That is a question director Frances McElhinney wants the community to start thinking about.
At yesterday’s Waitaki District Council community, culture and regulatory committee meeting, Mrs McElhinney updated councillors on how the opera house had been impacted by new Covid-19 restrictions.
While the event sector as a whole was experiencing hardship with continued cancellations and postponements, it gave the Oamaru Opera House staff an opportunity to review the venue’s business model and explore ways to broaden community access, she said. A rebrand and name change was one option being considered.
Mrs McElhinney said "opera" defined a music genre and did not accurately reflect all of the activities that went on inside the Oamaru venue.
People either loved or hated opera — it was a "very divisive" genre — and it was important everyone in the community felt welcome at the category-1 historic building, she said.
"So for us to be called and labelled as an opera house immediately puts up some barriers."
The Oamaru Opera House was very close to a lot of people’s hearts, and the community had a voice in any discussion about a name change, Mrs McElhinney said.
"It gives people an opportunity to have some discussions and think about it.
"Who knows what the outcome will be? It might be overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the name."
The building was officially opened in October 1907, and underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration in 2009.
Over the years, entertainment has ranged from boxing to ballet, and it has also hosted many civic functions, shown "moving pictures", staged school performances and been the home for productions by Musical Theatre Oamaru.
It is well used as an entertainment, meeting space and conferencing venue.
While the Covid-19 restrictions had been difficult for the Opera House, as venue hire was well down on previous years, there were still several meetings and workshops coming up, and the first show of the year — The Alpaca Social Club with special guest Cousin Alice — was scheduled for March 17.
