Hana Hou | October 2023
Aloha mai kākou:
It’s hard to believe we’re already into October, yet here we are! It’s even harder to believe that, after months and months of planning HOT’s 2023-2024 season – a season “on the road” – we’re about to open our first production, An American Dream by composer Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo.
To say that this is a powerful opera is truly an understatement. I attended what we call the “final room run” – the last rehearsal before moving into the performance venue – on Friday afternoon and was brought to tears multiple times.
OK, I admit that I’m an easy cry. I can start watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” my favorite holiday movie, five minutes before the end and I instantly become a blubbery mess.
But An American Dream is truly an amazing piece of theatre. Even though it clocks in at just over one hour, the emotional journey is real – moments of joy and laughter, of tenderness and affection, and of heart-rending pathos. The beautiful score and libretto are brought to life by an absolute knock-out cast led by Chinese-born soprano Helen Zhibing Huang, in her HOT debut, and Honolulu-based mezzo-soprano Sarah Lambert Connelly.
And we are blessed to have the production lovingly led by director Richard Gammon and conductor Lance Inouye, who together are creating what I believe to be a stand-out production of this opera – a piece that was commissioned by Seattle Opera with subsequent performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Virginia Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and several others.
If you don’t have your tickets, please do consider attending – you will not regret it! And if you’re already attending, consider coming twice. It’s one of those pieces that will reveal new details with each encounter. With five performances through October, you’ll have plenty of time to catch it at least once.
You also won’t want to miss our special concert in Studio101 on Wednesday, October 18 at 6:00pm. The program, curated by HOT’s Artistic Director Jamie Offenbach, features the entire cast of An American Dream along with soprano Leslie Goldman and mezzo-soprano Blythe Kelsey, all of whom are donating their services. Tickets are $50 and proceeds will go support relief efforts on Maui.
It’s easy to take the arts for granted, but institutions like Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, Manoa Valley Theater, and more would not be here without the dedication and support of individuals like you. I believe the arts are what make a community. I’m grateful that you do too!
Mahalo nui loa for all you do.
With much aloha,
Andrew