Star Advertiser TGIF: Opera With Passion

Hawaii Opera Theatre brings the great mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, a star at the Metropolitan Opera since her debut in 1970, to the stage. She will grace the Hawaii Theatre stage for “Three Decembers,” a modern opera based on a play by Terrence McNally about an aging actress.

HOT also will debut Andre Previn’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” along with opera favorites “La Boheme” and “Tales of Hoffman.”

As has become practice in the past few season, it will present one production in the fall, “La Boheme” in October, with the remaining three productions in the spring: “Streetcar” in January, “Three Decembers” in March and “Tales of Hoffman” in April.

“We’re excited about the season because it’s such a mix,” said HOT Executive Director Simon Crookall. “We’ve got two operas by living American composers, which I think is a first for HOT and a very good sign that we’re embracing the new and trying to move the art form forward.

“Obviously, we want to continue to present the great masterpieces of opera. ‘La Boheme’ is an example of that — it will be a fabulous cast and a great production. … And then ‘Hoffman’ at the end of the year is such a great vehicle for singers and for innovative production. I think we’ve got terrific variety and should be proud of that.”

Getting Von Stade to perform here stemmed from HOT’s interest in American composer Jake Heggie, who has also written the operas “Moby-Dick,” “Dead Man Walking” and “The End of the Affair,” Crookall said.

“Three Decembers,” which premiered in 2008, is an intimate production, with three singers and a small ensemble. Von Stade starred in the lead role, and she was happy to reprise her performance in Hawaii, having come here in recent years to work with young opera singers, Crookall said.

“We’re bringing the original cast from the first production,” Crookall said. “Obviously, that means they know the work best and can present the work best.”

HOT will be taking the production to three neighbor islands — Maui, Kauai and Hawaii island — another first for the company.

The Honolulu shows will be significant as HOT’s first full productions in the historic Hawaii Theatre.

“‘Three Decembers’ is about an actress coming to the end of her career and looking back over her life, and this actress has probably played many venues like the Hawaii Theatre, so it’s just the perfect venue for that,” Crookalls said. “It will suit the atmosphere of the piece.”

Hawaii Opera Theatre will also be bringing back Sol3 Mio, the trio of Samoan-New Zealanders who wowed the audience with their blend of pop, Broadway and Polynesian songs. They’ll be coming in January in the midst of the run of “Streetcar.”

“I think one of the important things to say about HOT now is that we are able to be much more flexible about what we do and where and how we tailor our programs,” he said. “We’re not trying to do a one-size-fits-all in the Blaisdell, and that’s it.”

By Steven Mark, The Star Advertiser TGIF