Orpheus in The Underworld at Sydney Opera House

Sparkling melodies, cartoonish delights, pyrotechnics and fast-paced dance routines make this production of Offenbach’s operetta a treat for all ages.

The worlds of musical theatre and comic opera collide when the sensational song-and- dance man Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz, Annie) takes the lead of Aristaeus/Pluto in Jonathan Biggins’ topical version of Orpheus in The Underworld. The stylish fooling and newly-minted satire by Biggins and Phil Scott re-ignites Offenbach’s 1850s parody to make its vision of lust and power ripe for the times. The sparkling melodies, cartoonish delights, pyrotechnics and fast-paced dance routines make the production a treat for all ages.

The designer Mark Thompson’s imaginative towers and temples, and gorgeous and witty costumes, create a setting as vibrant and bright as a Broadway musical. The production brings together a dream cast of thrilling and diverse voices: soprano Emma Matthews (Eurydice), tenor Andrew Brunsdon (Orpheus), baritone Luke Gabbedy (Jupiter) and mezzo-soprano Suzanne Johnston (Public Opinion), who makes a welcome return to the Sydney stage.

With its frenzied pace, sight gags and a show-stopping finale, it is sure to be the most fun-filled event of the summer season.