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Articles and stories from the Sydney Opera House
School holidays survival guide: Spring edition
Our guide to surviving the school holidays this spring with your sanity, and your kids' imagination, intact.
Art at the House
Restoring the Coburn Tapestries
John Coburn was at the height of his fame when the artist was pitched to architect Peter Hall to design the Sydney Opera House theatre curtains in 1969. Hall had taken over from Danish architect Jørn Utzon and was ushering the building towards completion.
The inside story of Olsen’s celebrated Opera House mural
When I went to see Kenneth Slessor, he was working as a journalist, his poetical self long since disappeared, and he told me a story. It was the story of an artist who drowned in Sydney opposite the place where the Opera House now stands.
A Possum Story
Michael Jagamara was born into and revelled in a time of great change and opportunities. Following the end of World War II, abstract expressionism had arrived in the Australian art world and Sidney Nolan completed his Ned Kelly series. Also in that year, in the north part of Western Australia, in an amazingly unread, event, at least 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walked off the job and began one of the longest industrial strikes in Australian history.
Cinema and Screen
What’s new to Stream?
The latest collection of free concert films, performances, and talks has just dropped on Stream, our platform that brings the magic of our stages to the comfort of your home. Turn your Sunday evening into a concerto, transform your living room into a theatre, or let a captivating talk draw you deeper into some of the world's greatest minds.
5 Sydney Opera House near misses (in the movies)
From killer sea creatures to crashing UFOs, the Sydney Opera House has been threatened in the most imaginative and unexpected ways. Here are just a few of our close calls.
What’s on in the Playhouse Cinema this June
New releases and fan favourites alike will star on our big screen alongside our Sunburnt Screens season- hosted by Aussie cinephile Alexei Toliopoulos - celebrating the last 50 years of Australian film with classics, brand new restorations and special guest appearances.
Classical Music
Adventures in Chamber Music: Your Guide to the Utzon Music 2024
The Utzon Music Series returns in 2024 with an exciting array of chamber music featuring some of Australia’s favourite artists alongside exciting international guests, many of whom are making their Sydney Opera House debut in the House’s most intimate venue.
Under the Sails with the LSO
In our 50-year history, the Sydney Opera House has welcomed thousands of world-class performers to its halls. But no orchestra has as long and rich a shared history with the Opera House as the London Symphony Orchestra.
“Rebirth and resurrection”
Who better to help reopen the heart of the Opera House than William Barton? The celebrated Kalkadunga musician estimates he has played the venue over 300 times. This week, with clapsticks made from wood salvaged from the stage, he'll perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a triumphant return to the Concert Hall.
Contemporary Music
The artists you should be listening to: The Vivid LIVE Official Playlist
This May - June, Vivid LIVE will transform the Sydney Opera House into an electric hub for live contemporary music and art as part of Vivid Sydney. With only two weeks until the festival kicks off, we spoke to Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music, on what it takes to curate a festival lineup, which acts to look out for, and why Vivid LIVE will be an unmissable night out this winter.
What’s sounding good at the Opera House this Feb - Mar 2024
Give your ears a treat this February and March by catching a concert on one of the world's most iconic stages. From post-punk to jazz to zamrock, there's an eclectic mix of genres and artists ready to rock the night away with you. Read on to find your next gig.
The Steve Lacy song for every star sign: a cosmic guide
To celebrate Steve Lacy’s latest album, Gemini Rights and his only Australian headline shows at the Sydney Opera House this Jan – Feb, we thought we’d find the perfect Steve Lacy song for every star sign, not just Geminis.
Comedy, Circus & Magic
The stylish Scotsman who’s reinventing mentalism
Scott Silven isn’t your average magician. He sees magic as storytelling – a metaphor for something greater. Ahead of Wonders, we talk to Silven about the art of magic.
What’s it really like to run away with the circus?
Ever wondered what it's like to run away with the circus? Jascha Boyce and Darcy Grant from contemporary circus production The Mirror share the high-flying details.
Vietnam’s villages bloom into a city in À Ố Làng Phố
Tuan Le's new circus challenges how we see Asia.
Dance
Cheat Sheet: Horizon
Here's your cheat sheet to the stories behind Bangarra's exquisite Horizon. Learn all about the choreographers and their country across the seas from the Torres Strait Islands to Lake Taupō, Aotearoa.
What you need to know about… Romeo and Juliet Suite
In a dazzling new production, the L.A Dance Project is set to make their Australian Debut in Benjamin Millepied’s bold and contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s masterpiece Romeo & Juliet Suite. This multilayered show fuses together cinema, dance and theatre to tell the classic story through a daring new lens.
Stage Direction: Anna Karenina
In this edition of Stage Direction, Stephen A Russell traces the tracks of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy’s tempestuous ode to love, loss and family, ahead of its latest ballet adaptation at the Sydney Opera House.
First Nations
Badu Gili’s Frances Belle Parker
We talk to Frances Belle Parker, one of the five Badu Gili artists, about her work, her motivation and how she’s used the Opera House’s sails as a blank canvas.
Deborah Mailman on Rhoda Roberts’ “remarkable” 16 years at the Sydney Opera House
Few people have had as much influence on what takes place in these hallowed halls as Rhoda Roberts. This month, she finishes her incredible stint at the Opera House. We spoke to actress and Trustee Deborah Mailman about Robert's everlasting impact.
Why NAIDOC matters
We ask some of our Opera House family – performers and artists who take centre stage during this week of celebration – to discuss this year's NAIDOC theme and to unpack why the week matters to them.
Kids & Families
Stage Direction: Grug & Magic Beach
How does a treasured childhood classic become a living, breathing three-dimensional theatre tale? Lenny Ann Low looks at the art of adapting two iconic picture books for the Opera House stage.
School holidays survival guide
Our guide to surviving the school holidays with your sanity, and your kids' imagination, intact.
From stage to story: books for kids
Inspire creative young minds with these children's books whose characters and their authors have appeared on the Opera House stages.
Musical Theatre & Cabaret
Stage Direction: In the Heights
Your step-by-step guide to dancing like you’re in Washington Heights, the setting of Lin Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical In the Heights.
Stage Direction: The Phantom of the Opera
Unmask Phantom, the original ‘mega-musical’, from its humble beginnings in a French newspaper to being part of our cultural DNA over 100 years later.
The viral musical you’ve probably never heard of
When it opened in 2017, ‘SIX the Musical’ enchanted a new generation of musical theatre fans with its contemporary pop homages and progressive take on Tudor history. Now, having just debuted on Broadway, the viral musical has its sights set on a wider audience.
Opera
Brett Whiteley: A life, an opera
A rebel. An icon. Learn about one of Australia's greatest artists.
Love List: Great Opera Hits by Guy Noble
Know your Nessun Dormas from your Habaneras? Find out what makes a ‘great opera hit’ in this special playlist curated by conductor, composer and broadcaster Guy Noble.
Cheat sheet: La Bohème
Everything you need to know about the original bohemian love story
Talks & Ideas
Why your next computer may be a lab-grown brain
We interview Dr Brett Kagan, Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Labs, a Melbourne-based biological computing startup trying to revolutionise the AI industry by replacing current computer chip technology with biological alternatives, offering far more processing power for significantly less energy usage.
The recipes that made her famous: Alison Roman’s internet-breaking meals
From the flavourful Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric to the legendary Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread, Alison Roman’s simple but oh-so-delicious creations have amassed millions of shares, likes, and followers around the world.
Mother tongues and minor feelings
Recipient of the Antidote and Sweatshop Mentorship for Diverse Emerging Writers Joyce Chew on family, language and the “glittering visage of the Australian ‘fair go’”.
Theatre
Stage Direction: Amadeus
In this edition of Stage Direction, Stephen A Russell delves into the irresistible appeal of a feverishly imagined operatic tragedy.
Stage Direction: The Little Prince
In the first of our new series on page-to-stage adaptations, Neha Kale looks at how Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s poignant tale of a young prince lives on in the 21st century.
John Bell in seven acts
To celebrate Bell Shakespeare's 30th anniversary we highlight seven of the best John Bell moments on stage with the Bard.
Uncovered
Uncovered: Leaf Candle Co.
At Leaf Candle Co., we make amazing smelling soy candles using recycled tin cans. We are focused on being eco-friendly and sustainable, using natural or recycled materials where we can.
Uncovered: Mwerre Soap & Skin
Liz Liddle is the founder of Mwerre - Soap and Skin, a First Nations female-owned small business that manufactures artisan soaps based in Creswick, Victoria. Meaning ‘good’ or ‘beautiful’ in Arrernte, a First Nations language group in Central Australia, Mwerre (pronounced Mwah-rah) uses native ingredients to produce handmade soaps with Indigenous clay minerals and botanicals that protect and care for the skin.
Uncovered: SoulSilk
Queensland-based artist Simin Contractor of SoulSilk has been selected for Uncovered’s Clothing and Accessories category. We spoke to Simin about her Sydney Opera House Shop collection which features three hand-painted silk scarves inspired by Australian botanicals.
