Likely to Sell-out! Sydney Opera House and Opera Australia Dinner Package regularly sells out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Opera Australia is the union of Australia's two major opera companies - The Australian Opera and the Victoria State Opera. The companies merged in early 1997, creating the third busiest opera company in the world and building on the traditions of excellence and innovative excitement. In 2007 Opera Australia presents five new productions including two Australian premieres plus eight revivals and three concerts at the Sydney Opera House, featuring music ranging from Handel to the present day.

You will begin the evening with a guided tour of Australia's most famous icon, the Sydney Opera House, followed by a three course pre-theatre dinner in either Guillaume at Bennelong or Aria Restaurants. A performance by Opera Australia will complete your Red Carpet experience. You will receive an exclusive Sydney Opera House gift to take away as a souvenir.

Choose from the following seating and dining options:

• Monday to Friday: A, B or C Reserve (RSV) tickets with dinner at either Aria or Guillaume (Guil)
• Saturday: A, B or C Reserve (RSV) tickets with dinner at either Aria or Guillaume (Guil)

Schedule Details

Departure Dates:

Please refer to 2008 Opera Australia season listed below in the itinerary section.

Departure Point:

Meet at Sydney Opera House Information Desk located on the Box Office level.

Departure Time:

Tour commences at 5:00pm. Opera commences between 7:00pm to 7:30pm.

Itinerary:

Tickets to the 2008 performances are not yet available online. Please check back on 1 December 2007 when tickets go on sale. Suggestion: Bookmark this page.

LA BOHEME:

• Jan 4, 8, 11, 16, 19, 23, 25 and 30
• Feb 4, 6, 9, 14, 16 and 21
• Mar 5, 14 and 20

She is an impoverished seamstress. He is a poet. They live in downtown Paris with their artist friends, existing on little more than laughter and camaraderie, good fortune and love. It is a beautiful life, but not an easy one. It is Puccini's unforgettable La bohème.

CINDERELLA:

• Jan 12, 15, 18, 22 and 31
• Feb 5 and 8

Take an enchanting but downtrodden heroine, a handsome lover, a quick-thinking sidekick and a wise old professor. Add two deliciously dreadful sisters and their frightful father and you have a recipe for fun. Watch carefully, here are twists and tricks aplenty, but rest assured this gorgeous production, with sets and costumes fit for a fairytale, is heading for a happy ending.

CARMEN:

• Jan 24, 26 and 29
• Feb 1, 7, 13, 19, 22 and 28
• Mar 1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 15, 17, 26 and 28

Who is that woman? The way she moves, those eyes, that voice, Is Carmen the ultimate femme fatale? Carmen's steamy 'Habanera' is charged with raw passion and the fiery choruses will fill every inch of the theatre. Don José is not the first man to fall for Carmen's seductive wiles, and nor will he be the last. But the mysterious gypsy leads this innocent soldier from his duty into a world of bullfighting, smuggling and wild dancing, where the turn of a card will decide his fate, and hers.

A MASKED BALL:

• Feb 20, 23, 26 and 29
• Mar 10, 13, 19 and 29

Deception and disguise rule at the Swedish court of King Gustav III. While the benevolent ruler plans a grand masquerade for the pleasure of his subjects, a band of conspirators are plotting his end. The traitors, however, will only succeed if they can enlist an ally close to the king. Enter fate. In the end the only true conspirator in Verdi's vividly crafted tale is love. For, in spite of the external machinations of a kingdom in turmoil, the real drama plays out internally, through Verdi's evocative orchestral writing, his lush melodies and one of opera's greatest love duets ever.

ARABELLA:

• Mar 7, 11, 18, 25

Arabella is, on one level, a simple tale of the search for Mr Right. The Waldner family is in poor shape: the Count has squandered his fortune and they cannot afford a dowry for both daughters. All their hopes rest on Arabella marrying Mandryka, a wealthy merchant. Meanwhile Arabella's sister Zdenka has not given up hope of finding her own Mr Right, but she may have to risk her sister's happiness to do so.

MY FAIR LADY:

• June 21, 25 and 28
• July 2, 4, 9, 15, 19, 24, 26
• Aug 1 and 4

For Henry Higgins, professor of linguistics and confirmed misogynist, transforming a street urchin into a lady is a trivial task, done to honour a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering. Until, of course, he meets the proud little cockney, Eliza Doolittle, and finds that his raw material might not be so easy to mould.

DON GIOVANNI 2008:

• July 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 25 and 31
• Aug 7, 9, 15, 21, 26 and 29
• Sep 3, 5 and 10

The Don is making a swift exit from his latest lover when her enraged father stops him. A duel, a fatal blow and what might have been a mere stumbling block on the road to the next conquest becomes the catalyst for Don Giovanni's final, blazing fate.

OTELLO:

• July 18, 23 and 29
• Aug 2, 8 and 13

The Moorish general, Otello, enters Venice in triumph after his defeat of the Turks, but his real enemy lies closer to home. Iago, Otello's ensign, is an embittered man who covets Otello's absolute power. He sets out to play the general, his wife Desdemona and their closest allies in a deadly game of sex and politics.

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:

• July 30
• Aug 5, 12, 16, 19, 22 and 27

Donizetti's gothic tale of Highland skulduggery is the very stuff of opera. A Scottish nobleman plots to marry off his sister Lucia to a man of influence. Lucia, on the other hand, longs to marry Edgardo, the exiled Laird of Ravenswood. Contracts are signed and vows are exchanged but the wedding does not go according to plan.

ORLANDO:

• Aug 18, 20, 23, 28 and 30
• Sept 2 and 11

Love or war? It is no easy choice for a warrior prince. But in spite of Zoroastro's warnings to beware the trials of love, the brave Orlando is struck down by an unrequited passion for Angelica. You can almost hear a beautiful mind falling apart as Handel pushes his instinctive sense of drama and his delicate lyricism to the extreme. Orlando, the Renaissance hero, becomes mad, bad and positively dangerous to know.

THE PEARLFISHERS:

• Sept 4, 6, 9, 13, 17, 20, 23 and 25
• Oct 3, 9 and 11

Zurga is leader of the Pearlfishers and Nadir is his young protégé. One day, as they gaze upon Léïla, the pearlfishers' virgin talisman, they vow never to let love come in the way of their friendship. But this is opera at its most romantic, so in spite of their vow, Nadir and Léïla fall foolishly, dangerously and inevitably in love.

BILLY BUDD:

• Sep 24, 27 and 30

Good and evil. Black and white. Life and death. Stark choices lie at the heart of Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd. On one side is the goodness of Foretopman Billy, press-ganged into service on the Indomitable. On the other is the evil of Claggart, Master at Arms, whose sadistic pursuit of Billy is devoid of reason or justice. At the centre lies 'Starry' Captain Vere, a wellrespected and well-meaning servant of the British Navy. It is he who adjudicates between right and wrong. If only it were that straightforward.

THE MAKROPULOUS SECRET:

• Oct 7, 15, 18, 21 and 24

The beguiling heroine of Janácek's penultimate opera is a vivid portrait of Kamila Stösslova, the woman he was obsessed with for ten long years. Clever, manipulative, coquettish and, ultimately, tragic, this mysterious woman has drifted through so many people's lives, leaving a trail of broken hearts and unanswered questions. Meanwhile, her quest for a three-hundred-year-old prize grows ever more urgent. Who is she, and what is her secret?

Additional Information

Inclusions:

• A personal "meet and greet" by Sydney Opera House Representative
• Guided Tour
• Dinner is pre-theatre at either Guillaume at Bennelong or Aria or post-theatre at Aria only (this includes a three-course meal with 2 glasses of premium Australian wine or beer)
• One of the best available seats in the House to a world-class Opera performance
• An interval drink (including a choice of spirits and cocktails) at one of the theater bars
• Australia's Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Exclusions:

• Items of a personal nature

Additional Info:

• This package must be booked at least 48 hours in advance of your travel date
• Confirmation for this tour will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
• If selecting a Saturday performance in 'departure dates' please ensure you select the correct Saturday 'option'

Guillaume at Bennelong Pre-theatre Sample Dinner Menu:
Situated in the southern sail of the Sydney Opera House, diners sit beneath Joern Utzon's vaulted concrete "ribs". Both the restaurant and the bar offer spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, the Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Circular Quay and the city. Guillaume's superbly crafted dishes and the establishment's commitment to providing world class service, combines to offer a truly exceptional dining experience.

Entree:

• Freshly shucked pacific oysters with shallot vinegar
• Sealed Queensland scallops on a confit of leek with Avruga caviar
• Basil infused tuna with mustard seed and soy vinaigrette
• West Australian crab meat on a bed of avocado with cucumber, coriander and capsicum coulis
• In-house smoked salmon roulade with baby mache and toasted brioche
• Terrine of wagyu beef with sauce gribiche and toasted sourdough
• Veloute of Jerusalem artichoke
• Salad of baby beetroot with asparagus, mixed herbs and Kervella goat's cheese

Main:

• Sealed grainfed beef tenderloin with tombe of field mushrooms, spinach and confit of shallot with merlot sauce
• Braised veal shanks on Paris mash with lentils and winter vegetables
• Roasted Barramundi with oyster mushrooms, cucumber and carrot pearls in a light ginger emulsion
• Mooloolaba prawns with chermoula, roasted eggplant, capsicum and couscous
• Potato gnocchi with baby leeks, fennel, broad beans, beurre noisette and Reggiano parmesan

Dessert:

• Trio of Sorbet
• Fine apple tart with cinnamon ice cream
• Nougat glace with almond and strawberry coulis
• Pear and honey creme brulee with lemon shortbread
• Selection of cheese

ARIA Pre-theatre Sample Dinner Menu:
Located on the doorstep of Sydney Opera House, ARIA combines the finest of food and wine, knowledgeable and friendly service with spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay and of course the Opera House, making ARIA one of Sydney's ultimate dining restaurants.
The ARIA bar boasts an impressive private cellar providing the opportunity to sample some of Australia's rarest and the world's finest wines, with an elegant space for a relaxing drink before dining.

Entree:

• Freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters. Half dozen, with chardonnay vinaigrette and trout pearls
• Caramelized onion tart with jannei goats cheese and baby leeks
• Bug meat boudin blanc served with fine pasta, salmon roe and lime
• Ocean trout and Salmon terrine with a dill dressing and grilled sour dough
• Twice cooked Bangalow pork belly with caramelized apple and balsamic

Main:

• Pan fired potato gnocchi with buffalo mozzarella, green vegetables, sage and nut brown butter
• Crisp skin Barramundi with fresh udon noodles and eggplant
• South Australian jewfish with a mushroom and truffle crust, fingerling potatoes and gremolata
• Roast lamb rack with basil, Du Puy lentils and potato mash
• Char-grilled sirloin with red wine butter and Pont Neuf potatoes

Dessert:

• Mandarin Jelly with fresh raspberries and tea sorbet
• Quince and almond kouing-aman served hot with creme anglaise
• Valrhona chocolate and caramel delice with hazelnut praline and vanilla ice cream
• Ginger crème brulee with confit pineapple and caramel
• Cheese plate. A selection of Australian and international cheeses

Terms and Conditions:

• All bookings cancelled incur 100% cancellation penalties.

Local Operator Information:

Complete Operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, are included on your Confirmation Voucher. Our Product Managers select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination, removing the guesswork for you, and ensuring your peace of mind.

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