THE Melbourne Opera Company\u2019s presentation of Richard Wagner\u2019s epic Ring Cycle had its final few rehearsals last week on stage at Ulumbarra Theatre before the six-week run officially started.<\/p>\n
The company performed Das Reingold and Die Walk\u00fcre last weekend, the first two of the four acts that make up the full Ring Cycle, and Siegfried and G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung will premiere this weekend.<\/p>\n
Producer Greg Hocking said the orchestra, based in Melbourne, travelled to Bendigo two weeks ago for rehearsals.<\/p>\n
He said the Ulumbarra is one of his favourite theatres in Australia due to its unique, high performer-to-audience ratio, and is feeling positive now that it\u2019s about to be fully presented to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, we\u2019re here, we\u2019ve been working on this since 2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The City of Greater Bendigo has been involved in the preparation since 2020, and Hocking said he is grateful for the council\u2019s support.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a hell of a journey, but it wouldn\u2019t have been possible, seriously, without this excellent venue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With an all-Australian cast, aside from the conductor, the production has involved about 300 people over three years and cost $5 million.<\/p>\n
As for the plot, Hocking said it\u2019s so convoluted he\u2019s still working it out himself, though he has no doubt it\u2019s been a major inspiration for modern classics like Lord of the Rings<\/em> and Game of Thrones<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s death, there\u2019s love, there\u2019s power, there\u2019s gold, an average day in Bendigo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cTolkien should be paying royalties to the Wagner estate, as should Game of Thrones<\/em>. This is a very influential piece from the 19th century, that has flowed through, to everyone\u2019s surprise, to pop culture.\u201d<\/p>\n The production has been a boon for the local theatre scene with many cast and crew from Bendigo as possible taking part, including chorus singers and technicians.<\/p>\n Manager at Bendigo Venues and Events, Julie Amos, said it\u2019s a great opportunity for local talent to grow their skills through an international-level production.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ms Amos emphasised the special nature of a regional city like Bendigo hosting the opera.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of Sydney has never put it on,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have an opera house, but we have Ulumbarra.\u201d<\/p>\n She said it\u2019s difficult to get a ticket for the opera in Bayreuth, Wagner\u2019s hometown.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really putting Bendigo next door to Bayreuth, and that\u2019s an incredible thing for a regional city in Victoria, Australia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ms Amos said she\u2019s proud that the city is positioned to offer such a prestigious cultural experience to both domestic and international visitors, and that about five per cent of ticketholders are from overseas.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we do it, all these long days, for people to come and watch the opera and enjoy something that was written 160 years ago,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE Melbourne Opera Company\u2019s presentation of Richard Wagner\u2019s epic Ring Cycle had its final few rehearsals last week on stage at Ulumbarra Theatre before the six-week run officially started. The company performed Das Reingold and Die Walk\u00fcre last weekend, the first two of the four acts that make up the full Ring Cycle, and Siegfried […]<\/p>\n