Potts to return with his own orchestra

HAS TALENT: Singing sensation Paul Potts, winner of Britain's Got Talent 2007, is in Rotorua for one night only in April.

Welsh-born singing sensation and winner of Britain's Got Talent, Paul Potts, is to perform in Rotorua's Civic Theatre in April.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

Rotorua is one of nine cities on his "One Chance" New Zealand tour and his concert here will be the British tenor's only performance for fans in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

The tour coincides with the recent release of the British film One Chance, a story about Potts' life and his unlikely rise to worldwide fame.

Potts became an overnight international sensation when he first appeared in Britain's Got Talent seven years ago, stunning the show's judges and viewers with flawless renditions of Puccini's Nessun Dorma and Andrea Bocelli's Time To Say Goodbye.

Almost instantly a recording of his performance posted on YouTube went viral across the world attracting more than 119 million hits.

Rotorua District Council Events & Venues general manager Peter McLeod said hot on the heels of his Britain's Got Talent success, Paul Potts undertook a massive world tour - with 97 concerts in 85 cities across 23 countries - including a performance at Rotorua's Energy Events Centre in 2008.

"He performed in front of an enthusiastic audience here and many people still talk in awe of that event, so it's thrilling to have him return to Rotorua.

"We know he enjoyed his first visit and we're grateful to have the opportunity to host him again. He's actually bringing his own orchestra with him which will make for a very special theatre presentation this time around," Mr McLeod said.

Potts performs at the Rotorua Civic Theatre on Easter Sunday, April 20. Tickets are on sale from tomorrow at Ticketmaster at the Convention Centre, Bayfair in Tauranga, online at www.ticketmaster.co.nz or by calling (0800) 111 999.

A three-course pre-show dinner is also available in the Convention Centre's Concert Chamber.