In Turin nine members of the chorus in the local opera house are doing the same, taking only sips of coffee to sustain them.

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Its players are drawn from the ranks of the local opera orchestra, as the Berlin Philharmonic's are not, so they have an extra source of income.

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Fifteen years ago, he was also singing with a local opera company when he got a call to substitute for a singer at the Sydney Opera House.

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"Although we have expanded the paying audience for the Met through the HD transmissions, we've also cannibalized a little bit our local audience in the opera house, " Gelb said.

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The proprietor, Chris Bouwer, a trained opera singer who has performed across Europe, sings with local guest performers while you tuck into the house speciality of Karoo lamb shank.

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The museum even runs a weekly Cantonese opera appreciation class in English on Saturday afternoons, which features a performance by a local troupe.

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In 1920, Leos Janacek turned to science fiction for his opera The Excursions of Mr. Broucek, setting one of its scenes on the moon, where the local residents turn out to be fussy, art aficionados.

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