Operatunity's 20th Anniversary Royal Variety Show artists. Photo / Supplied
Operatunity's 20th Anniversary Royal Variety Show artists. Photo / Supplied
It's been a remarkable 20-year journey for Operatunity Daytime Concerts and Travel, and it is celebrating its special anniversary with seniors across New Zealand.
With 154 touring seasons amounting to more than 3000 performances, Operatunity has touched the lives of nearly 900,000 attendees, with almost 70,000 songs performed.
To mark this occasion, this February-April Operatunity is presenting their 20th Anniversary Royal Variety Show national tour to 26 venues around New Zealand - including Rotorua.
The tour will celebrate Operatunity's best musical comic and memorable moments of the past 20 years, with oodles of their signature fun and flair.
In the upcoming 20th Anniversary Royal Variety Show, audiences can expect a mad menagerie of musical themes, including musical theatre, proms, Irish, opera, Gatsby and more.
Though the styles are diverse, in true Operatunity fashion all the songs will be ones the audience know and love.
On this tour audiences will enjoy the voices of Operatunity owners and co-founders Susan Boland and John Cameron, alongside Operatunity resident artists Bonaventure Allan-Moetaua, Karl Perigo, Alex Milligan, and Kelly Lim Harris with Paul Carnegie-Jones on piano.
Operatunity artists Kelly Lim Harris and Karl Perigo. Photo / Supplied
The company has had quite a journey since its founding in 2001 by husband and wife singing duo Susan Boland and John Cameron.
It was a humble start with a tour circuit of just four Auckland venues and an audience of nine at the first concert.
With no staff in their early years, Sue and John turned their hand to anything and everything, working all hours to promote, book tickets and even make sandwiches for the audience.
Over the past 20 years the company has grown into a fully fledged New Zealand arts success story.
They now present more than 200 concerts each year, performing to more than 65,000 seniors throughout New Zealand.
Over the past 20 years they have provided more than 20,000 employment days to local artists.
Some of New Zealand's most beloved musicians from all genres have worked for the company, including pop icon Suzanne Lynch, operatic star Helen Medlyn and award-winning fiddler Marian Burns.
The company has also encouraged and mentored numerous young artists who have gone on to work professionally fulltime for the company or overseas, including Operatunity principal resident artist Bonaventure Allan-Moetaua and Ten Tenors star Cameron Barclay.
Operatunity also has a successful musical travel business, opening the world to more than 10,000 seniors who have travelled with them.
Their international trips include opera tours to Italy, Nashville country music tours, ballet in Russia, the music pubs of Ireland and chartering ships to present exclusive music festivals.
This year, in a great example of pivoting the business, they will take more than 1000 seniors on bespoke music festival trips around New Zealand.
Though the company has grown immensely its mission remains the same, to bring happiness, fun, care and kindness through music.
In 2020 Operatunity co-owner and managing director Susan Boland received an MNZM for her service to music and seniors, highlighting what a special part of many people's lives Operatunity has become.
For more information or to book visit www.operatunity.co.nz, or call toll free 0508 266 237.
