The imposing set blocks out the incongruous surrounds and truly allows the audience to be immersed in aristocratic Paris circa 1881.Įqually sumptuous are the costumes. There is a grand moat around the front circumference of the stage and several other entry/exit points. The aforementioned staircase extends from the top of the tower in profile, then fans out in a majestic curve where it meets the stage face on. A broken proscenium protrudes sideways from the top of the tower with a single red velvet curtain draped beneath and tied against the tower.
And she succeeds admirably.Ī multi-level tower at the left of the stage houses two opera boxes, one above the other, and an arched doorway at ground level. She effectively had to work against the expansive surrounds of Sydney Harbour to conjure an illusion of the lush Paris Opera interior and the bleak subterranean lair of the phantom.
Revered designer, Gabriela Tylesova, is the inventive genius behind the set and costumes. If any of this bothers the performers, they certainly don’t let it show.īut for some very minor glitches, the performance on Friday night went like clockwork, which was very fortunate since Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber himself was in attendance. Put it all on a stage with a footprint double and a half the size of any other theatrical stage in the country, throw in a sweeping staircase and an enormous chandelier held aloft by a crane, and you pretty much have a floating powder keg just waiting for an errant spark. Then you have a script and score that demand vocal mastery and intense emotional expression. A plethora of moving parts, slippery slopes, technical wizardry, and incendiary special effects require perfect positioning and precise timing. Of the outdoor Handa Opera shows that have been staged on the harbour during its ten year history, this would have to be among the most ambitious and extravagant.
You could even hear crickets during the quiet moments (in a good way). Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s Phantom of the Opera had the blessing of the gods on opening night, with the rain clouds that have near-relentlessly plagued the city during the La Niña summer graciously holding back for the full duration of the show, and a bare whisper of a breeze.
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