The Many Faces of Karl Perigo
Operatunity Principal Resident Artist Karl Perigo has been awarded the Pub Charity Top Male Artist Award 2022 by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand. Having worked with Operatunity as a full-time performer for the last six years, the award celebrates how Karl has captured the hearts of audiences around the country with his velvety vocals and zesty personality, not to mention his fabulous wardrobe of shoes!
Karl’s life looked quite different when Operatunity knocked for him in 2015, catching the eye of Operatunity directors Susan Boland and John Cameron who asked him to join their national Memories Are Made of This tour. He reluctantly took 5 weeks off work from his job at Michael Hill and in his own words “was blown away by what Operatunity does”.
Throughout his 20s, Karl led a very busy life as a radio host for Classic Hits and ZM, all whilst performing in concerts and musicals all over New Zealand. As happens with many young kiwi performers the promise of a steady paycheque and career progression called, and Karl found himself working 9-5 with Michael Hill Jewellers. Karl channelled his energy away from performances and into helping people find the perfect engagement rings, or anniversary gifts and during his 6 years at Michael Hill he found he had less and less enthusiasm for music, and he eventually stopped performing at all.
It was during that first tour with Operatunity he realized, “Through music you bring back memories for people, you can make people laugh and cry.” He was so moved by what the music at Operatunity concerts meant to people that after his 5-week tour with the company he went back to his job at Michael Hill and was miserable; he wrapped up his contract at the jewellers and “ran off to join the circus that is Operatunity.”
Since then he has charmed audiences with his dazzling personality and cheeky sense of humour, bringing smiles and laughter to audiences across the country. But behind the comedy is his voice, silky yet powerful, and unique in its ability to transport audiences to days of yore, calling to mind the greats like Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Further astounding is his ability to effortlessly move between genres, opera, musical theatre, crooners, 60s pop hits – Karl can do it all and then some! He says, “I love my job and I love our audiences. It is a gift to be able to entertain people, meet and talk with people after our concerts. The pure enjoyment and delight on the faces of the Operatunity audiences touches me every day.”
Audiences will next get to enjoy Karl’s immense talent when he performs in Operatunity’s upcoming Sensational 60s show, touring nationwide this July-August.
The Sensational 60s tour is part of Operatunity’s exciting new Concerts of Note, a series of special events held in boutique venues around the country. Limited to just 100 lucky patrons and filled with scintillating surprises, the concerts have a more intimate feeling than their famed daytime concert series which attracts up to 900 patrons at any one concert. It also means they can go ahead at any alert level setting.
Over the coming months Operatunity will present three national Concerts of Note tours giving audiences three different musical styles matching venues to the music: Sensational 60s at wedding and event venues, a three tenors concert Music for Inspiration in beautiful churches and a Christmas Garden Gala at historic houses in their gardens.
See Karl twist and shout alongside Kiwi artists Bonaventure Allan-Moetaua, Kelly Lim Harris and band in Sensational 60s touring nationwide 21st July – 26th August. Enjoy hits by The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys and more, all at iconic venues like Ellerslie Racecourse, Mission Estate, The Boatshed Wellington Harbour, vineyards, yacht clubs, and golf clubs
For more information and to book visit https://www.operatunity.co.nz/concerts/ or call 0508 266 237.
