Anna Bychkova Nair (centre, in white kurta), who plays the role of Carolina, and other members of the cast at a rehearsal of Il Matrimonio Segreto. The opera has two sets of cast. PICS/SNEHA KHARABE

Excitement and nervousness mingle in equal parts on the stage of Charni Road's Royal Opera House. A sound check is in progress for Il Matrimonio Segreto, with the cast trying out their arias while director Rehaan Engineer looks on. There is some concern from the cast and Engineer on whether the acoustics of the recently-restored opera house will cooperate — a full house, the hum of the AC units, the modest orchestra pit — all have to be taken into account to make sure that the lilting voices are not drowned out. We don't think of logistics enough when we think of opera though. And, why should we? For, as the hall fills up with the voices of the sopranos and the baritones, we are effortlessly transported to a time gone by. A scene from Pretty Woman — Vivian tearing up over La Traviata — flashes briefly before our eyes.

This month-end will be a momentous one for Royal Opera House owned by the royal family of Gondal. Il Matrimonio Segreto will be the first full-length opera to be performed at the venue since it closed down to the public in 1993. Of course, opera was long-forgotten here — at India's only opera theatre — as celluloid claimed its followers. Adding to this occasion is the choice of the opera itself. Il Matrimonio Segreto, or The Secret Marriage, has been a popular piece right since it was first-performed in 1792 at the Imperial Hofburg Theatre in Vienna. With music by Domenico Cimarosa and a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, Il Matrimonio Segreto rivalled with Mozart's pieces successfully across theatres in Europe. And, lastly, the upcoming performance has a an all-Indian cast.