Opera Australia has announced multi-faceted opera and musical theatre performers Ben Mingay and Katie Stenzel, will host this year’s New Year’s Eve Opera Gala in the spectacular Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.
Leading stage and screen performer Mingay made his OA debut earlier this year as Papageno in The Magic Flute and will return to the Sydney Opera House after leading the casts of Sweeney Todd for Victorian Opera and The Pirates of Penzance at QPAC.
Stenzel is a coloratura soprano who has performed principal roles across Australia and internationally, including with state opera companies and festivals. Katie previously took to the stage with OA in Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s 2013 production of Carmen.
The cast will feature popular tenor Diego Torre, soprano Catherine Bouchier, mezzo soprano Helen Sherman and baritone Samuel Dale Johnson in his debut with the company, joined onstage by the Opera Australia Orchestra conducted by acclaimed maestro Brian Castles-Onion.
An uplifting and entertaining evening showcasing some of the greatest arias ever written, this annual crowd-pleasing event is one of Sydney’s foremost NYE celebrations.
Gala attendance includes unparalleled views of Sydney Harbour’s 9pm NYE fireworks during interval.
Guests can also purchase a ticket to the Midnight Party to ring in midnight in exclusive style. The Midnight Party kicks off after the performance, with live music, canapés, beverages, and front row access to the world’s most famous fireworks.
Offering a fairy tale ending to 2024, OA will also present the Australian premiere of Massenet’s operatic Cinderella (Cendrillon) in the Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre. Direct from New York’s Met, this whimsical production exhibits outrageous costumes, a luscious score, divine singing and a view of the 9pm fireworks at interval.
Already sold out for the Gala, luxe package options are now only available for the Cinderella performance next door in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. Choose from the Pre-performance Dinner with champagne on arrival and a fine dining three-course meal matched with premium wines. Or opt for the all-inclusive Platinum Package, the ultimate indulgence, a once in a lifetime NYE experience comprising pre-show dinner, platinum reserve seating, a program, champagne at interval and entry to the midnight party.
