In recent years, the Opera has gained a lot of recognition, and artists from all over the world have performed with the company alongside Hawaii’s best local artists. HOT is the only professional Opera Company operating in Hawaii, and is overall one of the biggest and most renowned performing arts institutions in the state. The company usually performs in the Blaisedell Concert Hall.
About the Company:
The Island of Hawaii has had a rich tradition of opera for more than a century. Dating back to the 1850’s, there are stories of the island’s Queen Emma singing in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. Hoping to keep this rich tradition alive, the Hawaii Opera Theater (HOT) came in to being in 1960.
Following its inception, the company became a part of the Honolulu Symphony and would perform regularly with them. This partnership remained intact for the next two decades, until 1980, when the company became an independent tax-exempt corporation.
In 1996, Henry G. Akina joined the Opera and became the General and Artistic Director, a post which he retains till today. Under his tenure, the company has grown and evolved into one of the state’s biggest and perhaps the most accomplished performing arts institutions.
Pagliacci / Carmina Burana:
As part of the Opera’s 2014 season, they will first stage Portland Opera’s innovative combination of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Pagliacci is one of Opera’s most famous epics, dealing with love, jealousy and death and has conventionally been paired with other works, like Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana or Puccini’s Il Tabarro. But Portland Opera tried a unique new combination, by combining Pagliacci with Orff’s extraordinarily popular chorus masterpiece.
The two works combine together wonderfully and will take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, as both works touch upon the primitive emotions of the human condition.
The Mikado:
Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado will be the final installment of the Opera’s 2013-2014 Season. Set in Japan, the comic opera is an all out satire on British institutions, and almost perfectly weaves the two cultures together. Aided by elaborate plot twists and wonderfully humorous lyrics, The Mikado is one of the most entertaining opera’s in the world.
The story revolves around Nanki-Poo, Mikado’s son, and his love for the beautiful Yum-Yum, who is betrothed to Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner in Japan. This outrageously hilarious plot is complemented by a wonderful score, one, which will leave the audience begging for more.
So keep an eye out for the dates when these two wonderful shows will be put up, for Hawaii Opera Theatre tickets are quickly running out, and you do not want to miss a chance to catch this world class opera company performing live.