The intimate setting of the Glen Street Theatre is conducive to an excellent rapport between the enthusiastic audience and the talented performers, transporting us into a mystical and magical land of smoke and dreams, delightfully complemented by the artistic team’s accomplishments. Now set in Sydney’s Rocks during The Depression, clever use of minimalist props helps focus to remain with the ensemble, the costuming simple but effective.
So, with this emerging talent promising exciting things to come, the delicious taste of Pacific Opera’s fresh and talented cast will ensure the operatic legacy will flourish far into the future.
Charlotte Moore - Young Critics Award Entrant
Would you take candy from a bag lady who lives inside an evil clown? Probably not, but starving children from the Depression might risk it. Pacific Opera has again delivered accessible opera, achieving that spark of recognition with audiences that will save the art from decline. The music is expressive and the orchestra, lead by charismatic conductor Russell Ger, are deservedly in the limelight. Those adjusting to operatic English will give thanks for the handy screen translations, a helpful tool for keeping everyone up to speed. So gulp down your breadcrumbs and set your GPS for Glen Street Theatre, and see Hansel and Gretel in a new light. They’d love to have you for dinner.
Tiffany Hoy - Young Critics Award Entrant
Everyone is familiar with the tale of Hansel and Gretel, most of us having grown up with it. However not until Pacific Opera’s production have I enjoyed it so thoroughly, witnessing a humour and wit that was certainly not present in my childhood storybooks!
Liam McNamara - Young Critics Award Entrant
Hansel and Gretel
This was an engaging performance by already highly-skilled young artists with exceptional potential from whom we will surely be hearing and seeing more in the future.
Paulo Montoya - Young Critics Award Winner 2010
Hansel And Gretel
Anyone interested in opera should support this, because it is fun and because it provides such essential proving ground for young talent.
Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald
I just wanted to say thank you for another fantastic season of Pacific Opera! It is always such a privilege to work with incredibly fine musicians; and not only that, but people who are truly welcoming and fun! I think thestandard of Pacific is truly something to be proud of, and it is all because of the wonderful people who work for this unique company.Pacific is such a joy to be part of, and I hope there are many more years to come!
Zoe Bloomfield - violinist La sonnambula orchestra
La Sonnambula
For those who haven't seen it yet – you are in for a colossal surprise and real musical and theatrical treat!
I think that this is the most polished and successful production we have ever done – Christine has surpassed herself and Andrew's daring choice of this difficult opera has proved that the company can rise to heights which we didn’t think possible at this stage of the company's life. The Glen Street Theatre suits this production admirably. Warmest congratulations to Andrew and Christine for a magnificent success.
Hon. Justice George Palmer, Chairman, Chairman Pacific Opera Board
Opera Unzipped
We had a ball. Carly had no experience of Opera at all and it was a real eye opener for her as it was all about making opera easy to understand and took us through how they put an opera on the stage. I had limited experience of opera and I absolutely loved it. The lecturer Luise Napier was terrific. It certainly answered some questions for me and made both Carly and I wish we had some talent and could sing like the young Soprano Regina who sang some lines and then at the end of the lecture, she sang and aria that almost made me cry. The conductor Julia de Plater was sooooo down to earth and almost made music easy to understand!
Both Carly and I are hooked and were very proud that TW are sponsors…we will certainly be going to see the Pacific Opera production of La Sonnambula in August.
Annette, WCS Supervisor, Telstra Wholesale
Another busy year for Pacific Opera is “just passing by” and as I see more into the workings I see both how much there is to do and also how much can be achieved.
I’m sure you’re all aware of the profound impact Pacific Opera has on us young singers and I hope you’re all proud of your role within it. Indeed for me, as I head off to the Con next year (fingers crossed!) it has been literally a life changing encounter.
So, thank you all, and looking forward to next year!
Dave Hidden
I’d just like to thank you for giving me the opportunities to sing for you in the first place, when I’ve had practically no experience compared to other singers and still have a million things to learn. I do understand that I am still very, very young and have a lot of hard work ahead of me, but I will always try my best. It might not be a big deal for other singers who are a little more experienced and older than me but everything I’ve done with Pacific Opera this year have all been first-time experiences, so everything was a HUGE deal in my eyes and I will never forget them. Without everything that’s happened with Pacific Opera this year, I would definitely not have improved as much as I have!
Thank you both so much for everything and for being nice to me!
Cathy Zhang
Cosi fan Tutte
A major problem with Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte (All women are like that) is the way it chooses to debunk the notion of women’s “virtue”. The message is not so much that men are scarcely in a position to cast the first stone, but simply the number of stones which would need to be cast renders the exercise impracticable.
Where do you find that attitude in the modern world? For Christine Douglas’s production for Pacific Opera, football clubs seemed a reasonable place to start. As an idea, it could have fallen awfully flat in the first 10 minutes, but instead was sustained by energy and unlaboured inventiveness, and promising young talent.
For opera fans: recommended. For Tigers fans: indispensable.
Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald
The Barber of Seville
SHARP TAKE ON A CLASSIC
The performers wore trackies, trainers, hoodies and leather pants, sang of dreadlocks and hepatitis – and managed to successfully turn Rossini’s much loved opera, The Barber of Seville, on its head.
Sydney company, Pacific Opera’s clever new production is a fun, energetic and cheeky interpretation of the original opera.
Jennifer Veerhuis, Daily Telegraph
Gods & Sinners
…the quality confirms Pacific Opera’s importance in a landscape dominated by Opera Australia
John Shand The Sydney Morning Herald
We support wholeheartedly the splendid work which Christine Douglas is doing with so many of our young Australian singers. Beginning a career is not easy and Pacific Opera is filling an important gap between the Conservatorium or Studio and the major Opera Companies. We wish you all well and look forward to hearing another performance very soon
Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge AO CBE.