The theatrical annals abound with tales of nights when the stars align, and the opening of Opera Australia’s 70th anniversary now stands firmly among them.

The signs were there from the start: a role and company debut for Guanqun Yu as Cio-Cio-San; the first production conducted by Andrea Battistoni as OA Music Director; a last-minute cast change, with Diego Torre replacing the indisposed Robert Watson as Pinkerton; and, of course, the return of Moffatt Oxenbould’s production of Madama Butterfly to the Joan Sutherland Theatre after retiring from the repertoire in 2017.

Premiering in 1997, Oxenbould’s production has long been considered the jewel in the national company’s crown, even marking OA’s debut in China with a multi-city tour in 2018.

Over time, it came to be regarded by some as a beautiful if somewhat traditional and dated production. However, when it first premiered, it was hailed as a groundbreaking departure from the Butterflies of old, and in this reinvigorated staging by Movement and Revival Director Matthew Barclay, it has regained all of its original lustre.

Guanqun Yu and Diego Torre in Opera Australia’s Madama Butterfly 2026. Photo © Keith Saunders

Robert Wilson’s abstract 1993...