The last night of 2013 is the first night of La bohème. If ever there was a night to dress up, this is it.

With VIP access you’ll leave the crowds behind as you enter the Sydney Opera House, then settle back for an evening with Rodolfo, Mimì, Marcello and Musetta in Gale Edwards’ decadent and dazzling production.

Then, with a heart full of song, stroll out onto the Opera House balcony to see the fireworks the whole world watches.

Giacomo Puccini’s “La bohème”

Gale Edwards’ lavish production inhabits 1930s Berlin, a hub for young impoverished creatives contending with the high cost of round-the-clock hedonism in a city seething with glitzy excess.

Berlin, midwinter, 1934. A painter, a musician, a philosopher and a poet are having a night on the town. Café Momus is too pricey for them – they’ve nothing to weigh down those moth-eaten pockets. But why worry? The landlord is sorted, the bar tab can wait. They’re young and their lofty ideals will keep body and soul together.

And then there’s love. Ah, love. That tingle of electricity as two hands meet. The fire in the eyes of the girl you want so badly. Love will keep us warm, won’t it? Find out, when Puccini’s bohemian boys wake up.

Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

Opera Australia Chorus

Opera Australia Children’s Chorus

If you have further queries about this New Year’s Eve event, please contact the Special Events team on events@opera-australia.org.au, or contact their Box Office during business hours (Australian eastern standard time).