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Repairs needed for Sydney Opera House
Brian Robins and Joyce Morgan
December 8, 2009
TWENTY minutes into opening night of Janacek's The Makropulos Secret, the stage and orchestra pit plunged into darkness. Technical problems have also forced a restart for a scene in Handel's Rinaldo, and there was a lift malfunction which threatened a performance of Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges.
Ageing stage equipment in the Sydney Opera House's opera theatre means opera and ballet patrons may find such mishaps are increasingly common.
The opera theatre is faced with a six- to 12-month shutdown to replace ageing stage machinery, with the NSW Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, warning yesterday that work to ''mitigate'' mechanical failure will be a short-term solution.
Talks between the Opera House and the state and federal governments over a revamp of the opera theatre and other structural work have been stalled for several years due to the high cost.
''Of primary importance,'' Mr Achterstraat warned in the report, ''is stage machinery … approaching the end of its useful life.
''Management has advised that the problems with the stage machinery are now critical and the theatre will have to close for six to 12 months at some negotiated point.''
At issue for the opera theatre is the cramped stage and orchestra pit, with plans in hand to lower the pit to gain more space.
Earlier this year, soon after the State Government indicated it had reached agreement with the Federal Government on the funding, the Prime Minister said the project was not a priority. The State Government will not proceed alone, given its cost.
The overhaul of the opera theatre was first raised in the late 1990s, with the costs for design and construction estimated at $900 million.
As well, the opera and ballet companies would need funds to assist with relocation for the three to four years it is estimated it will take to complete the overhaul once construction started.
Richard Evans, chief executive of the Opera House, said it had not determined how much ''short-term fixes'' would cost, but it was envisaged the equipment overhaul would occur when the building's major overhaul got under way.
When that was approved, three years of detailed design work and excavation would be needed before construction started, with a further 3½ years to completion.
This sucks, Beavis.
One would hope the Aussie gubmint would realize one does NOT allow a cultural treasure such as this place to fall apart and NOT do anything.
This sucks, Beavis.
One would hope the Aussie gubmint would realize one does NOT allow a cultural treasure such as this place to fall apart and NOT do anything.
Sheez.