Hawaii Opera Theatre

PRESENT OPERA PERFORMANCES AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE LIVES THROUGH OPERA.

OPERA PERFORMANCES: HOT'S 2021-2022 SEASON WAS IMPACTED BY THE CONTINUED EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING RESCHEDULING ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR FALL 2021 AND A SLOW RETURN OF AUDIENCES. BUT THROUGH RESILIENCE AND RESOURCEFULNESS THAT INCLUDED INSTITUTING RIGOROUS SAFETY PROTOCOLS, HOT WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY RETURN TO LIVE PERFORMANCES FOR THREE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS AT THE BLAISDELL CONCERT HALL AND A SERIES OF SMALLER PROGRAMS IN THE NEWLY LAUNCHED "STUDIO 101" SPACE IN THE COMPANY'S HAWAII OPERA PLAZA BUILDING. THE THREE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS IN THE SPRING 2022 SEASON WERE "THE TRAGEDY OF CARMEN", A REIMAGINING OF BIZET'S OPERA "CARMEN" BY FILM AND THEATRE DIRECTOR PETER BROOKS; "RE-EMERGING: HOT LIVE IN CONCERT", A SEMI-STAGED PROGRAM OFFERING SELECTIONS FROM OPERA AND MUSICAL THEATRE; AND PUCCINI'S "MADAME BUTTERFLY". STUDIO 101 PROGRAMMING FEATURED "I'LL BE SEEING YOU: 1940'S RADIO HOUR LIVE", A MUSICAL TRIBUTE COMMEMORATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. HOT'S 2020-2021 SEASON WAS COMPLETELY VIRTUAL, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, AND OFFERED OVER 30 HOURS OF ORIGINAL DIGITAL CONTENT INCLUDING THE DIGITAL WORLD PREMIERE OF "HOMETOWN TO THE WORLD."

EDUCATION PROGRAM:HOT'S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO ABLE TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES AT MOST SCHOOLS DURING THE 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, REACHING OVER 15,000 STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS ACROSS THE STATE OF HAWAII. PROGRAMMING INCLUDED THE RETURN OF HOT'S OPERA EXPRESS TOURING SHOW, A FAMILY-FRIENDLY PRODUCTION OF VERDI'S "AIDA", THAT TRAVELLED ACROSS OAHU AND KAUAI. OPERA FOR EVERYONE ALSO RETURNED, WITH OVER 200 STUDENTS ATTENDING THE FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL FOR "MADAME BUTTERFLY" AT THE BLAISDELL CONCERT HALL. IN A COLLABORATION WITH HAWAII YOUTH OPERA CHORUS (HYOC), HOT'S EDUCATION TEAM PRODUCED "ULU TREE" BY COMPOSER HERB MAHELONA, AN OPERA FOR YOUNG VOICES THAT WEAVES TOGETHER HAWAIIAN, CHINESE, JAPANESE, AND KOREAN FOLKTALES FROM HAWAII'S PLANTATION ERA. THIS PRODUCTION WAS THE CULMINATION OF "OPERATUNITIES," A SUMMER PROGRAM CREATED BY HYOC WITH HOT TO TEACH THEATRE SKILLS TO A NEW GENERATION OF PERFORMERS.AUDITIONS, CLASSES AND ONE-ON-ONE COACHING SESSIONS FOR THE MAE Z. ORVIS OPERA STUDIO PROGRAM WERE HELD BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON, LED BY HOT STAFF AND FOUR DIFFERENT GUEST CLINICIANS: MARK MORASH, HEAD OF MUSIC & CHORUS DIRECTOR FOR CALGARY OPERA, TIM SHAINDLIN OF THE YALE SCHOOL OF MUSIC, TAMARA SANIKIDZE, DIRECTOR OF BUTLER OPERA CENTER, AND INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN CONDUCTOR AND PIANIST BEN MAKINO. THE CENTERPIECE FOR THE ORVIS OPERA STUDIO SEASON WAS AN ORIGINAL PROGRAM, CREATED AND DIRECTED BY HOT'S ARTISTIC PROGRAM OFFICER JAMIE OFFENBACH, TITLED I'LL BE SEEING YOU: 1940'S RADIO HOUR LIVE, A MUSICAL TRIBUTE HONORING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. THE PRODUCTION, FULLY STAGED WITH COSTUMES AND MAKEUP, WAS PRESENTED AS IF AUDIENCES WERE ATTENDING A LIVE RADIO BROADCAST. THE ORVIS YOUNG VOICES PROGRAM, FOR HIGH-SCHOOL AGED SINGERS, HELD MONTHLY SESSIONS FROM AUGUST THROUGH FEBRUARY. GUEST CLINICIANS INCLUDED JONATHAN SYPERT, TONY PISCULI, MARK MORASH, AND TAMARA SANIKIDZE. THE SEASON CULMINATED IN A FINAL RECITAL LED BY MS. SANIKIDZE.HOT'S RESIDENCY PROGRAM BRINGS EDUCATION AND PRODUCTION STAFF INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO COMPOSE AND CREATE OPERA PRODUCTIONS WITH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS CENTERED ON CURRICULUM COMPONENTS. SCHOOLS FOR 2021-2022 WERE HE'EIA, BLANCHE POPE, WAIKELE, AND PALOLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. STORIES SELECTED AND WRITTEN BY THE STUDENTS FOCUSED ON THE HISTORY OF THE AREA IN WHICH THEIR SCHOOL IS LOCATED, AS WELL AS MARSH BIRDS, AND AN OPERA TITLED "SUPERHEROES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC." ALL PROJECTS CULMINATED IN A PERFORMANCE FOR THEIR PEERS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY TWO WERE PRESENTED IN-PERSON AND TWO INVOLVED THE CREATION OF VIDEOS THAT WERE SHARED VIRTUALLY.