Mixed views on new Baby Grand as the wraps come off extension
One of Belfast's finest landmarks, the Grand Opera House, will be reborn this weekend after a major £10.2m refurbishment project. The huge refurbishment plan which began in April 2005 and involved the Opera House closing for six months, will finally open to the public on Sunday with a performance of The Sounds of The Musicals. The centrepiece of the extension is a multi-purpose performance space, now dubbed the Baby Grand, which can be used not only for small-scale theatre and other live events but for conferences, hospitality and even as a cinema. A new atrium-style foyer, complete with its own bistro, Luciano's, named after the tenor Pavarotti, and a ground-level bar will also welcome customers this weekend. New lifts will provide wheelchair users with better access to the theatre.

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