Opera in the Pub

Gone are the days where you had to have a ball gown and tiny binoculars to enjoy the opera. Thanks to the Opera Bites group, you just have to pop down to the pub on a Sunday evening to get your cultural fix – they are even throwing in a beer and Sunday roast to sweeten the deal.

Founder, lead singer, and classically trained soprano Rae Levien is bringing opera to the pub to break down some of the barriers to making the performance style more accessible.

“There’s a lot of misconception about what opera is, that people have to know a lot about it to go. We were looking for somewhere to make it easily accessible to anyone who just wanted to give it a try,” said Levien.

The intimacy of the venue means audiences can get up close to the characters and the story, instead of sitting in the nose-bleed seats of the theatre watching tiny specks move around on stage.

Rae stresses that you don’t need to be well versed in Wagner and Mozart to enjoy the show. “We get a combination of opera lovers who know their high Cs from their high Ds, as well as people who have never been before,” she said.

Don’t miss out on the chance to broaden your cultural horizons in the comfort of a very familiar setting. (CB)

Jun 26, 4.30pm. Dove & Olive, 156 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills. $69.Tickets & info: worldofopera.eventbrite.com.au

BY CAITLIN BURNS