By Adam Fulton
CHAMPAGNE corks could be popping tomorrow night after Opera on Sydney Harbour finishes a three-week run that organisers have deemed a hugely successful building block for the future, despite nature's threat to cause a wash-out.
La Traviata achieved its overall box-office target when it still had several performances to go, Opera Australia's chief executive, Adrian Collette, said of the $11.5 million production. Seat sales would comfortably surpass the break-even mark of 75 per cent and likely pass 80 per cent.
Alfresco ... La Traviata.Credit: Adam Hollingworth
''We're very happy,'' Mr Collette said. ''We needed it to be a popular success because there are so many complexities to doing this … Our feeling was always if we had a success this year then it should be an off-the-chart success in years to come.''
The result looks particularly good considering sales for the outdoor staging off Mrs Macquaries Point lagged at about 60 per cent a fortnight before opening and weather forecasts looked ominous. Just one performance was cancelled due to storms.
The opera's success is being viewed a foundation to boost Sydney's arts profile and allure abroad, attract new crowds to opera at home and add a glamorous highlight to the city's summer calendar.
The production was filmed on Thursday night and negotiations to screen it around North America and Europe are in progress.
''We are delighted with our investment,'' said the chief executive of Destination NSW, Sandra Chipchase. The positive feedback and goodwill La Traviata generated was phenomenal. She expected it was a $20 million benefit for NSW.
The state's tourism and events authority helped promote the Giuseppe Verdi opera. This week, 20 leading travel agents were brought from China by the authority for a ''familiarisation'' tour and taken to the show as a highlight. Other groups were brought from the US, Britain, Singapore and New Zealand.
''We've been very strategic about our invitation lists to make sure that people come that can generate increased sales … and drive more visitation to Sydney,'' Ms Chipchase said.
Mr Collette said it was encouraging that about 50 per cent attending La Traviata were not regular opera goers. That helped build an audience for the future.
Destination NSW is backing three harbour operas. Ms Chipchase hoped the deal would stretch longer. Mr Collette said next year's opera would again be well-known and accessible.
Opera Australia's artistic director, Lyndon Terracini, said the show had exceeded expectations and shown the company that ''anything is possible''.