Organisers would also like readers related to servicemen who were at the Battle of Monte Cassino to join the occasion.
Set in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, the events have special and deeper meaning for Mike and John and have involved journeys, reflection and growth.
The libretto is dedicated to John's father, Richard Ferguson Davies, who fought in the 1944 battles and saw many mates fall.
In a search for historical accuracy, Williams went to Monte Cassino in 2008. En route, he met eminent war historian and distinguished Waikato Alumni, Dr Chris Pugsley, at Sandhurst Military Academy.
He gained valuable historical insights about the battle, the bombing of the abbey and its aftermath. They were translated into the musical retelling of the story, including electronic sound effects, chamber orchestra and the new Auckland Town Hall organ.
The opera explores themes of humanity, love, intrigue, betrayal and redemption. The overarching story of the battle is based on fact but the characters are fictional.
The lives of a Benedictine monk, a German officer and a Kiwi soldier intersect with fatal and unforeseen consequences.
While highlighting the futility and terrible waste of war, Davies says that through its text and music The Juniper Passion aims to interrogate our differences which might lead us to an understanding of sameness.
To see ourselves in the light of what we share, rather than what we hold separate, is the purpose of the work.
The vision for Williams and Davies was always to present the work as a multi-media production, foregoing normal opera conventions of having the characters sing and act in favour of a choreographed dance piece with large video screens projecting 3-D graphic images, real and abstract.
Working closely with Davies, Moss Patterson has choreographed the work with a troupe of 12 dancers from Unitec.
The visuals used include photographs taken at Monte Cassino by John's father and 3D construction animations of the Benedictine Abbey by Sean Castle.