Adelaide opera spectacular draws international crowds

By JIM EAGLES

Do you suppose composer Richard Wagner was a motor racing fan? Probably not. But nevertheless, formula one motor racing provided the inspiration for his four-part opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung, to be performed in Adelaide later this year.

You don't see any possible connection?

Well, grand prix motor racing and Wagnerian operas both involve big money, plenty of noise, elite performances, stunning spectacles, leading-edge technology, lots of thrills and huge risks.

More to the point, perhaps, they both have the potential to raise South Australia's profile and attract lots of big-spending tourists.

Plenty of New Zealanders go to Australia for our nearest formula one grand prix, and at least 300 have already booked for what will be our nearest performance of the Ring cycle.

Even Prime Minister Helen Clark is trying to fit a visit into her schedule.

South Australia knows all about using big occasions like these to attract tourists.

Its number plates refer to it as "the festival state" and it puts on an amazing array of events as part of a plan to overcome its relative obscurity compared with, say, Sydney or the Gold Coast.

These include the magnificent Adelaide Festival of Arts, WOMADelaide, the Biennial of Australian Art, the Cabaret Festival, Taste the Barossa, Royal Adelaide Show and Tasting Australia.

They've got wonderful facilities - especially the Festival Theatre and the Old Town Hall - and even when there isn't a major event underway there's always great music, theatre and art on offer.

The idea of adding The Ring to the list of events arose 10 years ago when the Australian Grand Prix moved from Adelaide to Melbourne.

As Stephen Phillips, general director of South Australia's State Opera, puts it, "The formula one grand prix got snitched by Victoria" - his tone makes it clear that even a culture vulture like him was miffed - "and the Government sought alternative events and didn't rule out artistic events."

Since The Ring is the grand prix of opera it was natural for State Opera to put that forward as a potential alternative to the motor race.

"It was an easy choice. There is only one opera event that ... people will migrate around the world to see."

There was an initial foray in 1998 when a production of The Ring was brought from Paris to the Adelaide Festival Theatre. When that proved a success, the state government agreed to underwrite a brand new, uniquely Australian, version of The Ring to be performed in six years time.

But those who made that decision almost certainly did not realise what a mammoth task was being undertaken.

They didn't know, for instance, that State Opera - which has a permanent staff of just four - would be taking on a challenge which has proved too tough for most of the world's major opera companies.

Phillips says he recently discovered that the Adelaide Ring will be "just the fourth time, since The Ring was first performed in 1876, that a company has presented an entirely new production of the full cycle in its entirety in one go.

"So for us to pull it off - and we will now - is pretty extraordinary really".

The decisionmakers certainly didn't know what it would cost.

The initial budget was just over $10 million, but by the time first opera, The Rhinegold, opens on November 16, more than $15 million will have been spent.

And they cannot have imagined the amazing stage effects which would be created to make this a truly unique production.

Phillips isn't giving away all the secrets in advance, but I did see enough during a visit to Adelaide last week to be convinced that it will be an extraordinary spectacle.

For The Rhinegold, for instance, a real waterfall - built by the local water treatment company - will cascade down the full width of the stage, with the water collected in a trough and pumped 27m back up to the top of the theatre. A video of a dress rehearsal last year with the waterfall in full flow looks absolutely incredible.

For the second opera, The Valkyrie, a special gas supply had to be piped into the theatre to create a ferocious ring of fire within which Brunnhilde is cast into a magic sleep for defying the gods and preserving fragments of a magic sword for use by the soon-to-be born hero Siegfried.

The third opera, Siegfried, features an amazing dragon, which Siegfried must conquer in order to claim the ring made out of the gold.

Phillips has a small working model of the dragon's claw which looks terrifying enough and the full-sized version is so big it takes seven stagehands to operate.

No one was willing to reveal what will happen in the fourth opera, The Twilight of the Gods, when the Rhine overflows, the funeral hall collapses and Valhalla bursts into flames, but it might be a good idea for the Adelaide Fire Brigade to be on standby.

And then, of course, there is the object of it all, Wagner's remarkable music and the singing of a cast of 150 outstanding opera singers, including New Zealanders Zan McKendree-Wright, Christopher Doig, Richard Green, Richard Greager and Joanna Cole.

That combination of attractions means the Ring has already done its job of helping put South Australia on the map, with about 1000 tickets sold overseas and another 3000 to other parts of Australia, and that's with almost no advertising.

"But for now," says Phillips, "I think everyone's waiting to see how it turns out.

"It's going to be nerve-wracking few months before the curtain finally goes up.

"But I don't think anyone will be disappointed."

Maybe it will even be good enough for Wagner's ghost to develop a soft spot for motor racing.



When is it on?

There will be three performances of the cycle of four operas: November 16-22, November 26-December 2 and December 6-12.

What do tickets cost?

At this stage they are not selling tickets to single performances and tickets for a full cycle range from A$600 to A$1500.

Can you buy tickets?

The operas are nearly booked out, but tickets can still be bought through Bass Australia, GPO Box 1269, Adelaide.

What if I don't like Wagner?

Go for the experience. Or you can get details of South Australia's other events from Heart of the Arts or contact the South Australia Tourism Commission on (09) 914 9848.

What else is happening?

There will be lectures before each performance, recitals by some of the individual artists, exhibitions of Wagner memorabilia, displays of paintings, sculpture and jewellery inspired by the operas, and even a session by the Australian Psychoanalytical Society on "Engaging with the Ring".

* Jim Eagles travelled to South Australia as guest of the South Australia Tourism Commission.