Queensland’s glittering Gold Coast will next year provide the backdrop for a magnificent new outdoor production by Opera Australia.
Presented by Opera Australia in partnership with Bleach Festival, the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, and City of Gold Coast, Opera on the Beach is a world premiere outdoor opera spectacular that will see Mozart’s joyous The Magic Flute performed under the stars on the rolling shores of Greenmount Beach in Coolangatta.
Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini said this new homegrown production of The Magic Flute was made especially for this Gold Coast setting.
“We are thrilled to have a new home in Queensland! Opera on the Beach is an initiative we have been working to bring to Queensland for the past 18 months, and it’s wonderful to have the support of the Bleach Festival to make this possible,” said Mr Terracini.
“This will be a very special event, tailor-made for Queensland, and designed for a 21st century audience with a superb live orchestra, stunning lighting and sound design, sumptuous costumes and theatrical surprises.”
“It’s a production for all ages, bringing together a top-flight cast of Opera Australia principal artists, with talented local singers drawn from the community. We invite audiences to gather their family and friends and join us on the beach for an unrivaled evening of opera under the stars and beside the sea.”
Performed on a purpose-built seaside stage, Opera on the Beach will transport audiences from Coolangatta’s iconic shores to an enchanting fantasy world of heroic princes and princesses, giant serpents, dancing bears and singing birds.
With its colourful mix of fairy-tale adventure, knockabout farce and marvelous music sung in English, Mozart’s The Magic Flute is the perfect introduction to opera for anyone who has never been before.
Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Jann Stuckey, said this new event would shine an international spotlight on the Gold Coast as a premier tourism and event destination.
“Opera on the Beach is an exciting addition to Queensland’s arts and cultural event calendar, providing visitors with a unique experience exclusive to the Gold Coast,” said Minister Stuckey.
“As we count down to the DestinationQ forum on the Gold Coast next week, securing events like Opera on the Beach is another great example of our commitment to growing Queensland’s tourism and events industry.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said Opera on the Beach provided an exciting opportunity to celebrate the Gold Coast’s unique landscape and iconic beach culture through the arts.
“We already have some of the world’s best beaches, so setting this large-scale event against this picturesque backdrop will ensure the Gold Coast cements itself on the world event map,” said Mayor Tate.
“Opera on the Beach will be quintessentially Gold Coast – showing the nation and the world that we are not afraid to do things a bit differently in our city.”
The Magic Flute plays just three performances 9 – 11 May 2014 at Greenmount Beach, Coolangatta as an extension of the third annual Bleach Festival, the Gold Coast’s largest arts and cultural festival.
For more information, visit: www.opera-australia.org.au for details.
Image: courtesy of Opera Australia
