OzOpera Blog Week 2 - Albury, Gundagai and Canberra

Nic Synot and James Munro, this week's OzOpera bloggers posing in front of the Dog on the Tuckerbox in Gundagai

The tour started promptly at 11am on Monday morning out the front of the National Gallery of Victoria with an excited and fresh touring party champing at the bit to hit the road. The first stop on the drive to Albury was at the Avenel roadhouse; the first of many truck/pie stops that will undoubtedly be visited. Albury greeted the group with a crisp breeze reminiscent of a high-altitude village. Nic hit the river track launching his 2012 tour exercise regime, following the winding trail beside the mighty Murray River all the way to the West Albury wetlands.

The day of the first show in Albury was a grey, wet day keeping most people inside cafés and restaurants but James and Nic discovered a squash club and took the action indoors. After a tightly contested and punishing match the sound check provided some welcome relief from the strenuous exertions. As each theatre we visit is different, the sound check is crucial to adjusting to the new acoustic before the show. The orchestra pit in Albury is quite high and the orchestra can be seen clearly which also means that certain players in the orchestra have a view of what’s happening on stage.

Albury was what is known in the tour vernacular as a ‘one night stand’ and the next day we took off for Canberra stopping off at the “Dog on the Tuckerbox” in Gundagai on the way. As we pulled up at the hotel in Canberra it became clear why this tour is known as the ‘cold tour’. Fortunately we have had some quite mild weather (by Canberra standards) since we have been here; overnight lows of about zero degrees, which meant that the habitual first night nudey run was cancelled. Instead, the following day James and Nic woke up with summit fever and ran, not walked, up Mt. Ainslie via the rugged and steep(and perhaps unofficial) hiking tracks. Halfway up we accidentally spooked a mob of the local grey kangaroos. Along with the spectacular views of Canberra at the top, it was a beautiful moment away from the theatre.

The sound check here was combined with a media call and a local TV station took some footage of the remarkably good looking company doing what they do best. The Canberra theatre is very large but with a good acoustic even for our small unamplified show. The crowd for the first Canberra show was huge and hungry for opera showing their appreciation with enthusiastic and spontaneous laughter and applause (each at the appropriate moment). After the show we were able to meet some of that audience at a function Opera Australia held in the foyer. These functions are a unique opportunity to meet the people we’re bringing the opera to and to have a few free drinks.

South Pacific Rehearsals Part 1 by Caroline Baum

Lisa McCune as Nellie Forbush with
Eddie Perfect as Luther Billis

The noise of the South Pacific ensemble meeting for the first time is like a swarm of buzzing bees that have just found the tastiest rose garden. It’s the Joan Sutherland Studio, Day One. The air fizzes with nervous expectation.

And that’s before anyone has opened their mouths for the first sing-through. Although director Bartlett Sher says, in his easy-going relaxed way ‘just take it easy, you don’t have to perform today’, everyone does, they’ve come with their accents impressively in place. And why wouldn’t you, when your director is a Tony award-winner described by the New York Times as ‘one of the most original and exciting directors not only in the American theatre but also in the international world of opera.’

Michael Hart and Teddy Tahu
Rhodes in rehearsal

But if that sounds impressive, hey, we have a secret weapon of our own: when Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Emile De Becque, a French plantation owner) starts 'Some Enchanted Evening' members of the ensemble who have never heard him before shake their heads in disbelief. Others start to cry or nudge their neighbours and bare their arms, whispering ‘look...goosebumps’. Mouths that are not singing gape. After Teddy finishes the room  issues a collective blissed-out sigh…and erupts in spontaneous applause. That is not just a voice, it’s a force of nature, sweeping across Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Pacific island setting, subduing all before it - he could stop a tsunami with those tonsils.

As if that were not enough, Lisa McCune flirts her way with perfectly-calibrated poise into her role as small-town southern nurse Nellie Forbush while Eddie Perfect’s cabaret swagger allows him to slip seamlessly into the comic role of Luther Billis, the shady womanising sailor. Dream casting.

South Pacific men's ensemble enter
the scene with energy abounding

But before anything gets too cosy and complacent, Bart warns everyone: “I will be extremely direct with you, that’s my nature, so I might say ‘what the f*** are you doing?’ but I don’t hold on to it, so don’t take it personally’.

Then he plunges headlong into a gritty explanation of the musical’s subtext and historical background. It’s much more than an island romance.

‘The elephant in the room is race,’ Bartlett announces. Everyone goes quiet: you can hear the sound of real listening (it’s like the air gets denser) as he illustrates the intricacies of naval protocol (nurses are all officers and off limits to enlisted men) including the segregation of Afro-American troops (‘You are going to have to help me out with understanding your own racial issues here’ he says breezily, and you wonder who is going to be bold enough to start that conversation), the role of the Seabees (construction battalions who did not follow military codes of dress or discipline) stationed on the island that we know today as Vanuatu. (‘Has anyone talked to you about tanning yet?’ one nurse quizzes another nervously.)

Kate Ceberano rehearses the role
of Bloody Mary

‘This is a piece about otherness that asks the question: who gets to be in your family?’ says Bart, his voice building in intensity, waving his arms around, flaying the air for emphasis.

‘It’s about cultural collision, and about what people learn through meeting people who are different. The show takes us from innocence to awareness, these kids have never engaged with the world as intensely as they are doing in this exotic place.’

‘Remember the idealism of the times. This was written in 1949, just four years after the end of World War II and there was a real sense of hope, of wanting to build a new and better world. The reality is that I doubt we would go to war today for the same ideals as we did then.’ A provocative statement that leaves everyone grateful it’s not a decision facing them today.

Timing is everything: Arvo Volmer on conducting Aida

Opera Australia's Aida

Allerta!: It has been said that Aida concentrates on the set pieces of grand opera, namely the grand ceremonial scene and the multi-sectional duet. What are the challenges of conducting an opera filled with these elements?

Arvo Volmer: Aida’s composition underlines continuity; the arias and duets are all seamlessly linked to the score and even the well-known ones end in a way that suggests continuation without stopping. The exceptions are the ceremonial scenes and dances, which are meant as intermezzi and which represent the grand opera tradition of the time. For me as conductor, the challenge is to link the different components of the score into a continuous musical whole, thus providing an ongoing musical and dramaturgical narrative. The duets are particularly interesting as they develop the narrative and provide insight into the psychological conflicts that torment the characters. Providing good timing is a true test for the conductor here: too little time and the content is lost, too much time – and we have the same result.

Arvo Volmer

A: You have conducted La fanciulla del West and Turandot for OA; how did the Aida assignment come about?

AV: Aida was proposed by Lyndon, but of course I wished it as well and I am very happy to be conducting the opera in Sydney, among other things because of the high standards of the OA chorus. Without a first-class chorus, any attempt at staging an excellent Aida is doomed to failure.

A: For a soprano, Aida is a notoriously difficult role to sing. Why is that? And how do you as conductor help a soprano to overcome the challenges of the role?

AV: Aida asks for a voice that is deep and rich in the lower and middle register and yet possesses lyrical qualities too. It also requires the capacity to float effortlessly through long phrases that sit on top of the register. These things are difficult to develop in a voice; a conductor can help a little by pacing the music in the right way, as well as by providing suitable dynamics from the orchestra. An understanding between singer and conductor, which can be only reached through thorough rehearsing, is crucial.

A: You are Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and you’ve conducted several Australian symphony orchestras. Could you tell us a little about how your musical connection with Australia came about? 

AV: An Australian recruiting team accidentally met me while I was conducting in Sweden, and thus the cooperation with Australian orchestras and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra began. OA is a logical continuation of that.

A: In terms of a classical music culture, Australia is a young country; we do not have Europe’s long cultural traditions. In your opinion, what are some of the ways in which Australia can ensure that it grows its own classical music tradition?

AV: I do not see Australia as a young cultural nation; I would rather describe the musical scene here as a unique mixture of influences. As such, it is thrilling and full of opportunities. Australian musicians seem to have a keen interest in whatever they are doing, a quality which European colleagues sometimes lack. To ensure that the local music tradition continues to develop and flourish, I would say that Australia needs to continue to invest in music education. It also has to encourage an appreciation of musical skills and creativity, so that culture comes to be regarded as an important measure of Australia’s success. I would like to see Australia aim to be a major player in the field of arts and science.

Opera Australia's Aida

A: What is the situation with opera in your home country, Estonia? Are there good opportunities for classical musicians?

AV: Estonia is a small country with a population of about 1.3 million. Yet there are two theatres which regularly put on operas, The Estonian National Opera and Theatre Vanemuine in the university town of Tartu, south of the capital, Tallinn. We also have the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra in the capital. I find this level of musical activity quite extraordinary, and I do think this is the way that things should be everywhere. Culture is, after all, an important measure of the success or failure of a society. The situation in Estonia is economically challenging for musicians, but one has to be optimistic and face the challenges of the changing environment. The opera house regularly commissions and produces new works by Estonian composers: the centenary of the present building of the ENO will be marked by a newly commissioned opera.

A: Would you say that the Soviet era provided musicians with better opportunities than the present one?

AV: All totalitarian regimes like to present themselves to the rest of the world as benign, and sports and arts are their favourite tools in doing so. The USSR was no exception.

A: Who are some of the opera composers that you would like to explore? 

AV: I have conducted most of the Puccini operas and would love to do the ones I have not conducted yet. The Danish master Carl Nielsen left behind two operas which interest me, and I'd like to conduct a production of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, having conducted it in concert. I am also keen to conduct more Prokofiev operas; so far only Love for Three Oranges is in my repertoire.

Aida is showing at the Sydney Opera House from 17 July until 13 October: Click here for information, show dates, tickets, videos and more.

Léïla launches Car into opera firmament

Soprano Nicole Car is adding another feather to her bow this winter: having successfully performed Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Pamina (The Magic Flute) and Valencienne (The Merry Widow) in the past year, this month she is making her role debut as Léïla in Bizet’s The Pearlfishers. It’s no exaggeration to say that this young singer has been climbing her way into the OA firmament.

Not that she has never entertained a doubt about the role. Léïla  was offered to her at the beginning of the year, after Jessica Pratt had pulled out. “I was going to cover the role, but when Jessica let it be known that she was no longer available, Lyndon called me in and asked if I’d had a chance to look at the music, as he wanted me to sing it,” Car recalls when we meet for a chat a few days after the beginning of Pearlfishers rehearsals.

Henry Choo as Nadir with Nicole
Car as Léïla

Terracini was convinced that Car was ready for the role, but the soprano was apprehensive, as her impression of the role was that it sat very high and at times demanded a light rather than a dramatic voice. So she asked for time to look at the score with Anthony Legge before making a decision.

“ As it turned out, it was a very good fit for my voice. The end of the first act is very high, but Acts II and III are more dramatic and more suited to my voice. Singing Léïla  is like singing Donna Anna in reverse: instead of warming to the coloratura part, you start with it.”

Legge, Car’s singing teacher, and her coaches all thought that the role would be a challenge, but a good challenge, and hopefully a rewarding one. “I’m really comfortable with it now; it’s at that stage where it’s cooked enough to go into production.”

This season’s Pearlfishers rehearsal period (three weeks) is very short. “Everyone’s really stretched at the moment,” Car says. “When rehearsals started in Sydney, The Merry Widow was still going on in Melbourne, and Midsummer Night’s Dream and Magic Flute in Brisbane. When you have a relatively small company with mainstage seasons in three cities, a lot of people are jumping back and forth.”

Nicole Car as Léïla

But it’s much better to be overly busy than not to be singing at all. Car vividly remembers having to pull out of Don Giovanni in Sydney last year. “We’d already started cover calls when I began to feel unwell,” she remembers.  “It was getting to the end of winter and I thought it was probably just that.” But singing was feeling worse and worse, and she was constantly exhausted. “The first thing I thought was that I’d done something to my voice, which was very scary.” She pulled out of a week of rehearsals, thinking that she’d be back the following week, with plenty of time to get ready for opening night which was still a month away.

But a visit to the Ear Nose and Throat Specialist changed all that. “He told me that there was nothing wrong with my vocal chords, but that I should see a dentist as my wisdom teeth were struggling to come through.” The dentist confirmed that the singer’s bottom teeth had grown towards the front of her mouth and were so severely impacted and infected that she needed to get them out straight away.

“It was very painful, especially since I had them done in the dentist’s chair; I didn’t want to have to go under, as sometimes they can dislocate your jaw, which can have  consequences for singers.”

Nicole Car as Léïla with Henry
Choo as Nadir

Car recovered quickly enough to be able to sing in the final two Don Giovanni performances in Melbourne. “Having had to pull out of the Sydney season, it was really good to be able to come back and sing the role, even if Donna Anna is a hard sing! You appreciate the career that you have so much more when you get a feel for how fragile it all is.”

After Léïla, Car will be performing High Priestess in Aida, and she’ll be Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly this spring. “It’s a big year,” she says, with a laugh.

Next year’s big too…so watch this space. 

The Pearlfishers is showing at Sydney Opera House until Saturday 4 August. Click here for details, videos, tickets and more.

Chamber Don G ready to hit the road

When OA Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini approached director Michael Gow about a new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni for Oz Opera, he made it clear that he was looking for a chamber version suited to a touring company. And as neither he nor Gow liked existing English libretti of the work, Gow was asked to do his own translation of the original. “Lyndon was interested in something like Julie Taymor’s Magic Flute, which cut that opera back to 100 minutes,” Gow says.  

The director, who has produced Gluck’s Iphigénieen Tauride and Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio for OA, was “a bit terrified to begin with”, since turning Mozart’s original into a chamber opera would demand extensive consultation with a score which is “on most people’s list of top five operas”. 

Fortunately he could rely on the input of OA Music Director Anthony Legge. “Basically, if a moment or a musical number didn’t push the story forward, we talked about cutting it.” But the danger with cutting the score is that the music may have to be picked up again in an inappropriate key. Legge made sure that Gow’s cuts did not lead to this situation. He also ensured that Gow’s dramatic cuts did not cause musical problems. And because the touring Don G only has three chorus members, he helped to trim the opera’s chorus moments.

Don Giovanni’s performance history provided valuable clues about how a shorter version of the opera might be arrived at. For example, when Don Giovanni was staged in Vienna after its Prague première, a number of singers let it be known that they would like to be given more arias. Thus, Mozart wrote an extra Act II aria for the Vienna Donna Elvira, which nowadays is almost always performed. Similarly, the original version included a tenor aria which the Prague tenor couldn’t sing, so Mozart replaced it with an Act I aria one more suitable to his voice. The Vienna tenor decided to perform both arias, a practice which has prevailed to this day. 

Other sections were trimmed or cut. “We lost the big Act I sequence before the beginning of the finale, because it’s basically people saying the same thing over and over again,” Gow says.

Pruning gave Gow and Legge the opportunity to re-examine a few structural issues too. For example, Gow rewrote the finale so that Don Ottavio and Masetto start putting up posters of the murdered Commendatore all over town, which is partly how he “returns”. Gow also has the pair hatch a plot to use disguise to summon Justice to deal with Don G. The Commendatore thus makes the final dramatic “return” without coming back from the grave. “It’s a bit of an adaptation, for which I hope people will forgive me!” Gow laughs. 

Because the chamber version of the opera had to be fast-moving, the decision was made that there would be no changes of scene. “We came up with the idea of setting the opera in the town square on which the Commendatore lives, and letting all the action play out there.”

Because 16^th and 17^th century costumes are difficult to maintain on tour, Gow ‘updated’ the opera to the 1950s, “a visually interesting era in which it still mattered whether or not you were marriageable, and when for women, maintaining virtue was still crucial”. Donna Elvira thus arrives in the town square with a suitcase full of wedding gear, looking for Don Giovanni.

For a director who works mostly in spoken theatre, opera rehearsals can be challenging. As Gow puts it: “The one constraint of working in opera is that the amazing music has to be heard.” His approach is to tell singers that he’s going to push them as far as they can go, and that they can only say ‘Stop!’ when they can’t see the conductor, or breathe properly. Otherwise he treats them like actors. “But we’ve become used to people singing Handel arias standing on their heads and doing yoga – these days singers are capable of just about anything.”

One of the advantages of working on an Oz Opera production is that Gow had three weeks in the rehearsal room, with the whole cast. “You have the opportunity to explore,” he says. The further into the International stratosphere you go, the more difficult it becomes to do so. “The last time we did Seraglio, Osmin flew in from a concert in Tokyo when we’d reached the stage rehearsal phase. You can’t include much detail under such circumstances.” 

Time constraints notwithstanding, does he aspire to direct more opera? “Absolutely. I find working with conductors very interesting and satisfying. I’d like to do a bigger version of Don G, or perhaps get out of the 18^th century altogether. Parsifal would be nice.”

Don Giovanni opened inDandenong (Victoria) on 7 July and tours until 15 September. The production will also be showing at the Canberra Theatre this Thursday 12 July to Saturday 14 July: Click here for more information and tickets.

A life in marketing opera

Opera Australia Marketing and Communications Director, Liz Nield, this month leaves the Company after 22 years, to take up the position of Development Director at the University of New South Wales. She speaks to Allerta! about her long and happy career with Australia’s national company.

Did you always love opera?

My parents played it at home and have subscribed to opera since the very first season. They took me to the opera occasionally when one or the other was unable to attend.  We used to listen to ‘Singers of Renown’ every Sunday evening.  I later became a youth subscriber and when I joined OA, bought a pile of opera CDs and I played them and played them and played them. It does feel as if I’ve always loved it.

How did you manage the career transitions that your various roles at OA demanded?

I joined OA in 1990 as the Corporate Development Co-ordinator, and was appointed Melbourne Development Manager in 1992. In 1995, I left the Company to take on the role of Development Manager with the Bell Shakespeare Company. I rejoined OA as Development Director in 1997 and in 1999 became the Marketing and Development Director. That was a very big learning curve, however, I was surrounded by very clever and experienced senior colleagues who taught me the business of opera. Trial and error is also a great teacher.

Perhaps the biggest challenge in marketing opera was learning how to deal with the fallout from the GFC. We had to find a way to stay afloat when going to the opera was not the top priority for many people who had previously attended regularly and when afterwards they seemed to have got out of the habit of going to opera. At OA commercial and artistic disciplines are tightly integrated, and the decisions we made reflect that. Under Lyndon’s direction we changed our product: Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH), for example, is a completely different offering from what we usually do. It’s still opera, but opera wrapped in a package of adventure and spectacle and place. Julie Taymor’s Magic Flute is specifically designed to appeal to families. Both productions are examples of creative decisions the Company has made to appeal to a broader audience.

Has OA come through that difficult period?

I think we’re still travelling through it. The problem was not just the immediate downturn in ticket sales; it was the fact that people had changed their buying habits. The fundamental problem with opera is that it costs so very much to produce. Ticket prices are subsidised by government funding, sponsorship and philanthropic donations, however balancing the enormous costs of opera and the various income streams is like walking a tightrope.  I admire the fact that OA is trying to find creative solutions to attracting a bigger audience.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour

Was Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour marketed in a different way from what you usually do? 

Absolutely. Every time we put on an opera, there is a precedent that tells us how to market that opera. We have figures going back to the end of time telling us how an opera performed and how we sold it. With HOSH, there was no precedent – we had to make educated guesses. Moreover, the most efficient way to market is to promote to a database of people who have demonstrated by their behaviour that they’ve been to a similar event.  We didn’t have a database for La Traviata. We speculated that it would appeal to a lot of new people, but trying to reach new patrons is a lot harder (and a lot more costly) than trying to reach an audience that already exists.

The other really difficult thing was that all of us at OA had a good sense of what this La Traviata production was going to be: we went to the design presentation; we were given updates about the casting and about what was happening with the site. But trying to explain that in a few words in an ad was almost impossible. And we didn’t have any pictures. Marketing next year’s production will be much easier. 

Did word of mouth play a big part in selling HOSH?

Yes, when the show opened we still had $2 million worth of tickets to sell, and we did it. That’s because from the first performance, reaction to HOSH has been overwhelmingly positive; the product sold itself.

Andrew Jones (Papageno) and Nicole
Car (Pamina) in The Magic Flute

You’ve always responded to complaints personally. What is the thinking behind that?

I always want to know what is happening in our customers’ minds. Even though it can be dispiriting, it is of enormous value to listen to our audience members’ feedback.  Also, if someone has made the effort to contact us, they deserve a considered response.

HOSH has been a highlight in OA history. What have some of the other highlights in your career with the Company been?

OA is an extraordinary company and a privilege to work for. I have enjoyed all of it. The skills that you need to sell opera are pretty much the same skills that you need to sell dog food. But I don’t think I’d get out of bed in the morning with the same excitement and optimism if it weren’t for the product that the national opera company sells. My career with OA really has been one big highlight.

You’ve also been with OA through some really difficult times. What lessons have you learned from that?

There have been some tough times at the Company both financially and reputationally.  The Company is under enormous scrutiny from the press and sometimes an inaccurate story just grows and grows.  I think what I have learned from those times - when the media has shone a harsh light on the Company – is the need for utter transparency.  Really good journalists find the truth a lot more interesting and can engage with the complexity of difficult issues.

As a marketer, what do you expect of artists?

A good product is easy to market; you just have to tell people how to get it. The best a singer can do for the Company is perform to the best of their ability.

Opera Australia's Facebook page

How has social media changed the marketing landscape?

It’s changed the PR landscape. But I don’t think social media has sold very many tickets. OA’s engagement with social media has demonstrated that the company is relevant and part of contemporary culture. It’s also a good way to keep people informed about our activities. It is, however, enormously time-intensive and needs to be constantly monitored as answers are required immediately.

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing OA today?

The number one impediment to going to the opera is the price of a ticket. The biggest challenge facing the Company is therefore: how can we produce this remarkable thing called opera at a price that is reasonable. Going to the opera for the first time is a big risk; it’s not part of popular culture and people are not sure of what they’re getting. If we could sell tickets at a lower price, people would be less fearful of trying it out. The problem is: how do you produce opera for less?

Why are you moving on?

I’ve never been happier at OA than I am right now. But I’ve been here for 22 years and I would like to broaden my mind. There’s a whole new market out there, people and causes with which I would like to connect. I’ll always go to the opera, that’s for sure.

The Operative Word with Milijana Nikolic

Opera Australia's Aida

Why do you do the job that you do? Because singing and music have been my passion from when I was five years old!

Who has influenced you most professionally? Many people in different ways and different times of my professional development…I was lucky to be in the Academy for young singers at Teatro alla Scala in Milan and to work with some of the legends of our profession: Luciana Serra, Leyla Gencer, Teresa Berganza, Maestro Riccardo Muti... it was like a candy shop for me.

Milijana Nikolic

Is there any other profession that you would have liked to have followed? Many…I’m interested in many things – psychology, make-up artist, interior design...

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being surrounded by my loved ones with a glass of sweet wine, “passito”, from the magical island of Pantelleria. 

If you could have dinner with a historical figure, who would it be? The great Giuseppe Verdi, who besides being one of the greatest opera composers expressed the feelings of the Italian people through his music; the man was a genius!

What is your greatest extravagance? Let’s see…shoes…bags (lots of bags)…jewellery (from fine to costume jewels)…and make up...lots of sparkles always J.

One thing you regret is…that Serbia, my country of origin, was at war.

If you could have any opera character as a friend, who would it be, and why? Carmen. This mysterious woman embodies so many contradictions…she’s simultaneously repellent and sympathetic, lovely and hateful, understandable and irrational. But she is brave and she loves liberty. I love brave and interesting people.

Who or what is the love of your life? If you ask me what, it’s the music of course; if you ask me who, it’s my husband!

What are you optimistic about? I am optimistic by nature – pessimism serves nothing.

You would like to devote more time to…Charity work for less lucky people. Many people lost their homes in this last stupid war in my country; for almost 20 years they’ve been living in communal centres. To help them, I’m organising a humanitarian concert with non profit organisation; I’d like to devote more time to this kind of work especially because I feel so lucky to live in such a fantastic country as Australia!

What is your favourite food? There is too much good food to choose from unfortunately.

What is your most treasured possession? Those that have great emotional value; things that once belonged to my grandmother, or old family photos.

Which is the opera that got you hooked? It was a singer rather than an opera; I saw a mezzo-soprano on TV when I was five; I don’t remember what she was singing but I couldn’t stop trying to make that sound; it was so strong and so profound. That’s how everything started.

Which opera do you never need to hear again? I can’t think of a single one.

If there’s one quote that really speaks to you it’s…Life is either a daring adventure or nothing! 

What is your idea of misery? Not to be able to see my family.

Which characteristics do you most admire in others?  Honesty. I admire people who are  brave to stand up for the truth.

You feel guilty when you think about…Eating pasta!

What type of holiday do you most enjoy? Exploring new cultures.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Sometimes I get impatient and my feelings burst out…I would like to be able to control them more.

Who is your favourite band? Queen, Evanescence.

You spend too much money on…Make-up – I can’t resist a new shade of eye shadow or a lipstick, not to mention sparkly lip glosses.

Your greatest achievement has been…I feel that I’ve achieved something great every time that magic happens on stage and I sense that the audience is experiencing it.

What is your favourite kitchen appliance? Nespresso coffee machine…it travels with me everywhere.

How do you stay up to date with new technology and trends? It’s impossible not to stay up to date – it’s everywhere around you and it’s great! I don’t know what I would do without Skype. Having said that, I don’t like that anyone can intrude on your privacy, and that life has become so frenetic.

Who is your favourite heart throb…When I was a teenager it was Mel Gibson, back when he was a quirky but a nice guy. I must have had a taste for Australian men from early on, that’s why I married one!

Aida is showing at the Sydney Opera House from 17 July until 13 October: Click here for information, show dates, tickets, videos and more.

Oz Opera Don Giovanni tour blog #1 with Eddie Muliaumaseali'i

Eddie Muliaumaseali'i (Masetto) and Kiandra Howarth (Zerlina) in Oz Opera's tour of Don Giovanni

Opera Australia love the Oz Opera touring productions! Last year, Tom Hamilton blogged the regional tour of La Traviata. This year, we welcome Oz Opera star Eddie Muliaumaseali'i. Here he introduces the first week of the tour. Enjoy the photos and we hope you're looking forward to the rest of his entries!

After a whirlwind rehearsal period Oz Opera’s touring production is ready to open and hit the road.  Continuing its tradition of high quality opera, this Don Giovanni is exceptional and we’re all looking forward to our opening night this Saturday – it’s going to be an exciting night in the theatre. Led by two exciting baritones that share the title role, Sam Dundas and Luke Gabbedy, they are like two Ferraris; Slick, cool, stylish, fast and powerful.  This in turn epitomises this entire production.

It’s great being back out at the Drum Theatre in Dandenong, doing our production week in their magnificent venue. Getting on the bus every morning outside the National Gallery and heading out to Dandenong has given us all a taste of what it’s going to be like on the road. The atmosphere has been very lively on the coach; let’s see what it’s like 5 weeks in to the tour!

What makes touring successful? This being my tenth Oz Opera tour I can only say that it is totally a group effort. We look out for one another and support each other on the road, ensuring a good performance where ever we land. Orange, Penrith, Wollongong, Port Macquarie, wherever the location, Oz Opera rocks the house! I look forward to the tour.   

On the road to Albury and Canberra next week...stay tuned!

Click here to view all the Oz Opera tour dates and venues, including Canberra Theatre tour dates this Thursday through Saturday! (12-14 July 2012)