Three operas you won’t want to miss at the Sydney Opera House
The onset of short days and chilly nights might have put a damper on plans for heading outside, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay home all winter.
Whether you’re an operatic expert or a first-time visitor, Opera Australia’s winter season at the Sydney Opera House offers a trio of top quality operas to entice and delight.
From dystopian re-imaginations to digital productions, here’s what’s in-store at the Opera House’s intimate Joan Sutherland Theatre this month.
Madama Butterfly (June 29-July 30)
The iconic opera from Giacomo Puccini has been reimagined as a futuristic dystopia by director Graeme Murphy, boasting striking costume designs and towering robotic servants against a backdrop of dynamic, seven-metre tall LED screens.
Sae-Kyung Rim as Cio-Cio-San and the Opera Australia Chorus in Opera Australia’s 2022 production of Madama Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House. Image: Guy Davies
Starring South Korean soprano Sae-Kyung Rim as Cio-Cio-San, a 15-year-old girl who is set to marry US naval officer Pinkerton (Diego Torre), who intends to leave her when he finds a proper American wife.
The story of Madama Butterfly, the same as the musical Miss Saigon, promises to be a story of love and heartbreak accompanied by Opera Australia’s Chorus and Orchestra.
La Traviata (July 2-29)
La Traviata’s love story, which inspired Moulin Rouge and Pretty Woman, will star homegrown talent Stacey Alleaume, reprising her role as a free-spirited courtesan Violetta, alongside a cast of Opera Australia’s talented singers that bring the music of Giuseppe Verdi to life.
Agnes Sarkis as Flora Bervoix, Andrew Moran as Marquis D’Obigny and the Opera Australia Chorus in Opera Australia’s 2022 production of La Traviata at Arts Centre Melbourne. Image: Jeff Busby
With lavish sets and costumes, recognisable aria ‘Sempre libera’ and drinking song ‘Brindisi’, La Traviata is a fan-favourite and perfect performance for first-time opera goers.
Il Trovatore (July 15-30)
Another Verdi opera, director Davide Livermore’s digital production of Il Trovatore will be making its premiere at the Sydney Opera House this July.
It will also mark the first time Opera Australia has performed the opera in almost a decade, starring South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee as Manrico, Belarusian baritone Maxim Aniskin as Count di Luna, and American soprano Leah Crocetto as Leonora.
Yonghoon Lee stars as Manrico in the digital production of ‘Il Trovatore’. Image: Opera Australia 2022
The highly dramatic tale, filled with a love triangle, a quest for revenge, and sacrifices made for love, is enhanced by digital stagecraft.
Livermore’s production promises to explore jealousy, obsession, witchcraft and what it means to curse and be cursed.
Tickets for all three operas cost $79 for adults (plus a $9.80 booking fee) and can be purchased here.
Image: Opera Australia 2022