A Brief History...
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In 1992, a handful of dedicated people with a passion for Opera worked together to present an Opera Gala Event ‘par excellence’ in the exotically beautiful & remote North-West town of Broome in Western Australia. 1993 saw Michele Nott’s ‘dream’ come to fruition with Opera being presented for the very first time above the 26th Parallel in Western Australia. The event, starring Mary-Attracta Connolly (Soprano) & Fergus Anderson (Baritone), was to be the first of many successes.
Since its inception many stars of national & international Opera have performed at OPERA UNDER THE STARS® including Aivale Cole, Joshua Bloom, Phoebe Briggs, Janice Chapman, Ding Yi, Aldo Di Toro, Rachelle Durkin, Shannon Foley, Roxane Hislop, Judit Lorincz, Leanne Kenneally, Simon Kenway, Michael Lewis, Emma Matthews, Kathryn McCusker, David McSkimming, Andrew Schroeder, Dimity Shepherd, Tiffany Speight, Katherine Tier, Katja Webb, Angus Wood, John Bolton Wood & David Wickham. Local Broome musicians including Guy Ghouse, Mick Manolis and Steve Pigram have also featured on the OPERA UNDER THE STARS® stage.
Renowned for its artistic excellence, intimate feel and superb location this unique must experience event is now celebrated as the highlight of the Kimberley Cultural Events Calendar.
Audiences over the years have enjoyed programmes that have included an eclectic mix of some of Opera’s most loved favourites, as well as other less performed pieces which have provided heady delights for opera lovers and first time opera goers alike.
Highlights include the Special Guest performance by Janice Chapman in 1994; performances of local songs by Broome artists Steve Pigram and Mick Manolis with baritone Fergus Anderson in 1995; excerpts from Carmen in 1996 with Jolanta Nagajek , Mary-Attracta Connolly (Soprano & Director of OPERA UNDER THE STARS®), Yu Jixing & Kerry Henderson; Highlights from La Bohème in 1998 featuring Kathryn McCusker & Adrian McEniery; The Three Chinese Tenors in 1999 with Special Guest Artist, Mary-Attracta Connolly; the Australian debut of American baritone Andrew Schroeder with Tiffany Speight & Daniella Erhlich in 2000; the exuberant performances of Natalie Jones, Lisa Russell and Dimity Shepherd with Simon Kenway in 2001; the terrific 2003 trio of Kirsti Harms, Ding Yi & Joshua Bloom together with Phoebe Briggs; the sublime quartet of Leanne Kenneally, Catherine Carby, Angus Wood & Shannon Foley with Stephen Mould in 2004; the highly entertaining ensemble of Rachelle Durkin, Mary-Attracta Connolly, Dimity Shepherd, Aldo Di Toro and Tommaso Pollio in 2005 and, in 2006, the outstanding performances of Emma Matthews, Roxane Hislop, Aldo Di Toro, John Bolton Wood and Phoebe Briggs.
In 2002 OPERA UNDER THE STARS® celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a spectacular Gala Performance starring Jennifer Barnes, Jacqueline Moran (Dark), Stuart Skelton, Douglas McNicol and Francis Greep, together with Special Guest Artists Janice Chapman and Mary-Attracta Connolly. A scintillating programme of music featuring highlights from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, with a plot change to incorporate Broome’s Japanese heritage, ensured sheer, magical delight and a celebration to relish & remember.
OPERA UNDER THE STARS® was presented at the Mangrove Resort Hotel from 1993 - 2006.
In 2007 OPERA UNDER THE STARS® entered an exciting new epoch with its inaugural presentation at the stunning Cable Beach Amphitheatre, situated adjacent to the sparkling waters of Broome’s picturesque Cable Beach. Famous for its fiery sunsets, the Cable Beach skyline provided a breath-taking backdrop to OPERA UNDER THE STARS® 2007. The proximity to Cable Beach also added a special ‘saltwater’ sense of place to the 15th Annual Award Winning OPERA UNDER THE STARS® Gala. Audience members from around Australia revelled in a thrilling night of Opera entertainment performed with wondrous panache by Sarah Crane, Louise Callinan, James Egglestone, Shaun Brown and David McSkimming.
In 2008 OPERA UNDER THE STARS® made a spectacular return to the Cable Beach Amphitheatre with its presentation of a fireworks night of entertainment featuring international artists Aivale Cole, Judit Lorincz, Bradley Daley, Douglas McNicol and Francis Greep. And, in 2009, OPERA UNDER THE STARS® was thrilled to present the Broome debut of acclaimed Australian baritone, Michael Lewis, together with Aivale Cole, Katja Webb, Katherine Tier and David Wickham in a breathtaking programme of music that especially featured music by the great Italian master, Verdi.
With the goal of enhancing its already strong community focus, in 2004 OPERA UNDER THE STARS® initiated the annual ‘Oper-Arte’ Art Exhibition and Auction ~ the Art Exhibition with a difference that makes a difference ~ that sees total proceeds from the ‘Oper-Arte’ Auction being used each year to provide increased access to musical instruments / materials for the children of Broome and the West Kimberley via donations to the 10 schools of Broome and the West Kimberley region.
‘Oper-Arte’ 2009 featured outstanding Broome Visual Artist, Claire Beausein, whose exhibition was officially opened on Thursday 27th August at ARTspace7. The Claire Beausein original for the ‘Oper-Arte’ 2009 Auction, ‘Soulstice’, kindly donated by the Artist, received a wonderful final bid of $2,000.00 which enabled OPERA UNDER THE STARS® to provide a $200.00 Troppo Sound Music Shop Gift Voucher to each of the 6 schools of Broome plus the 3 schools of the Dampier Peninsula and La Grange Remote Community School at Bidyadanga. Since the inception of the ‘Oper-Arte’ Art Exhibition & Auction musical instruments / materials donated to the schools have totalled just over $35,000.00 in value.
‘Oper-Arte’ is unique in that it is an art exhibition with a difference that makes a difference as, not only does it provide a special opportunity for the intermingling of the worlds of Opera and Visual Art but, ‘Oper-Arte’ is also making a singular difference in nurturing the musical talents of the children of the West Kimberley, the musicians of the future. We are thrilled to announce that ‘Oper-Arte’ 2010 will feature prominent Australian Outback Artist, Judy Prosser – www.judyprosser.com.au
Since its beginnings OPERA UNDER THE STARS® has enjoyed a strong connection with the wonderful music of Broome and especially the music of Broome composer Jimmy Chi of Bran Nue Dae and Corrugation Road fame. The much loved song Child of Glory, from the hit musical Bran Nue Dae, has been performed at every OPERA UNDER THE STARS® since 1993 and has been adopted and performed with zeal as the OPERA UNDER THE STARS® theme song in tribute to the song’s composer, Jimmy Chi.
OPERA UNDER THE STARS® has been endorsed as an Event of Excellence by Tourism Council Australia via the Western Australian Tourism Awards having been announced as the 1999 Winner and 2000 Finalist in the Significant Regional Festivals & Special Events category, as well as being a 1999 Finalist in the Australian Tourism Awards.
OPERA UNDER THE STARS® has always had a special ’personal’ charm and the spirit of the event is contributed to immeasurably by friends and family both local, and those who travel from all parts of Australia, who add their energetic enthusiasm and support to the event on an annual basis.
One of the most important aims of OPERA UNDER THE STARS® is to present an event that is accessible to everyone. This most important of aims could not have been successfully achieved without the invaluable support of committed Sponsors whose assistance is essential to the presentation of OPERA UNDER THE STARS® on an annual basis. We would therefore like to acknowledge our 2010 Sponsors: Premier Sponsor - West Kimberley Fuels; Principal Sponsor - Broome International Airport Group; Major Sponsors - Qantas, Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa and Horizon Power.
OPERA UNDER THE STARS®:
Director: Mary-Attracta Connolly
Technical Director: Michael G. Connolly
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