Overview
If you've been longing for years to see opera on Sydney Harbour, but haven't yet managed to scrape enough cash together to buy a ticket, here's your chance. On Easter Saturday, Opera Australia will be selling seats at the current show — La Boheme — for just $45 a pop. To get your hands on one, all you have to do is turn up at the box office at 2:30pm, wearing something a little bit French (i.e. a beret, a sailor's shirt or a scarf covered in croissants). Note that the box office is at Mrs Macquaries Point, not the Opera House.
400 tickets will be up for grabs, so, if you get there early, you should be in with a good chance. Each Francophile can buy up to two seats, to be used on either Saturday or Sunday night. Once all of the $45 bargains are snapped up, tickets will be $99.
Of all the operas in the world, La Boheme, written by Giacomo Puccini, is among the most performed and accessible. Premiering back in 1896 at Teatro Regio (the Theatre Royal) in Turin, it tells the story of painter Marcello and poet Rodolfo, who live in poverty in Paris. The duo put their art before financial stability, as well as their tumultuous relationships with their lovers, Mimi and Musetta. If the story sounds familiar, you might know it from the rock musical Rent, which is loosely based on La Boheme.
The Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production transports the tale into the romantic, lamplit, snowy streets of 1960s Paris. Expect some enchanting surprises, including falling snow, fireworks and balloon-borne children.
Image: Prudence Upton.