Opera Australia’s Production of ‘Turandot’ Will Warm Even The Coldest of Hearts

For their second show of the summer season, Opera Australia has unveiled a stunning new production of Turandot – Puccini’s final work.

This production follows Opera Australia’s (OA) Madama Butterfly, one of the maestro’s earlier compositions.  Together, these two masterpieces underscore Puccini’s fascination with (what, for him, was) the Far East, and the two productions have provided the perfect opportunity to showcase talent from close to home in the Asian region.

The lead role of Calaf in Turandot is sung by the commanding Korean tenor Young Woo Kim. This follows the stunning performance of China’s Guanqun Yu as Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly. Kudos must be extended to Opera Australia for casting Asian talent in Asian roles, offering cultural authenticity and breaking down stereotypical portrayals. 

Turandot tells the tale of an ice-cold princess in a mythical Beijing. Before Turandot (Rebecca Nash) will agree to marry any suitor, he must first answer three riddles – and failure to do so will result in his death.

26 men die before the opera’s hero, Calaf, answers all three riddles correctly. This outrages Turandot — she has refused to submit to any man to avenge the death of her ancestor, Lou-Ling, who was raped and murdered by a marauding prince in ancient times. 

Calaf gives Turandot an out: if she can guess his name before sunrise, she will remain single. But, spoiler alert! After Calaf’s loving and loyal servant Liu (Marie Teresa Leva) commits suicide so she will not reveal her master’s name under torture, Turandot relinquishes her heart, and love conquers all. 

Ann Yee, the accomplished director and choreographer – who is American of Chinese descent – set the new production in a dystopian-feeling psychological world. Early-generation computers and electronic devices line the walls of the Chinese court, where three Ministers Ping, Pang and Pong surveil an Orwellian Forbidden City.

For Yee, Turandot’s cold and uncompassionate personality is symptomatic of our modern age, where we isolate ourselves using screens, and communicate via social media instead of speaking.

Over a spartan set, a massive avatar of a classic Chinese empress’s head is imposed. Rebecca Nash’s blue irises peer out of almond-shaped eye lids. Turandot marks Nash’s much anticipated, triumphal return to her native Australia after 26 years abroad.

The Melbourne-born soprano has graced the stages of most major opera houses in Europe and North America, and performed the role of Turandot on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera in 2024. Her rendition of In questa reggia in Act 2 was impeccable.

On the stage of Sydney Opera House, rigidly dressed from head-to-toe in imperial robes amidst a cast donning simple cotton clothes, Nash conjured the very image of Dame Joan Sutherland in the theatre bearing her name. 

The Italian-born soprano Maria Teresa Leva was angelic in the role of Liu, the loyal servant who sacrifices herself to protect her master’s name. Her performance of the aria Signore ascolta in Act 1 stood out for its artistry.

At the centre of Opera Australia’s Turandot towered tenor Young Woo Kim, whose mesmerising performance as Calaf quite simply stole the show. At the start of Act 3, as the entire Forbidden City attempts to uncover his name under fear of death, Kim delivered the opera’s most famous aria Nessun Dorma perfectly. 

The 50+ plus strong chorus, made up of half of Opera Australia’s stable of singers, provided a triumphant performance.

Under the baton of the Hungarian conductor Henrik Nánási, the Opera Australia Orchestra delivered a lavish performance.

Ann Yee’s production adds a welcome new interpretation to the company’s stable of classic works. Even the coldest of hearts will be warmed by Opera Australia’s new rendition of Turandot.