Opera Everywhere: ABC and OA bring opera to the small screen

 It has been announced that Opera Australia and ABC TV are joining forces to benefit all lovers of opera.

 It has been announced that Opera Australia and ABC TV are joining forces to benefit all lovers of opera. The new partnership between Australia’s national opera company and our national broadcasting corporation has been forged to make opera more accessible to the Australian public. Over the next three years, 15 of the most recent and popular operas will be broadcast on ABC1 and ABC2, beginning with The Marriage of Figaro and The Mikado in November 2011.  “Opera Australia and ABC TV have worked very hard to make sure that all Australians have the opportunity to enjoy the work of one of the premier performing arts organisations in Australia”, said Kim Dalton ABC Director of Television. Adrian Collette AM, chief executive of Opera Australia shaw expressed gratitude towards the ABC and their ongoing support of the Arts.  “I want to thank the ABC for working with us to ensure that Opera Australia’s performances will be accessible to all Australians, wherever they might live. Now we can all experience the work of the finest Australian and international operatic artists. I congratulate the ABC on their confident commitment to artistic programming.”
Each of the 15 operas will be shown on both ABC1 and ABC2. AussieTheatre.com is pleased to announce the first three broadcast times for ABC1. ABC1 screening dates: Marriage of Figaro               Sunday 13 November @ 2.00pm Der Rosenkavalier                Sunday 20 November @ 2.00pm The Mikado                        Sunday 27 November @ 2.00pm  Other broadcasts will include La Bohème and Lakmé with many more to follow.
Neil Armfield’s exciting The Marriage of Figaro (with its stellar cast including Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Taryn Fiebig, Peter Coleman-Wright and Rachelle Durkin)Der Rosenkavalier (starring Cheryl Barker)Gilbert and Sullivan’s ever popular The Mikado (with Mitchell Butel and Jacqueline Dark, pictured above) 
Photo by: Jeff Busby