With 1500 seats the Joan Sutherland theater is home to the Opera and Ballet. The ceiling lacks any decoration, which is not the case next door in the other large hall that hosts the symphony with a decorative ceiling. What is common to both showcases and another theater we attended in Australia? The lack of a center aisle! Some rows stretch to 51 seats wide, but the only ingress is from the sides, shuffling past 25 patrons to find your coveted center seat.