The $10.4 million redeveloped and restored Opera House will stage its first full opera when Southern Opera comes to Oamaru with its production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchion on March 21.
The Opera House is one of three venues - the others are Christchurch and Ashburton - which will stage the opera, starring Dunedin-born baritone Martin Snell in the title role.
This will be in the restored main auditorium of the Opera House and will be the first to be staged in the newly-redeveloped venue which was officially opened at the end of last month with a 10-day festival.
Southern Opera's production manager, Rob Peters, will be keeping an eye, not only on the opera set and scenery whose building he has master-minded, but also on the Opera House's new stage-rigging system which he and his firm installed during the renovation.
Mr Peters and his firm, Theatre Systems and Design Ltd, have worked behind the scenes not only at the Oamaru Opera House but at more than 30 of the opera houses spread across New Zealand - their most recent installation having been completed only a couple of weeks ago in Gore.
The performance of the first opera in the building is doubly exciting for Mr Peters to see the action both on and backstage.
In addition to Martin Snell in the cast, international stars Grant Dickson and Virgilio Marino join South Island singers from Christchurch, Dunedin and Ashburton, including soprano, Anna Argyle.
