Opera sings a new tune: Home-grown companies are re-inventing the art form

L'Arietta Singapore had "zombie" ushers greet theatregoers at its 2016 production Operacalypse Now (above), and its family-friendly staging of Alice In Wonderland (right) last year boasted a bouncy castle and attracted 80 per cent attendance over fiv
L'Arietta Singapore had "zombie" ushers greet theatregoers at its 2016 production Operacalypse Now, and its family-friendly staging of Alice In Wonderland (above) last year boasted a bouncy castle and attracted 80 per cent attendance over five shows. PHOTO: L'ARIETTA SINGAPORE
L'Arietta Singapore had "zombie" ushers greet theatregoers at its 2016 production Operacalypse Now (above), and its family-friendly staging of Alice In Wonderland (right) last year boasted a bouncy castle and attracted 80 per cent attendance over fiv
L'Arietta Singapore had "zombie" ushers greet theatregoers at its 2016 production Operacalypse Now (above), and its family-friendly staging of Alice In Wonderland last year boasted a bouncy castle and attracted 80 per cent attendance over five shows. PHOTO: L'ARIETTA SINGAPORE
Spot Pocket Opera Theatre's Le 66 (above), staged last year; The Opera People's Dwarf - Alexander Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg at the Esplanade in July; and New Opera Singapore's A Midsummer Night's Dream last month.
Spot Pocket Opera Theatre's Le 66 (above), staged last year; The Opera People's Dwarf - Alexander Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg at the Esplanade in July; and New Opera Singapore's A Midsummer Night's Dream last month.PHOTO: SPOT POCKET OPERA THEATRE
Spot Pocket Opera Theatre's Le 66, staged last year; The Opera People's Dwarf - Alexander Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg (above) at the Esplanade in July; and New Opera Singapore's A Midsummer Night's Dream last month.
Spot Pocket Opera Theatre's Le 66, staged last year; The Opera People's Dwarf - Alexander Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg (above) at the Esplanade in July; and New Opera Singapore's A Midsummer Night's Dream last month.PHOTO: THE OPERA PEOPLE
L'Arietta Singapore had "zombie" ushers greet theatregoers at its 2016 production Operacalypse Now (above), and its family-friendly staging of Alice In Wonderland (right) last year boasted a bouncy castle and attracted 80 per cent attendance over fiv
Spot Pocket Opera Theatre's Le 66, staged last year; The Opera People's Dwarf - Alexander Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg at the Esplanade in July; and New Opera Singapore's A Midsummer Night's Dream (above) last month. PHOTO: NEW OPERA SINGAPORE

Home-grown companies are re-inventing the art form and making it relevant for audiences while staying financially viable

Published: 
Sep 26, 2019, 5:00 am SGT
Senior Culture Correspondent
sorfern@sph.com.sg

Zombie ushers at the door, an open bar and audiences dressed in their Halloween best.

It sounds like your average seasonal club party, but this is actually the scene of an opera production. L'Arietta Singapore's Operacalypse Now cannibalised the music from three operas for its own madcap scenario of a world on the eve of an apocalypse for this 2016 production staged at Aliwal Arts Centre.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 26, 2019, with the headline 'Opera sings a new tune'. Print Edition | Subscribe
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