Festival Opera is disappointed to advise it has made the difficult decision to cancel the planned season of The Magic Flute, which had been due to be presented at the Napier Municipal Theatre this month.
Under the restrictions associated with the Covid-19 protection framework red setting, it is impossible to deliver the opera because of the restrictions on audience numbers, the large number of performers, orchestral players and crew and the new set of risks and challenges to working together associated with Omicron, Festival Opera co-founder Sarah Walmsley says.
"Festival Opera acknowledges the current challenges being faced by the creative sector and the uncertainty and disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic response. We would like to thank the cast, crew and volunteers for the understanding, efforts and resilience demonstrated through this period," Sarah says.
"At the front of decision-making is the kaupapa of parent organisation the Prima Volta Charitable Trust (PVCT) - 'Wellbeing through music', and the immense power of using opera as a tool for positive change and community engagement.
"Normally the staging of the annual opera season during the Art Deco Festival represents a critical and galvanising experience for everyone involved in the production, particularly for the young singers of Project Prima Volta (PPV) and PPV Junior, for whom many life-altering shifts are made during the intensive rehearsal and production stages.
