"I have many cherished traditions – both large and small – that define the Holidays for me and my family. That made me wonder how deeply ingrained this sense of tradition is with others on the HOT staff..."

TRADITIONS
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There is something about the Holiday Season that brings out the best and the worst in us all. We’re frantically trying to get as much done before the end of the year as possible, and yet we’re also spending more time with family and friends. It is a season rich with traditions both new and old that help to ground us. Traditions that recall memories of childhood and celebrate cultural identity; traditions that give thanks for life’s bounty; traditions that reflect on the year coming to an end and look forward to the year (or years!) to come.
Opera is an artform built around traditions, for better and for worse. The best can be as simple as celebrating the power of the human voice, without amplification (despite our recent need to use just that as we adapt to unusual venues during renovations at the Blaisdell Concert Hall). We expect Tosca to be costumed in a red gown with an Empire waist and Scarpia to be in all black to reflect the villain within. We expect the tenor to be the hero and the soprano to die of some incurable disease (unless she succumbs to a more violent end), and usually over the course of 20+ minutes of bravura (showy) singing. The curtain must go up and the start and come down to thunderous applause at the end.

To say that I’ve lived my professional life in an industry deeply etched by traditions is truly an understatement. But what about me, personally?
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I have many cherished traditions – both large and small – that define the Holidays for me and my family. That made me wonder how deeply ingrained this sense of tradition is with others on the HOT staff. So, I asked! Here are a few samples of the responses I received:
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“One tradition I always have fun with is to bake a ton of baked goods to gift to friends and family.   And of course, watch holiday themed movies throughout the month. And I listen to KSSK in the car for the entire month of December.  They only play holiday music all month long!” – Lore Ramiro, Box Office Manager
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“I don’t have any Christmas traditions, which sometimes feels strange during a season so full of rituals and celebrations, but it also gives me the freedom to shape the holiday however I want. This year I’ll be visiting a friend in New York City to celebrate Hanukkah with her family.” – Regi Lammers, Director of Development  
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“For a number of years, ʻIolani Palace has been offering evening tours between Christmas and New Year's Eve.  Honoring Queen Kapiʻolaniʻs birthday, these tours are the only time during the year when the Palace is open to the public at night, making them extra special. Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre has taken part, indirectly, by providing singers from HOT's Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio and our Young Voice program to help recreate the atmosphere of a Palace soiree as guests might have experienced it in the late 1800s. In that week between Christmas and New Year's Eve, this event has always given me a much-needed boost of energy, not only from the special atmosphere within the Palace, but also from the sounds drifting in from outside.  Horses and carriages, trolleys, yes traffic, and the people wandering down the street to enjoy the Holiday decorations at Honolulu Hale.”
– Eric Schank, Education Music Specialist  
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“My holiday tradition on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas is to make donations to various organizations that make positive impacts on our community.” – Erik Haines, Director of Education  
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“Only 1, watching" White Christmas" to start the season.” – Gordon Svec, Director of Production  
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What are my traditions?To be honest, I have quite a few. And I also have to admit that they continue to evolve, which only makes sense as our lives and the people in them change over time.

One of my favorite traditions since moving to Hawaiʻi in 2019 is HOT’s annual Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio Holiday Recital (happening today, Friday, December 13) at the beautiful and historic Kawaiahaʻo Church. My husband Danny and I first attended one in 2019 then walked across the street afterward to marvel at the numerous displays from Honolulu City Lights at the Honolulu Hale. Maybe we’ll see you there?
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Any discussion of tradition simply must include the emotional way we bid farewell to visiting artists for all of our mainstage productions. Immediately after the curtain comes down on the final performance, the HOT Chorus, led by Nola Nāhulu on the ʻukulele, rushes onto the stage. Once in place, they perform Queen Liliʻuokalani’s beloved ballad, “Aloha ʻoe” for the cast and creative team, replete with hula and usually a guitar and/or string bass. (Mind you, this happens even if the Chorus isn’t performing in a particular opera!) I’ve been privileged to witness many of these performances over the past five years, and I can tell you that the artists are always in tears by the end. I need to include myself in that. It is so touching, and speaks to the Company’s core value of showing Aloha in everything we do.

My longest-running Holiday tradition started when Danny and I first moved in together, over 30 years ago. It is a tradition that I learned from my mother, though I’m not sure she thought of it as a tradition at the time. Every year, over the long Thanksgiving weekend, we set up a live Christmas tree and I place decorations around our house. I also watch Miracle on 34^th Street (the 1947 version, of course, Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and a very young Natalie Wood). That is the perfect “transition” movie for me, starting on Thanksgiving Day and ending on Christmas Day, and it’s so sweet! As part of this tradition, Danny has to accuse me of having ‘Martha Stewart Disease’ at least once. And usually throw in a “bah humbug” or two for good measure, though I think he secretly likes the decorations. (He can write his own blog with a dissenting opinion if he wants. 😊) Oh! And I absolutely have to watch the classic Frank Capra movie It’s a Wonderful Life, on Christmas Eve or Day. I honestly can hard-cry just watching the last five minutes.  

A newer tradition for HOT began in December 2021, with our very first edition of I’ll Be Seeing You: A 1940s Radio Hour, created by Artistic Director Jamie J. Offenbach. It has returned every year in a different, but equally charming and entertaining, version. Although, that first year will always hold a special place in my heart, especially as it was our first live performances coming out of Covid. But I have to say the performances from this past weekend were off-the-charts good! Jamie created a new show around four amazing singers – sopranos Leslie Goldman, Sofia Troncoso, and Maria Valdes, and mezzo-soprano Blythe Kelsey – with Maestro Eric Schank and the keyboard in a dazzling display of musical prowess and comedic chops. It was truly special!

Speaking of traditions, your Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre has been bringing opera performances and educational activities of the highest quality to our island home since 1961. Your support makes that possible.

What are your Holiday traditions? I hope you include HOT on that list and throughout the year!

Happy Holidays to you and everyone you love.

Andrew