Opera Australia ready to serve up Tosca at tennis venue

It's the first time an opera has been performed at the famed sporting venue, which has been rearranged to seat 3000 in a proscenium arch configuration.

One compromise is that Torre and his fellow performers won't be able to see the conductor and orchestra in the pit as usual, instead relying on monitors to co-ordinate with musicians behind the stage.

"All my life I have been used to keeping an eye to the conductor all the time, so this is going to be quite a challenge," Torre told AAP.

"But it won't be so terrible. It's just a new way of doing things."

The Puccini opera will be the company's first performance programmed by new artistic director Jo Davies, with the venue chosen due to the renovation of the State Theatre in Melbourne.

The State Theatre is not scheduled to reopen until 2027, and while there will also be productions at the Regent Theatre during that time, Opera Australia has cited a lack of Melbourne venues as a "material challenge" for the company.

Mexican-born Torre is playing the revolutionary artist Cavaradossi in Tosca, a role he has performed more than 100 times.

He has some experience singing in unusual venues, such as the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena, the outdoor Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in 2023, and Carmen on Cockatoo Island in 2022.

The intensity of Cavaradossi means he is sharing the role with South Korean singer Young Woo Kim in his Opera Australia debut, while the role of Tosca herself will be shared by Karah Son and Nadine Benjamin.

Performing in an entirely unfamiliar venue has generated additional excitement for the company, says Torre, who promises audiences will not be disappointed.

"There's going to be drama, love, jealousy, hate, a feeling of freedom - they're going to have a wonderful time," he said.

Tosca plays at Margaret Court Arena from Friday until May 30.

Australian Associated Press