There’s nothing like a night at the Opera to ignite passion – the singers, the costumes, the grand concert hall. Switch out that last one for the world’s most dramatic stage, and you have one hell of a show. Sydney Harbour will once again become the jaw-dropping backdrop for Opera Australia’s Handa Opera when the Fleet Steps at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair are transformed into an outdoor concert hall from March 24^th until April 24^th.

This year the month-long session of Turandot is set to ignite all your senses – certainly sight and sound, but also those little taste buds will be bursting into crescendos before the music even starts. Fresh catering are at it again, this time providing the Opera with Chinese-inspired feasting options.

The Platinum Club takes dining with a view to new levels. Image by Keith Saunders

Forget lining up in the Concert Hall, part of the fun with open air Opera is you get to have a pre-theatre dinner under the stars. Settle in at the pop up dining venues along the Northern and Southern Terraces and snack on spicy omelette rolls and soybean frittatas or make a beeline for the dumplings at the Northern Cantina, also serving pork spare ribs and Hong Kong egg custard tarts.

Puccini’s Turandot is as dramatic as the Italian great’s other well-known Operas (Madame Butterfly, La Boheme), set within the decadence and deadliness of China’s Imperial past. Italian tenor Riccardo Massi will be tackling the famous Nessun Dorma aria, and you can certainly expect Opera Australia and Chinese-American director Chen Shi-Zheng to deliver an evening worth dressing up for.

Go all out and book into the Platinum Club for a very special pre-theatre dinner. Paired exclusively with Tyrell’s wine, highlights of the Club’s three course Chinese-inspired a la carte experience include a braised Wagyu beef shortrib, steamed barramundi with lobster fried rice and a delicate Green Tea pavlova. There’s also a lighter buffet option for a quick, quiet meal away from the crowds.

Try out the Platinum Club’s Autumn Awakening Tasting Plate. Image by Fresh Catering

Turandot on Sydney Harbour
March 24^th until April 24^th 2016
Tickets on sale now
Bookings:
official website
or Opera Australia Box Office (02) 9318 8200