Great opera experience coming to Sydney Harbour in March

Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
March 24 - April 24.

Puccini’s epic opera, Turandot, is about to captivate and delight audiences in Australia when Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour returns in March with performances set against the backdrop of Sydney’s most famous landmarks, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. 

This will be the fifth year of Handa Opera productions which have become major cultural fixtures as one of the world’s most impressive outdoor operas rivalling those of Verona and Bregenz ,

Last year’s performance of Aida was a huge success, introducing a new audience to opera and increasing visitor numbers to New South Wales. The season saw around 20,000 tickets sold to people outside of Sydney – an increase of around 75 per cent on the previous year contributing significantly to the NSW visitor economy. Since 2012, Handa Opera productions have attracted an estimated 37,000 visitors from overseas, interstate and intrastate.”

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres says “The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, partnered with Opera Australia in 2012 to establish Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and we’re delighted to continue this partnership through to 2017.”

Chinese-born director Chen Shi-Zheng will present a Turandot combining his innate understanding of Chinese and Western artistic approaches. Growing up in China, Chen studied traditional Chinese opera and developed a significant reputation as a singer and actor before moving to the United States in 1987.

Opera Australia Artistic Director, Lyndon Terracini , “Chen Shi-Zheng, will present a new vision for one of opera’s most loved works, with a huge cast, bold and exotic themes, big dance numbers and powerhouse voices including the biggest opera hit of all time, Nessun Dorma”

“For some time I’ve wanted to work with Chen Shi-Zheng. His incredibly rigorous Chinese opera background combined with his work in the West has given him two worlds to draw upon. The result is a unique style, both spectacular and incredibly intense and powerful,” Mr Terracini said.

This year as well as having subtitles in English they will also be in Chinese. This is seen as a significant opportunity to further promote the events, to China which is Australia’s largest international visitor market.

Stuart Ayres says “Close to 70 per cent of all visitors from China undertake a cultural experience when visiting Australia and featuring subtitles in Simplified Chinese will be a major drawcard for Chinese visitors looking to experience an iconic Australian event in their own language.”

Lyndon Terracini says “the extraordinary growth in international visitors, particularly from China, has prompted this innovation for opera in Australia. We believe that Turandot is the perfect production to launch this initiative.”

The opera opens in front of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, where the beautiful Princess, Turandot, with a cold heart announces that “Any prince seeking to marry me must answer three riddles. But if he fails, he will have to die.”

In the square the crowds watch one failed prince who is on the way to his death, while in the crowd, a former king of Tartary, Timur, meets his long-lost son, Prince Calaf. Calaf falls in love with Turandot at first sight and proclaims to try to answer her three riddles. One of Timur’s slave girls, Liu, attempts to stop his reckless resolve, but his determination strengthens.

In Act II Turandot appears, and asks Calaf her three riddles -What thing is reborn every night? What burns hot, but is not fire? and What ice can make fire?

Calaf successfully answers her three riddles which much to the annoyance of Turandot and she refuses to marry him. Calaf says to her, “If you can learn my name by dawn, I will forfeit my life.”

In the final act Turandot gives the crowd in Beijing an order not to sleep until someone learns his name. Liu is captured and Turandot asks her why she never says his name. Liu answers that it is because of her love to him, and kills herself.

After the crowd goes home, Turandot remains alone to confront Calaf who gives away his name to her.

At the break of dawn, Turandot proclaims the victory to learn his name in front of the crowd. She says to the crowd, “His name is …Love”, and then conceding defeat marries him.

For tickets: opera.org.au/buytickets/book_tickets

Some travel agents are offering special packages.