A Former Navy Commanding Officer’s Voyage with Opera
It was opening night of the Hawaii Opera Theatre’s production of Puccini’s Tosca in 2006.
As Baron Scarpia, the opera’s villain, sang his famous aria Va, Tosca! (Te Deum) in the setting of a Roman church near the end of the first act, the accompaniment swelled. A full choir belted at fortissimo, the orchestra jerked their bows along the instruments’ strings with vigor, and pressurized air resonated through the pipes of an organ.
Underneath a lavish, golden robe and mitre cap stood retired U.S. Navy Captain and Hawaii Opera Theatre Board President Jim McCoy. He had volunteered to play the non-singing role of the Cardinal.
It was his first on-stage opera performance.
Years later, standing in a room surrounded by naval memorabilia, Jim held a photo of his performance in Tosca and smiled nostalgically.
“I’m not a musician. I’m not a musicologist. I’m just a passionate opera lover,” he said. “And having a role in Tosca – my favorite opera – was a thrilling experience.”
Preparing For Voyage
Jim grew up playing classical music on the piano, and he said it was natural to make the transition from classical music and the pop music of the day to opera.
“It was easy to listen to a Rodgers and Hammerstein song from Oklahoma or The King and I and then hear something from La Bohème, for instance, and say, ‘There’s a lyrical similarity there,’” he said.
Growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, Jim was exposed to opera through television. Opera singers were often guest stars on popular television series like The Ed Sullivan Show or Your Show of Shows.
And the year that he began high school coincided with the introduction of 33 RPM vinyl records. The long-playing records revolutionized private opera listening, since listeners no longer needed a tall stack of breakable 78 RPM records to listen to a complete opera.
Jim began renting vinyl records of opera soundtracks and librettos from the Mill Valley Public Library in California when he was in high school. Latin and French classes in school helped him read the librettos – the words of the opera – while listening to it.
Before long, he was hooked.
“Opera, with its plots and characters and their arias and so forth, reaches an emotional depth that is deeply moving,” McCoy said. “I love all forms of classical music, but opera is special.”
Out At Sea
Classical music aside, Jim was a career Navy man.
“When I was growing up, I never had any desire to do anything else but go to the Naval Academy and be a naval officer,” he said. “And that’s what I did.”
Jim commanded two ships and a squadron of 12 ships during his 30-year naval career. When these ships deployed to the Mediterranean or North Atlantic, port visits introduced him to opera houses in Italy, France and Spain.
When on shore duty in the States, he saw opera performances in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, San Diego and San Francisco.
“It’s thanks to the Navy that I saw all those shows,” he said.
Back On Land
After retiring in 1990, he assembled various memorabilia from the three at sea commands. There are photos, paintings, models, pennants, flags and awards that pay tribute to the many tough judgment calls he had to make, the stormy seas he faced, and the leadership skills he learned.
Jim’s naval ships had docked, but his voyage with opera was far from over. He has been traveling on opera tours to Europe since 1998 and has seen productions at many of the most important opera houses on the continent. He believes these experiences give him credibility when he asserts that HOT stages world class opera.
In 1997, a new opportunity with opera presented itself: Jim joined the HOT Board of Directors. He has been on the Board ever since and has served as Treasurer and President.
OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, presented Jim with a National Opera Trustee Recognition Award for his dedication to promoting HOT in 2015.
“I had no idea that was coming,” he said. “But that was very gratifying.”
But his favorite moment with HOT was still the moment that he stood on stage in 2006, surrounded by the music of the opera he had discovered as a teenager.
That night, as the powerful sound vibrated the stage, Jim bowed and blessed the chorus, then turned to bless Scarpia, and finally he turned to face the thousands of people in the audience.
His blessing fell upon the crowd just as the final dramatic chord was struck, and the heavy velvet curtain fell.
“I was the cardinal,” he said, “and it was very grand.”
Active duty, retired or dependent military personnel receive 20% off on all single tickets to Hawaii Opera Theatre productions.
Call the HOT Box Office at 808.596.7858 for more information.
Mahalo for your service.