Delta Goodrem and guests walk the red carpet at The Phantom of the Opera opening night. Experience the phenomenon of one of the most successful musicals of all time, when Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary show makes its Sydney Opera House debut. Nathan captured the excitement and glamour of the red…
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The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in musical history. It tells the story of a mysterious and terrifying masked man who lives beneath the Paris Opera House and of a young, talented singer who becomes his obsession. This Opera Australia interpretation, directed by Simon Phillips, is presented on a floating stage on Sydney…
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Take a much-loved child star known for her angelic voice, throw in some musical theatre heavy-weights and a modern opera/musical whose composer is celebrating a milestone year, and you have a revival that could very well be the hit of Opera Australia’s 2018 season. The 40th anniversary restaging of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita,…
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Unveiling its 2019 season, Opera Australia has announced its most exhilarating and innovative program to date, with an incredible selection of productions set to take the stage at the Sydney Opera House. Exploding onto the scene with an array of classics and diverse, new inclusions for the year ahead, Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini has said:…
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Madame Butterfly is a timeless love story involving a beauty and a beastly character and Opera Australia are currently staging a regional tour of the renowned Puccini’s opera. In doing so, they have made one of the world’s most famous operas accessible to a wider Australian audience thanks to a scaled-down, English language version. This…
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It is as magnificent, jaw-dropping, gasp-enticing and lavish a staging as you can imagine, but Opera Australia’s decision to rely on digital technology for its latest production of Aida nearly came unstuck on opening night, due to a tiny, blinking square of blue light. Using soaring, rotating LED panels as the primary set, onto which…
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If you love jogging through the Botanical Gardens near Mrs Macquarie’s Chair on a bright Autumn night, be prepared to hear the name Maria echoing through the trees as Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour brings the iconic West Side Story to the outdoor stage. In an effort to top the romance of this season’s La…
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Tackling Verdi’s Rigoletto in the #metoo era could have been a real opportunity for Opera Australia. A story featuring a leader who believes women merely objects for his desire and a disadvantaged subject who cheers on this behaviour until it is directed towards his own daughter – just think of the possible political parallels to…
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At the ripe old age of 28, Constantine Costi is making a name for himself across a number of theatre forms and as one of Opera Australia’s youngest directors. Part of a young creative family, his brother a playwright and sister as composer, he creatives and revives a diverse range of performances from immersive theatre…
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If you’ve dreamed of walking the wintery streets of Paris, then get yourself a ticket to this year’s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. Their current production of La Bohème is a spectacular tribute to the most romantic city in the world and will have you dancing in the snow despite the unseasonably warm Sydney Autumn…
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Graeme Murphy’s divine production of The Merry Widow finally makes its way to the Sydney Opera House and it’s a cracking way for Opera Australia to kick off 2018. The combination of stunning Art Deco design, a witty new English translation and two extremely charismatic leads make this an extremely accessible introduction to opera for…
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In a final two-week season at the Capitol Theatre, Opera Australia is farewelling one of the most beloved productions in its history – Moffatt Oxenbould’s Madama Butterfly. Someone who is very well acquainted with Butterfly is Opera Australia soprano Hyeseoung Kwon! This will be the fourth year you take to the stage as Cio-Cio-San with…
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The sands of Coolangatta Beach will transform into the Egyptian shoreline when Opera Australia presents Griffith Opera on the Beach – Aida this month. We caught up with mezzo-soprano Milijana Nikolic , who will be sharing the role of Amneris, to discuss this unique opera setting! So, Opera on a Beach! How will you have to adjust your voice…
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Have you ever wanted to sit on the couch eating a tub of ice-cream whilst wearing an elegant ball gown worn by one of the characters in Baz Luhrmann’s famous 1990 production of La Bohème? (How can one be sad when one looks so glamorous?). Well now is your chance! Opera Australia has dug deep…
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If you’ve never seen an opera before and if you’re unsure you want to dedicate a few hours out of your night to what could potentially be something not for you, then an operetta may be the perfect choice! An “Opera Starter Pack” as it were. Opera Australia’s latest production of Two Weddings, One Bride…
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The words ‘Opera Australia’ and ‘piano ditty’ are not normally things you would typically associate with one another. But in the latest Sydney Opera House production Two Weddings, One Bride, the pair look set to become a marriage made in heaven. This operetta is a fun and accessible romp through comedy and farce in the…
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After another successful season in Sydney, the Melbourne Opera Australia season will be kicking off from the 4th May at the Art Centre Melbourne. One of the productions on offer is Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci, a double opera of interweaving tragedy and drama. We caught up with José Carbó ahead of the new season to discuss his dual…
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CARMEN. Big block letters spell out the opera in fierce red against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, an outline of a bull back to back with the lettering. Nothing takes away from the thrill of gazing upon the stage at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour each year and seeing the cityscape stretch behind, but this…
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Gale Edward’s acclaimed production of Bizet’s Carmen will return to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in 2017, but there’s a new flavour coming to the experience this time. Fresh Catering have returned as dining partners to help shape the atmosphere, food and drink towards the performance. Five different restaurant and bar areas on-site will serve a range of foods featuring…
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In John Bell’s latest production of Tosca for Opera Australia we are transported into a troubling Nazi-occupied Rome, combining all the elements of this most tragic opera into a frighteningly real presentation. And above it all soars Puccini’s magnificent music- nothing compares to the works of this master of the operatic art. Scrawled across the…
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In Opera Australia’s latest production of Tosca the period is transformed into Nazi-occupied Rome. A decision director John Bell explains “A tyrannical regime, resistance fighters hunted down, women forced to give sexual favours in order to protect a loved one — these things are still happening, and always have been, during war.” At the head of…
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King Roger, or Krol Roger, is a rarely performed Polish opera that takes you inside the conflicted mind of the King as he battles with the seduction of a hedonistic Shepard/God. And by “takes you inside” it means quite literally, for the main stage is a giant head- the hollowed back forming stairs and platforms…
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Opera Australia’s latest production of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci is actually two operas performed back to back. Two quite distinct operas in their composition, and yet they lend themselves to the other so easily that it’s odd to try and think of them as distinct. This production, in particular, uses beautiful subtleties to link them even further….
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Opera Australia will present their latest production of the Szymanowski’s 20th-century masterpiece King Roger from the 20th January at the Sydney Opera House. The production is co-produced with the Royal Opera House and was first performed in Covent Garden. Playing the demanding role of the conflicted King Roger is Michael Honeyman. We caught up ahead of the production to…
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There may be relaxation, holidays and many other festivities on the mind of everyone during the month of December, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go out and enjoy the best the art world has to offer, here’s what we think is the best of the bunch this month! Opera Australia’s The Opera Gala &…
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The Eighth Wonder celebrates our glorious “cathedral”, the Sydney Opera House, and its history on its very own steps. As the audience take in the performance rising above it all in the most stunning of stage backdrops are the sails of the House itself- something truly spectacular. Entering the space you are given a small radio…
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It’s the world’s first large-scale silent opera – staged by a cast of more than 100 performers on the grand staircase of the Sydney Opera House to a nightly audience of 3,000. The entire audience will be sitting on the forecourt under the stars wearing state of the art Audio Technica headphones, cocooned in a world…
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If you ever wanted to step back in time to the golden age of Broadway, now’s your chance, because Opera Australia and John Frost’s My Fair Lady is about as close as it comes. This is a nostalgic, faithful and lovingly-recreated production that will have musical theatre fans coming back for more. My Fair Lady…
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Personal sacrifice meets political thriller in Simon Boccanegra, an opera by a master of the genre- Giuseppe Verdi. We caught up with Opera Australia tenor Diego Torre, who played the Genoese gentleman and love-interest Gabriele Adorno in the opera, to discuss the twisting plot and the interesting challenges of Verdi operas. This is your debut in the role…
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Cosi fan tutte to me was like a girls movie night at the opera. My friend and I were full of wistful sighs over corsets, eye rolls over relationship silliness, swoons over dashing (yet infuriating) men, endless giggles and pensive frustrations over wondering who will end up with who. All in all- a great night…
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