| Opera Australia - Sydney & Melbourne | 19 January 2020 |
click here for a gallery of photos from recent productions
click here for more photos for
Click below forproduction trailers
La bohème
Ghost Sonata
Whiteley
Anna Bolena
Madama Butterfly
You've been granted free access to this page.
Take a FREE 7 DAY TRIAL or SUBSCRIBE today to access the full content of theoperacritic.com.
Free access
Performance reviews
| Key | 
Photo gallery
|
Production details
|
Video link
|
CarmenOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 2 | |
Opera Australia’s dynamic revival production is likely to please both opera fans and the uninitiated |
 15 Jan 20 / Performing Arts Hub |
Opera Australia's Carmen doesn't follow the rules and it works |
| 13 Jan 20 / Sydney Morning Herald |
La bohèmeOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 4 | |
It’s hard to recall a more uniformly well-sung Bohème |
| 8 Jan 20 / Australian Book Review |
A very well deserved standing ovation! |
| 5 Jan 20 / J-Wire |
Kang Wang makes a striking Opera Australia debut in La bohème |
| 4 Jan 20 / Bachtrack |
more reviews [+]
Kang Wang thrills as Rodolfo in an impressive house debut |
| 3 Jan 20 / Limelight |
FaustOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 3 | |
Emotionally moving and a treat for the eyes and ears |
| 2 Dec 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
A devilish romp |
| 29 Nov 19 / ConcertoNet (English) |
Superlative singing and David McVicar’s lavish, clever production make a heavenly match |
| 29 Nov 19 / Limelight |
associated articles [+]
Saimir Pirgu: Pavarotti's pupil
Currently performing in Faust, the Albanian tenor discusses his early career success, working with Luciano, and what's next.
Currently performing in Faust, the Albanian tenor discusses his early career success, working with Luciano, and what's next.
TurandotOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 3 | |
A seductive nightmare |
| 21 Nov 19 / ConcertoNet (English) |
Tenor gets Turandot's big tune but sopranos soar in everything else |
| 20 Nov 19 / The Age |
Graeme Murphy’s much-loved production returns, with American soprano Lise Lindstrom in the title role |
| 20 Nov 19 / Limelight |
Le nozze di FigaroOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 3 | |
Felice e brillante la direzione di Guillaume Tourniaire |
| 7 Nov 19 / Operaclick (Ita) |
McVicar's The Marriage of Figaro lights up the Opera Australia stage |
| 23 Oct 19 / Bachtrack |
A rich, confident revival helmed by strong performances |
| 21 Oct 19 / Limelight |
Il viaggio a ReimsOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 2 | |
In a twist, the world’s most famous artworks come to life in Rossini’s rarely performed opera |
| 28 Oct 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
Mellifluous frivolity in Opera Australia's production of Il viaggio a Reims |
| 26 Oct 19 / Bachtrack |
Ghost SonataOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 5 | |
Ghost Sonata is strikingly modern but its meaning is opaque |
| 27 Sep 19 / The Age |
Ghost Sonata is rarely seen and dense in this production |
| 27 Sep 19 / Herald Sun |
The Ghost Sonata is a disturbing, thought-provoking work |
| 24 Sep 19 / Australian Book Review |
more reviews [+]
Opera Australia brings Strindberg's strange, purgatorial world to the Scenery Workshop |
| 13 Sep 19 / Limelight |
Haunting expressionist drama |
| 13 Sep 19 / Bachtrack |
West Side StoryOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 1 | |
More grit, less glitter required for Opera Australia's West Side Story |
| 23 Aug 19 / Bachtrack |
Andrea ChenierOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 2 | |
Moments of artistry and sheer vocal beauty |
| 11 Aug 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
Sensational, old-school singing in Giordano's operatic potboiler |
| 9 Aug 19 / Limelight |
WhiteleyOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
Brett Whiteley partied with Bob Dylan. Now his life is an opera |
| 27 Jul 19 / New York Times |
Whiteley is a triumph |
| 25 Jul 19 / Australian Stage Online |
Ample talent on display, but the story needs more work to properly take off |
| 18 Jul 19 / Limelight |
more reviews [+]
Of art and genius: exceptional world premiere of Whiteley in Sydney |
| 18 Jul 19 / Bachtrack |
Opera Australia’s Whiteley brings together 3 icons to tell the artist’s complicated story |
| 18 Jul 19 / The Conversation |
It is the music that allows the work to soar |
| 17 Jul 19 / Australian Book Review |
An opera about Sydney, its people, and one extraordinary artist |
| 16 Jul 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
Australian artist Brett Whiteley is celebrated in this new, high-tech opera |
| 16 Jul 19 / Time Out |
Anna BolenaOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 4 | |
Ermonela Jaho, in the title-role, is a natural foreboder, ever mannered and tragic |
| 9 Jul 19 / Australian Book Review |
Tudor terrors in Opera Australia's new Anna Bolena |
| 5 Jul 19 / Bachtrack |
A marvellous royal visit from soprano Ermonela Jaho |
| 5 Jul 19 / Limelight |
more reviews [+]
The indisputable star of the evening was Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho |
| 5 Jul 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
Madama ButterflyOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 7 | |
Karah Son’s Butterfly soars in Graeme Murphy’s dizzying new bondage-inspired production |
| 5 Jul 19 / Limelight |
Opera Australia's future-focussed Butterfly doesn't quite soar |
| 2 Jul 19 / Time Out |
A new, darker Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House |
| 2 Jul 19 / Bachtrack |
more reviews [+]
The blend of tradition with innovation and technology ushers us into a new era |
| 2 Jul 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
Karah Son makes Opera Australia's Madama Butterfly a must see |
| 1 Jul 19 / The CEO Magazine |
Madama Butterfly reaches new heights |
| 30 Jun 19 / J-Wire |
Dramatic experiment of production fitting for uncertain times |
| 29 Jun 19 / Brisbane Times |
associated articles [+]
Butterfly caught in a tangled web of love and lust
Opera Australia audiences can expect a very different Madama Butterfly when it opens this week, with Japanese bondage being central to the design.
Opera Australia audiences can expect a very different Madama Butterfly when it opens this week, with Japanese bondage being central to the design.
Il viaggio a ReimsOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 6 | |
A night of spectacular entertainment and magnificent music |
| 4 Jun 19 / Australian Book Review |
Rossini’s grand musical showcase finally makes its Australian debut in suitably lavish, comic style |
| 31 May 19 / Limelight |
Opera Australia’s Australian premiere of Il Viaggio a Reims is an undisputed crowd pleaser |
| 29 May 19 / Australian Stage Online |
more reviews [+]
Art comes alive in a modern twist on Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims |
| 28 May 19 / The Conversation |
The world's most famous artworks come to life in this rarely performed Rossini opera |
| 28 May 19 / Time Out |
A gourmet delight |
| 26 May 19 / ConcertoNet (English) |
Così fan tutteOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 4 | |
Moritz Junge’s elegant sets look superb on the broad Melbourne stage |
| 21 May 19 / Australian Book Review |
Opera Australia’s production is a beautiful escape for the soul and the senses |
| 17 May 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
Bittersweet |
| 16 May 19 / ConcertoNet (English) |
more reviews [+]
Opera Australia delights with bittersweet Cosi Fan Tutte |
| 16 May 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
RigolettoOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 4 | |
Liparit Avetisyan was exceptional as the Duke of Mantua |
| 21 May 19 / Australian Book Review |
Young cast, old production: Opera Australia’s Rigoletto is on song |
| 14 May 19 / Bachtrack |
A repellent fascination |
| 13 May 19 / ConcertoNet (French) |
more reviews [+]
Unexpected drama as a reinvigorated Rigoletto opens in Melbourne |
| 13 May 19 / The Age |
associated articles [+]
Opera disrupted by elderly protester
The opening night of Opera Australia's Rigoletto in Melbourne was disrupted after an elderly composer stood up ahead of the curtain rising to air a 50-year-old grievance.
The opening night of Opera Australia's Rigoletto in Melbourne was disrupted after an elderly composer stood up ahead of the curtain rising to air a 50-year-old grievance.
West Side StoryOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 2 | |
Australian musical theatre is in healthy shape indeed |
| 14 Apr 19 / Simon Parris: Man in Chair |
The young cast sure can dance, but lacks the dramatic chops to sell this dark tale |
| 12 Apr 19 / Limelight |
West Side StoryOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 5 | |
West Side Story is given lavish, large scale treatment |
| 14 Apr 19 / Simon Parris: Man in Chair |
A traditional but superbly staged production that transcends the rain and some dated elements |
| 29 Mar 19 / Limelight |
Julie Lea Goodwin is a well-seasoned Maria |
| 27 Mar 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
more reviews [+]
A Manhattan juke-box on Sydney harbour |
| 26 Mar 19 / Bachtrack |
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s West Side Story proves that thunder & rainbows only happen when it’s raining |
| 25 Mar 19 / The AU Review |
associated articles [+]
Francesca Zambello on directing Opera Australia's West Side Story
On March 22, Opera Australia will once again premiere its annual Handa Opera on Sydney Harbor, an outdoor opera spectacular set against the backdrop of one of the world's most beautiful harbors.
On March 22, Opera Australia will once again premiere its annual Handa Opera on Sydney Harbor, an outdoor opera spectacular set against the backdrop of one of the world's most beautiful harbors.
The next opera on Sydney Harbour will be a musical
After drawing from the classic opera stock like La Traviata, Carmen and La Boheme since the opera-on-a-floating-stage concept was introduced in 2012, audiences in 2019 will see West Side Story.
After drawing from the classic opera stock like La Traviata, Carmen and La Boheme since the opera-on-a-floating-stage concept was introduced in 2012, audiences in 2019 will see West Side Story.
SalomeOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
Once banned. Still shocking. But Salome is bloody and fantastic |
| 13 Mar 19 / J-Wire |
An awkward feminist production |
| 12 Mar 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
Seven fantasies replace seven veils: a gruesome Salome revived in Sydney |
| 9 Mar 19 / Bachtrack |
more reviews [+]
Strauss's daring and dastardly opera makes its return to the Opera House |
| 8 Mar 19 / Time Out |
Despite the visual updating, the stage pictures leave a classic, timeless impression |
| 8 Mar 19 / Australian Book Review |
Lise Lindstrom's potent Salome sweeps everything in her wake |
| 8 Mar 19 / Limelight |
This Salome, protagonist and production, makes no apologies for its outrageousness |
| 8 Mar 19 / Daily Review |
Perversion writ large in this thrilling production |
| 7 Mar 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
WertherOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 5 | |
Suicide is painless when Massenet pulls the strings |
| 2 Mar 19 / J-Wire |
Michael Fabiano makes a promising role debut, but the real star is Elena Maximova's vividly realised Charlotte |
| 1 Mar 19 / Limelight |
American tenor Michael Fabiano did a fantastic job in his debut as Werther |
| 27 Feb 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
more reviews [+]
The two leads make welcome returns to Australia as even shinier stars |
| 26 Feb 19 / Daily Review |
Joys aplenty among Werther's sorrows |
| 25 Feb 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
associated articles [+]
Lise Lindstrom: blood and guts
As she prepares to unveil her Salome for Opera Australia, Lise Lindstrom discusses the role’s myriad challenges, finding empathy for a ruined princess, and why she had to leave Nilsson behind.
As she prepares to unveil her Salome for Opera Australia, Lise Lindstrom discusses the role’s myriad challenges, finding empathy for a ruined princess, and why she had to leave Nilsson behind.
WozzeckOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
An audience rarely exposed to this type of music gave thunderous applause at the end |
| 3 Feb 19 / J-Wire |
Barbed wire fences and gas masks: William Kentridge’s unsettling Wozzeck in Sydney |
| 1 Feb 19 / Bachtrack |
A stunning production, visually and musically |
| 1 Feb 19 / Limelight |
more reviews [+]
South African artist William Kentridge brings his animations to this Opera Australia production |
| 30 Jan 19 / Time Out |
This Wozzeck is, by any measure, an outstanding version of this seminal musical theatre work |
| 30 Jan 19 / Australian Book Review |
Nothing succeeds like excess for Kentridge |
| 28 Jan 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
Artist William Kentridge gives us a mesmorising version of Berg's Wozzeck |
| 28 Jan 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
This production is an overwhelming triumph |
| 26 Jan 19 / Australian Stage Online |
TurandotOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 5 | |
Re-working lifts opera to new heights |
| 20 Jan 19 / J-Wire |
Amber Wagner blazes as Puccini’s icy princess |
| 18 Jan 19 / Limelight |
An extravagant production of Puccini’s posthumous and deeply flawed masterpiece |
| 18 Jan 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
more reviews [+]
Opera Australia revives spectacular storybook Turandot |
| 17 Jan 19 / Bachtrack |
Puccini's last opera crowned by dramatic peaks |
| 16 Jan 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
La bohèmeOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 5 | |
A charming work and good cast held back by a worn and ineffective production |
| 8 Jan 19 / Performing Arts Hub |
New stars create another success for the world’s favourite opera |
| 6 Jan 19 / J-Wire |
La Bohéme is all at once decadent and tragic at the Sydney Opera House |
| 5 Jan 19 / The AU Review |
more reviews [+]
Seediness makes for a pleasurable seduction |
| 5 Jan 19 / Sydney Morning Herald |
A cast of uncommon distinction headed by Joyce El-Khoury's powerful Mimì makes this revival feel anything but routine |
| 4 Jan 19 / Limelight |
Die Meistersinger von NürnbergOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
Master masons: Holten’s Meistersinger comes to Melbourne |
| 20 Nov 18 / Bachtrack |
An imperfect realisation of Wagner’s comedy, but the music making more than compensates |
| 16 Nov 18 / Limelight |
One of Hitler's favourite operas gets standing ovation |
| 16 Nov 18 / The Age |
more reviews [+]
A knowing, modern yet mythic production of one of Hitler’s favourite operas |
| 16 Nov 18 / The Conversation |
Opera Australia takes on a formidable Wagner |
| 16 Nov 18 / Herald Sun |
Musically as close to a triumph as it could have been |
| 16 Nov 18 / Australian Book Review |
Opening night was musically magnificent |
| 15 Nov 18 / Performing Arts Hub |
Poetry and dreams |
| 15 Nov 18 / ConcertoNet (English) |
associated articles [+]
Opera Australia loses its second Hans Sachs
Shane Lowrencev has withdrawn from Meistersinger, leaving the company to find its third Hans a week out from opening. He will be replaced by German baritone Michael Kupfer-Radecky.
Shane Lowrencev has withdrawn from Meistersinger, leaving the company to find its third Hans a week out from opening. He will be replaced by German baritone Michael Kupfer-Radecky.
A show of Hans: A history of Meistersinger onstage
Wagner’s comic masterpiece explores the nature of art. As Opera Australia's production opens in Melbourne, we examine why it's become a controversial target of revisionism in recent decades.
Wagner’s comic masterpiece explores the nature of art. As Opera Australia's production opens in Melbourne, we examine why it's become a controversial target of revisionism in recent decades.
La bohèmeOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 3 | |
Weimar Berlin, and all that jazz |
| 11 Nov 18 / ConcertoNet (English) |
Life on the precipice: Opera Australia revives its Berlin Bohème |
| 10 Nov 18 / Bachtrack |
The finished product falls disappointingly flat |
| 8 Nov 18 / Brisbane Times |
MetamorphosisOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 4 | |
This operatic initiative by Opera Australia must be highly commended |
| 1 Oct 18 / Australian Book Review |
Opera turns Kafka's work into musical language of delirium |
| 30 Sep 18 / Sydney Morning Herald |
Brian Howard’s opera is given an impressive revival in a suitably grungy new performance space |
| 28 Sep 18 / Limelight |
more reviews [+]
A pop-up space is an apt locale for this smaller-scale work all about transformation |
| 27 Sep 18 / Time Out |
EvitaOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 7 | |
A slick production to be sure |
| 23 Sep 18 / Australian Stage Online |
Tina Arena’s Evita is sweetly naive, manipulatively sultry and brutishly power-hungry |
| 22 Sep 18 / Daily Review |
Tina Arena shines as Eva Peron |
| 21 Sep 18 / Performing Arts Hub |
more reviews [+]
Tina Arena gives us a vocally high flying Evita in Hal Prince's original production |
| 21 Sep 18 / Limelight |
Tina Arena wows as Evita |
| 20 Sep 18 / The AU Review |
Don't cry for Tina Arena's timely Eva |
| 20 Sep 18 / Sydney Morning Herald |
This Tina Arena-led production is seductive, powerful and completely rewarding |
| 19 Sep 18 / Time Out |
AidaOpera AustraliaNo. of reviews: 9 | |
Una Aida “digital” en la Opera de Sidney |
| 22 Aug 18 / Opera World (Spanish) |
La nuova produzione di Aida in scena all’Opera House di Sidney ha destato molto interesse nella città |
| 9 Aug 18 / Operaclick (Ita) |
Digitally Aida’d: A new production at Opera Australia |
| 23 Jul 18 / Bachtrack |
more reviews [+]
Aida…spectacular and phenomenal |
| 22 Jul 18 / J-Wire |
The digital illusions in Opera Australia’s shiny-and-new production of Aida are eye-poppingly impressive |
| 21 Jul 18 / Daily Review |
A new tech era for Opera Australia delivers artistically, while operatically tradition held strong with phenomenal singing |
| 20 Jul 18 / Performing Arts Hub |
An exciting, high-tech production that both thrills and overwhelms at times |
| 20 Jul 18 / Limelight |
Reviews search
Performance schedule
Puccini
31 Dec 2019 to 30 Jan 2020
Bizet
11 Jan to 26 Mar 2020
Chi
17 Jan to 1 Feb 2020
Mozart
24 Jan to 27 Feb 2020
Gounod
10 Feb to 11 Mar 2020
Verdi
12 to 28 Mar 2020
Verdi
27 Mar to 26 Apr 2020
Puccini
6 to 28 May 2020
Wagner
16 to 29 May 2020
Verdi
25 to 30 May 2020
Chi
12 Jun to 12 Jul 2020
Verdi
25 Jun to 10 Aug 2020
Donizetti
30 Jun to 16 Jul 2020
Halévy
14 Jul to 7 Aug 2020
Tchaikovsky
25 Jul to 8 Aug 2020
Simon
4 to 30 Aug 2020
Guettel
14 to 22 Aug 2020
Bock
10 Sep to 31 Oct 2020
Ford
16 to 19 Sep 2020
Donizetti
8 to 13 Oct 2020
Wagner
10 to 28 Nov 2020
Wagner
12 Nov to 1 Dec 2020
Wagner
14 Nov to 3 Dec 2020
Bock
15 Nov to 20 Dec 2020
Wagner
16 Nov to 5 Dec 2020
Verdi
17 Nov to 4 Dec 2020
News & Articles
| Opera Australia returns to Uluru in 2020 |
Following the success of the first ever performance in 2019, Opera Australia will return to Uluru from December 11 to 13 with an even bigger program. |
| 22 Nov 2019 / Limelight |
| Classic musicals are 'better than many operas' |
Opera Australia's artistic director, Lydon Terracini, who has just signed on for another three years, has defended his decision to include musicals in the company's season. |
| 2 Nov 2019 / Sydney Morning Herald |
| Opera Australia extends Lyndon Terracini's contract to 2023 |
Terracini marks a decade with the company this year after first being appointed to the role in 2009. |
| 29 Oct 2019 / Sydney Morning Herald |
| Opera Australia to revive La Traviata on Sydney harbour |
For 2020, Opera Australia is returning to its roots and revisiting its original (and some would argue best) production: Francesca Zambello's La Traviata. |
| 3 Jul 2019 / Time Out |
| Butterfly caught in a tangled web of love and lust |
Opera Australia audiences can expect a very different Madama Butterfly when it opens this week, with Japanese bondage being central to the design. |
| 26 Jun 2019 / Sydney Morning Herald |
 |