Entertainment
6 May, 2021
It's Opera, but not as we know it
Opera meets Country, what would appear to be a most unlikely combination is set to light up and entertain audiences in Far North Queensland.
Opera Queensland’s production of Are You Lonesome Tonight combines some of the most iconic operatic arias with country music classics.
Are You Lonesome Tonight weaves a story about life on the road through the arias of composers such as Puccini and Verdi and songs by Slim Dusty and Dolly Parton, to name just a few.
Directed by Laura Hansford, alongside designer Penny Challen, the star-studded cast includes soprano Irena Lysiuk, Marcus Corowa and Jonathan Hickey.
‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ celebrates all that Opera and Country music have in common – artists, composers, and librettists across both artforms understanding the power of storytelling, sharing many common themes of profound love, heartache and triumph in the face of adversity.
Mark Taylor from Opera Queensland sees similarities between Opera and Country.
“There’s an old saying that Country music is loving, fighting, drinking and cussing. There’s not a great deal of cussing in Opera, but the other three really represent opera,” he said.
Are You Lonesome Tonight Director Laura Hansford said the tour was equal parts a celebration of opera and of country tunes, forming a creative and eclectic ensemble of iconic music.
“There is something for everybody, we love that audiences will get a mix of both opera and country music and a bit of something in between,” Ms Hansford said.
“Good music doesn’t belong to a genre, it belongs to the people and the landscapes that we will be embracing wholeheartedly when we perform to audiences across Queensland.”
Come in your jeans and boots or your tuxedos and ballgowns – this is opera that is diverse, accessible and exciting.
The Far North Queensland leg of the tour kicks off at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre next Tuesday night, before moving south to the iconic Innisfail Shire Hall on Wednesday Night.
Thursday night they perform at the TYTO Wetlands in Ingham before moving to Townsville and performing on Friday night at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium, home of the NQ Cowboys.
‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ marks Opera Queensland’s 40th anniversary with the most extensive tour in the company’s history, visiting nearly 30 communities across Queensland.
The tour is proudly supported by Beef Australia.
