When Covid-19 forced Opera Carolina to close its doors last spring, Megan Miller was already thinking about a way to make the 70-plus-year-old opera company more innovative and accessible.
Her plans come to fruition on Monday when Opera Carolina launches Virtual Opera House, an on-demand, full-service virtual performance platform that will allow its performers to "take the stage" once again. The opera company was founded in 1948 by the Charlotte Music Club and is the largest opera company in the Carolinas. Its live performances serve more than 70,000 people annually.
Miller, Opera Carolina's director of marketing, said the idea stemmed from a series of virtual performances the company released last year after live performances were halted due to Covid-19. Though she'd been working toward online accessibility before the pandemic, its sudden impact pushed her to move forward more quickly.
"I wanted to expand on this idea of enjoying opera from your couch," she said. "It's such an accessible point of view. And people don't come to the theatre for a variety of reasons, whether it's financial, it's not accessible or they don't live nearby."
"People were enjoying this new type of connection with the artists, and so I had the idea to create a virtual opera house," Miller added.
Miller said the Virtual Opera House is housed on Jumbo and will host more than 50 performance videos, behind-the-scenes footage and live events. A subscription costs $10 per month or $60 per year.
"The intention is to create content that is exclusive to Virtual Opera House," she said. "Having an exclusive series gives us a competitive advantage and a financially affordable option as well."
Miller said Opera Carolina will resume in-person performances in late fall and Virtual Opera House will serve to complement the live events.
"A lot of our productions for the 2021-22 season will have a virtual component, too, so people can enjoy the experience in and out of the theater," she said. "There will still be a lot of people who aren't comfortable venturing out to a live performance just yet, and we want to make sure it's available to everyone."
