by Verdi
Verdi's La Traviata with Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour / Opera Australia. That's right! I entered the world of Opera. Although my role was as an actor on stage with the chorus and the principals - so a glorified extra who did a lot of moving, posing, lifting, and had a whole lot of costume changes. Opera Australia usually run auditions for actors depending on the production's requirements, and it's somewhat a luck of the draw cattle call. I was just lucky this time to be selected one of twelve men of varying sizes, shapes and descriptions to play various waiters, removalists, gardeners. We rehearsed out at Olympic Park in Homebush on a huge purpose built mock-up of the stage while it was being built IN Sydney Harbour.
"Fireworks, a harbour stage and a giant chandelier will transform opera in Sydney like never before when Opera Australia presents La Traviata on Sydney Harbour for an exclusive three-week season. It will be the first opera in Australia to be held on a tailor-made stage built over the water off the Royal Botanic Gardens and will be directed and designed especially for this unique outdoor staging. It is the Company's most ambitious project to date, working in conjunction with Events NSW on behalf of the NSW Government to attract audiences from across the globe to be a part of this uniquely spectacular opera event." A massive chandelier made up of Swarovski crystals was constructed at around 9 metres diameter, and was suspended above the stage. It was big.
Francesca Zambello was the stage director for the production which also featured sopranos Emma Matthews and Rachelle Durkin, and tenors Gianluca Terranova and Ji-Min Park as well as Jonathan Summers and Warwick Fyfe.
Season ran March 24th - April 15th 2012 at Mrs Macquarie's Point in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. All perfectly timed for my holiday in May-June to North America.
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