Sri Lanka is showcasing the famous Opera, The Pearl Fishers, for the first time on Wednesday, it has been revealed.
Oddly, despite the romantic story of forbidden love being set in country, it has never been performed their before.
The composer, George Bizet of Carmen fame, never visited the island but was allegedly fascinated by the mid-19th century obsession with the Orient the captured the West's imagination.
Composed in 1963, The Pearl Fishers is a story of love between a pearl diver and a virgin priestess on the island's beach of Ceylon.
"This is a work of 100 years ago, of an epoch when the Orient was a dream for the Europeans," Vikrant Subramaniam, one of the shows performers, told AFP.
"They recall their former rivalry and a vow they made over the young beautiful woman agreeing not to pursue her for the sake of their friendship," he added.
The multicultural cast is comprised of more than 150 musicians and the production, which has a budget of $42,000, is being orchestrated under the watchful eye of renowned conductor Benjamin Levy.
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