Thursday – November 15, 2018
My alarm chirped at 5:00 AM this morning and we were showered, dressed, and walking to the Sydney Opera House by 5:45. The sun was rising over Woolloomooloo Bay and cast a warm glow on the CBD buildings.
A single ferry moved in the bay, but otherwise the harbour was deserted. A few days ago we made reservations for an early morning Backstage Tour of the SOH (Aussies shorten everything) so here we were enjoying an early morning stroll around Circular Quay.
We arrived at the Stage Door in plenty of time for the 7:00 tour. Our small group of seven people were given bright green security vests and I.D. badges with our names printed on them to wear during the tour.
The first place we visited was backstage of the Joan Sutherland Theater. Today the venue is primarily used for operas, ballet performances, and contemporary music concerts. It was named for the “dramatic coloratura” Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. We started in the orchestra pit. I stood on the box where Richard Bonynge and other famous conductors directed the pit orchestras. It was a tangle of music stands, chairs, wires, and ropes.
This was the view the musicians see of the Joan Sutherland Theater from the orchestra pit:
We passed Joan Sutherland’s dressing room, currently being used by the Prima Ballerina of the current ballet.
It was ballet season at the SOH and the stage was set for that night’s performance of Spartacus. Nonetheless, here’s a view of the theater from the stage. This was the view seen by Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Robeson, Brigit Nilsson, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, and President Nelson Mandela among other famous people.
This is my photo of “The Green Room” where performers relax, grab a snack, play a game of pool, or chat with each other between acts.
I did a double-take when passing an office. Queen Elizabeth officially opened the SOH in 1973, but she wasn’t there on the day we visited!
We also saw the magnificent Concert Hall where large musical events are held for 2600 people. The Australian Orchestra plays here and contemporary musicians play concerts regularly. Jeff got a chance to conduct:
Jeff stood next to the gigantic case of a Double Bass.
Since it was still early when we finished the Backstage Tour, we hopped on a ferry and rode out to Manly Beach. Manly looked like any beach town: tacky souvenir shops, stores selling surf boards, towels, & bathing suits, also restaurants, cafes, and bars.
The beach was lovely. It was windy and the surf was up!
We had fun watching the surfers. They seemed to glide on the water. The wind picked up and more surfers appeared.
Eventually, we walked back to the ferry dock. The city of Manly put up their Christmas tree although it’s only the middle of November.
Manly is a suburb of Sydney and a 30 minute ferry ride away from the city. What fun it must be for surfers and other young athletes to live and work here.
