Opera Australia Bring Sydney Opera House Hits to Geelong Arts Centre

Opera Australia brings to life two shows at the Geelong Arts Centre this Autumn. Showcasing classics and debuts, the shows are sure to be a hit with locals. These performances will accentuate the masterworks from those who have worked closely with Opera Australia for quite some time. The renowned opera company is delighted to bring these voices and talent to audiences that love the art form.

MOZART: The Magic Flute

Opera Australia’s magical new production a guaranteed delight

Geelong Arts Centre will be the first stop after the Sydney Opera House for a bright new production of The Magic Flute by Opera Australia. Award-winning Australian director Kate Gaul has conjured an enchanting and eclectic world for Mozart’s great adventure, starring Australian soprano Celeste Lazarenko, making her role debut as Pamina, alongside rockstar-turned-opera singer Shanul Sharma as Tamino. Performed in English, this bright new production will delight opera newbies to aficionados with its big heart, daring spirit and memorable music.

The Geelong Arts Centre is a performing arts site that is located in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The centre is home to several venues but is most notable for The Playhouse with a capacity of 797. Opera Australia will be producing The Magic Flute directed by Kate Gaul. Kate Gaul has established herself as an inventive director during her career. She has worked with Opera Australia since 2015 as an Assistant Director and Revival Director.

Celeste Lazarenko making her role debut as Pamina is something fans of opera everywhere should look forward to. She has previously been in a production of The Magic Flute as Second Lady and has won numerous prizes for her performances including the Countess of Munster Award.

Tickets for this production start from $59 with shows from 9-16 of November.

Chorus!
Internationally renowned Opera Australia Chorus take centre stage with choral masterpieces

Long known as one of the best in the world, the Opera Australia Chorus takes centre stage in this original production. 31 choristers step into the spotlight for a showcase of famous choral pieces by the legends of opera, including Verdi, Puccini, Wagner and Tchaikovsky. The sheer magnitude of their exquisite voices will be a blow-your-hair-back experience. Director Matthew Barclay and Chorus Master Paul Fitzsimon thread a compelling narrative through these operatic masterworks, spanning three centuries and five languages.

Director Matthew Barclay is a stage and movement director making him a wonderful fit for this original production. He first worked with Opera Australia as a choreographer on the premiere of Alan John’s The Eighth Wonder back in 1992 for the National Opera Workshop. Since then he has worked closely with Opera Australia on over 40 productions and was the Director and Choreographer for the 2021 national tour of Carmen. Working alongside him for this choral masterpiece is Chorus Master Paul Fitzsimon. Paul Fitzsimon has been a Chorus Master with Opera Australia since 2019 but has worked with the company for over a decade. He was the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award for Emerging Conductors early in his career back in 2008. He will not only be the Chorus Master for Chorus! but will also be the conductor for The Magic Flute.

Tickets for this production start from $69 with shows on the 13th and 15th of November.

For more information and ticket sales, fans everywhere can go here.

All photos have been provided by Opera Australia and Keith Saunders.

Drew Janine

Live Sound Engineer -EUROPE

Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive as working behind the scenes in theatre as a live sound engineer. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020 and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending time on tour across the North American continent and Europe. Drew’s favourite by far though has been the chance to work on Broadway and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry and hopes to inspire others to continue working in theatre.

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