Hawaii Opera Theatre’s highlights Annual Meeting with achievements & new, young Associate Board

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) held its Annual Meeting for Members on Wednesday, July 29, 2015, at the Pacific Club.  The meeting included a vote for new board members, the slate of officers, the creation of a new young advisory group, & a presentation by HOT’s Artistic Director Henry Akina and Executive Director Simon Crookall.

Starting their first term as HOT Board Members: Sherry Broder, a faculty member of the University of Hawaii Law School & Executive Director of the Jon Van Dyke Institute, and Linda Nelson, a financial consultant for Aloha United Way who formerly worked for Dupont.  They join a diverse & talented Board of Directors, helmed by Jim McCoy, who was recognized earlier this year as one of Opera America’s Trustees of the Year at a ceremony in New York City.

HOT also introduced its first members of the GenHOT Associate Board, an advisory group made up of individuals age 40 & younger who have committed to giving $500 to the organization each year.  The group is led by HOT Board Members, Jeff Pauker & Kasumi Hara.  Pauker, a PBN 2015 40 Under 40 Class Member, is a Vice-President of Acquisitions with Alexander & Baldwin and Hara works as an Interior Designer with the local architecture firm, J. Hara & Associates.  Under their leadership, the GenHOT group introduces in its first members:  Natalie Banach, Reed Bowman, Rachel Gibson, David Okamoto, Peter Phillips, Megan Takagi, Nicole Velasco, & Lauren Williams.  This influential young group comes from all industries and includes a member of Mayor Caldwell’s cabinet in Velasco, who leads the Honolulu Neighborhood Board Commission.

HOT experienced another exceptional year artistically, with three acclaimed productions from around the world brought to Honolulu and staged at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.  The company also broke new ground when it staged the contemporary opera Siren Song outside of the Concert Hall at a warehouse in Kaka’ako, which was modified into a temporary performance space.  The Star-Advertiser review of the experiences stated: ”Anyone who misses Siren Song will regret it for years.”

Financially, the company continued its growth in ticket sales, a movement that began last year, reaching over $1 million in revenue (+7%) for the first time in many years. The company also experienced a rise in support from the community, with contributed income growing to $1.2 million (+17%).

HOT’s Education & Outreach Team brought 74 performances of its Opera Express Program to students on four islands.  This past year’s Opera Express showcased a condensed production of The Pirates of Penzance and the cast was comprised of Orvis Opera Studio Members.  HOT Education & Outreach also held 4 Opera Residencies on the island of Oahu.  The Residency program provides an opportunity for a school to transform into an opera company, where students are the cast, creators, and producers of an opera for their community.  This year also saw the creation of the Orvis Young Voices Studio, which provides Hawaii’s young singers (grades 7-12) the opportunity to explore and develop in solo voice performance.

When the 2015-16 Opera Season officially opens in October with Mozart’s The Magic Flute, HOT will record an increase in Subscribers for the first time since 1999.   Declining subscription sales is a trend that has impacted Arts companies across the United States and HOT is delighted to see growth in the support of the opera and arts in Honolulu.

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Since 1961, Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT), formerly a division of the Honolulu Symphony Society and incorporated in 1980, has served to enhance the quality of life in Hawaii by presenting opera performances of the highest standards, while maintaining fiscal responsibility.  Through four productions annually in the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, HOT offers opera to almost 18,000 residents and visitors each season thereby increasing the public’s awareness and exposure to opera as a multi-media art form.

HOT’s educational programs for youth serve as both catalyst and active participant in the artistic education of Hawaii’s youth.  Opera for Everyone provides a special performance of each opera for a large and enthusiastic audience of students.  Opera Express takes operas specially adapted operas, into elementary and middle schools with special tours to all neighbor islands.  HOT’s Opera Residency program takes our education and production staff members into an elementary school to work with students and teachers to compose an opera production centered around curriculum components.   Adult education is offered with Opera Highlights, a non-credit course at the University of Hawaii; Opera Previews, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts; pre-performance Lanai Lectures on the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall lanai; and other presentations at stores or shopping centers.

Led by Artistic Director, Henry Akina, and Executive Director Simon Crookall, HOT partners with the Hawaii Symphony.  Auditions are held, generally in NY, to cast principal roles from mainland, European, Asian and local singers.  The Opera Chorus is a local volunteer organization.