Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts

We are pleased to introduce board member Mr. Arnold Breman– a retired Impresario, author and speaker!

During his 50 year career he served as Executive Director and Artistic Director of four major Performing Arts Centers including: The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida, The Clemens Center in Elmira, New York and the Klitgord Center Auditorium in New York City. He also was the Executive Director of the Joffrey Ballet Company. From 1999-2009 he served as a professor of Arts Administration at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois.

He has worked with and presented more than 2,000 artists and attractions including some of the biggest names in the entertainment business including: Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Liza Minnelli, Rudolph Nureyev, Peter Martins, Alvin Ailey, Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Benny Goodman, Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Carol Channing, Beverly Sills, Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern and Yo Yo Ma, to name a few. His book, “LAUGHTER IN THE WINGS,” which was published in 2007, is a humorous backstage journey that introduces the reader to many of their favorite performers. His newest book, “MORE, LAUGHTER IN THE WINGS,” will be out later this month!

Mr. Breman currently serves on the Board of Directors of Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts and the South Carolina Philharmonic. He also teaches and lectures to audiences about his journey into the backstage world of the performing arts that covers the last part of the twentieth century.

His wife, Linda is a professional needlepoint artist and lace maker, and they live in Columbia, South Carolina. They have two sons who were smart enough not to go into the entertainment business.

Meet board member Ms. Eva Bennett, a 2016 graduate from the University of South Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a minor in Music Entrepreneurship. She worked for three years at South Carolina Public Radio, hosting and producing two shows, Voices in Harmony and Classical Unknown, along with serving as the alternate host for the daily live program, Sonatas and Soundscapes. Eva served as secretary for the Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts board in 2016.

Presently, Eva lives in Brooklyn, New York. She works as a Production Assistant for the National Children’s Chorus in Manhattan while continuing to assist our board in many ways!

Happy February! Meet board member Ms. Ronda Sullivan! Ms. Sullivan has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and a Master's degree in Elementary Education. She was an Attorney Associate for 15 years in family law and is the owner of 'One of the Family'– a house and pet sitting company.