Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour Tickets
About Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour
The critically acclaimed and wildly popular Madama Butterfly returns to the Handa on Sydney Harbour stage.
Under the stars, with fireworks every night as well as pop-up bars and eateries, this is “the most impressive outdoor event in Australia…You don’t need to understand opera to understand what makes the occasion great.” (Concrete Playground).
Take your seats overlooking ‘Paradise’ – complete with a bamboo grove, a giant moon, and a rising sun floating in the harbour. The picture-perfect backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge twinkles with thousands of city lights as night falls.
For innocent Cio-Cio-San, love flutters on wings of desire. For brash Pinkerton, a flight of fancy is irresistible. On their wedding night, passions ignite. Puccini’s intimate ode to unrequited love has always been shocking. East meets West, devotion meets disregard, expectation meets disappointment. In the clash, Cio-Cio-San’s dreams are shatters.
Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour is a “five star world-beating triumph, surely one of the most spectacular outdoor operas ever staged anywhere” - Time Out.
Join us for Sydney’s best night out.
Run time
2hrs 45min (inc interval)
Start date
March 24th, 2023
End date
April 23rd, 2023
Categories
Age
Recommended Age: 12yrs+. Please note this is an outdoor event. We recommend that you dress with this in mind and bring warm, weatherproof clothing.
Venue
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour - Fleet Steps
Accessibility
Sections A-E, in the first 5 rows are best seats for persons with limited mobility, who are not wheelchair users. Please note upon entry, you will walk downhill and up a few stairs to seats. Upon exit, the path is uphill.
Directions
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is located at Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney. Please refer to the Venue Map for more details.
Mrs Macquaries Road, leading into the venue, is likely to experience traffic congestion. We highly recommend avoiding this road by catching public transport or parking in surrounding car parks and then catching the free shuttle bus. Or, be delivered right to the Point in style by catching a water taxi.
Please note when walking from the train, bus, or ferry remember that access to the venue via the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is only possible prior to 6:30pm in March and 6pm in April. After this time, the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is closed from all entrances and not possible to walk through.
GETTING TO THE VENUE
BY TRAIN: The nearest train stations are: St James: approximately a 16-minute walk (1.3 km)
Martin Place: approximately an 18-minute walk (1.5 km)
Circular Quay: approximately a 29-minute walk (2.3 km)
BY BUS: Bus route 200 stops on Macquarie Street.
BY WATER TAXI: Water taxis run a special service during the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour performance season. Water taxis will depart regularly from Man O’War Jetty (near the Sydney Opera House) from 5pm until 7.30pm and drop off at The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, which is a 3-minute walk to the venue. Please note there is a number of stairs leading up from the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool wharf to the performance venue.
BY CAR: The Domain Car Park is the closest car park and is open 24 hours. A free shuttle bus is available to guests who park in the Domain Car Park. Parking spots for those with mobility parking scheme permits are located at the northern end of the ground floor.
There is also metered parking along Mrs Macquaries Road, Hospital Road and Macquarie Street. Meters accept credit card or payment by mobile phone.
Art Gallery Road, leading into the venue, is likely to experience traffic congestion. We highly recommend arranging an alternative drop off/meeting point.
More information about Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour
“simply outstanding” – The Daily Telegraph
★★★★1/2 “A compelling night of opera in a dazzling setting.” – Limelight
★★★★1/2 “the most meaningful and compelling of all Opera Australia’s Handa Opera Sydney Harbour creations.” – Sydney Morning Herald
CREATIVE TEAM:
Conductor: Brian Castles-Onion
Director: Alex Ollé
Revival Director: Susan Gómez
Set Designer: Alfons Flores
Costume Designer: Lluc Castells
Sound Designer: Tony David Cray
CAST:
Cio-Cio-San: Karah Son, Eva Kong
Suzuki: Sian Sharp, Agnes Sarkis
Pinkerton: Diego Torre
Sharpless: Michael Honeyman, Luke Gabbedy
Goro: Virgilo Marino, Iian Henderson
Opera Australia Chorus
Opera Australia Orchestra
What to Watch For
The composer: Giacomo Puccini, Italian, 20th Century, also famous for La Bohème, Tosca and Turandot.
The music: There are numerous Japanese influences in this opera, with the inclusion of both bells and tam-tams often seen in Japanese songs and arrangements.
The big hit: The heartbreaking 'Un bel di vedremo' (One Beautiful Day) is the aria that every soprano dreams of singing.
The setting: Nagasaki, Japan
The history: The opera gathers together Balasco’s play (based on John Luther Long’s short story) and material from Pierre Loti’s novel Madama Chrysanthème to create the full, three-act tale of Cio-Cio-San’s betrayal.
A quirky fact to impress your date: Puccini rewrote it five times — and the fifth and final is the one usually performed around the world.
Tickets
Unfortunately, tickets for this event are no longer available.
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