Monthly Archives: September 2014

Madam Butterfly – Opera Preview Lecture

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The 2014-15 Opera Season kicks off next month, which means HOT’s Opera Preview Lecture is back!

On October 1, 2014, starting at 10:00am, join HOT for an Opera Preview at the Honolulu Museum of Art’s Doris Duke Theatre.

Featuring a lecture about the opera, this event is highlighted by an opportunity to hear from the Stars of HOT’s upcoming production, Madam Butterfly.  

This event is free to HOT and HMoA members!

For more information about the Madam Butterfly Opera Preview, contact HOT at (808) 596-7372.

Madam Butterfly – The Cast Is Here!

The Cast is here! The Cast is here!

HOT kicked off the mad dash to Madam Butterfly today by enjoying an amazing view of Honolulu! Special thank you to Jim & Suzanne Case for hosting such a wonderful event and to the entire Case Ohana, (which includes HOT Director of Development Elisabeth Case!) for helping us kick off the 2014-2015 Opera Season with an epic Cast Lunch.

To Butterfly we go!  Buy your tickets today for the performances on Oct. 10, 12, & 14, at the Blaisdell Center!

Hawaii Opera Theatre presents Puccini’s iconic opera Madam Butterfly

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Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) undertakes a series of Life Changing Journeys, the 2014-15 Opera Season, with the Italian Composer Giacomo Puccini’s famous classic, Madam Butterfly.

Originally created for the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland (Madam Butterfly 2009 & 2014), this production was the product of a Hawaiian collective, including HOT Artistic Director, Henry Akina (Stage Director), Fashion Designer Anne Namba (Costume Designer), and Dean Shibuya (Set Designer).  The three revisit their work in a homecoming of sorts as Madam Butterfly comes to life in Hawaii, with Maestro Ivan Törzs taking the podium as Conductor.

Known for beautiful melodies including the aria “Un bel di” (“One fine day”), this opera is set in Nagasaki, Japan, where an American naval officer named Pinkerton is set to marry a young woman named Cio-Cio-San (“Butterfly” in Japanese). While Cio-Cio-San is truly in love, Pinkerton views the marriage as a simple convenience. Butterfly has become so infatuated with Pinkerton that she renounces her Buddhist beliefs and converts to Christianity. Hearing this, Butterfly’s uncle shows up at their wedding and curses her. Not long after, Pinkerton leaves Japan, promising to return to Butterfly soon, all the while knowing that he doesn’t feel the same about her as she does him.

For three years, Madam Butterfly waits for Pinkerton. When he finally does return, Pinkerton is accompanied by his new American wife and it is revealed that Cio-Cio-San has given birth to a son. How will she react to the news that the love of her life has taken another wife?

Highly acclaimed Soprano Lina Tetriani makes her HOT debut as Cio-Cio San with Tenor Eric Margiore, last seen in HOT’s La Traviata (2011), starring as Pinkerton.  Joining them are Metropolitan Opera regulars Mezzo-Soprano Ning Liang as Suzuki and Baritone Daniel Sutin as Sharpless. Bass-Baritone Jamie Offenbach returns to Hawaii to perform as the Bonze.  Offenbach, who starred in the title role of HOT’s modern take of The Mikado this past June, is a native of Hawaii and former resident of Oahu.

Madam Butterfly will be performed at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall on October 10, 12, & 14, 2014.

Tickets to Madam Butterfly and Season Subscriptions can be purchased by contacting the HOT Box Office at (808) 596-7858, online at www.HawaiiOpera.org or via www.TicketMaster.com

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