MEDIA RELEASE – SYDNEY WINTER SEASON 2018 Rossini | Directed by Simon Phillips | Conducted by Andrea Molino Delicious sets and retro comedy will charm the pants off anyone with a funny bone worth tickling 10 August – 1 September | Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House Starring | Stacey Alleaume | Juan José de León | Warwick Fyfe | Paolo Bordogna Director Simon Phillips’ hilarious production of The Turk in Italy is making a triumphant return to the Sydney Opera House, bringing the heat of summer to the bleak Sydney winter with its cartoonish sets and candied costumes. Rossini’s operas are much-loved for their wit, energy and infectious pace and The Turk in Italy is no exception. Bringing together dancing, deceit and delightful confusion, this is a sure-fire recipe for a side- splitting operatic feast that comes alive with Rossini’s distinctively charming music. Rising Australian soprano Stacey Alleaume, who dazzled audiences in The Merry Widow earlier this year, makes her role debut as Florilla, her first leading lady role in a main-stage production. An emerging star who started her career in Opera Australia’s Schools and National Touring productions before being accepted into the OA Young Artist’s Program, Stacey has been championed by Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini, who sees a very bright future ahead of the young soprano. “This is a brilliant production filled with dazzling designs, wonderfully colourful music, and some of the best operatic and comedic performers, including our very own Stacey Alleaume,” said Terracini. “Stacey is a fantastic young Australian performer and we are thrilled to be showcasing her exceptional talent in Sydney this winter.” Joining Stacey on stage is Italian bass-baritone Paolo Bordogna who won audiences over in the 2014 production, and is back to show why he is one of the world’s most celebrated buffo performers. Baritone Warwick Fyfe is well-known for his extraordinary attention to detail, and will no doubt bring his all to his role debut as the luckless Geronio. Rounding out the dynamic cast is American tenor Juan José de León, with baritone Samuel Dundas and mezzo Anna Dowsley reprising their roles with gusto. Under the baton of Italian maestro Andrea Molino, who is known for conducting the most complex operatic scores from memory, this all-star cast will delight opera novices and experts alike. One of the most stunning elements of the production has to be the extraordinarily delicious set and costume design by Gabriela Tylesova. With its 1950s gelato colours atop shimmering green grass in a Dr Seuss- esque quirkiness, this is a production bursting with retro colour and charm. A masterfully playful set design which features a clever revolve that spins between the café and the residence sets a raucous scene for hilarity, confusion and mayhem. With a chorus that have far too much fun in their costumes – from all manner of swimsuits and bikinis, to pirates, Turkish sailors and Elvis and Marilyn lookalikes – the boisterous picture is complete. And as if that’s not enough, the cherry on top of this gelato-coloured treat is Simon Phillips’ translation of the libretto. Romani’s already ticklish script has been given a decidedly Aussie update to include such charmed phases as “nong”, “bood head” and “root rat”, guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. For those who haven’t seen an opera before, this will turn everything they thought they knew about the form on its head. 1 About the Opera Gioachino Rossini was only 21 when he wrote his smash hit, The Italian Girl in Algiers (1813). The opera was such a success that the young and ambitious composer could not help himself – he had to write the sequel! The Turk in Italy opened at La Scala in Milan just one year later. The premise was similar: two pairs of lovers cavort, introduce a clash of cultures for added colour and chaos ensues! What is amazing about the work, is that unlike many sequels, it is genuinely different to its predecessor, packed full of musical and dramatic invention. About the Artists As former Artistic Director of both State Theatre Company of South Australia and Melbourne Theatre Company, Simon Phillips is one of Australia's leading musical theatre, opera and drama directors. His production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has enjoyed seasons in Australia, Broadway and London's West End. Among his many classical productions are The Tempest, Julius Caesar, A Comedy of Errors and The Importance of Being Earnest all toured nationally in Australia. Mr Phillips’ opera credits include La Bohème, Falstaff, L’Elisir d’Amore and Lulu for OA; The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni for Opera New Zealand; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Billy Budd for Hamburg State Opera. Renowned for her voice of remarkable beauty, warmth and expression, Australian-Mauritian soprano Stacey Alleaume’s recent roles with OA include Violetta in La Traviata, Michaela in Carmen, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Alexandra in Sydney Opera House – The Opera, and Leila in The Pearlfishers. Ms Alleaume has enjoyed considerable success in vocal competitions, winning the highly-esteemed Waiariki Institute of Technology New Zealand Aria in 2011 and the 2013 Herald Sun Aria. In 2015, Ms Alleaume was a vocal fellow and recipient of the Irene Cummings and Theodore Hostetler Full Scholarship at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, under the direction of legendary mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne. American tenor Juan José de León is hailed for his "big voice and versatility” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). He has performed predominantly in America, including Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera and Dallas Opera. In Europe and the Middle East, he has performed at La Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Palma de Mallorca, Stuttgart Staatstheater and Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv. His previous OA appearance was as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville (2016). Warwick Fyfe is a Helpmann Award-winning singer and is considered one of Australia’s finest baritones. Mr Fyfe has a long association with OA and, more recently, has been expanding his international career working with English Touring Opera, Welsh National Opera, New Zealand Opera and performing in concert in Australia, UK, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam. Recent roles include Alberich (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Paolo (Simon Boccanegra), Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia) and Klingsor (Parsifal) for OA; as well as Alberich (Das Rheingold) in Tokyo and Peter (Hansel and Gretel) in Singapore. He returns to OA in 2018 as Beckmesser (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Sancho Panza (Don Quichotte), Amonasro (Aida) and Geronio (Il Turco in Italia). Italian baritone Paolo Bordogna makes a welcome return to the Sydney stage after huge response to his performances in OA’s The Barber of Seville (2016), The Marriage of Figaro (2015) and the premier season of The Turk in Italy (2014). Mr Bordogna’s expansive baritone range and acting skills have made him one of the world’s best buffo interpreters of today. In 2000 he won the Caruso competition and in 2006 he received the Bastianini Prize. He performs many different roles in his repertoire ranging from Baroque through to contemporary opera, with special attention to Rossini, Donizetti and Bel Canto. Acclaimed Italian composer and conductor Andrea Molino is a firm favourite with singers, orchestra and audiences alike, having most recently conducted OA’s The Nose (2018), King Roger (2017), Carmen (2016), La Bohème (2016) and The Barber of Seville (2016). Maestro Molino is equally at ease in 20th and 21st century music (with numerous world premieres) as he is with traditional operatic and symphonic repertoire. Creatives Performance information Conductor Andrea Molino Evenings at 7.30pm Director Simon Phillips August 10, 15, 23, 25, 28, 30 September 1 Revival Director Andy Morton Saturday Matinees at 12.30pm Set & Costume Designer Gabriela Tylesova August 18 Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper Running time Cast Approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes including Fiorilla Stacey Alleaume one interval. Narciso Juan José de León Sung in Italian with English surtitles. Geronio Warwick Fyfe Selim Paolo Bordogna Bookings Prosdocimo Samuel Dundas Adult tickets from $46 (fees may apply) Zaida Anna Dowsley Group and concession prices available for most performances. Albazar Graeme Macfarlane (10-18, 28-30 Oct, 1 Sep) Albazar Nicholas Jones (23, 25 Oct) Student Rush available for most performances: $50 (fees may apply) Opera Australia Box Office Opera Australia Chorus (02) 9318 8200 Opera Australia Orchestra www.opera.org.au Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House Media enquiries Janet Glover | PR Manager 02 9318 8246 | 0412 601 816 [email protected] .