• Hannah Before:
    Kelly Markgraf
  • Hannah After
    Sasha Cooke*
  • CONDUCTOR:
    Robert Wood
  • STAGE DIRECTOR:
    Jeffrey Buchman*
  • FRY STREET QUARTET:
    Robert Waters, Violin
    Rebecca McFaul, Violin
    Bradley Ottesen, Viola
    Anne Francis Bayless, Cello
  • *HOT Debut

By Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed

As One is a chamber opera in which two voices—Hannah after (mezzo-soprano) and Hannah before (baritone)—share the part of a sole transgender protagonist. Fifteen songs comprise the three-part narrative; with empathy and humor, they trace Hannah’s experiences from her youth in a small town to her college years—and finally traveling alone to a different country, where she realizes some truths about herself.

Part I.

In “Paper route,” Hannah rides around her suburban neighborhood delivering newspapers and revels in her more feminine impulses. Her youthful challenges in conforming to gender norms are related in “Cursive,” “Sex ed,” “Entire of itself” and “Perfect boy”—in such disparate subjects as handwriting, sex, a John Donne poem, and exemplary male behavior. However, in “To know,” she discovers that she is not alone in the world and seeks understanding about herself at a local library.

Part II.

During her college years, Hannah struggles with her bifurcated existence in “Two cities,” but also encounters the joy of being perceived as she wishes in “Three words.” In “Close,” she has made the decision to undergo hormone therapy and briefly suffers its vertiginous effects before feeling at one with her own body. “Home for the holidays,” “A christmas story” and “Dear son” all occur around the Christmas season and relate Hannah’s growing distance from her family and her past, which is countered by an immediate connection with a stranger in a local café. In “Out of nowhere,” Hannah escapes a harrowing assault that prompts her to find a link to the larger trans community and end her self-imposed alienation. Reacting to the conflicting voices in her head, she finally resolves to escape in the fragment, “I go on to…”

Part III.

“Norway.” In this extended aria, Hannah finds, in Nature, solitude and self-reflection, the simple yet surprising equation that will help her achieve happiness.

As One
A chamber opera for two singers and string quartet
Music and Concept by Laura Kaminsky
Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
Film by Kimberly Reed
 

“A piece that haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.” ~ Opera News

Created by Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed, As One depicts with empathy and humor the journey of a transgender person named Hannah as she achieves self-fulfillment in her life. The 75-minute opera stars Sasha Cooke and Kelly Markgraf, who are married in real life and created the roles of “Hannah after” and “Hannah before” at the 2014 premiere. 

 

Performance Schedule

  • January 11, Thursday, 7:30pm
  • January 13, Saturday, 4:00pm
  • January 14 SOLD OUT, Sunday, 4:00pm
  • January 16, Tuesday, 7:30pm

All performances at the Aloha Tower Pier 10 Cruise Ship Terminal.

Sung in English.

Approximately 1.5 hours with no intermission

Photos

Tickets

Pricing

    General Admission
  • Gold - $65
  • Silver - $35

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Pre-Show Features

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