Opera Australia Opportunities
This term, during their limited Melbourne season, Opera Australia opened their doors to allow a select number of students the opportunity to come behind the scenes during performances and get a glimpse of what goes into staging a professional production and learn directly from professionals. Opera Australia provided these opportunities exclusively to Uni High students, trusting in the level of knowledge, engagement, maturity and professionalism that our students have displayed in backstage tours in previous years. This unique opportunity provides an insight for our senior students into what working in the theatre industry is really like. As well as this backstage opportunity, Opera Australia were also able to provide us with a number of free tickets to the final rehearsal for Orpheus and Eurydice, allowing twenty of our students, from Years 7-12 the opportunity to watch an opera, many for the first time. A massive thanks to Opera Australia for providing our students these opportunities, and to our students for the maturity and professionalism they displayed which will hopefully allow us to continue to offer these unique experiences into the future.
Cameron McCormick
Earlier this month, a few students had the opportunity to go to the Regent Theatre to watch Orpheus and Eurydice. For many of us, it was our first time seeing an opera live, and experiencing it in such a beautiful theatre made it even more special. The performance was powerful and really different from the kinds of shows we usually see. The music, staging, and storytelling all came together to create something dramatic, emotional and a great modern adaptation. It gave us a new appreciation for how much work and talent goes into opera and live performance in general. Overall, it was an inspiring and memorable excursion, and definitely a highlight of the term. We’re really grateful we had the chance to see such a unique production!
- Sudeeksha Addagudi 8C3
The opportunity that Opera Australia provided for us turned an otherwise dreary Thursday evening into one of wonder, spectacle and awe. Watching Carmen from the wings was like no other experience I've ever had - the Opera's production artfully combined elements of historic and modern, with massive, roof-shaking set changes, musicians in the wings, and a welcoming, friendly cast and crew delivering on a marvellous evening. I got the chance to learn so much about Backstage Theatre - The lights, the cues, the way that the technical crew ties the whole show together and how the entire show is linked so closely to the music - and observing professionals at work executing these tasks to make the whole show run like clockwork was on another level! Massive thanks to Opera Australia, and to anyone interested in Theatre behind-the-scenes, I would positively recommend this as a night that can't be missed!
- Zack Dagastine 10G2