Arts preview: Pop Up Opera to present The Traviata Story

THE TRAVIATA STORY
Foundation for the Arts and Music in Asia

Last October, a six-metre-high bright red tent housing a big screen, digital sound system, comfortable chairs and plush furnishings was erected in Kwun Tong’s Lok Fu Plaza.

For two weeks, more than 4,000 people passed through the velvet curtains to experience 90 minutes of Verdi’s La Traviata. Set against the backdrop of Parisian life, the Italian opera follows Violetta, a beautiful but fragile courtesan who is coerced into sacrificing her one hope of happiness for the sake of her lover’s reputation.

For the audience at the Kowloon shopping mall, the tragic story of love and loss was an emotional experience, reducing some to tears.

The Pop Up Opera Tent, organised by the Foundation for the Arts and Music in Asia, was a way to reach out and introduce Western opera to a new audience, focusing on areas that are economically disadvantaged or have limited access to cultural events.