Tag Archives: Hawaii opera

Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!

The start of a new year is always exciting to me. It is a time for both reflection and dreaming; for examining the successes and challenges from the previous year – learning and growing from both – and making plans for the year ahead of us.

There’s a lot in store for your Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre in 2024 – Pagliacci at the Blaisdell Arena in February, La Bohème at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell in April, new adventures in Studio101, and engaging education programming that impacts keiki across the state. But I want to take a moment to look back at our many accomplishments from 2023.

The arts continue to struggle as we adjust to a “new normal” following the pandemic, and HOT is no different in that. But there is so much that gives me hope!

Although audience numbers continue to trail behind pre-Covid seasons, we have seen a tremendous number of first-time attendees. Indeed, over 60% of single-ticket buyers for our October production of An American Dream had never been to a HOT production before, and that is a trend that continues to build from Madame Butterfly in April 2022, which saw 50% new attendees.

We also created two new productions – The Elixir of Love and An American Dream – that were designed and built right here on Oahu. And even more, both operas spoke to our renewed commitment to being of Hawaiʻi, with Elixir set on the islands and Dream telling a story that was all too real for the many Japanese who were incarcerated in the days and weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

We also continued to build interest in our Studio101 shows, all created by Artistic Director Jamie Offenbach, ending the year with sold-out performances of HOT Blue Hawaiʻi in November and I’ll Be Seeing You in December – and again, with many new faces in the audience!

Our Education Department also had a banner year, with new schools partnering with us in our immersive Opera Residencies as well as Opera Express touring shows and other keiki-friendly programs. A personal highlight was the culmination of our first–ever joint residency featuring Kaʻaʻawa and Waiahole Elementary Schools. To see over 50 keiki from two schools come together to perform an opera they’d written and rehearsed with our dedicated staff before an auditorium packed with enthusiastic teachers and parents was exhilarating!

Truly, the power of opera is alive and well right here in Hawaiʻi! And that would not be possible without the dedication of our board, staff, patrons, volunteers, and so many more.

Mahalo nui loa for all you do. I am truly humbled to be a part of this amazing cultural institution.

A hui hou!

Andrew

HANA HOU | DECEMBER 2023

Happy Holidays!

It seems like the holiday season begins earlier and earlier every year. And it’s not just the décor, gift cards, wrapping paper, and more that seems to pop up in stores even before Halloween. But the older I get, the faster the days, weeks, and months speed by me. Seriously, how did it get to be December when I barely remember the fall? Tempus fugit, indeed!

Part of it is just how busy our lives have become. That is certainly the case for the staff at your Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre! But like singing, it’s all about learning to breathe. It’s important to take time to reflect on the year that has passed and to anticipate the new year that is about to start. There is so much to be thankful for in my life: the love of family and friends; the dedication and camaraderie of staff and board; the amazing support of our patrons; the joy in witnessing the power of opera in our performances and education programs; and so much more!

The holidays are also a time for traditions. For me, things get rolling over Thanksgiving weekend: decorating the house (my husband, Danny accuses me of having “Martha Steward disease”) and watching one of my favorite seasonal movies, Miracle on 34th Street with Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara and a very young Natalie Wood. It has also included a myriad of singing gigs – including annual performances of Handel’s Messiah and caroling in Dickensian outfits (yes, even a top hat!). And of course, spending time with friends and family.

Music will always be a vital part of the holidays for me, so I’m especially excited that HOT is bringing back I’ll Be Seeing You this month, in a completely reimagined program created by HOT Artistic Director Jamie Offenbach. The December 2021 edition has a special place in my heart because it was our very first live performance coming out of Covid – in fact, we just squeaked it in between two major surges. Those who attended the second show on the Friday will also remember it as the night the lights went out in Georgia…or rather, Hawaiʻi Opera Plaza. It was literally minutes before curtain when the entire building went dark! We held for about 15 minutes, but ultimately decided the show truly must go on…even without lighting and sound. So, we scrounged up a couple battery-powered lights and got the program going. Power came back on about 20 minutes in, right in the middle of one of Blythe Kelsey’s songs. She paused for a second, started it over again, and the crowd went wild! That was an experience I will never forget.

The music continues December 16 when singers from the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio will be featured in concert at Kawaiahaʻo Church. You won’t want to miss this free event! And it’s the perfect excuse to wander through the beautiful Honolulu City Lights exhibit at Honolulu Hale right across the street.

Whatever your traditions, I hope your holidays are filled with family, friends, good food, and amazing music!

With Warm Aloha,

Andrew

#HOTSpeaks: Hawaii’s Opera Brings Audrey Luna Home

Photo by Fay Fox

Hawaii’s own Soprano Audrey Luna raised a lot of eyebrows last month when an archivist reported that she had unknowingly broken the record for the highest note sung on the Metropolitan Opera’s stage during Thomas Adès’ new opera The Exterminating Angel.

The note, an A above high C, is written into the opera’s score, so to her she was just doing her job. But to everyone else — from The New York Times to Seth Meyers — the feat was worth sharing. Now, after the whirlwind of all that publicity, she’s back in Hawaii. In February, Audrey will star as HOT’s Marie in Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment. And she couldn’t be happier to be back.

“This is where I want to live forever,” she said. “I love Hawaii. From the first time I arrived here, I knew I wanted to make it my home.”

Audrey’s most recent flight over the Pacific followed some of the busiest years of her professional life. But when she first landed on Oahu about ten years ago, her career was just taking off. Fresh out of school and looking for a job, Audrey landed the lead female role in HOT’s 2008 production of Romeo & Juliet.

“I never wanted to leave after that,” she said. “So I made it happen.”

For the next two consecutive seasons, Audrey returned to HOT. After her third role as Blondchen in The Abduction from the Seraglio, she began to make to move to Oahu.

Her role as Leticia in The Exterminating Angel took her around the world, including theatres in London and Salzburg. It’s been great for her career, she said, but she is looking forward to her upcoming season singing standard repertoire, including her role as Marie with HOT.

“For the last five years or so, I’ve been doing a lot of contemporary opera — most with very serious and tragic plots,” she said. “I’m really glad to break out of that and do this comedic role. My voice missed singing Bel canto.”

This month, Audrey has also begun teaching voice lessons at HOT. Some of her students include singers from the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio.

“My schedule hasn’t allowed me to teach as much as I want to, so I’m glad that I’m starting that back up again,” Audrey said.

Before singing with HOT in February, Audrey is enjoying her downtime. Aside from teaching voice lessons, she will be spending time with her family and preparing for future roles.

“And laying on the beach,” she said with a laugh.

Buy Tickets to HOT’s Daughter of the Regiment, Starring Audrey Luna!

Hawaii Public Radio – A Curious Person’s Guide to the Opera

On October 14th, at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, Hawaii Opera Theatre opens a production of Puccini’s La Bohème. It’s considered one of the most romantic love stories to grace the operatic stage, and is his most popular work alongside Madama Butterfly.

Set in Paris during the start of 1830s, La Bohème tells the story of four young artists living in a garret (attic) and pursuing an idealistic “bohemian” lifestyle. When Rudolfo the poet meets Mimi they fall in love, but the poverty of their lifestyle affects her health and after a whirlwind romance she tragically dies.

Hawai‘i Public Radio continues its series with a behind-the-scenes look into the making of La Bohème. Hosted by HOT Executive Director Simon Crookall.

“A Curious Person’s Guide to La Bohème” airs on HPR-1 during Evening Concert around 6:30 on Friday October 7th, and again on Tuesday at 3pm on HPR-1.

LISTEN ONLINE!

Tickets and information can be found at hawaiiopera.org.

From Hawaii Public Radio.

Behind-the-Scenes – La Boheme

We’re gearing up for a very HOT production of Puccini’s classic & one of the most beloved operas! Whet the appetite and check out these behind-the-scenes photos!

The HOT Take From The Santa Fe Opera Festival – Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet

Director Stephen Lawless sets his production of Romeo and Juliet “in the time of Gounod” rather than Shakespeare’s time. The red shirts of the Montagues and the blue shirts of the Capulets were easy to distinguish! Ashley Martin-Davis’ set is a forbidding mausoleum-like structure which foreshadows the story’s tragic end.

This production of Romeo and Juliet included parts of the opera that are often omitted in performance. The ballet sequences in Act, which were obligatory for the Paris Opera of the time, were reinstated here, as well as the Wedding Scene in Act 2, where Juliet is to marry Paris, but collapses from the poison she has consumed.

Stephen Costello and Ailyn Perez were perfectly matched in the title roles, effortlessly gliding through the challenges of the music. Solomon Howard was an imposing Duke, and Raymond Aceto brought gravitas to the role of Friar Lawrence, although it was unclear why his cell had been transformed into a hospital ward.

Many of the smaller comprimario roles were taken by members of the Santa Fe Opera apprentices program. Santa Fe’s young artist program is the oldest in the country and is celebrating its sixtieth year. 44 young singers are in residence throughout the season, singing in the chorus, filling the smaller roles and covering the principal roles. During the first week in August, the members of the Apprentice perform a showcase, each singing an aria in quasi audition format. This year, representatives from 38 opera companies, as well as artist managers and other music presenting organizations, were present for the showcase.

The HOT Take From The Santa Fe Opera Festival – Vanessa

Barber & Menotti

Samuel Barber’s Vanessa premiered at the Met Opera in 1958 after a long gestation period, with Barber’s partner, Giancarlo Menotti, writing the libretto. (“I don’t know how severely Verdi harassed poor Boito, but I can assure you that Sam haunted me in my dreams until the very last words of the opera were written,” said Menotti.). As you would expect from the composer of the famous Adagio and the popular Violin Concerto, the score is ravishingly beautiful, with evocative orchestral interludes, and soaring vocal lines. The story is based on one of Isak Dinesen’s Seven Gothic Tales, and the opera has a surreal atmosphere throughout. Vanessa has been waiting for twenty years for the return of her lover, Anatol. While she waits, along with her mother, the Baroness, and her niece, Erika, she has all of the mirrors in the house covered up so that she will not see her aging face. A stranger arrives, and he turns out to be Anatol’s son, also called Anatol, by the wife he met after he left Vanessa. After a brief affair with Erika, Anatol starts to court Vanessa, and they decide to marry. During the grand ball to announce the engagement, Erika runs away, and we learn that she was pregnant with Anatol’s baby. She loses the baby, and keeps it a secret from Vanessa and Anatol, who leave to live in Paris. As the opera ends, Erika settles down to await their return, having covered up the mirrors again.

The cast in Santa Fe was extremely strong, with Erin Wall in the title role and Virginie Verrez as Erika. Erika’s aria “Why must the winter come so soon” was particularly beautiful, as was the famous Act 3 quintet, “To leave, to break, to find, to keep”. Also memorable was the offstage chorus “In morning light let us rejoice”. The audience was delighted to hear the veteran Wagnerian baritone, James Morris, in the role of the Doctor. Conductor Leonard Slatkin gave a masterful reading of the work, especially in the third act, beginning with a breathtaking orchestral interlude.

Director James Robinson created a stunningly pristine backdrop to the work, with an ingenious set designed by Allen Moyer.

The HOT Take from the Santa Fe Opera Festival – Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West

The Girl of the Golden West is not the most successful of Puccini’s operas. The “big tunes” are few and far between, and one recurring theme was heavily plagiarized by Andrew Llyod Webber for his Phantom of the Opera. (Try getting that tune out of your head after you hear it!). Set in a mining town in California during the gold rush, the cast is predominantly male, which gives Puccini less opportunity for the beautiful melodies for which his other operas are so famous.

The Polka Saloon

The Santa Fe production, directed by Richard Jones, with sets by Miriam Buether, takes place in small rooms – the Polka Saloon and Minnie’s cabin – leaving the action feeling a little cramped. This has the effect of focusing the attention on the very human aspects of the drama, notably the budding relationship between Minnie and Dick.

Minnie’s Cabin

Minnie’s obsessive love for Dick Johnson, aka the bandit Leader Ramirrez, was strongly portrayed by Patricia Racette. Hers is a bold and confident Minnie, who is determined to get her man in the end. As Dick Johnson, Gwyn Hughes Jones brought passionate lyricism to the role, especially his third act aria “Ch’ella mi creda” where he pleads to his would-be lynchers not to tell Minnie that he has died. The large supporting cast of miners were led by Mark Delavan (Jack Rance), Raymond Aceto (Ashby) and Craig Verm (Sonora). Emmanuel Villaume, Music Director of Dallas Opera, conducted at a flowing pace.

The HOT Take from the Santa Fe Opera Festival – Don Giovanni

HOT General Director Simon Crookall continues The HOT Take series from the Santa Fe Opera Festival where opera fans and company representatives from around the world have gathered for one of the most popular opera festivals today.

Santa Fe Opera House is a beautiful venue, overlooking the Sierra, with a roof but no walls, even at the back of the stage. The thunderstorm which accompanied Don Giovanni this week could not have been a better background to the action. Lightening flashed across the sky throughout the performance, and a massive clap of thunder heralded the entrance of the Commendatore at the dramatic denouement.

The set, designed by Riccardo Hernandez, consisted of one large amorphous structure that was reminiscent of the Anish Kapoor sculptures I saw in English National Opera’s Tristan and Isolde. Here, the structure had the impression of a human head, reminding us of the constant presence of the Commendatore. It was beautifully lit, especially as the flames of hell engulfed the Don at the end of the performance.

Daniel Okulitch, who sang the title role for HOT in (2007) was a commanding Don – his sensual portrayal made it easy to see why no woman could resist him. The cast was uniformly strong, with notable performances from Kyle Ketelson (Leporello), Leah Crocetto (Donna Anna) and Keri Alkema (Donna Elvira). Crocetto managed to portray her character’s struggle between grief for her father and attraction to the mysterious stranger who tried to seduce her, and she easily rebuffed Don Ottavio’s feeble advances, played by Edgaras Montvidas. Alkema’s confident singing made Elvira the stronger of the two women in this production, helplessly in love with Giovanni, but determined to “do the right thing”.

Veteran conductor, John Noble, led with distinction. It was good to see his friend and former student, HOT regular, Hal France, in the audience.

Hawaii Opera Theatre Presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Hawaii Opera Theatre presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT), the Islands’ only opera company, kicks off the 2015-2016 Opera Season, Things Are Not As They Seem, with the beautiful melodies of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s eternally popular and entertaining tale of love, The Magic Flute, opens the season on October 9, 11 & 13. Metropolitan Opera Stage Director Daniel Rigazzi created this new and innovative production, which follows the love-struck Tamino on his quest to rescue the lovely princess, Pamina. Accompanied by an affable bird-catcher, Papageno, and possessing a mystical flute, Tamino must brave several trials, certain to reveal far more than simple matters of the heart. Set in a fictitious land, this fairy-tale sings of the classic struggle between good and evil, the power of music, and the pursuit of noble virtues. Originally debuting in September of 1791, Mozart’s final opera continues to captivate operagoers of all ages with its elegant balance of mystery and whimsy, and stunning music.

Making her HOT debut this season is rising star, So Young Park (Queen of the Night). Park will be ready for the role as she sung the role in this past Summer’s acclaimed production of the opera at the Glimmerglass Festival in New York. Last season’s breakout stars Rachel Schutz (Papagena) and Curt Olds (Papageno), who delighted audiences in HOT’s modern take on The Mikado in 2014, return to lead a powerful cast that includes local residents Amy Mills, Maya Hoover, & Blythe Kelsey performing as The Three Ladies.

Ticket Information – Tickets start at $29 and for this production, HOT is offering tickets for children (up to 17) for just $20. To purchase tickets and redeem any specials, contact the HOT Box Office at (808) 596-7858. Tickets are also available online at HawaiiOpera.org and via Ticketmaster.

Subscription details – Subscriptions are available only by contacting the HOT Box Office at (808) 596-7858. New Season Subscribers can receive a special Buy 2, Get 1 Free discount.

The magic continues February 12, 14, & 16, 2016, with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Benjamin Britten’s inventive interpretation of Shakespeare’s comic play & the season concludes with opera heavy hitter Giuseppe Verdi’s epic masterpiece Il Trovatore.

Enhance your operatic experience by attending a number of special HOT events.

HOT Opera Preview

Sept. 30, 2015 / 10:00am / Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Museum of Art

Attend a special Opera Preview at the Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Museum of Art, featuring background on the opera and a Q&A session with the cast and Artistic Team of The Magic Flute.

HOT Opera for Everyone (OFE)

Oct. 7, 2015 / 7:00pm / Blaisdell Concert Hall

Held during the Final Dress Rehearsal of each opera, this popular program offered by the HOT Education Team provides teachers & parents with the opportunity to share opera with their students & children for just $7. For more information, contact the Hawaii Opera Theatre Education Department at (808) 596-7372.

HOT Tuesday

Oct. 13, 2015 / 5:30pm – 10:00pm / Honolulu Club & Blaisdell Concert Hall

Kick off the 2015-16 Opera Season by starting the evening off at the Honolulu Club for a party, which includes drinks, food, live music, and free parking, followed by a night at the opera during the final performance of The Magic Flute on Oct. 13, 2015 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall (7:00pm)!

All this fun and value for a deal that starts at $45!

Tickets online at HOTTUESDAY.eventbrite.com.

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