Based on a true story.

 

A young man, stationed on the HMS Ark Royal begins correspondence with an attractive and accomplished model.  As time passes, the relationship evolves into a passionate, romance, BUT the two have never met…

Our tale begins when Davey Palmer, a young sailor, responded to a “Lonely Hearts” ad placed by Diana Reed, a model of age 20, who was searching for a pen-pal in the Royal Navy.  He began to write Diana and a series of playful letters were exchanged.

Palmer starts to fall in love and wishes to marry Diana without ever meeting her, speaking to her on the phone, or even seeing her photograph.  The letters create an idyllic dream, as Diana travels around the world taking on new assignments as a model, owning a yacht and home in Santa Barbara, California.  The obstacle standing in the name of their meeting is Diana’s father, who has no interest in meeting Davey and totally disapproves of the relationship.

The stories contained within Diana’s letters are validated by Jonathan Reed, Diana’s brother, who serves as the letter courier for the two lovers.  Jonathan spends some time with Davey, traveling to Singapore with him, meeting his parents, and even going as far as choosing Davey’s clothing for the wedding.  Aside from Jonathan, the only confirmation of Diana’s existence is a pair of perfumed undergarments that Davey received.

As the wedding date grew near, Davey begins to send money to his fiancée.  An eavesdropping Ark Royal operator flags a phone call between Jonathan and Davey, who is then called to trial for having conversations that were sexual in nature with a male off the ship.

Davey is unable to deny the allegations that he had been talking with another man, but protests that the loving exchange was with his unseen bride, who was too sick to speak on the phone.  He contends that the two lovers had developed a code to communicate and he had his correspondence to back up her existence.

Over the course of the investigation, it emerges that Jonathan is none other than Brian Tippet, a middle-aged lonely con-man, who resides in Southampton with his mother and sister.  The scheme comes out in the open after Tippet hires a thug to beat up the eavesdropper.  Even with the truth revealed, Davey is unable to accept what has occurred and continues to declare his undying love for Diana.

It was all a dream...

A contemporary opera based on a true story, the plot of Siren Song is so rich with eyebrow-raising turns that it could only spawn from real-life events.

A young British sailor is communicating with a woman that he believes to be a professional model. The sailor’s infatuation with the woman flourishes over time, but there’s one problem:  He has not actually met her.  Any attempt to do so is met with excuses from the purported model.  Eventually, we learn that the sailor has been played and is the victim of an elaborate deception.  But that’s just the beginning…

Find out how this story, practically ripped from today’s headlines, unfolds in Jonathan Dove’s acclaimed Siren Song.

Undertaken in collaboration with Kamehameha Schools, who are developing the Our Kaka’ako neighborhood and Arts District, HOT has created a performance space at 445 Cooke Street.  As a special thank you to HOT patrons, Our Kaka’ako vendors have offered discounts of 15% off (Honolulu Beerworks & Cocina) and 10% off (Highway Inn) from 3/20 through the end of March when you present your ticket to Siren Song.

Learn more about the performance venue here.

Performance Schedule

  • March 20, Friday, 8:00pm
  • March 21, Saturday, 8:00pm
  • March 22, Sunday, 4:00pm
  • March 27, Friday, 8:00pm
  • March 28, Saturday, 8:00pm
  • March 29, Sunday, 4:00pm

All performances will be at a new venue in Kaka'ako located at 445 Cooke Street, Honolulu, HI, 96813. Valet parking will be available at the venue and parking is also available at the lot on 555 South Street.

Sung in English.

Approximately 1 hour & 10 minutes with no intermission

Video

Tickets

Pricing

    General Admission
  • VIP - $75
  • General - $50

Get Tickets

  • Call the Box Office:
    (808) 596-7858 or 1-800-836-7372
  • Call the Main Office: (808) 596-7372
  • Or Buy Tickets Here:
  • Buy Tickets Online

Pre-Show Features

    Pre-performance lectures will be held at 449 Cooke Street and feature Composer Jonathan Dove on March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, & 29

Meet the Stars

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Vale Rideout

“… has remarkable purity in high range and is able to maintain a sleek polish across the dynamic range.”

The New York Times

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Wes Mason

“The gifted and fiercely committed young baritone Wes Mason took the demanding role of Rey, who covers a wide swath of human emotion (as well as a thirty-year time span) and almost never leaves the stage. Mason, whose voice is spacious and reverberant, seemed to be channeling all of the suffering writer’s rage, frustration and passion into his singing.”

Opera News