In 2018, Giuseppi Verdi’s La Traviata was my very first opera experience. I remember La Traviata being so important in pop-culture with known references in films like Pretty Woman and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, I felt that I needed to see it as my first ever opera.
Verdi is one of the most famous Italian composes of the 19th century. His music is expressive, dramatic and extremely memorable. It is also one of my favourite operas. I confess, I have seen La Traviata thrice now. The 2018 and 2022 Opera Australia productions were the same production wise, just with a different cast. But this year’s La Traviata in Melbourne at the Regent Theatre is next level.
Directed by Sarah Giles, conducted by Giampaolo Bisanti, with set and costume design by Charles Davies, and lighting by Paul Jackson, this production of La Traviata is quite possibly the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
Firstly, let’s address the issues the show has; unfortunately, the Regent Theatre is not built for opera. With Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre, Opera Australia’s usual home in Melbourne, being renovated, it was a novelty experiencing an Opera Australia production in one of our most iconic theatres. However, the venue is mostly known for housing musicals.
For opera, the acoustics left the arias feeling hollow and a lot to be desired. This is through no fault of the production itself, just the venue doesn’t have the right acoustics for opera performances. This is not to say that the opera is not worth seeing at Regent Theatre – it actually is. And if you’re missing Opera Australia’s Melbourne home, well the following season should have them back in their old haunts come next year.
Visually, Opera Australia’s 2026 version of La Traviata (a co-production by Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia and West Australian Opera) is stunning. I was in awe at the way the stage shifted and transformed right before our eyes. The way that silhouettes are used to look like shadow puppets is also extremely clever and the symbolism did not go unnoticed! You could practically capture every moment, pause and frame it. That’s how gorgeous this production is! It wasn’t just gorgeous visuals, it was high fashion and art.
Watching conductor Giampaolo Biasnti conduct Orchestra Victoria was truly mesmerising. The amount of expertise and passion that the conductor displayed was so enthralling, that I often diverted my attention from the stage to watch him and the orchestra look like they moved their instruments in unison, like a dance.
For opera, the roles are shared. Our lovers are played by Stacey Alleaume and Maria Laura Iacobellis as Violétta Valery, and Filipe Manu alternates the role of Alfredo Germont with Oreste Cosimo, depending on the date. I had seen Stacey Alleaume back in 2022 in La Traviata, but she was even better in this production. Her Alfredo was Filipe Manu and the way their voices melded together was phenomenal. I believed in their characters’ chemistry and really felt the forbidden love between a young man and Paris’ popular courtesan that doesn’t know she’s terminally ill.
Choreography wise, the most impressive part would be during Act II, Scene 2 at Flora’s house party, the perspective of the party patrons watching theatre was a crazy yet clever touch, as they were facing us! Musically, Verdi’s aria ‘Sempre Libera’ is still the most beautiful aria I’ve ever heard and despite having seen La Traviata many times before, this beautiful production still reduced me to tears by the end.
La Traviata is the perfect opera for those who have never been to the opera before, and it’s a favourite for opera lovers everywhere. Definitely a must see!
Opera Australia’s La Traviata is currently playing at Regent Theatre in Melbourne until May 16th.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://opera.org.au/productions/la-traviata-melbourne
https://www.instagram.com/operaaustralia
Photograpy by Jeff Busby.
