár's "The Count of Luxembourg" — 2 hours 15 minutes with one interval, tickets 400–2,850 roubles.
- The best-known title: Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" — 2 hours 40 minutes with one interval, 600–4,650 roubles.
- A big operetta that fills the whole evening: Kálmán's "The Csárdás Princess (Silva)" — 3 hours 15 minutes with an interval, from 600 roubles. Or Lehár's "The Merry Widow" — 3 hours.
- If operetta sounds old-fashioned, pick a musical. Gleb Matveichuk's "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" runs 2 hours 30 minutes (12+), the Gershwins' "Nice Work If You Can Get It" 3 hours (16+). Both cost 600–4,650 roubles.
- The premiere performances of "Two Captains" on 24–25 October cost from 8,000 roubles; in November, from 1,000.
Within each show the price depends on the seat: the lower figure is for the cheapest seats, the upper for the best. Seating plans are on the theatre's website under "Information for spectators".
💳 Buying tickets without overpaying
The box office at 13 Italyanskaya Street is open daily from 11:00 to 19:00, with a break from 15:00 to 16:00. On the theatre's website tickets are sold through a personal account, so you need to register. The theatre names its official ticket operators itself: bileter.ru, kassir.ru, ticketland.ru, Yandex Afisha and Gorbilet. Tickets from any other site risk being resales. If online payment does not accept your card, the box office is the simplest option.
Refunds under the theatre's rules: 10 days or more before the show — 100% of the price; 5–9 days — 50%; 3–4 days — 30%; less than three days — no refund. If the theatre itself cancels, postpones or replaces a show, you get your money back in full. Tickets bought from operators are refunded only through those operators.
🧥 Rules and how the evening works
Evening shows start at 19:00 and matinées usually at 13:00. Bags are checked with metal detectors at the entrance, so arrive early. Nobody is let into the hall after the third bell, and coats are not allowed in the hall — leave yours in the cloakroom. Filming, using your phone during the show, and bringing in alcohol, suitcases or large bags are all forbidden. The theatre reserves the right to replace a performer.
