It has been described as jaw-dropping and breathtaking – so Sydney, it’s time to get your opera on, because Verdi’s famous Aida is opening on June 19 at the Sydney Opera House. For those new to Aida, this is not your standard opera. It cleverly employs the use of technology bringing the art form into the 21st century.
Opera Australia’s production of Aida promises to take audiences on a delicious, immersive theatrical experience, with 10 towering LED screens gliding around the stage, filling the set with emotive imagery, stunning landscapes and rich symbolism. When it premiered in 2018, the Canberra Critics Circle hailed it as “the future of opera”.
Acclaimed Italian Director Davide Livermore heightens the drama with breathtaking choreography, visually striking costumes, and magnificent operatic performances, taking audiences on an unforgettable, epic journey.
A sensational cast will deliver heart-wrenching editions of Verdi’s soaring arias, including two star sopranos sharing the title role: American Leah Crocetto known for her virtuosic acting, and Australian-Armenian Natalie Aroyan who dazzled as Adriana Lecouvreur earlier this year.
Uzbekistan-born tenor Najmiddin Mavlyanov will make his Australian debut in the role of Radamès, sharing the lead with OA favourite Diego Torre, who recently wowed audiences as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour.
Read more: Verdi’s Rigoletto opens in June
Admired on Australian stages for her bold singing and characterisations will be French-Russian Elena Gabouri as Amneris, followed by Polish mezzo-soprano Agnieszka Rehlis making her Opera Australia debut in the role she has sung to great renown in the world’s finest opera houses.
Known for his award-winning performances, Warwick Fyfe will reprise his Amonasro, followed by baritone Michael Honeyman, who received high praise for his Sharpless in Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour.
The Opera Australia Chorus will add its impressive vocals to the drama and spectacle of this captivating production while Scottish Opera’s Music Director Stuart Stratford will conduct the Opera Australia Orchestra, followed by Opera Australia’s Head of Music Tahu Matheson.
Aida in a nutshell
A rebellion is brewing on Egypt’s borders, and for both the oppressor and the oppressed, love and loyalties are about to be tested. Egypt needs a hero to lead its army, and the High Priest has made his choice.
Through victory in battle, Radamès hopes to win the hand of the beautiful slave girl Aida — handmaiden to the Princess Amneris, and secretly, an Ethiopian princess. Aida is torn between her love for the Egyptian hero and her despair for the country he must march against — her homeland.
And the Princess Amneris, who also desires Radamès, is beginning to have suspicions that her hero might prefer her slave…
As Radamès returns to Egypt in triumph, Aida is greeted with a terrible sight — her father Amonasro, the King of Ethiopia, is among the slaves. Just when all seems lost, the King of Egypt deals another blow: promising the triumphant Radamès his daughter Amneris’ hand.
On the banks of the Nile, the lovers arrange to meet one last time. But the conquered Ethiopian King has a plan to save his country. Aida has to make a devastating choice. In the darkness, the King’s plan, Aida’s conflicted heart and Radamès’ steadfast love collide in a devastating finale.
- When: Evenings at 7.30pm, Jun 19, 21, 24, 27, 29, Jul 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 17, 19, 21, Afternoon at 12.00pm, Jul 15
- Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
- Book your tickets here.