Wyee resident, Danita Weatherstone, is making her debut as Annina in a performance of La Traviata in Sydney.
The Opera Australia production is Weatherstone’s first show as a principal artist, playing the maid of the main character, Violetta.
“It’s long awaited, we were ready to do it last year when COVID-19 hit, so we’ve been shut down for a year.
“It’s fantastic to be back actually doing this production after doing pretty much a year of nothing,” Weatherstone said.
La Traviata was originally composed by Guiseppe Verdi and is the inspiration for the film Moulin Rouge, and will be performed at Handa Opera at Mrs Macquaries Point on Sydney Harbour, from March 26 until April 25.
“We do about a month of rehearsal before opening and the show goes on regardless of the weather,” Weatherstone said.
“I think it’s a really good experience for first timers to opera, it’s the best way for your first time, it’s more like you’re going to a music festival, it’s microphoned so it’s nice and loud.”
Weatherstone joined Opera Australia in 2017 after studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria.
She also undertook coaching at the Vienna State Opera.
“I started out doing the school’s production doing a children’s opera, performing three times a day at various primary schools.
“I went from there to doing a national tour of Madame Butterfly where I did the lead role in that,” Weatherstone said.
“The past few years I have been in their young artists’ program, which is a training program that is basically a pathway to becoming a principal performer with Opera Australia.
“After La Traviata my husband, who is also an opera singer, and I will be going on a national tour of Carmen together,” Weatherstone said.
Other productions that she has been cast in include Ghost Sonata, Isabella, Nothing but a Raucous Instrument, The Mikado, El Kid, The Queen of the Night, Cosi, the Magic Flute and Cleopatra.
“It’s an odd thing, I am born and raised on the Central Coast and I was about 10 years old when I started to perform.
“I started singing lessons and from there I really got interested and starting seeing some productions at the Sydney Opera House.
“What really struck me, I think, is how much power is in the voice, it is all unamplified, you know they’re real athletes to be able to produce such a sound.
“It’s always been my dream since I was 10, so I stayed on that path and now it is all coming to fruition,” Weatherstone said.
She has also recorded By the Light of the Moon for the 2018/19 schools education package, and has made a live recording of Songs for Judith Wright for Sydney ABC radio.
Harry Mulholland