What's Playing: Sydney Opera House 2018 Quiz

Answer: Evita

A musical written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice, and first performed in London's West End in 1978, "Evita" begins with news of the death of Eva Peron in 1952 and then the major events of her life are immediately told by a character named Che as the narrator of the show. Eva Duarte is 15 years old in 1934 and living in a small town in Argentina.

After seizing an opportunity to go to Buenos Aires, Eva works as an actress and is able to form relationships with prominent, powerful men, eventually meeting Juan Peron, marrying him, and assisting in the furthering of his career.

When her husband becomes President of Argentina, she becomes the First Lady; her bid for political office is cut short, however, by declining health and her eventual death.

Answer: The Turk in Italy

"Il turco in Italia" was written by Gioachino Rossini and first performed in 1814. The poet Prosdocimo is looking for a story. He finds Don Geronio, who is experiencing marital problems with his wife, Fiorilla, which are further complicated by the arrival in Naples of a Turkish prince named Selim. Selina and Fiorilla immediately are attracted to each other, however, Selim's former love, Zaida, who had been a member of his harem in Turkey, is also nearby. Who will Selim choose? Will both couples find happiness? Will a case of mistaken identities ruin all lives forever? In the end, all are reconciled. Selim and Zaida return to Turkey, while Don Geronio forgives his flighty wife, Fiorilla, and their marriage is restored.

Answer: Metamorphosis

The "Metamorphosis" production that will be seen at the Sydney Opera House is an adaptation of the Franz Kafka work that was originally published in 1915. Written by Steven Berkoff and Brian Howard, the opera was first performed in 1983. The story centers around the life of Gregor Samsa, who provides the sole financial support of his family, even though he is unhappy working as a traveling salesman. One morning he wakes up to find that he has been transformed into a giant insect, unable to work and the source of his family's disgust.

While at first his sister, Grete, helps to take care of him, she eventually sees him as a burden. His father, Mr. Samsa has to return to work; the family also is forced to rent out some of the rooms of their apartment in order to make ends meet. Gregor eventually dies, and his ungrateful family seems relieved to be rid of him.

Answer: Artaserse

Composed by Leonardo Vinci and considered to be his masterpiece, "Artaserse" was first performed in 1730 in Rome. The opera is set in ancient Persia during the time of King Serse, who is loosely based on the historical King Xerxes. The king has forbidden the marriage of his daughter, Mandane, and Arbace, the son of one of his generals named Artabano. Unhappy with the decree of the king, Artabano kills him, and then tells Arbace of his deed, along with his plan to kill members of the royal household so that Arbace may become king.

While Arbace does not agree with his father's actions, he covers up the murder by telling Mandane's younger brother, Prince Artaserse, that his older brother had murdered their father. Artaserse is duty bound to bring his father's assassin to justice, however, even after the execution of his brother for the crime, the main suspect continues to be Arbace, his friend and his sister's beloved, who, out of love for his father, will not reveal the name of the true murderer. To make the plot even more tangled, Artaserse is in love with Semira, who is Arbace's sister and highly conflicted over her beloved's treatment of her brother. Yikes! In the meantime, Artabano continues to plot the murders of royal heirs so that his own son can become king, while at the same time serving as the judge at Arbace's trial and sentencing him to death.

In the end, the treachery of Artabano is uncovered, Arbace is acquitted, Artabano is permanently exiled, and the two pairs of lovers are reunited.

Answer: Aida

Written by Giuseppe Verdi and first performed in 1871, "Aida" is set in Egypt during a time when pharaoh is battling an army from Ethiopia. The title character is an Ethiopian princess who has been able to conceal her identity even though she has been taken captive and enslaved in pharaoh's household.

There is quite a love triangle going on as Aida is in love with Radames, pharaoh's Captain of the Guard - as he is with her. Amneris, the daughter of pharaoh, however, is also in love with Radames.

After defeating Amonasro, the King of Ethiopia, in battle, Radames is rewarded by having his request that the Ethiopian prisoners be set free; in addition he is named as pharoh's successor and the betrothed of Amneris. He is arrested as a traitor after unknowingly revealing the location of the Egyptian army to Amonasro. Condemned to death and sealed in a vault, Radames is surprised to find his beloved Aida hiding there.

The couple die together in each other's arms.

Answer: Rigoletto

"Rigoletto" was written by Giuseppe Verdi, and premiered at La Fenice in Venice in 1851. The Duke of Mantua sees himself as quite a ladies' man, and wishes to conquer as many women as possible. At one of the Duke's parties, his jester, Rigoletto, makes fun of the women's husbands (in front of them), and is cursed by an old man named Count Monterone, who is angry with the Duke over the way he has treated his daughter.

It is revealed that Rigoletto has a secret daughter, Gilda; in fact, she is so sheltered that she is only allowed to attend church and does not even know her father's given name.

It was at church that Gilda fell in love with a young man who turned out to be the Duke. After showing her that the Duke is faithless, Rigoletto makes arrangements for Gilda to leave the city and plans to have the Duke killed.

Instead Gilda returns to save the Duke, trading her own life for his.

Answer: Athalia

The idea for George Frideric Handel's oratoria, "Athalia" (1733) was formed from a play by Jean Racine called "Athalie" that was written in 1691 and considered by many to be Racine's masterpiece. Athalia, the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, plans to enforce the worship of the god Baal in the land of Israel after the death of her husband.

She thinks that she has wiped out the entire line of kings descended from King David - but one young boy, Joas, now known as Eliakim, the rightful heir to the throne, has been saved by Joad and Josabeth.

After having a dream that she was killed by a young boy, Athalia is startled when she visits the Great Temple and finds Eliakim, the image of the boy in her dream, there. Eliakim tells Athalia that he is an orphan, but shuns her offer to adopt him because of the god she worships.

The adopted parents of Joas are concerned, but agree to trust God. Eliakim is eventually told that he is Joas and is crowned as the rightful King; Athalia's guards abandon her and she goes to her death vowing revenge, unable to stop the rebellion.

Answer: La boheme

Published in 1851 by Henri Murger, "Scènes de la vie de bohème" provided the basis for the opera, "La boheme" that was written by Giacomo Puccini. First performed in 1896, the music was conducted by the famous Arturo Toscanini. The story centers around the love lives of Rodolfo and Mimi and Marcello and Musetta. Rodolfo and Mimi are deeply in love, however, decide to separate "in the spring" due to Mimi's illness; while it is apparent to Mimi that Musetta is in love with Marcello, she constantly flirts with other men.

After both couples separate, the men live in constant poverty, while the women are able to find wealthy benefactors. Neither Mimi nor Musetta, however, are especially happy. After finding Mimi ill and in the street, Musetta helps her to return to Rodolfo, only to die shortly after.

Answer: Don Quichotte

Although the story of "Don Quichotte" is somewhat related to the novel by Miguel de Cervantes, the opera, written by Jules Massenet and first performed in 1910, shows the characters in a bit of a different light. La belle Dulcinée has several suitors, including the elderly Don Quichotte. Using his affection to get what she wants, Dulcinée sends him and his squire, Sancho, to retrieve a pearl necklace which has been stolen by the bandit king. Upon returning the necklace to Dulcinée, Don Quichotte learns that she never intended to return his feelings.

He dies shortly thereafter.

Answer: Lucia di Lammermoor

A tragic opera written by Gaetano Donizetti in 1835, "Lucia di Lammermoor" is somewhat influenced by "The Bride of Lammermoor" (1819) by Sir Walter Scott. Set in early 18th century Scotland, it is the story of a feud between two families, the Ashtons and Ravenswoods.

In spite of the strife between the families, Lucia has fallen in love with Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood and meets him clandestinely whenever possible, eventually marrying him in secret. Lucia, however, is already betrothed to Lord Arturo Bucklaw, with whom she signs a contract of marriage.

The wedding celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of Edgardo, who is very unhappy (to say the least) when he is shown the wedding contract. Later in the evening, when the news that Lucia has killed Arturo is announced, along with the fact that Lucia herself is dying, Edgardo also kills himself.