The Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland theatre reopens on Sunday with Opera Australia’s production of The Merry Widow, starring Australian-born soprano Danielle de Niese and directed and choreographed by Graeme Murphy. The theatre was closed from May to December 2017. The latest renovations are the most significant since the Opera House opened in 1973 and include a new theatre flying system, a more flexible hoist system as well as a new bridge for rigging lights. The opening night of The Merry Widow coincides with New Year’s Eve, so an interval has planned to allow opera-lovers to watch the fireworks.