Opera, underground, inside a reservoir!

I did something a little different on Thursday night, I went underground, into a pre 20th century water reservoir in central Brisbane, and spent the evening watching an operatic quartet sing the most fabulous songs.  I went to see the opening night of “The Underground Opera”, and not surprisingly, it was so good I want to share it with you all.

The Underground Opera Company has for one month taken over the heritage listed Spring Hill Reservoirs in Brisbane an underground reservoir that has been locked and desolate for decades and turned it into a breathtaking concert hall with amazing acoustics and a splendid layout for a boutique venue.  They have worked passionately, in combination with Brisbane City Council and a team of architects and engineers for nearly two years to get the underground reservoir into a shape suitable for the events to kick off.  All their hard work has restored it to a workable glory, complete with red carpet, elegant lighting, and a beauty that can only be seen from bottom of the steep stairs one has to climb down to enter.

The end result is a purpose-built, high-quality performance space inside the Reservoirs that is stately, intimate and elegant.

The beauty of the venue is striking on entry, as you climb down about 30-40 temporary scaffolding-style stairs but what really made it special was the performance in the venue, perfectly tailored for an entertainment-hungry group of professionals and their guests as opening night was for the sponsors who had made the venue come together.

Going in I warned my husband that Opera is not something I usually find all that interesting but in this venue I was hopeful for something different.  Well, wasn’t I wrong.    The Underground Opera Company rolled forth song after memorable operatic song, almost all of which I recognised, and sang them with near perfection.

They included some well known songs from the theatrical world also, which were certainly ones i loved.  It was great to see the singers transform their voices from opera as a genre to singing well known showtunes.

The Reservoirs that became the venue were built in 1871 and originally housed the main storage water supply for Spring Hill, drawn up by a large windmill above.  The windmill also remains alongside, Brisbane’s oldest surviving building.

The operatic performers were amazing, and I am delighted to be able to show you some of the personal videos I look on the night that are frankly faultless!

The Underground Opera Company is quietly famed for its unusual and underground events, and frequently host events throughout Australia in natural, breathtaking spaces including the Jenolan Caves (Jenolan), Capricorn Caves (Rockhampton), Bli Bli Castle (Bli Bli), the Workshops Railway Museum (Ipswich), the Central Deborah Gold Mine (Bendigo) and in just a few weeks, the Hard Times Mine (Mt Isa).

A season of thirty (30) performances will be held throughout August 2014 at The Reservoir to launch the new venue, with a maximum of 120 audience numbers per show.  If you enjoy something a little different, I urge you to give this one a look.

For more information go to http://popupopera.com.au/opera-in-the-reservoir/4584028710