MISSED OPERATUNITIES

SENIORS have been missing Operatunity and their monthly dose of fun and music for the past couple of years since Covid struck in 2020. Now like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Operatunity is back presenting concerts and musical trips.

Operatunity is New Zealand’s leading concert and music travel provider with a customer base of tens of thousands. They present different themed daytime concerts of popular songs and music travel, taking in the great sights of the world.

Covid, lockdowns, and isolation rules have significantly affected

Operatunity. With over 350 cancelled concerts, 100,000 tickets processed, and 120 trips affected, it is a miracle this beloved company is still around. Hard work, dedication, and an incredible outpouring of love and support from customers, artists, and the office team have meant Operatunity has survived. They have just announced their 2022/23 series of concerts and music travel.

Operatunity starts its 2022/23 season this Christmas 2022 with Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a joyous celebration of the spirit of the season. This concert features Cameron Barclay, star of the Ten Tenors, with

Operatunity favourites Karl Perigo, Kelly Lim Harris, Russell Dixon, Grant Winterburn and Alex Foster joining him.

In 2023 their season continues with a further seven national tours presenting a variety of music genres; When Irish Eyes are Smiling, filled with jigs and jollity; The Ultimate 70s Show, a grooving celebration of the hits of the 70s; Strike Up the Band, a scintillating celebration of the best of the big band era; From Broadway to Westend, a glitzy and glamorous music theatre show; Last Night of the Proms, filled with flag waving and soaring singalongs; Viva Las Vegas, an homage to Vegas’ most famous headliners; and Christmas in Vienna, capturing the magic of Viennese waltzes and Christmas classics.

Co-owners Susan Boland and John Cameron have had to make tough decisions during Covid, one of the toughest being pressing the pause button on the daytime concerts last August. “After so many cancellations and changes in 2020 and 2021, we simply had to press pause on the company for a few months. We could not keep asking our customers to buy tickets for concerts and trips when we could not guarantee we would present them. We felt this would be unethical. Our staff were also going nuts with cancellations, credits, and the myriad of logistical arrangements we had to change for both trips and concerts. Now we cannot wait to see our customers and start singing again, says Susan Boland.

To help keep Operatunity going, there have been monetary donations and many messages of support and encouragement. This was an outpouring of love for a beloved brand whose ethos of customer service and bringing joy comes first. “We simply thank everyone, especially our customers, for their support in keeping us going, both financially and emotionally. Every message or donation we received reminded us how important Operatunity is to so many people and made us even more determined to rise again!

Outside of their daytime concerts, Operatunity’s music and arts tours have proved the perfect combination, opening the world to those travelling in retirement. These trips range from operas in Italy, seeing André Rieu in Maastricht, English literature tours, music theatre in Australia, and presenting their own music festivals in Australia, NZ and the South Pacific. The artists from their daytime concerts host the trips, miraculously transforming from guides to singers performing in incredible locations around the world such as a Murray River chartered paddle steamer, a private concert in Pavarotti’s house in Italy, Welsh Male Choir at Cardiff Castle, concerts in pubs in Ireland, or at home in

New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves or Doubtful Sound.

Susan Boland says, “Seniors can be put in a position where they feel they are a burden. We want our seniors to feel the opposite. We want them to be themselves, have fun, and enjoy exceptional experiences. We want them to see places they never thought they could.” Operatunity’s musical tours allow seniors to live life to the fullest and feel young again, “We want them to laugh and live. We do this through music, companionship, a high level of care and safe travel”. Music provides a common bond connecting seniors with like-minded people who have gone through similar experiences. Susan says “Many of our customers are widows who want to travel but often this is their first solo trip. There is great benefit in travelling with those who understand grief and challenges but are still brave enough to take the plunge and start living again.”

The 2023 programme of travel includes big music festival style trips where several artists present concerts in great locations. These include trips to Samoa, Vanuatu, and Fiji. “With tourism such an important part of their economy, Covid has devastated our struggling Pacific neighbours. It is great to be going there, feeling we are supporting the local people while having a fabulous time presenting masses of music as well!” Boland comments.

It is not only seniors who have missed Operatunity. As one of the leading providers of professional work in New Zealand, artists are also delighted to see Operatunity back. Over 40 artists rely on Operatunity for either their part-time or full-time income. Operatunity was only able to keep on 4 full time artists, presenting free happiness half hours to keep customers and artists connected, even getting their artists to do building repairs or gardening to keep them employed and sane during lockdowns and never-ending cancelled concerts or trips.

One comment from a customer, Margaret from Kapiti says, “I have so missed seeing you and enjoying all the music and feeling like part of your family. You don’t realise what you miss until it’s not around anymore. I have felt so lonely being without Operatunity over the past couple of years!”

“Time to start living, time to stop looking in the rear vision mirror and the stresses of the last couple of years, time to look forward and definitely time to give happiness to New Zealand seniors again!” says Susan Boland.

In other words, for this company, its artists, and customers throughout New Zealand, no more missed Operatunities! 