Introduction to the Manaus Grand Theater: The Manaus Grand Theater was funded and built by a British man who made a fortune growing rubber. The building was modeled after the Paris Opera House and was built in 1896 at a cost of 10 million US dollars. All the building materials of the Grand Theater were shipped from Europe. The white marble came from Italy, the iron columns came from England, and the polished logs came from France. The glittering semicircular vault above the Grand Theater is made up of 36,000 curved mosaics.