SZINHAZ: Places where they have live performances, like stage plays, operas, ballets, and symphonies.

INTRODUCTION: Have you ever wondered about all that culture stuff, but never cared enough to pay $40 for a ticket in the nose bleed section in Des Moines, Iowa in order to find out? Budapest is your answer. For $4 you can buy a ticket in the nose bleed section in some of Europe's grandest theatres and for slightly more you can be front stage and center.

HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE: (Operahaz) Located right at the Opera stop on the Yellow metro line, if you do nothing else, see one performance here just to be there. One of Budapest's oldest and most beautiful theatre buildings, the Opera House was opened in September 1884. Emperor Franz Joseph said it couldn't be bigger than the Vienna Opera House, so they tried to make it grander. They speak English and take credit cards. A good choice would be annual performances of The Nutcracker at Christmas (billed as "A Diotoro"). Operas performed in the original languages.

ERKEL SZINHAZ: Midway between Blaha Lujza and Keleti on the Red line and one block south of Rakoczi Ut. Built in the 50's by the communists as a poor man's opera house, it plays the same operas and ballets as the Operahaz, costumes and settings are same, just the theatre is utilitarian. The tickets are even cheaper, but all the operas are in Hungarian, not exactly a romance language. Mozart and Verdi must roll over in their graves.

MERLIN THEATRE: Near the Deak Ference Ter for all three metro lines, on an alley off a side street (seriously). Often has plays in English imported from England, including an occasional Shakespeare, but most tend to fall in the off-Broadway vein. Open seating and they understand English.

MADACH SZINHAZ: On the 4 or 6 Tram between Blaha Lujza and Oktogon. Everything is in Hungarian, but you can see Broadway-quality productions of musicals like Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and Chicago at movie theatre ticket prices. If you can know the scores by heart any way, what difference does it make?

OTHERS: The National Dance Theatre (Nemzeti Tancszinhaz) is on the Buda side of the river, near the castle. They are tourist-friendly. Thalia Theatre, one block down and around the corner from the Operahaz, does modern ballet productions, Across the street is the Budapest Operetta Theatre (in Hungarian). The Academy of Music, near Oktogon, often has symphonies and concerts for free. The Franz Lizt House Museum gives a concert every Saturday morning at 11 AM. The 300 forint ticket includes entrance to the museum. (Franz Liszt was born, lived and composed in Budapest, but never learned to speak Hungarian. He spoke and wrote German.)

The Budapest Sun weekly English newspaper runs a listing of all events in their 10-day calendar (except Madach Theatre). Also on line at BudapestSun.com