D Friday, January 22, 2010 News 13 OBriens $44m farewell US CHAT show host Conan OBrien is walking out of NBC with a $44million (31m) golden goodbye. OBrien, a 17- year veteran with the broadcaster, will pocket almost $32million (23m) himself and has decided to pay the rest to his staff. The deal comes just seven months after OBrien took over from Jay Leno. The final show for the 46-year-old (pictured) will be tonight. Leno returns on March 1. Coming up: Shane Lynch P17 Curtain up for preview of 80million theatre By Jeananne Craig Take a bow: Workmen take a break on stage as the theatre nears completion before its grand opening in March Pictures: PA The countrys largest purpose-built the- atre raised its curtain for a sneak preview yesterday ahead of its grand opening. The 2,111-seater Grand Canal Theatre in the heart of Dublins Docklands will begin welcoming in the public in March after taking three years to build. As workmen put the finishing touches to the state-of-the-art venue, it was re- vealed more than 80,000 tickets had al- ready been sold for upcoming events. Ireland has been crying out for a space of this type, general manager Stephen Faloon said. It can house West end mu- sicals, international shows shows that werent able to be staged in Dublin be- fore because facilities werent right or the capacity wasnt right. The 80million glass-fronted theatre, designed by American architect Daniel Libeskind, boasts a vast three-tier audi- torium, six bars and a roof terrace with panoramic views over the capital. It also features its very own wig room with an oven to heat up wigs to keep them rigid before actors go on stage. We should name it the elton John room, Mr Faloon said. Docklands residents had been im- pressed by the new addition to their sky- line. Its a wow factor when people see the theatre, they cant believe its on their doorstep, he added. And it doesnt feel like a 2,111-seat theatre, it feels much, much smaller be- cause we kept a sense of intimacy. The theatre will open on March 18 with the Russian State Ballets production of Swan Lake. Other upcoming shows include the mu- sical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and con- certs by Paul Brady, Christy Moore and Rufus Wainwright. The theatre will be managed by pro- moters Live Nation Ireland and will em- ploy 22 full-time staff and about 100 more on each event night. View: A man surveys the theatre index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html