<B>Renovations at Sydney Opera House Set Off a Scramble for Alternative Venues</B> <BR>By Valerie Lawson in The Sydney Morning Herald <BR> <BR> <BR>The comeback of the big bucks musical and the planned closure of the two main performance spaces at the Sydney Opera House have combined to create a major headache for Australia's big performing arts companies.<P>Most affected by the closure of the Opera House's Opera Theatre and Concert Hall will be Opera Australia and the Australian Ballet, which are juggling budgets, subscribers' and tourists' needs, alternative venues and possible touring programs from the end of 2004 until the beginning of 2006, when the Opera Theatre will be closed.<P>The Concert Hall is also likely to be closed for some of 2005.<P><A HREF="http://www.andante.com/magazine/article.cfm?id=16813" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A>