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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n When Oscar nominee Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet suggested few people cared for opera and ballet<\/a>, the arts world bristled.<\/p>\n However, as the latest financial reports for last year roll in, Opera Australia has met Chalamet\u2019s scepticism with an impressive turnaround \u2014 one that appears to be no flash in the pan.<\/p>\n The national company has worked its way back to near break-even at an operating level after recording a staggering $10.1 million loss. This newfound breathing space came courtesy of a $15 million surge in box office receipts as it leaned into more musicals, giving the company its largest audiences in three years.<\/p>\n \u201c2025 was a year in which Opera Australia regained its footing,\u201d chief executive Alex Budd said. \u201cBox office is up, activity is up, donations are up.\u201d Budd cautions recovery is \u201ca beginning, not an endpoint,\u201d and predicts a \u201cmodest surplus\u201d this year, helped a little by the publicity Chalamet generated.<\/p>\n In the lead up to this year\u2019s Oscars this year, Chalamet declared to Variety<\/a> that he preferred working in film and television. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it\u2019s like, \u2018Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this any more,\u2019\u201d Chalamet had said.<\/p>\n The resulting furore actually sparked a mini opera ticketing boom around the world. \u201cWe had packed houses. I genuinely want to thank Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet,\u201d Budd said.<\/p>\n As a result of the backlash, \u201ceven if you weren\u2019t a ballet or an opera attendee, or it wasn\u2019t your favourite genre, there was a recognition that we mattered to the arts ecology\u201d. \u201cAs the largest arts organisation in Australia supporting employment across the industry\u2014including designers, directors, and costume makers\u2014we carry a lot of responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n The picture, however, was less rosy for the Australian Ballet, whose 2025 deficit of $4.7 million was a slight improvement on 2024\u2019s $6 million shortfall. Its temporary relocation to the Regent Theatre\u2014while Melbourne\u2019s State Theatre undergoes refurbishment\u2014has heavily impacted box office revenue.<\/p>\n The removal of several rows of seats to accommodate the orchestra, a smaller stage, and an auditorium configuration that drives lower average ticket prices cost it revenue. The company noted it has also experienced a post-pandemic reduction in its subscriber base, leading to an increased reliance on single ticket sales which came at the last minute.<\/p>\n On a positive note, donations and bequests rose by 20 per cent to $14.1 million, helping to ease the financial strain. With another year of theatre exile ahead, the Australian Ballet anticipates another operating loss this year.<\/p>\n Back at Opera Australia, Budd attributed the improved results to a healthy balance of artistic ambition and financial discipline. He credited acting CEO Simon Militano for guiding the company through its toughest times, noting that the strategic focus is now on broadening the repertoire. Musicals, he said, will remain a core pillar of their programming, though the genre often overlapped with opera.<\/p>\n Attendance was the strongest since 2022, with 574,809 people attending 457 shows across Australia. The program leaned more heavily into musicals than in previous years, a resurgence partly led by the unorthodox Broadway hit Hadestown, a reimagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice starring Christine Anu.<\/p>\n With 2026 not even half over, Opera Australia has already sold its 500,000th ticket. Following its Queensland debut, The Drover\u2019s Wife \u2014 a new opera based on Leah Purcell\u2019s play, novel, and film, with a score by George Palmer\u2014is headed to Sydney and eventually Melbourne. Budd said OA\u2019s summer season was almost a record.<\/p>\n \u201cPhantom [of the Opera] was completely sold out; there wasn\u2019t a spare seat in the house. The weather gods were good to us, and we got through every performance with only one delay. Its box office was 50 percent better than our previous record with Phantom in 2022.\u201d Still, he noted that audiences for middle-tier shows remained unpredictable.<\/p>\n Related Article Final decisions have yet to be made regarding the redevelopment of Opera Australia\u2019s Elizabeth Street home, but options will be explored over the next 12 months, including potential commercial partnerships.<\/p>\n \u201cOpera is like nothing else,\u201d Budd said. \u201cPeople are performing at the extremes of human abilities with their voice. In this increasingly AI-driven, algorithmic world we live in, we are a niche that people will cherish even more because of what we represent about the human condition\u2014the ability to come together and experience a live performance.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Opera](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5c61c79b3d4b3637811d613e9c5970b4c33e3a1172fea139edba3f7b69ac1260.jpeg\")
Opera Australia has enjoyed a box office boom after Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2019s opera and ballet commentsOpera Australia enjoys box office boom after Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2019s opera and ballet comments<\/p>\n![\"Jake](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/825048898fe6f740393e931a7868afde98f41a15.jpeg\")
Jake Lyle as the Phantom.Daniel Boud<\/p>\n![\"Timoth\u00e9e](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/29b33c884982ad2b1d2f7b57e850da0128b37d2c.jpeg\")
Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet took aim at the high arts \u2013 and their audiences responded. AP<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779229753_223_2bbe5da13b6645aed420013cee08f104131b9568.jpeg\")
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