Opera Australia presents The Makropulos Secret at the Sydney Opera House
Price: From 85.52 US$, per person
Duration: 140 minutes
The beguiling heroine of Janácek's penultimate opera is a vivid portrait of Kamila Stösslova, the woman he was obsessed with for ten long years. Clever, manipulative, coquettish and, ultimately, tragic, this mysterious woman has drifted through so many people's lives, leaving a trail of broken hearts and unanswered questions. Meanwhile, her quest for a three-hundred-year-old prize grows ever more urgent. Who is she, and what is her secret?
For me, this role challenges any preconceptions of an operatic diva. She is a true original. - Cheryl Barker

She is tired. She is world-weary. And she is utterly, eternally beautiful.

The beguiling heroine of Janácek's penultimate opera is a vivid portrait of Kamila Stösslova, the woman he was obsessed with for ten long years. Clever, manipulative, coquettish and, ultimately, tragic, this mysterious woman has drifted through so many people's lives, leaving a trail of broken hearts and unanswered questions. Meanwhile, her quest for a three-hundred-year-old prize grows ever more urgent. Who is she, and what is her secret?

Cheryl Barker was devastating in Neil Armfield's production of Jenufa in 2006. She now returns to make her Australian role debut as the chilling, thrilling Elina Makropulos. Joining her as Albert Gregor comes Peter Wedd, who made such an impressive debut as Laca in Jenufa, Catherine Carby as Kristina, Andrew Goodwin as Janek and the redoubtable John Pringle in the role of Jaroslav Prus. Completing the award winning team is Opera Australia's Music Director Richard Hickox, who will conduct Janácek's elusive, lyrical score.