Ben Apfelbaum

LA TRAVIATA OPENING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT

Lyndon Terracini Artistic Director & Stuart Ayres MP

Dance Troupe
Dance Troupe
Shannon Burns – Choreographer & Constantine Costa – Director
Stacey Alleaume
Stacey Alleaume & Dance Troupe
Stacey Alleaume & Dance Troupe

There was a break in the rain revealing a glorious, sunny Sydney skyline and stage infrastructure for this season’s performances of LA TRAVIATA at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.

This production was delayed for over a year due to the Covid19 lockdown. In fact, there were publicity photos of the giant chandelier being transported from Circular Quay to the First Fleet steps at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.

In this unusual media call we were invited on to the stage in high-vis vests and properly covered shoes to inspect the hanging giant chandelier.

Prior to this we were treated to a high spirited stage number by an all female cast choreographed by Shannon Burns which was taken from this production.

Also on hand from the press conference on stage was Opera Australia’s 

Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini, soprano Stacey Alldeaume, Director Constantine Costi and the Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayers.

Although lighting and rigging construction seemed to have a long way to go when the media visited the set last Monday, the main components were already in place, i.e. the giant chandelier and the magnificent backdrop of Sydney Harbour.

The chandelier is the world’s largest outdoor structure of its kind and comprises some ten thousand crystals. 

Director Constantine Costi indicated that because of the year’s delay, the previous production has been tweaked to be bolder and more impactful. 

Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini seemed to be champing at the bit to make up for a year’s delay for this Handa Opera By Sydney Harbour and Minister Ayres was confident that many people will attend from areas outside Sydney.

One hopes that the La Nina gods are kinder to this season than is the case in  New South Wales at present. However, Terracini has stated that this show will go on, rain, hail and shine.

I have attended other Handa Opera productions in heavy rain without it diminishing the enjoyment I had.

This year’s Handa Opera season runs from Friday 26 March to Sunday 25 April 2021.

Featured image : Stacey Allemaume. All pics by Ben Apfelbaum (c)

http://www.opera.org.au

 

 

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Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.