"We are proud to receive funding through local and national foundations, as well as government entities, including the National Endowment for the Arts, but these programs would not be possible without the generous support of individuals like you. In fact, ticket sales cover less than 12% of our operating expenses."

Your Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre’s 2024-2025 Season is in full swing, and that is thanks to you!

I’m writing today to ask for your continued support.

We kicked things off in August with an exciting week workshopping the Hawaiian opera we’ve commissioned, Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree, which will have its world premiere at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in May 2026. Composer Herb Mahelona, librettist Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, conductor Lance Inouye, and stage director/choreographer Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne joined us in Studio101 for a week or rehearsals that culminated in a complete musical run-through of the opera.

Although the final cast for our production is still being fleshed out, our own Quinn Kelsey – who was recently seen at the Metropolitan Opera starring in a production of Verdi’s Rigoletto – was able to take his starring role, Timoteo Haʻalilio, for a spin. It was a powerful experience that left us more excited than ever to share this amazing story (based on real events that happened right here in Hawaiʻi) with you in 2026.

The power of opera to tell stories that are relevant to our community continued with performances of Stuck Elevator last month at the Blaisdell Arena. That mammoth of a space amazingly felt intimate in telling the true story of an undocumented Chinese immigrant who was trapped in an elevator in the Bronx for 81 hours. Over the course of 81 minutes, audiences were led on a musical journey that was an emotional rollercoaster in the very best sense. The positive feedback has been overwhelming, including one long-time subscriber who recently shared that he went in convinced that he wouldn’t like it, but ended up being blown away by how powerful the experience was.

HOT has so much more in store for you in the coming months! Our STUDIO101 season, created by Artistic Director Jamie Offenbach, continues next month with the return of HOT Blue Hawai'i, a beautiful musical program featuring hula from Hula halau Nā Wahine O Ka Hula Mai Ka Pu’uwai under the direction of Kumu Hula Valerie Candy Pollack. And there’s even more happening in the spring!

Our intrepid Education Department is in high gear, with performances across Oahu with our Opera Express touring production of The Magic Flute (told in 30 minutes with three singers!). Additionally, Opera Residency – our elementary school-level program where keiki create their own opera – has launched at five schools, with schoolwide performances slated for later this month as well as next spring.

We are proud to receive funding through local and national foundations and government entities, including the National Endowment for the Arts, but these programs would not be possible without the generous support of individuals like you. Indeed, ticket sales cover less than 12% of our operating expenses.

I know there are many worthy causes to support, but I hope you'll consider a gift to help us cover rising costs.

Mahalo nui for being a valued member of the HOT ʻOhana. We can’t do it without you!

With much aloha,  

Andrew

P.S. Did you know that Kumu Patrick was awarded a prestigious Genius Fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation?

P.P.S. Did you also know that if you have an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) and are age 70 ½ or older, you can transfer up to $100,000 to non-profits like HOT tax-free? This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution and goes against your required minimum distribution for the tax-year.