What do a tennis legend, a pop starlet, an action movie hero and a pastry chef all have in common?
Roger Federer, Jesse J, Steven Seagal and Eric Lanlard are just a few of the famous faces who've caught a show at the young Dubai Opera in its first six months. They rank among the 150,000 punters, of 50 different nationalities, who have taken a seat at the groundbreaking venue since it opened on August 31.
On Saturday [March 11] the Dubai Opera marks a landmark 100th show with the final of six performances from the Welsh National Opera, presenting Puccini's classic La Bohème.
“It has gone extraordinarily quickly – it’s just been a whirlwind,” says chief executive Jasper Hope, who coincidentally turns 48 on the same night. “I can’t quite believe that many shows, or think of all the people I’ve met – it’s a little bit of a blur, but an incredible one.”
Other notable names to have enjoyed a night at the opera include Gary Rhodes and Arabic celebrities Farouk Hosny, Kathem Al-Saher and Elissa. Visiting dignitaries have included ambassadors from several countries and a dozen members of the UAE royal family, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
“From royalty, to diplomats and business leaders, to people just bringing their families – the range of people we get for most shows is fantastic,” adds Hope. “From rolling out the red carpet for royals, or dealing with an ambassador representing a whole country, to welcoming a couple on a date night – [Dubai Opera] very quickly become an appropriate and natural place to come on a night out.”
In the opening six months the stage welcomed 1,304 performers of 56 nationalities. Most impressive might be the venue’s diversity, hosting a total of 22 productions to date – from highbrow opera and ballet to rock, pop and world music concerts and family shows.
West Side Story rehearsal at the Dubai Opera. Satish Kumar / The National
If one genre has shone the brightest, it has been big budget West End and Broadway musicals, with extended runs of Cats, West Side Story and Les Misérables – the Dubai Opera's most successful show so far shifting 41,312 tickets over a three-week stay in the city.
Hope says the biggest surprise success was a two-night sell-out visit from Swiss modern dance company Béjart Ballet, while the greatest disappointment was a smaller-than-expected turnout for a family friendly matinee of ballet Coppélia.
Arriving from a seven-year stint helming London’s iconic Albert Hall, Hope admits there is a “long way to go”, and says the one area he would like to broaden his knowledge of is Arabic-language acts, following the success of concerts from Hussain Al Jassmi, Ahlam, Omar Khairat and Amr Diab.
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“We’ve had a huge success with Arabic crowds, which has highlighted my requirement to understand more about regional artists – I don’t know enough,” adds Hope.
“I want more local performances – it’s easy for me to play to my experience with Plácido Domingo and Les Misérables, but we are an opera house in the Middle East, and I want to have artists that are relevant to an Arab audience as well.”
This month will also see the realisation of perhaps Dubai Opera’s greatest coup yet – a four-day visit from the BBC Proms, presenting six concerts which mark the second time the world-renowned British classical music series has been presented abroad. True to the concept at its Albert Hall home, budget standing-only “promming” tickets cost just Dh50. The Proms visit also sees the Dubai Opera come good on its promise to enrich the local community, with open rehearsals, school visits and masterclasses with visiting musicians.
“I went and asked, which no one has done before,” says Hope, recalling how he bagged the honour.
“They were a bit surprised, thought about it, and said ‘why not’. It’s absolutely in accordance with what the Proms is there to do – which is take the best classical music to the widest number of people”.
A bugbear for hungry souls enduring rush hour traffic after a long day in the office – I speak for experience – is the dearth of nearby eateries. While the venue currently sells 250 coffees and 1,500 bottles of water every show day, coming months will see the Dubai Opera's refreshment options substantially expanded with the opening of a 350-capacity in and outdoor restaurant on the venue's roof.
For music fans the biggest disappointment will have been the recent cancellation of White Nights Dubai, an eclectic concert series set to be headlined by world-renowned acts including Katherine Jenkins and Jamie Cullum. Hope points the finger firmly at the external promoters United Stage Middle East who were renting the venue for five nights, and pledged to learn from the experience.
Jasper Hope, chief executive of Dubai Opera. Razan Alzayani for The National
“I don’t know the precise reason it was cancelled, but I know the effect, which is huge disappointment – and I’m very sad it didn’t happen,” added Hope.
“We’ll have to work even harder for the next six months to make sure that it doesn’t tarnish our reputation.”
Work is well underway for that period, and beyond. Hope says his opera programme is in place as far as the start of 2019, and hints at many more surprises to come before this year is out, pointing at the final quarter’s currently quiet calendar.
“Expect more opera, more rock n’ roll, and more concerts – Arabic, classical, jazz – different nationalities and different musical genres,” adds Hope.
London’s Albert Hall will turn 145 later this month, on March 29, a fact which puts Dubai Opera’s notable achievements in startling context. Hope appears genuinely moved with how quickly the Dubai Opera has been received in just half a year.
“We have a long way to go, but it’s very much like what I hoped for,” he adds.
“I don’t think the support could have been any stronger than it has been – the support in every sense – from the day we opened the doors.
“It shows there was definitely a need for an experience like this, and shows people are very thankful now there is one. It’s everything I could have hoped for.”
rgarratt@thenational.ae
