Monthly Archives: March 2015

Star-Advertiser Review – ‘Siren Song’ entrances with stellar cast and intimate layout

‘Siren Song’ entrances with stellar cast and intimate layout

By Ruth Bingham / Special to the Star-Advertiser / POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 22, 2015

Hawaii Opera Theatre’s “Siren Song” is event theater at its best — a new venue revealing an unfamiliar part of the city; food and drink to purchase on-site before and after (try the dessert bacon!); and a new work about current events, revealing unrecognized parts of ourselves.

You may remember the story from the news: A young sailor answers a lonely hearts ad, begins corresponding via letters, and falls passionately in love with a woman invented by a con man, who bilks the gullible fellow of all his savings.

It is the siren song of love, and as the con man sums up, “Isn’t that the greatest feeling in the world?”

We may think the young man foolish, the con man heartless, but “Siren Song” explores the ways we all yearn for love. When we fall in love, how much is real, how much imagined, how much of it is love with love itself? So often, we fall in love with the person we imagine the other to be, and only later discover who they are.

HOT’s “Siren Song” is distilled “essence of opera”: condensed (running time is about an hour and a quarter), powerful, stripped of spectacle and hoopla, brilliantly designed and spectacularly performed.

This is a great event, and anyone who misses it is going to regret it for years.

Those used to the luxuries of opera may be taken aback initially. This production is in a warehouse downtown, with all the anticipated “amenities”: cement floors, open beams, the ubiquitous corrugated steel of warehouses and wharves, clangy acoustics and folding chairs.

And yet, once the music begins, all that is forgotten.

As a special bonus for this Hawaii premiere, composer Jonathan Dove was on hand. Take a moment to talk to him (how often do we have a chance to meet composers of operas we see?) and be sure to hear his engaging preperformance talk.

Dove’s music draws you in and is so carefully crafted that words and music are inseparable. The music, of course, set the mood, but also led, commented, echoed, punctuated, created all that was happening, embodying the drama. It was both effective and thoroughly enjoyable, and there were so many wonderful moments, it invites rehearing: the sirenlike, wordless vocalizing by “Diana,” the imaginary love interest, enticing Davey, the young sailor; the soaring melody of “I love her”; the echoing lines as Diana comes into being and as Davey falls into the con.

The audience can similarly “fall into” this production in a way not possible in a large hall. Seating is only about 10 rows deep, with the stage as wide as the seating, so that expressions and nuanced acting are visible. There is no real backstage area, and the drama unfolds quite literally in front of you.

The set, simply facing staircases, is stationary and scenes are created through ingenious projections created by Adam Larsen. The opera begins with undulating waves on an open sea, and as the young sailor writes and reads, words begin to appear in the waves, his imagination building upon the emptiness. Images emerge rather than appear, varying in clarity and color to show us what characters “see.”

Warehouse acoustics meant even the chamber orchestra of 10 musicians overwhelmed singers at times, but fortunately only in climaxes. The opera is in English and intelligible throughout, even without subtitles/supertitles.

HAWAII OPERA THEATRE
“Siren Song” by Jonathan Dove

>> Time: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 4 p.m. Sundays.
>> Date: March 22, 27, 28 and 29.
>> Place: 445 Cooke St.
>> Cost: $50-$75.
>> Tickets: Box office, 596-7858; or at purchase-tickets-online.hawaiiopera.org/public/.
>> Parking: 555 South St. or by valet at the door.

Crucially, the cast was uniformly excellent, with outstanding main leads. Vale Rideout and his clear tenor created a sympathetically naive, vulnerable young sailor, so in love with love that the incredible deception became believable. Davey becomes a partner in his own deception: “Teach me what women are like.”

As the imaginary Diana, soprano Rachel Schutz delivered a beautifully enticing “siren song” throughout and looked the part of a young sailor’s ideal, a glamorous globe-trotting model. (Her early line, “I love cheesecake — I can eat all I want and I never put on weight,” humorously confirmed her as fictitious.)

Baritone Wes Mason, as Jonathan/Brian the con man, was charming and sly, despicable and believable. He trod that careful line between being con man and partner in love, enjoying the fantasy as much as the sailor: “Don’t be mad at me, Davey. We had a good time.”

Director Henry Akina and his production team, including conductor Vincent de Kort and designers Larsen, T.H. Stettler (scenery), Helen E. Rodgers (costumes) and Sandy Sandelin (lighting), are to be commended for bringing this work to Hawaii and for delivering such a fine production. I had no idea what to expect and was thoroughly entranced.

This is a fantasy love affair, so it’s not for children, but adults of all ages will love it. Go. Take your friends. Have a good time.

———

Ruth O. Bingham received her doctorate in musicology from Cornell University and has been reviewing the musical arts for more than 25 years.

HOT in the News – HOT’s Siren Song has ‘offbeat’ appeal

20-T7-Siren-Song

If opera confuses you with its weird, convoluted stories, you shouldn’t have any trouble identifying with “Siren Song,” Hawaii Opera Theatre’s latest production.

Although “Siren Song” is based on the story of British sailor Davey Palmer, the plot bears a striking resemblance to the catfish incident involving Hawaii football star Manti Te’o and his mystery girlfriend. In both cases the men fell victim to a hoax perpetrated by a scam artist.

HOT isn’t shying away from the connection, serving up catfish at a fundraising event for the opera.

‘SIREN SONG’

 

Presented by Hawaii Opera Theatre

» Where: 445 Cooke St.
» When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, also 4 p.m. Sundays through March 29
» Cost: $50-$75
» Info: (808) 836-7858, www.hawaiiopera.org

British composer Jonathan Dove based “Siren Song” on the Palmer incident, which occurred in the late 1980s. Its titillating appeal and modern yet accessible musical palette proved to be tempting bait to HOT Artistic Director Henry Akina and Executive Director Simon Crookall, who hope it will attract a new audience to opera.

“This is the kind of thing we’ve always wanted to do in Hawaii but we haven’t gotten our teeth into,” Akina said. “We looked at several pieces, but this one stood out to both of us as the one.”

HOT is giving the production an urban spin by staging it in a Kaka­ako warehouse and servicing the audience’s culinary needs with Street Grindz. While street noise may be a problem, the venue should suit the small-scale production well. “Siren Song” is about 70 minutes long, has only five cast members and needs a chamber orchestra. A simple stage setting will be enhanced by the use of scenes projected behind the stage.

“We have a videographer (Adam Larsen), so we’re trying to be ‘with it,’” Akina said with a laugh. “The video is the meat of the piece, and the actors work in front of it, so it’s like an ever-changing background. … It creates an atmosphere of foreboding on the one hand and of location on another.”

Musically, the opera should be enjoyable, though there will be some challenges. The libretto is in English, so there will be no supertitles. That means the audience must pay attention to keep up with the twists and turns of the plot. There are extended songs, but there is no grand aria to provide a focal point for the story.

The music itself will remind listeners of minimalist composers Philip Glass (“Einstein on the Beach,” “Koyaanisqatsi”) and John Adams (“Nixon in China,” “The Death of Klinghoffer”).

Despite its unfamiliarity and unconventional style, conductor Vincent de Kort said the audience won’t have trouble with the music.

“I can imagine that when they see a composer which they don’t know and they see that he’s still alive, they think, ‘This is modern music,’” he said. “But it has texture which is obviously influenced by Glass and Adams … and the music is very romantic.”

Portraying the “hopeless, hapless” Palmer is tenor Vale Rideout, who last performed with HOT in 2012 in “The Pearl Fishers.” He sees his character as a person who would be out of place no matter where he is.

“There are some who grow up being sheltered, inexperienced, naive, who can easily reverse that, who can easily absorb the education the world might offer,” Rideout said. “Davey’s not one of them. He doesn’t like foreign food. He doesn’t like garlic. He doesn’t really like the places he travels because they’re so strange that he can’t absorb them.”

All that makes him an easy mark for a scam, especially one involving women. “He desperately wants a girlfriend, definitely wants to share his life, but he doesn’t know how,” Rideout said.

Hawaii soprano Rachel Schutz will make her HOT debut as the mystery woman, model Diana Reed. She found inspiration for her role in a book about the incident, “Siren Song: A Story Stranger Than Fiction,” by British writer Gordon Honeycombe. His book detailed the scams that were pulled on Palmer by a man named Jonathan Reed (portrayed by Wes Mason), who claimed to be the woman’s brother.

“It really was a soap opera,” she said. “There was a lawsuit in New York and somebody has a stroke, and then the father’s hit by a car and he’s in a coma.”

For audiences getting the third-person perspective, that soap-opera quality will only amplify the absurdity of the situation.

“Halfway through the opera, she loses her voice to cancer,” Schutz said, “so there are several phone calls where she’s tapping a code out instead of speaking.”

Schutz has been “having a ball with the role,” letting the ethereal quality of her character take her on flights of fancy.

“With other characters you really do a lot of character study,” she said. “You try to make their histories fit. You take as much you can from the opera and build on that. You build your own story so that the characters fit.

“With this character I can do anything. It doesn’t even have to make that much sense.”

From the March 20, 2015, Print Edition of Star-Advertiser’s TGIF by Steven Mark

 

Siren Song is Ready to Roll!

HOT’s production of Jonathan Dove’s Siren Song is ready to roll and will ‘opera’ your senses March 20 – 22 & 27- 29!  Be sure to join us in Our Kaka’ako at 445 Cooke Street for a brand new experience of the art form!

Buy your tickets online now here or call the HOT Box Office at (808) 596-7858!

9C8C0082 9C8C01959C8C0194 9C8C0399 9C8C0479

Photos by David Takagi

 

Get HOT in Our Kaka’ako with Siren Song & more!

Aloha Opera Lovers!

Siren Song opens this week at 445 Cooke Street in Our Kaka’ako! The Kaka’ako community has generously opened its doors to the opera and has some exciting promotions for you to experience!

Read on for more details!  We’ll see you at the opera!

---

A gathering place in the heart of Honolulu, Our Kaka’ako is a creative space for makers and a place where new ideas converge.  A community designed for exploration and engagement, Our Kaka’ako welcomes Hawaii Opera Theatre (#HOTinOurKakaako) to our Cooke Street warehouses – home to Honolulu Night Market, Showdown in Chinatown, and more.

While you’re in the neighborhood enjoying Siren Song, visit some of the unique shops, local restaurants and innovative entrepreneurs of SALT—opening late 2015 at Auahi and Keawe.  If you like Cocina, Highway Inn or Honolulu Beerworks, you’ll love SALT.

---

Honolulu Beerworks is Oahu’s craft brewery offering 12 beers on tap, all made locally and in house.  Open for lunch and dinner.  Monday – Saturday.  328 Cooke Street in Our Kakaako.

Present this image or your Siren Song ticket stub to enjoy 15% off your entire bill from March 20 – 31. Excludes merchandise and growlers.  

Like us on Facebook @honolulubeerworks or follow us on Instagram @hnlbeerworks.

---

Cocina, a Mexican restaurant in Kakaako, specializes in tacos and burritos.  A focused brunch menu

of chilaquiles, breakfast burrito, and horchata French toast is also available Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cocina is B.Y.O.B so feel free to bring some cervesas, have a seat on the patio and enjoy Hawaii’s best tacos.

Located at 667 Auahi St.

Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Present your Siren Song ticket stub to receive 15% off from March 20 – 31. Excludes gift certificates. 

---

Serving Oahu Since 1947, and now in Kaka’ako, Highway Inn offers a taste of old Hawaii. Every morning, each lau lau is carefully hand wrapped in the traditional Hawaiian style. The kalua pork is shredded thread by thread. And the beef stew is made one pot at a time according to our family recipes.

At Highway Inn in Our Kakaako you can find the same local dishes with a modern twist.

Present your Siren Song ticket on performance day and enjoy 10% off your meal.  Not to be combined with any other offer.  Excludes merchandise and gift cards.

Highway Inn is located at 680 Ala Moana Blvd. and open Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Moana Blvd. and open Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

---

Keep Up With HOT on Social Media!

If you love getting your wireless fix of HOT, please Like HOT on Facebook, Follow @HawaiiOpera on Twitter, and double-tap @hawaiioperatheatre on Instagram.  Just click the icons below and you will receive HOT updates throughout the week!

OR SCROLL DOWN…

On the HOT website and get the most recent updates right there!

Thanks for supporting HOT! Please share the Opera with your friends by forwarding this message! Mahalo for your support!

---
Facebook
Twitter
Footer

Behind-the-Scenes: Siren Song

 

Siren Song rehearsals are well under way!  With the set constructed and the venue continuing to transform, the cast is killing it more and more each day!  Enjoy these behind-the-scene photos of a night at rehearsal!

1DSC07989

Heart-broken Tenor Vale Rideout channels Davey Palmer’s despair when he learns that Diana is not real…

1IMG_2307

Wes Mason as Jonathan Reed commands the audience to love & loathe him

1IMG_2685

For not being real, Rachel Schutz as Diana Reed leaves a very lasting memory with her beautiful vocals

1IMG_2235

HOT Legend Henry Akina returns to direct Siren Song.

1IMG_2316

Maestro Vincent de Kort working his magic with Wes Mason

1IMG_2370

HOT favorites Tenor Kip Wilborn & Bass-Baritone Jamie Offenbach return to the stage!

 

Behind-the-Scenes of Siren Song: The Stage is Set!

Many people wondered aloud how HOT would stage a modern opera in a warehouse, when no performance space existed.  Easy, with love, dedication, and hard work, our Production Staff built it!

15 - 5

And with the magic of Projection Designer Adam Larsen, it comes to life!

Screen shot 2015-03-06 at 1.34.19 PM

Siren_Song_6

Find out what happens when we add Singers and HOT’s Henry Akina directs his vision of Jonathan Dove’s Siren Song this March!

Buy your tickets online now or pick up the phone…

15 - 6

 

Hana Hou – Congrats to the Captain!

Earlier this year, it was announced that Capt. Jim McCoy, HOT’s Chairman of the Board, was selected as one of the Trustees of the Year, by Opera America.  This past week, the chairman was honored at a very special event in New York City.

Enjoy some of the photos of that event here!  Congratulations to all of the winners and especially you, Captain!  You are most deserving and have done some amazingly HOT work!  Thank you for everything!

NOTRP_Full

(l –r) OPERA America Chairman Frayda B. Lindemann and National Opera Trustee Recognition Award Program Chairman Carol F. Henry (Los Angeles Opera) with award winners Sue Bienkowksi (Long Beach Opera), Capt. James H. McCoy (Hawaii Opera Theatre), Frank Kuehn (Opera Southwest) and John Nesholm (Seattle Opera). Photo by Jeff Reeder/OPERA America.

HawaiiOperaTheatre

Cherie Shreck, Trustee of Des Moines Metro Opera, Capt. McCoy, & Carol F. Henry (Los Angeles Opera) This photo is also by Jeff Reeder/OPERA America.