Operatunity

Operatunity was a talent search— and Michael Waldman's film that documented it— in which the English National Opera conducted a nationwide search to find someone in the United Kingdom without professional opera experience, who could be coached to sing in a staged opera— Verdi's Rigoletto in the event— on the stage of London's Coliseum Theatre in the company of world-class performers, part of the ENO's regular season.

The finalists received intense vocal coaching and dramatic technique, as well as physical training and the fundamentals of stagecraft.

Two finalists were selected, Jane Gilchrist and Denise Leigh, who shared the demanding role of Gilda onstage, in March 2003.

A criterion for the selection, in addition to raw vocal talent, was the ability of a singer rapidly to put into practice guidance from the coaches.

The winners followed up with concert tours and at the end of the year joined to sing the children's duet from Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, broadcast on BBC Four, Christmas Day 2003.