Opera on the beach

Opera Australia is bringing Giuseppe Verdi’s music to the Gold Coast with a performance of Aida on Coolangatta Beach later this month. Here’s how it adds up.

After 547 days in the planning and 20 days of rehearsals, a team of 50 musicians and 87 cast – including 55 chorus members, 10 principals, 10 dancers, 10 surf lifesavers and 2 camels – will bring Opera Australia’s Aida to life on the Gold Coast. A total of 30 artisans have created 114 costumes – including 39 dresses and 80 collars – for the show, while 44 wigs have been hand-knotted, with each wig taking about 40 hours to produce. It’s taken 2 prop-makers 240 hours to carve the 2 pharaohs – each 7.6 metres high – that are part of the set, along with a 17-metre-long staircase. In addition, 55 workers will build the venue from scratch over 11 days. There will be 6 performances between 21 and 30 September, attracting up to 22,800 spectators.