Ambitious contemporary Amadeus production first event to kick off Opera House’s 50th anniversary program  

The ambitious contemporary production of Peter Shaffer’s Tony and Academy Award-winning masterpiece Amadeus is being staged in the Sydney Opera House’s newly transformed Concert Hall from 27th December, 2022 – 21st January, 2023. The show is the first event to be announced as part of the Opera House’s year-long 50th anniversary celebrations, supported by the NSW Government.

The play reimagines the lives of Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a narrative fuelled by power, jealousy, revenge, and symphonies. It reveals Salieri’s inner torment as he grapples with Mozart’s genius and sets out to destroy the brilliant, flamboyant young star. It explores life’s big questions: ambition, legacy, and who among us deserves ‘genius’.

Acclaimed Welsh actor and producer Michael Sheen (The Twilight Saga, Frost/Nixon, The Queen, Tron: Legacy, Masters of Sex, Good Omens, Amadeus) dazzles as Salieri - portraying the glorious artistic rivalry of two great classical composers – Salieri and Mozart. Having played a young Mozart in Peter Hall’s Amadeus, opposite David Suchet’s Salieri in London and New York in 1999, Sheen now slides into the role of Salieri so completely that he disappears.

The new production is directed by multi award-winning director Craig Ilott (Smoke & Mirrors, American Idiot, Betty Blokk Buster Reimagined) and features forty performers, including actors, opera singers and musicians from The Metropolitan Orchestra fused into the on-stage drama with lavish costumes directed by Australian fashion house Romance Was Born.  

It brings to life Mozart’s timeless music, including; ‘The Magic Flute’, ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ and ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’. Two Sydney-based actors will star in key roles: Heath Ledger Scholarship recipient Rahel Romahn (Here Out West, Shantaram, Lord of The Flies, THE PRINCIPAL) will play Mozart, and New York-trained Lily Balatincz (Constellations, The Eggs, Stop the Virgens) will perform the role of Constanze Mozart.

The Opera House kicked off its year-long season of celebrations in October to mark the 50th anniversary of Australia’s cultural icon. The full program of events and performances will be announced later this year and is enabled by the NSW Government’s Blockbuster Funding initiative. The anniversary coincides with the completion of the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal.

NSW Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin enthused “I’m delighted the NSW Government is able to support world-class exclusive presentations such as Amadeus, which appeal to a broad range of audiences across NSW and Australia. This spectacular production on stage in the renewed Concert Hall will be a wonderful moment to mark the Sydney Opera House’s 50th anniversary year. I’m looking forward to announcing the full program later this year and inviting everyone to be part of an extraordinary celebration of contemporary culture at the Opera House.”

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Ebony Bott adds “Amadeus is a classic play that has been loved by millions over the world for its smart, relatable human story about the pursuit of fame and greatness. With its rich combination of theatre, art and music, it is set to reimagine what contemporary productions can be. I’m delighted to have Michael Sheen, one of the world’s finest actors, take on one of the greatest plays of the 20th century in this artistically ambitious staging. It will be a thrilling night in the newly transformed Concert Hall.”

This project is supported by the NSW Government through the Blockbusters Funding initiative.

Images of Amadeus at Sydney Opera House. Credit: Daniel Boud