Tag Archives: Madam Butterfly

Henry Directing The Tales of Hoffmann

The Tales of Henry Act II: Hawaii

A true love for music has guided Henry Akina, Hawaii Opera Theatre’s first Hawaiian director, through more than 120 operas over a 30-year career.

Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann will be the last opera that Henry directs for HOT, before retiring from his role as Artistic Director, which he has held for 20 years. The production will be performed on April 21, 23, and 25 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.

In a 2002 HOT concert program Henry wrote: “The opera is but one art form where we can go beyond everyday life to look at some of its mythologies and gain insight into the lives of other characters, and thus into our own.”

With this in mind, the Tales of Henry will look back on Henry’s life and career.

Feeling At home

The HOT opera program, “Aria,” has always featured designs relating to the production being presented. But in 1996, there was a special edition of Aria.

On the cover was Henry, in Aloha attire, sitting in a chair with a warm smile on his face. The only accompanying text proudly pronounced “Henry G. Akina takes the reins of HOT.” Henry was back in Hawaii, after more than two decades in Germany, to serve as the first local-born manager of HOT.

“To be invited to manage this company, in the town of my birth, is a unique blessing, one that I approach with a sense of challenge and responsibility.” Henry said in the 1996 Aria. It was the first of nearly 30 Director’s Notes he would write for HOT audiences over the years.

When he returned back to Hawaii, Henry said he felt welcomed. He remembered someone telling him he hadn’t forgotten his local roots.

“Henry was at home in Hawaii,” Elsa Grima, who had worked with Henry in both Germany and Hawaii, said. “He was in his element.”

HOT was special to Henry. The company presented the first opera performances he had ever seen. And he had plenty of plans for its next steps.

Henry laid out his goals for HOT in the 1996 Aria. They included producing more operatic activities throughout the year, expanding the education program, and balancing the repertoire between classics and new works. He felt that HOT could be a “cultural lighthouse in the community,” he said.

Henry explained in a 1998 interview with Midweek that he felt HOT was built on Puccini, but there was much more to draw upon from within the art form’s 400-year history.  “I wanted to make musical changes and production changes… I wanted to change everything,” Henry said.

The scheduled 1997 and 1998 season productions, which included the Hawaii debut of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, shed some light on the direction that he wanted to take the company. Henry wanted to relate to local audiences, and he wanted to show them literature they might already be familiar with in a different way.

“I wanted opera more for the people,” Henry said. “I think that every audience is different and every community is different.”
Since then, Henry has staged several acclaimed productions like Madam Butterfly, Tosca, The Mikado, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Of the 28 productions he has directed, almost half were Hawaii premiers.

Many of Henry’s aspirations for HOT were realized. The company now produces operas throughout the year, he expanded and founded new programs within the company’s educational outreach, and he certainly introduced new repertoire.

In a 2001 program, Henry appeared confident as he declared: “Yes there is opera in Hawaii, and yes, opera thrives here. Come celebrate with us.”

It was the program for that year’s production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann – the same production that would be his last with HOT.

Staging the Last Production

Henry didn’t know that The Tales of Hoffmann would be his last production with the company when he picked this season’s repertoire. He didn’t pick it for any sentimental reason. But the production speaks to him, and his artistic direction shines within it.

“I’ll try to bring as much joy and as much happiness to the production as possible, and I’ll let the music of the opera shine through,” Henry said.

This is the third time Henry has directed the opera. The last time he directed it was in 2001. Both productions utilized Peter Dean Beck’s set designs, but aside from that similarity, Henry said the current production is “a fully new opera.”

Eric Fennell plays the lead role of Hoffmann in this production. It’s his fifth time singing Hoffmann’s arias, but he said that each time is very different. And Henry’s direction will give this a new spin, Eric said.

“Henry is a wonderful resource,” He said. “When you work with someone who is as experienced as Henry is, I just try to listen as much as I can.”

Henry told Eric during one rehearsal that Hoffmann should not be the hero of the opera. That stuck with Eric and changed the way he performed the role.

“I want artists to walk away [from HOT productions] with a positive experience that hopefully is enlightening,” Henry said.

Audiences who watch the opera will also be able to see Henry’s influence in the staging of certain characters, according to HOT Artistic Administrator Barett Hoover, who has worked with Henry for about a decade.

Barett points to Henry’s use of the local, volunteer HOT chorus. Henry stages the chorus in a way that helps tell the story, Barett said. “Henry makes them more than just background figures,” Barett said.

The relationship Henry has with the chorus has also impressed Olivia Vote, who debuts with HOT in this production as the Muse.

“Everyone has such a respect and awareness of Henry’s contribution,” Olivia said. “There is no other place where the chorus will come to rehearsals five nights a week. But they do it here, because that’s what he expects. They want to work with him, and that’s the kind of community he’s created.” 

Throughout the company, from the chorus to the board, donors, and staff, people have felt Henry’s impact.

Bringing “World-Class” to Hawaii

As Henry reflects on his impact on HOT, he does so humbly.

“I think I’ve had a positive impact, but I don’t know,” he said. “The people here are the judge of that.”

Many people and organizations have already made their judgments in favor, however. In 2015, the Hawaii Arts Alliance recognized Henry with its Alfred Preis Honor for his commitment to arts and arts education in Hawaii, and the state legislature awarded Henry a certificate for his lifelong service to the arts last year.

Additionally, HOT Board President Jim McCoy said he feels that Henry is the reason that HOT produces world-class opera. Barett said he feels the same way.

“He looked at more of a world-wide perspective and saw us in the grand opera landscape,” He said. “I think increasing the artistic standards of the company was probably his biggest legacy.”

But Henry has also left behind a living legacy – one that will impact the world long after he’s left the company. The Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio, Henry said, is his most proud accomplishment with HOT.

By: Allison Kronberg

‘Must-see’ Madam Butterfly is HOT!!!

Review: ‘Butterfly’ a must-see at HOT

REVIEW BY JOHN BERGER / jberger@staradvertiser.com

The cultural disconnect is evident immediately: An American officer expects a Japanese businessman to shake hands and is surprised when he bows. Moments later we learn the American,  B.F. Pinkerton by name, is an officer but not a gentleman.

Welcome to Hawaii Opera Theatre’s season-opening production of “Madam Butterfly.” For the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know how Pinkerton’s marriage with Cio-Cio-San turns out, HOT’s production is a beautifully staged treatment of one of the best known operas this side of Wagner.

(Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert! Stop reading now if you don’t want to know what happens.)

For everyone who thinks they don’t like opera but has read this far out of curiosity, don’t let the opera aspect keep you away. Opera is often portrayed in mainstream pop culture as stuffy or inaccessible or arcane.

Good opera — like HOT’s “Madam Butterfly” — is none of the above. It’s musical theater, albeit without spoken dialogue, and with its own conventions regarding plot structure and vocal performance. That said, musical theater is much more operatic these days than it was in the days of “The King & I,” “West Side Story” and “South Pacific,” and that means that the differences between the two are not as wide as they once were.

Yes, most operas are sung in a language other than English, but anyone who can handle reading the subtitles of films like, say, “Kikaider: Reboot,” can certainly handle the “supertitles” that are projected on the proscenium above the stage at HOT.

In short, Hawaii, don’t let opera scare you. The beauty of the principal voices transcends language. So does the acting.

Add beautiful if anachronistic costumes, imaginative lighting and the single multi-level set, HOT’s “Madam Butterfly” should be considered a must-see for first-timers and curiosity seekers as well as dedicated fans.

Lina Tetriani (Cio-Cio-San) immerses herself in the role of the naïve and idealistic 15-year-old geisha who marries Pinkerton with the expectation that he intends to be her loving husband until death do they part, and who renounces her family, her country and her religious faith for him. To borrow a phrase from William Jefferson Clinton, in Tetriani’s powerful soprano voice and expressive acting we feel her pain. We also feel her hope, her optimism, her joy, and her final commitment to the Japanese credo: “Who cannot live with honor must die with honor.”

Mezzo-soprano Ning Liang (Suzuki) is perfectly cast as the loyal maid. Her duets with Tetriani are exquisite, so are her solos.

Daniel Sutin (Sharpless) brings a rich baritone and appropriate gravity to the role of the American consul. Sharpless warns Pinkerton against his callous plan to discard Cio-Cio-San when it suits him. He then becomes a mute witness to the tragedy that follows. Is he an enabler or a man who shrinks from delivering bad news? Sutin is a commanding presence, vocally and visually, whichever way you see it.

Jamie Offenbach (The Bonze) has a dark and foreboding scene as the terrifying voice of tradition who condemns Cio-Cio-San for renouncing her ancestral religion and becoming a Christian. Lighting Designer Peter Dean Beck has Offenbach lit from below for most of his big number; the stark lighting gives Offenbach an added measure of frightfulness.

Jeffrey Halili (Goro) adds an occasional light moment as the mercenary mariage broker and real estate agent. Halili’s eyes sparkle in an early scene when Goro counts the money Pinkerton has given him. Halili also does a neat trick with his hat that likewise brings a touch of levity to

Eric Margiore (Pinkerton) is such a convincing cad that many in the opening night audience booed him during his curtain call — of course there was no question that the boos were for Pinkerton, not for Margiore’s acting or his rich and passionate tenor.

Pinkerton quickly registers as despicable during his first conversation with Sharpless, in contemporary terms he’d be described as a playa. However, when Margiore and Tetriani are working together in the lengthy wedding night scene that closes Act I, Pinkerton seems every bit as in love with Cio-Cio San as she is with him. The long duet, performed as Margiore is undressing Tetriani down to a simple red under-kimono is romantic despite our knowledge of Pinkerton’s long-term plans. It is a remarkable performance by Margiore and Tetriani alike.

And, when Pinkerton returns three years later, bringing his real American wife with him, Margiore makes the man’s self-pitying mea culpa, “guilt will torment me forever,” convincing as well. Margiore again creates a well-rounded character; Pinkerton knows that he has destroyed the happiness of an innocent woman, begs Sharpless to forgive him, and then rushes off, unable to face the woman he’s wronged and leaving others to clean up after him.

Boo! Hiss! Great performance, Margiore!

Director Henry Akina uses giant Japanese lanterns carried by invisible kuroko (stagehands) to heighten the fanciful aspects of the story. The vigil scene — part reality, part dream or hallucination — where Cio-Cio-San spends the night waiting for Pinkerton to come up the hill from his anchored ship is staged in marvelous style. Conductor Ivan Torzs and the HOT Orchestra do justice to Puccini’s score throughout.

As footnote, HOT has presented “Madam Butterfly” several times since its inaugural production in 1961, most recently in 2007, and has moved the story around a bit time wise in terms of the costumes and wigs worn by the performers. It does so this time too.

If we assume that Puccini intended the story to take place in the present, which for him was the first years of the 20th century, well and good, but most of the Japanese men are decked out in the samurai-style hairdos of the Tokugawa-era rather than the modern haircuts representative of the final years of the Meiji era.
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John Berger has been a mainstay in the local entertainment scene for more than 40 years. Contact him via email at jberger@staradvertiser.com.

HOT’s Madam Butterfly Events Are Underway!

HOT’s production of Puccini’s Madam Butterfly is nearly here!  

With the production comes a number of exciting events in the lead-up to each opera.  HOT Members and Supporters might know this but maybe it’s news to you!

Kicking off the Madam Butterfly events, a very special Rehearsal Pau-Hana!  This was the first time HOT offered this event, giving those in attendance the opportunity to see the beginnings of a production.

And what would a HOT Opera Season be without the chance to lookg HOT?

Project Butterfly, a Fashion Show with acclaimed Hawaii Fashion Designer Anne Nambawas held at the Halekulani Ballroom on Sept. 28.

Check out these highlights from the event below featuring Anne’s creations and performances from the Stars of HOT’s Madam Butterfly.

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Photos by Stephane Lacasa

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Photos by Stephane Lacasa

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Photos by Stephane Lacasa

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Photos by Stephane Lacasa

Fun Fact: Anne Namba is the Costume Designer for Madam Butterfly, having created these for the original production with the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland!  Her work was last seen with HOT this past June in HOT’s modern take on The Mikado.

On Oct. 1, the HOT Opera Preview at the Honolulu Museum of Art went down!  Opera Previews are free to HOT and HMoA members.  It’s a popular event amongst our Patrons as the audience gets to learn about the cultural significance of the opera and hear fun stories from the Singers and Artistic Team.

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Fun fact: This cast shared that while practicing arias during a hike in Diamond Head, people could hear them at the base of the crater!

Oct. 6 marked VIP Night!  This HOT Member Benefit included dinner, drinks, backstage tours, and viewing of a Dress Rehearsal.  This unique opportunity lets the audience see the finishing touches on the finished product and is quite popular amongst HOT supporters.

On deck, HOT Education’s Opera for Everyone.  This Final Dress Rehearsal is very special as it packs the house with students, teachers, and families from around the island!  This past season, HOT partnered with Yelp to get Yelpers in the mix and this event just seems to grow in popularity by the production!

Still to come, we have the Meet The Stars Party on Oct. 10, an exclusive evening post-performance to have dinner and interact with the Cast and Artistic Team of Madam Butterfly!

Doesn’t it seem like we love events here at HOT?  Call us at (808) 596-7372 to learn more about these special days and nights.  And many thanks to our beloved, hard-working Office Manager, Tracy Jefferson Chavez, who is key in helping these all lift off.

See you at the Opera!

Madam Butterfly – The Cast Is Here!

The Cast is here! The Cast is here!

HOT kicked off the mad dash to Madam Butterfly today by enjoying an amazing view of Honolulu! Special thank you to Jim & Suzanne Case for hosting such a wonderful event and to the entire Case Ohana, (which includes HOT Director of Development Elisabeth Case!) for helping us kick off the 2014-2015 Opera Season with an epic Cast Lunch.

To Butterfly we go!  Buy your tickets today for the performances on Oct. 10, 12, & 14, at the Blaisdell Center!

Hawaii Opera Theatre presents Puccini’s iconic opera Madam Butterfly

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Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) undertakes a series of Life Changing Journeys, the 2014-15 Opera Season, with the Italian Composer Giacomo Puccini’s famous classic, Madam Butterfly.

Originally created for the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland (Madam Butterfly 2009 & 2014), this production was the product of a Hawaiian collective, including HOT Artistic Director, Henry Akina (Stage Director), Fashion Designer Anne Namba (Costume Designer), and Dean Shibuya (Set Designer).  The three revisit their work in a homecoming of sorts as Madam Butterfly comes to life in Hawaii, with Maestro Ivan Törzs taking the podium as Conductor.

Known for beautiful melodies including the aria “Un bel di” (“One fine day”), this opera is set in Nagasaki, Japan, where an American naval officer named Pinkerton is set to marry a young woman named Cio-Cio-San (“Butterfly” in Japanese). While Cio-Cio-San is truly in love, Pinkerton views the marriage as a simple convenience. Butterfly has become so infatuated with Pinkerton that she renounces her Buddhist beliefs and converts to Christianity. Hearing this, Butterfly’s uncle shows up at their wedding and curses her. Not long after, Pinkerton leaves Japan, promising to return to Butterfly soon, all the while knowing that he doesn’t feel the same about her as she does him.

For three years, Madam Butterfly waits for Pinkerton. When he finally does return, Pinkerton is accompanied by his new American wife and it is revealed that Cio-Cio-San has given birth to a son. How will she react to the news that the love of her life has taken another wife?

Highly acclaimed Soprano Lina Tetriani makes her HOT debut as Cio-Cio San with Tenor Eric Margiore, last seen in HOT’s La Traviata (2011), starring as Pinkerton.  Joining them are Metropolitan Opera regulars Mezzo-Soprano Ning Liang as Suzuki and Baritone Daniel Sutin as Sharpless. Bass-Baritone Jamie Offenbach returns to Hawaii to perform as the Bonze.  Offenbach, who starred in the title role of HOT’s modern take of The Mikado this past June, is a native of Hawaii and former resident of Oahu.

Madam Butterfly will be performed at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall on October 10, 12, & 14, 2014.

Tickets to Madam Butterfly and Season Subscriptions can be purchased by contacting the HOT Box Office at (808) 596-7858, online at www.HawaiiOpera.org or via www.TicketMaster.com

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For Immediate Release
Media Contact:  Jason M.A. Walter | 808-596-7372 ext. 211 | j_walter@hawaiiopera.org

Sign Up for the Anne Namba Fashion Show

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Join HOT on Sunday, September 28 from 11a to 2p as renowned designer Anne Namba presents a fashion show featuring a special collection for men and women in anticipation of the upcoming HOT season and opera ball.

You will also have the opportunity to be the first to preview HOT’s production of Madam Butterfly!

Register online here!

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