The hall and the company
The Joan Sutherland Theatre
The Joan Sutherland Theatre inside the Sydney Opera House: its name, its size, Opera Australia's history there, and what to know about seating.
Reserve your seats at the Opera House ↗Quick answer
The Joan Sutherland Theatre is the second largest indoor venue in the Sydney Opera House and the home of Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre. It is a proscenium theatre, and it carried the name Opera Theatre until 2012. Great Opera Hits is held there, and some seats involve many stairs.
Where the concert is held
Great Opera Hits is held in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. The Sydney Opera House calls it the home of Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre, and the second largest indoor venue in the building. It says the theatre is not available for commercial hire, because it is booked for resident companies and its own presented programme year round. The Opera House has other venues, but a ticket for this concert points to this one.
A theatre with two names
English Wikipedia describes the Joan Sutherland Theatre as a proscenium theatre, the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. Until 2012 it was known as the Opera Theatre. The two main halls were first planned differently: the major hall was originally intended to be a multipurpose opera and concert hall, and became solely a concert hall, while the minor hall, originally designed for stage productions only, took on opera and ballet.
Who Joan Sutherland was
Dame Joan Sutherland was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano, born in Sydney. She was known as La Stupenda, Italian for The Stupendous One, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sopranos of all time. English Wikipedia says she was the first Australian to win a Grammy Award. Opera Australia says she returned to sing her first performances in the Sydney Opera House in 1974, performing all four soprano roles in The Tales of Hoffmann, and that she appeared in many other operas there.
Opera Australia in the house
Opera Australia says the Sydney Opera House became the permanent Sydney performance home of the company when it opened in 1973. The company says it was born when a band of idealists gave up their day jobs to stage a season of Mozart operas, and that it took its present name when the Australian Opera merged with the Victoria State Opera. Its orchestra performs in the Joan Sutherland Theatre for both Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet, and the company is based in Sydney at the Opera Centre in Surry Hills.
The foyers
The Opera House says the distinctive design of its foyers fused the design aesthetics of both Utzon and Peter Hall, who completed the interiors. In the Northern Foyer of the Joan Sutherland Theatre hangs Possum Dreaming, a major piece by a Warlpiri artist, which the Opera House says was commissioned as part of the Bicentennial. The theatre itself is on the northern side of the foyer, to the left of the stairs leading to the Concert Hall.
Seating, stairs and access
The Opera House says some seating locations in the Joan Sutherland Theatre and the Concert Hall have significant amounts of stairs to seats. It names the theatre's seating areas Stalls, Dress Circle, Loge and Boxes and publishes step counts for each. There are wheelchair and companion seating locations in all theatres, booked through the Box Office, and front-of-house staff provide lift access to the Joan Sutherland Theatre from the Box Office foyer.
Which hall is yours
The Opera House lists many venues: the Concert Hall, the Joan Sutherland Theatre, the Studio, the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse, the Centre for Creativity, the Utzon Room, the Forecourt and the Monumental Steps. Great Opera Hits is in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. Read the hall name on your confirmation, because the Concert Hall is a separate room that hosts different events. The practical guide for the night explains the entrance, which is shared by all of the theatres.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of theatre is it?
English Wikipedia describes it as a proscenium theatre, the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet.
Was it always called the Joan Sutherland Theatre?
No. It was known as the Opera Theatre until 2012.
Who performs there?
The Opera House calls it the home of Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Is it the same as the Concert Hall?
No. The Concert Hall is a separate venue in the same building. Great Opera Hits is in the Joan Sutherland Theatre.
Are there seats with many stairs?
Yes. The Opera House says some seating locations in the theatre have significant amounts of stairs and publishes step counts.
Sources