Opera Australia has announced the cast for its 70th Anniversary Gala on May 17. The evening, which will take place t the Regent Theatre, will celebrate its extraordinary contribution to Australia’s cultural landscape over the past seven decades. The evening will include Emma Matthews, Stacey Alleaume, Olivia Cranwell, Jane Ede, Sian Sharp, Diego Torre, Filipe Manu, Iain Henderson, Andrii Kymach, Luke {…}
(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) “Harrowing” might be the best word for this powerful production of “Madama Butterfly,” the first opera in Opera Australia’s (OA) 2026 Sydney summer season and, in fact, the first opera in Opera Australia’s 70th anniversary season. Admittedly, Puccini’s subject matter is disturbing, albeit clothed in seductively gorgeous music. Finally realizing that the fable-like love she ‘shared’ {…}
(© Carlita Sari) Of Antonín Dvořák’s ten operas, “Rusalka,” written around the dawn of the twentieth century and only a few years before the composer’s death, became his most successful. That this highly romantic fairytale (or should one say, water nymph tale?) should be the most courageous of Opera Australia’s (OA) offerings for the second half of this year, tells {…}
Photo credit: Keith Saunders Opera Australia more than made-up for a recent spate of revivals with the world premiere at Sydney Opera House on July 11th of Damiano Michieletto’s production of Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffman,” a co-production with Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra National de Lyon, and Venice’s Teatro La Fenice. Michieletto’s arresting production of Rossini’s “Il viaggio a {…}
(Photo credit: Jeff Busby) Elijah Moshinsky’s 1991 production of “Rigoletto” has been seen a number of times in Sydney since its first performance season, and so it would be unsurprising if the recent season at Sydney Opera House, which began on June 13, restaged by Shane Placentino, attracted the odd suggestion that it is time to retire this version. The {…}
Credit: Keith Saunders Opera Australia’s annual Handa Opera on the Harbor, named after Opera Australia’s Patron-in-Chief, Japanese businessman Haruhisa Handa, is undoubtedly one of Sydney’s most anticipated yearly social events. At the premiere of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” helmed by Spanish director Àlex Ollé on March 24th, a black-tie audience including three former Australian prime ministers indicated that the show had an {…}
(Photo credit: Prudence Upton) Whose version of “Othello” is better – Shakespeare’s or Verdi’s? You could have a good argument with someone over this. In Verdi’s opera, Iago is more overtly a villain (he says so in Act two’s “Credo in Dio crudel”) and there are potentially more shades to Otello, whose long speeches in Shakespeare’s “Othello” can too easily {…}
Opera Australia has announced its 2020 Melbourne program, which will include staged operas, concert performances, and musicals. Operas Graeme Murphy will direct an “innovative and visually stunning” new production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” It will showcase how “the digital screens can be used to enhance the storytelling and opera experience,” says Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini in the press release. Japanese soprano Hiromi Omura {…}
Opera Australia has announced its its 2020 Sydney season, presenting an exciting program of rare gems and some of the greatest operas. Sydney Summer Season The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” with conductor Carlo Goldstein leading Gale Edwards’ production. The opera stars soprano Karah Son in the role of Mimì and tenor Kang Wang making his Opera Australia debut in {…}
