Steve Vizard’s new Opera, Banquet of Secrets, has had it world premiere to rave reviews. Composed by multi award winning Composer Paul Grabowsky and with original lyrics, story and libretto by Steve Vizard, Banquet of Secrets tells the story of four old friends who catch up for their annual feast and agree to share their deepest secrets, in a blisteringly moving, beautiful and powerful feast of dramatic and emotional complexity.
LIMELIGHT
4 STARS
“the synergy between musical and theatrical intention is so incisive that it delivers a jolt of high-voltage visceral energy that is jaw-dropping.”
“A feast for the ears peppered with delicious performances “
“..intoxicating on-stage chemistry”
“.. breathtaking moments are anchored to the secrets…. perfectly capturing the urgency of this confession while simultaneously offering an exquisite musical vernacular “
“Much like a fine wine, its notes are complex and sometimes bitter on the palate, but it has a sublime finish”
DAILY REVIEW
4 STARS
“Banquet of Secrets is a triumph … Get it while it’s hot!”
“ Banquet Of Secrets defies categorisation. Deliciously so.”
“..another near-towering achievement for Victorian Opera”
“..with economy and misty reverence [Vizard] breathes life into characters’
[Grabowsky’s] euphonic score offers a subtle range of styles but also the coherence necessary in musical theatre”
“ Banquet Of Secrets can be harmony on the palate: sweet and salty, bitter and umami. Get it while it’s hot.”
HERALD SUN
4 STARS
“an intricate journey of emotional impact delivered with a sense of sleek operatic approachability”
“a poignant, witty and soundly structured work.”
THE AUSTRALIAN
“Banquet of Secrets , is an elegantly crafted, emotionally complex and superbly evocative work”
“.. drama emerges as increasingly complex character-driven threads, brilliantly realised by a vocally secure and dramatically astute ensemble”
“Vizard’s libretto .. soul-baring arias, sparring duets and choruses of collective experience”
“Grabowsky’s engaging score.. juggles eclectic musical influences, often tending towards Stephen Sondheim’s chromatic jauntiness but also drawing on hazier cabaret and jazz flavours while swinging forward with thrusting dance rhythms, from tango to waltz..”
THE CONVERSATION
“Australian musical theatre comes of age..”
STAGE WHISPERS
“An absolute triumph”
MAN IN CHAIR
“Spellbinding”
“Grabowsky’s score is mellow, subtle and seductive, switching gears easily from haunting arias to perky comic numbers”
