Culture
Opera
Opera Australia ‘bleeding cash at an incredible rate’ due to box office blow
Outgoing chief executive Rory Jeffes also predicted another difficult year and a “significant loss” as the national company struggled to recover “from its biggest financial crisis in the company’s history”.
- by Linda Morris
Latest
Apollo and Dafne review: Gods shine on timeless tale
Pinchgut Opera’s revival of The Loves of Apollo and Dafne, one of the first operas written, combines heart and beauty with an absurdist touch.
- by Peter McCallum
Exclusive
Performing arts
Turning a profit thanks to COVID-19, Victorian Opera revives dream of new HQ
Thanks to JobKeeper, and not having to stage operas for a year, Victorian Opera is sitting on an unexpected profit that it hopes to use to find a new home.
- by Nick Miller
Beresford’s Scottish opera is a triumph and oddly joyous
Verdi’s music for his opera based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a stream of breakout hits that switch the mood between dread, optimism and sorrow.
- by Elizabeth Flux
Pushy men and their unwanted attention? Coming to a stage near you
Pinchgut Opera is staging a little-known classic Italian opera that has plenty of relevance for modern audiences.
- by Nick Galvin
‘Lucky to have them’: The women who have inspired Bruce Beresford
The film director discusses his upbringing, career and the women who have influenced him.
- by Jane Rocca
All you need is love: Aida’s romantic heart eclipses tech innovations
Apart from a moody panther, the digital animations that dress this opera are remarkable. But the opera’s real success is the love triangle driving the plot.
- by Elizabeth Flux
The power and the passion: Melbourne’s ‘accidental Verdi festival’
Both Opera Australia and Melbourne Opera are about to present work by one of the most celebrated of composers.
- by Barney Zwartz
Light and shade under open skies: exquisite opera at the Bowl
Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers was an ideal work to pick for Victorian Opera’s outdoor show, which featured superb singing.
- by Madeline Roycroft
Big opera is back: Aida set to dazzle as high-tech meets Ancient Egypt
After a hiatus of a year and a half, Opera Australia is back in Melbourne with a huge production of Verdi’s tragic opera showcasing cutting-edge digital wizardry
- by Patricia Maunder
‘Absolutely extraordinary’: The VR moment that astonished an Aussie movie legend
Bruce Beresford is directing an opera that will be broadcast live in virtual reality. When he put on VR goggles for the first time, his reaction was sheer astonishment.
- by Nick Miller