Tag Archives: Lynne Johnson

Opera History in Hawaii

#HOTSpeaks: Opera’s Rich Local History

When you think of Hawaiian historic and cultural activities, what do you picture? ‘Iolani Palace? Bishop Museum? A lūʻau?

How about opera?

A rich history of opera in Hawaii dates back to the 1800s. Two of this HOT Opera Season’s productions have their local roots in the 19th Century. Bizet’s Carmen, which opens the season this month, was staged locally in 1904. And Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment, opening in February, was the first known operatic performance in Hawaii in 1854.

Former UH Musicologist Dale E. Hall.

Former University of Hawai’i Professor Dale E. Hall wrote extensively on the local history of opera and classical music. The extent to which the art form was present in local culture in the 19th Century surprised him, he said. He chronicled the early history in the 31st Edition of the Hawaiian Journal of History.

“I decided to study the history of opera in Hawaii because it had not yet been studied in any detail. It was ripe for contribution,” Professor hall said. “I became very interested in the history of opera in Hawaii, and I enjoyed learning more about it.”

Isolation may have been the reason that opera didn’t come to Hawaii before 1854, Professor Hall said. But during the 19th Century, Honolulu audiences saw about 15 full operas and 24 operettas, along with several incomplete works. Local audiences saw many of the same operas that Mainland and European audiences had become accustomed to. Most of the operas between 1854 and 1900 were by nineteenth-century Italian composers, especially Donizetti and Verdi. In 1880, local audiences saw a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, which created interest in lighter forms and a greater variety of composers. 

Annis Montague as Carmen in a local production staged in 1904.

Though European and Mainland travelers brought opera to the islands, Hawaiian Royalty were enthusiastic supporters. Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Queen Lili’uokalani, Bernice Pauahi Bishop and others had a great appreciation for Western music. This translated not only into financial support for the art, but also participation in various productions. Queen Emma, for instance, sang in the chorus of an 1861 presentation of scenes from Il Trovatore, with King Liholiho acting as stage manager for the production. Additionally, Princess Likelike and Bernice Pauahi Bishop sang in an opera chorus in 1881. Along with Hawaiian Royalty, Prussian bandmaster Henry Berger and Hawaii-born singer Annis Montague were key figures who built local support for opera.

“Opera had always been an entertainment for the cultural elite, and such an elite existed in 19th century Hawaii,” Professor Hall said. “These people demanded a high performance standard in Honolulu.”

Throughout the century, visiting professional troupes often utilized local theaters and local choruses to put on their productions – much like HOT does today. The first local opera theater, the New Music Hall, opened in 1879 across from the ‘Iolani Palace on King Street. After the building burned in 1895, supporters restored it and renamed it the Honolulu Opera House. According to the Star Advertiser archives, its first performance in 1896 featured Hawaii-born Annis Montague, who had trained in Europe and had performed major operatic roles in New York City. The state demolished the Honolulu Opera House in 1917 to make way for the federal building. Hawaii audiences rarely saw live opera after that, until the establishment of HOT in 1960.

“HOT carries on the tradition of opera in Hawaii and always has,” Professor Hall said. “With HOT, we get an opera season each year. That’s a wonderful thing for Hawaii.”

These days, opera production in Hawaii is much different. Within the last 50 years, HOT introduced English supertitles, making it possible for even more people to attend and enjoy its productions. And the Blaisdell Concert Hall, where HOT presents most of its grand opera productions, seats about twice as many as the venue’s predecessors. Additionally, compared to early Hawaiian opera theaters, HOT has more stage space at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, a larger chorus, a full-scale education and outreach program, and a wider reach than ever before. But what hasn’t changed is the local audience’s support for the art form.

To learn more about opera history from local expert and musicologist Dr. Lynne Johnson, join us for the Opera Preview lecture before each HOT opera. And attend a HOT production to see the result of more than 100 years of history in the opera hub of the Pacific.

New Additions to Hawaii Opera Theatre’s Board of Directors

HOT Logo Black

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) held its Annual Meeting for Members on July 30, 2014, at the Pacific Club.  Board Chairman Jim McCoy presented eight new members for election to the Board of Directors.  The meeting included a review of the past season from HOT’s Artistic Director Henry Akina and Executive Director Simon Crookall.

HOT experienced a very successful year artistically, with three acclaimed productions on Oahu and made its return to Maui for the first time in eight years. Financially, the company saw significant growth in ticket sales by 31%, which resulted in an increase of income by 21%. The company also experienced a rise in support from the community, with contributed income growing to $1.1 million.  Of note, HOT was able to reduce expenses by 11% from the previous fiscal year.

The new HOT Board Members are:

Mangmang Qiu Brown – Born in Beijing, Ms. Brown graduated from the Peking University School of Economics and then received her MBA and JD at the University of Hawaii.  After practicing law, she joined the University of Hawaii Foundation, with responsibility for International Engagement and latterly with the East-West Center Foundation.

Kasumi Hara – Ms. Hara is an interior designer born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Upon graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she moved to New York City to work for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  She later changed career paths and became an interior designer working in NYC and San Francisco before returning to Honolulu.  She is also an accomplished oboist.

Lynne Johnson – Ms. Johnson has an MBA from the University of Hawaii and has worked as a School Teacher, Curriculum Planner, and Development Director.  In 1991, she began her study of musicology and in 2009, she received her PhD in Musicology from the University of Hawaii.  She has taught Music History at UH for 12 years and is heavily involved in community service.

Keith Kalway – Originally from Minnesota, Mr. Kalway obtained a graduate degree in Education before spending 35 years as an educator with St. Paul Public Schools.  During his tenure, he worked as a Vice President for middle school mathematics and led the Mathematics Institutes for Teachers through the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.  He also cofounded the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus.

Ada Mei – Ms. Mei, a native of Beijing earned her Master’s in Industrial Engineering at the University of Minnesota. She has worked as an engineer for computer companies, as a Senior Advisory Engineer for IBM, and has produced a Chinese Opera at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

Jeff Pauker – Mr. Pauker is Director, Acquisitions at A&B Properties.  Mr. Pauker’s responsibilities include the identification and consummation of investments in Hawaii real estate assets.  Prior to joining A&B, Mr. Pauker was an attorney for a global law firm in San Francisco.  He is a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School.

Nigel Pentland – A long-time resident of London, Mr. Pentland has a BA from the University of Liverpool and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.  He worked for 25 years in financial markets across the world and is now an investor in public and private markets, including several recent start-up companies.

Stephen Turner – Born in Wisconsin, Mr. Turner grew up in Chicago and received a MS from the University of South Dakota.  In 1966, he joined Marketing Research Corporation of America (Chicago).  He has worked as a Research Manager at Amoco, Hamms Beer, and Coca-Cola USA and has held a variety of high-level roles at numerous marketing agencies.

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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 in Hawaii by presenting opera performances of the highest standards, while maintaining fiscal responsibility.  Through four productions annually in the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, HOT offers opera to almost 18,000 residents and visitors each season thereby increasing the public’s awareness and exposure to opera as a multi-media art form.

HOT’s educational programs for youth serve as both catalyst and active participant in the artistic education of Hawaii’s youth.  Opera for Everyone provides a special performance of each opera for a large and enthusiastic audience of students.  Resident Ensemble takes operas specially adapted operas, into elementary and middle schools with special tours to all neighbor islands.  HOT’s Mini Residency program takes our education and production staff members into an elementary school to work with students and teachers to compose an opera production centered around curriculum components.   Adult education is offered with Opera Highlights, a non-credit course at the University of Hawaii; Opera Previews, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts; pre-performance Lanai Lectures on the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall lanai; and other presentations at stores or shopping centers.

Led by Artistic Director, Henry Akina, and Executive Director Simon Crookall, HOT partners with the Hawaii Symphony.  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.

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