Monthly Archives: December 2013

HOT receives $25,000 Grant to support community outreach and education programs

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:  Jason M.A. Walter | 808-596-7372 ext. 211 | j_walter@hawaiiopera.org

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Hawaii Opera Theatre receives $25,000 grant to support community outreach and education programs 

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) received a $25,000 grant from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation to support its state-wide education and outreach programs.

Cutbacks in arts education funding are an ongoing struggle. The National Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of Public Participation in the Arts reveals that from 1982-2008 there was a decline of 23 percent of youth taking art classes in their childhood.

Opera is the culmination of all art forms:  the perfect blend of music, theatre, dance and design. Opera can only happen when artists from a variety of disciplines come together bringing singers, musicians, actors, dancers, creative designers, scenic painters and costumers into one magnificent vision.  It is therefore the ideal foundation for arts education, with its rich diversity of program disciplines and opportunities for self-expression.

HOT’s Residency program brings its education and production staff members into elementary schools to work with students and teachers to produce, perform opera. Some schools even create an opera production around curriculum components.  HOT is currently working with elementary schools Blanche Pope in Waimanalo, Waikele, and Pearl City Highlands.  When the cafeteria was being used for lunch, Blanche Pope students are being staged (literally) “under the mango tree”!  Kupuna are heavily involved and even crafting props from royal palm.  Waikele’s adapted story of Cinderella includes characters coming from different cultures and an overall theme of working together. ESL teachers have shared that singing opera helps many of their students more quickly grasp, and become more comfortable with, the English language.  “It’s hard hard work on everyone’s part but there is incredible talent, and it’s so wonderful when you feel the ship turning – in a good direction,” said HOT Education Director Erik Haines.

“Opera is delightfully unexpected in Hawaii,” said HOT Artistic Director Henry Akina.  “And yet, opera has been part of Hawaiian island culture for more than a century.  Its history in Hawaii, which dates back to the 1850’s, includes stores of Queen Emma singing in the chorus of Verdi’s Il Trovatore while her husband, King Kamehameha IV served as the stage manager.” Passed down through generations of unwritten communication, Hawaiians as well as most other ethnic backgrounds here have a natural aloha for musical story telling as well as a natural talent for singing.

HOT’s educational programs serve as both catalyst and active participant in the artistic education of Hawaii’s youth and adults:

  • Opera for Everyone (OFE) reserves the 2,000-seat Concert Hall’s preview night of each of the three operas for a large and enthusiastic audience of students.  OFE Intern Program provides students with hands-on experience, on-stage in the chorus or as supernumeraries, or backstage in wigs, makeup, wardrobe, or other areas of production.
  • HOT Opera Express takes operas specially adapted operas, into elementary and middle schools with special tours to all neighbor islands, reaching more than 15,000 students each year.
  • HOT Opera Residency program takes our education and production staff members into an elementary school to work with students and teachers – and parents and grandparents – to produce and perform and opera, touching approximately 4,000 in a year. In some cases, the students develop the story and lyrics centered  – set to opera music by HOT education staff – around curriculum components.   HOT’s Opera Residency Program has received national recognition with an Opera America Success Award for demonstrating “exemplary effort in advancing public awareness of opera using an innovative approach” and “showing initiative in forging creative, community-building partnerships outside the company.” Opera America is the national service organization for opera companies in the United States and Canada.
  • Adult education is offered Opera Previews, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts; Opera Talk at the HOT Rehearsal Space the Saturday before each opening night, pre-performance Lanai Lectures on the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall lanai; and other presentations at various locations in the community.

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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 Hawaii by presenting opera performances of the highest standards, while maintaining fiscal responsibility.  Through three productions annually in the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, HOT offers opera to over 14,000 residents and visitors each season thereby increasing the public’s awareness and exposure to opera as a multi-media art form.

Directed by Artistic Director, Henry Akina, and Executive Director Simon Crookall, HOT partners with the Hawaii Symphony to provide the orchestra.  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.

HOT receives G.N. Wilcox Trust Grant

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:  Jason M.A. Walter | 808-596-7372 ext. 211 | j_walter@hawaiiopera.org

  HOT Logo Small

Hawaii Opera Theatre receives $10,000 grant from G. N. Wilcox Trust to support community outreach and education program Opera Express on Kauai

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) received a $10,000 grant from the G. N. Wilcox Trust (Bank of Hawaii, Trustee) to support its education and outreach program, Opera Express Tour, on the island of Kauai.  HOT’s Opera Express program reaches more than 13,000 elementary school children, grades K-6, statewide, each year.  HOT is confirmed for ten performances on the Island of Kauai for approximately 2,000 students at five public elementary schools, including:  ‘Ele’ele, Hanalei, Kalaheo, and Wilcox.

Cutbacks in arts education funding are an ongoing struggle. Opera is the culmination of all art forms:  the perfect blend of music, theatre, dance and design.  It is therefore the ideal foundation for arts education, with its rich diversity of program disciplines and opportunities for self-expression.

“Opera is delightfully unexpected in Hawaii,” said HOT Artistic Director Henry Akina.  “And yet, opera has been part of Hawaiian island culture for more than a century.

Each year, HOT produces a reduced scale opera to tour elementary schools statewide.  During the 2013-2014 school year, the HOT Opera Express will tour HOT’s adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s witty and entertaining operetta The Mikado which will be performed at the Neal Blaisdell Center June, 2014.  The show will be held in cafeterias and gymnasiums, for audiences of up to 200.  The 40-minute production features three artists from HOT’s Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio with piano accompaniment and a traveling set.  Staging and scenery for the touring shows are specially created by HOT’s in-house production department.  A discussion period follows the performance in which singers answer questions from the students.  A study guide is sent by HOT ahead of time to allow for classroom based on the opera’s theme.  The statewide program is also supported by the State Foundation for Culture and the Arts.  The program is marketed to all elementary school in the State via faxed flyers and follow-up phone calls.

 

HOT’s educational programs for youth serve as both catalyst and active participant in the artistic education of Hawaii’s youth:

  • Opera for Everyone (OFE) reserves the 2,000-seat Concert Hall’s preview night of each of the three operas for a large and enthusiastic audience of students.  OFE Intern Program provides students with hands-on experience, on-stage in the chorus or as supernumeraries, or backstage in wigs, makeup, wardrobe, or other areas of production.
  • HOT Opera Express takes operas specially adapted operas, into elementary and middle schools with special tours to all neighbor islands, reaching more than 15,000 students each year.
  • HOT Opera Residency program takes our education and production staff members into an elementary school to work with students and teachers – and parents and grandparents – to produce and perform and opera, touching approximately 4,000 in a year. In some cases, the students develop the story and lyrics centered  – set to opera music by HOT education staff – around curriculum components.   HOT’s Opera Residency Program has received national recognition with an Opera America Success Award for demonstrating “exemplary effort in advancing public awareness of opera using an innovative approach” and “showing initiative in forging creative, community-building partnerships outside the company.” Opera America is the national service organization for opera companies in the United States and Canada.
  • Adult education is offered Opera Previews, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts; Opera Talk at the HOT Rehearsal Space the Saturday before each opening night, pre-performance Lanai Lectures on the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall lanai; and other presentations at various locations in the community.

***********

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 Hawaii by presenting opera performances of the highest standards, while maintaining fiscal responsibility.  Through three productions annually in the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, HOT offers opera to over 14,000 residents and visitors each season thereby increasing the public’s awareness and exposure to opera as a multi-media art form.

Directed by Artistic Director, Henry Akina, and Executive Director Simon Crookall, HOT partners with the Hawaii Symphony to provide the orchestra.  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.

 

Sylvia McNair is coming to Hawaii

Sylvia McNair will be in Hawaii to kick off the New Year!

The Singer first made headlines gracing stages around the world as a Grammy Award-Winning Soprano before transitioning from a career in Opera and Oratorio to Cabaret and Musical Theatre.

Check out a preview of Ms. McNair as she presents “Sylvia’s Dilemma” below:

On January 12, 2014, join us when HOT presents Sylvia McNair in Subject to Change.

Buy your tickets online at www.HawaiiTheatre.com now! Tickets start at $25 dollars with discounts for HOT Members and other select groups.

Tickets are also available for a very special VIP Meet & Greet Reception post-concert with Ms. McNair.

End of Year Education Campaign

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Our first production of the Season, Puccini’s Turandot, was an outstanding success, with spectacular scenery and costumes, a world-class cast of singers and, of course, our very own HOT Chorus. The “Best Party in Town” followed up Turandot at Opera Ball.  Though the Season has just begun, the HOT Education and Outreach Program is hard at work year-round.

Just as Turandot was ending, and the sets and costumes were being packed away, our Education Department was beginning its tour of The Mikado. This Opera Express production will be performed in 72 schools on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, introducing over 14,000 school children to the magical world of opera. The cast comprises singers from HOT’s Orvis Opera Studio – a wonderful training ground for young singers on their way to operatic careers, like Quinn Kelsey, one of our earliest studio participants, who is now starring in opera houses all over the world.

Opera Residency

As a company Hawaii Opera Theatre is so much more than the magnificent productions you see at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, and everything we do – from Turandot to Opera Express – is only possible because of your support. Your donations ensure that we can continue to perform top quality opera in Hawaii and introduce thousands of children to the power of music.

Please help us in our mission by considering a gift before the end of the year. Every dollar you give is tax-deductible. In addition, if you are 70½ or older, you can make a tax-free contribution from your IRA of up to $100,000 before December 31, 2013. Please contact us for further details.

To support the December 2013 Education Campaign, please download the December 2013 Pledge Card.

For other options and for more information about supporting HOT, visit us online here.

Thank you for your support!

 

HOT Presents Sylvia McNair

HOT presents Sylvia McNair in Subject to Change in just one month, January 12, 2014 at 400pm! This event will be held at the Historic Hawaii Theatre.

Catch a preview of the two-time Grammy Award-Winning Soprano as she sings Gershwin’s Summertime below.

Buy your tickets now at www.HawaiiTheatre.com or by calling (808) 528-0506!

HOT Announces Casting Change

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jason M.A. Walter | 808-596-7372 ext. 211 | j_walter@hawaiiopera.org

Hawaii Opera Theatre announces casting change

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT), announces a casting change to its production of Pagliacci & Carmina Burana.

Kip Wilborn will be replacing Richard Crawley as a cast member in the role of Canio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.

A resident of Honolulu, Kip Wilborn, has enjoyed a career that has flourished in both North America and Europe. Versatile and accomplished in the classical repertoire, his credits as a leading operatic tenor include engagements in opera houses such as San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Cleveland Opera, Cincinnati Opera, San Diego Opera, Volksoper Vienna, Trieste’s Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, Essen’s Aalto Theater, Berlin’s Theater des Westens, Dublin Grand Opera, and Wexford Festival.

Mr. Wilborn has starred with HOT previously as Luigi in Il tabarro and Rinuccio in Gianni Schichi (2006), Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (2007), and most recently as Seigmund in Die Walküre (2010).

“We are fortunate that Kip is a part of our community.” shares Henry Akina, HOT’s Artistic Director, on the casting and Wilborn’s residence here. Wilborn relocated to the islands after he was cast by HOT in 2006 and has been a resident of Oahu since.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience both Pagliacci & Carmina Burana on March 28, 30, & April 1, 2014. A popular commission from the Portland Opera, watch as the clown wreaks vengeance in Leoncavallo’s satire, Pagliacci, a tale of love, jealousy and death! Then witness Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a collection of raunchy songs from a Benedictine monastery, transformed and presented as it was originally conceived, on stage.

Tickets for Pagliacci & Carmina Burana are on sale now. Visit www.HawaiiOpera.org, or call the Box Office at 808-596-7858 for more information

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HOT appoints Elisabeth Case as the new Director of Development

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:  Jason M.A. Walter | 808-596-7372 ext. 211 | j_walter@hawaiiopera.org

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Hawaii Opera Theatre hires new Director of Development, Elisabeth Case

Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) officially announces the hiring of Elisabeth Case as its new Director of Development.

Ms. Case, who was raised in Hawaii and has been a regular opera attendee, shares: “I am very inspired by the educational and youth programs that Hawaii Opera Theatre runs state-wide.  HOT visited my children’s school and the entire assembly were mesmerized by the performance and very entertained.“

Ms. Case earned her MBA from the Thunderbird School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated cum laude from Boston University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree.  She has also received an Associates Degree from Franklin College Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland.

A fourth-generation kama’aina, Ms. Case was born in Hilo, raised in Honolulu, and is a graduate of Punahou School.  She is a member of the Case family, an ohana that has actively been involved in the community’s growth and preservation over the last 40 years, and her brother, Ed Case, served the State of Hawaii at the Hawaii State Legislature and in Congress.

Ms. Case has volunteered extensively in the community and has co-chaired the 500-guest Hanahau`oli School fundraiser, as well as served on the Fundraising and Fair committees, and the PTA executive committee of that school.

HOT Executive Director Simon Crookall on the appointment: “We are delighted to welcome Elisabeth to the staff of HOT.  Her impressive resume and local knowledge will be invaluable.”

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Case served as the Director of Institutional Advancement with the Academy of the Pacific and has lived and worked across the United States and around the World.

 

 

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Get HOT with the Orvis Opera Studio this December!

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HOT’s Education and Outreach Program is busy year-round and that includes this Holiday Season!  Erin Winker Fasone, Kaweo Kanoho, and Blythe Kelsey, Members of HOT Education’s Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio will be performing this weekend on Lanai at the Great Hall in the Lodge at Koele.

The Singers will be accompanied on the piano by Mr. Eric Schank and this performance will start at 7:00pm. This event is made possible through a collaboration between HOT and the University of Hawaii Outreach College.

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The Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio of Hawaii Opera Theatre was founded by HOT’s Artistic Director, Henry Akina, and was dedicated in 1998 to Mae Zenke, a gifted opera singer, who married businessman Arthur Orvis.  The Orvis’ were great supporters of the arts in Hawaii and their legacy of generosity lives on through the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation, which provides the funding for this program.

The goal of this Opera Studio is to provide training and performance experiences that include classes and seminars in movement, musical style, language, repertoire coaching and master classes.

For those of you on Oahu, you also have the opportunity to attend very special Opera Event with Members of the Orvis Opera Studio this December. Great Singers, Great Songs, featuring Mark Morash, will be held on December 20 & 21, 2013, at 7:00pm in the HOT Rehearsal Hall, at 780 S. Beretania Street.  Mark Morash, the Director of Musical Studies with the San Francisco Opera Center, will be in Hawaii to work with a selection of singers from the Orvis Opera Studio.

This event is free with limited seating.  Please RSVP by calling 808-596-7372 before December 18, 2013, to reserve your space.  Both on street and limited parking are available at Hawaii Opera Plaza (848 S. Beretania Street).