The Virtues of [Not] Playing It Safe

Can a song capture 50 years of one of the most iconic buildings in the world?

Tim Minchin is an Australian composer who was commissioned to answer this question last year as part of the 50-year anniversary celebration for the Sydney Opera House. He shared the story of how he did it on stage this week as part of the SXSW Sydney event.

The opera house is one of the most recognizable in the world, so ubiquitous that it’s simultaneously become a legendary performance venue and a cliché logo yo...