 Yeah, welcome back to Community Matters here on Think Tech. I'm Jay Fidel. We're going to talk about an update on the Hawaii Opera Theater, one of my favorite organizations in the world with its general director, Andrew Morgan. Welcome to the show, Andrew. Thanks, Jay. It's a pleasure for me to be here. So opera, you know, opera is so important. Opera is a kind of, what do you want to call, bellwether. And I say it's a bellwether of any given community that there are people who care enough and who work hard enough to make it happen, who are artistic and creative and attentive to detail. It is the combination of artistic disciplines as none other. Is that why you do it? Oh my God, yes. It is the complete art, dance, theater, music, orchestra. It's everything and it just, yeah, no, there's nothing else like it. And nothing kind of gets my juices going at a good opera production that's performed at just everything's hitting the mark. You know, Andrew, I cry. I honestly do. Very little gets me to cry these days, but I cry at these operas. That's how emotionally involved I am. Yeah, no, there's a wonderful cathartic experience, especially when, you know, you're in a theater full of people that are enjoying what you're enjoying. And they came from completely different walks of life. Maybe they had a bad day or they had a fantastic day and you're sitting next to them and they're experiencing that same production with you and bringing their own thoughts and emotions into it. And it's just this whole experience and the performers feed off of that, that energy from the audience. Yeah, there's really nothing like live theater, just nothing. You were talking about that in your comments as general director on the website for this year's schedule. And I really appreciated that. It really takes two to tango. You have to have the performance, you have the orchestra, and of course, you have the audience, and none of that works unless they're all there. It's true. Yeah. You know, I've enjoyed the digital stuff we've done this year, but this still doesn't replace live performances. It's just a thrill and excitement to that. Nothing else. Tell us about that. You've done virtual performances through COVID. COVID has certainly put a crimp in your style. I know that. Can you talk about how you've handled COVID and those virtual performances? Sure. Well, when it became apparent that our originally scheduled 2021 season couldn't happen, we pivoted and just completely rethought everything that we were doing and how we were doing it. And that's where we came up with the idea of hot digital, which is a platform hosted on Vimeo OTT. We created a season that was all digital and created specifically for the platform. You know, we weren't regurgitating or repurposing things that we'd already done in the past. We weren't trying to just do recitals where somebody's standing there and they're living or singing, although those are in tribal too. But we wanted to create something that was theatrical and idiomatic to the digital realm. So we produced five different major productions throughout the year, including a world premiere. We did the world premiere of a chamber opera called Hometown to the World that launched in May, but just ran the gamut from October to May in so many different things that we were doing and not just paid content, which we did, but also a lot of free content that was educational or supporting the projects that we were doing. It was a lot of fun. Over 20 hours of content that we posted up on that site. So I know, I know you have participated as a performer in operas in various places in the country, in the world. Were you in any of these operas? I only behind the camera. I actually directed one of the productions that we did, Mozart's Bastien and Bastiena, which is a charming little 35 minute opera that he wrote when he was 12. I have a real affinity for Mozart. I directed a lot of his operas and also sang in quite a few of them over the years and just was such fun to put that together. Because it was something he wrote when he was a child, I thought, you know, and it's a simple story, as you can imagine. But we told it in a very much a childlike storybook way. And it was just, it was a lot of fun to piece together. We even had a narrator that was a talking sheepdog hand puppet. Just a lot of fun for kids. And narration is good, you know, sometimes. It's good for the kids. It's good when you travel, you know, out to the schools. I know you do that in your impact program. And I, you know, I think it's good for, you know, adult people too. I, you know, I always go to the Linai and I listen to Lynn Johnson and whoever is going to speak on a given opera. And I learned a lot. Sometimes I have to share with you. Sometimes I listen twice. Good for you. No, she, Lynn does a great job. And actually, you know, Lynn was a part of our hot digital season. She did what we called quick takes with Lynn, little five or 10 minute segments to help you prepare for each of the digital productions. So yeah, that was a lot of fun to put together with her too. What kind of response? What kind of challenges? What kind of success have you had with the digital program over the time of COVID? Yeah, so it was eyes and lows. You know, we had over 11,000 views on the site and from 116 countries. So we got really outside our Hawaiian home to spread the joy of HOT. But you know, when a company is relying on ticket sales for 30 to 40% of their income, that revenue dropped way down. You know, instead of buying four tickets to a pass, you buy one household pass because you can watch on your TV or your computer. And also, it just, you know, some of our patrons, normal patrons just weren't feeling comfortable or enjoying watching digital production. So they didn't join us for these. I hope they'll come back for live, but it was kind of what it was. But you know, it was what it did do, it kept us going. It kept the donations going. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate the local support we received, foundations and individuals. It was an amazing year. But I'm kind of tired of pivoting a little bit. I want to get back to live educational programs and live opera in the auditorium. Well, let's talk about that. Let's talk about the pivot, if you will, back to some semblance of normalcy. You've tried to do that, you know, for this fall and next year. Can you talk about your efforts and the outcome? Sure, sure. You know, so we announced, we announced our season earlier in this year, like April, I believe. And, you know, we thought the summer was looking really good with COVID numbers and seemed like we'd gotten everything under control. So I was just going to start off in October with a concert series that would be semi-staged favorite arias and ensembles from operas. And then we would have our opera ball on November 6th at the Sheraton, as we do every year, well, most every year except last year. But, you know, the last two months, month and a half or so with COVID, the Delta variant, surging here so incredibly. And Mayor Blanchardi's correct, you know, restrictions on gatherings in large events and all, it just became untenable for us to think we could continue with those plans. So, thankfully, we were able to find new dates, we're moving things to the spring. The October performances will now be on January 28 and 30. And opera ball will move to March 26. So, but we're still planning some things in the fall, but it's going to be a combination of digital and small live things. Yeah. So this is all on your website, I take it. The new schedules coming up. Can we show the logo or the website now so we can get a handle on that? This is hawaiioperate.org, right? Yeah, that's right. And we are updating the website even as we speak. So be patient. It might not be quite all up today or tomorrow, but by the end of the week, we'll have it all corrected for you. But yes, so January 28 and 30 are the first live productions in Blaisdell Theater. We follow that up with the tragedy of Carmen in mid-February, and then a full, big-on production of Madame a Butterfly in April, which will, but that's the theme of our year of reemerging like the butterfly coming out of its cocoon. And Lord knows we want to come out of our cocoon now. And we want you to. And so the first one, can you talk about the first leg of that journey, what you have planned, what it will be like, why we should buy tickets and come down to that? Yeah, so for safety reasons and for economy of means, the first production is going to be small. It's a concert, as I said, semi-stage, so there'll be some props and some action going on. But it'll be with two pianos rather than the orchestra and beloved arias and ensembles from your favorite operas, including some previews of future seasons that we're planning. So you'll get a little sneak peek at some of the stuff that we're looking at to do, and also some things probably from Butterfly as well. So you get a little teaser on that. So we've got three amazing singers coming in for that, plus that'll be supported by just the amazing amount of talent that we have right here in Hawaii. And that really was the backbone of our being able to do hot digital was the talent that we have here. So then in February, we move on to a stage production of The Tragedy of Carmen, staged by Karen Tiller, our own favorite director. She was a general director for a while, wasn't she? She was, yes, and a really good friend of the company. And we will be engaging her as much as we can throughout the years. And Tragedy of Carmen is an adaptation of Bizet's Carmen, done by Peter Brooks back in 1980. He's a stage and theater director, rather stage and film director. And it is a really powerful piece. It just distills the essence of Carmen into a 90 minute powerhouse presentation, chamber orchestra, just four singers and a couple supers. It's Carmen, Don José, Micaela, and Escamillo, the same ending, I'm afraid, but really, really powerful piece. And all the tunes you love from Carmen are still in there. What's missing is the chorus and some of the larger ensemble pieces. But it's not Bizet's Carmen, but it is Bizet's Carmen, you'll enjoy it. Well, a couple of thoughts about that. I was telling you before the show that for years Micaela, who was the sweet country girl, was my favorite character in Carmen. But over time, I realized that I was really much more in love with Carmen herself because she's so sassy. Yeah, I think we're all attracted to the film Fatal, right? You know, there's something about her persona that, you know, she's a powerful woman. She doesn't submit to anything. And that is so still needed in our society of strong female characters on stage. You know, there's so many that are victims. And Carmen ends up being a part of a victim, but she goes in it eyes wide open and it's her choice. Yeah. And you know, somehow that's very relevant, isn't it, these days, the thing about strong women. And going forward, I think it really tells us a story about the future of our society because they will be more important going forward. They will be more important economically, socially, what have you. And so we need to study Carmen, find out what drives her. Yeah, yeah, definitely. She's clearly, what's the word I'm looking for? You know, a firebrand in her community. She is different than the other women in there. And the men react to that, you know, they respond to her ferocity. So yeah, it's a really neat story, you know. Yeah, I'm excited to bring it. And the music is out of this world. Oh yeah. It's kind of, you know, it's one of those operas where you walk out of the theater and you're just singing, you're humming the music for a long time. Oh yeah. Yeah, no, that, you know, that's another power of opera is that the tunes that stick with you, the earworms, if you will, to use a contemporary phrase, but what blessed earworms with opera and the melodies still see. Butterfly asks them too, of course. So you know, in a funny way, you know, in terms of like editing things, editing video, editing movies, editing documents, and you can always take off some of the fat. And I suggest to you that maybe this is the kind of approach that could be even more popular going forward. That is, you know, you look at the opera, it's been around for what, 150 years, and say, you know, there are parts of it. Well, we don't really need that part. It's beautiful without that part. So you can take that off and you cut a little bit here and there. And after a while, you're down to 90 minutes, and it's just as powerful in 90 minutes. It seems to me that this particular phenomenon, this process of taking Carmen and making it the tragedy of Carmen is a process that can be used in other classical operas. What do you think? Oh yeah, definitely. And there are companies doing just that. There's a company in New York, and I'm blanking on their name right now. I think it's on site opera. But that's what they do is, you know, 80 or 90 minute reductions of classical operas. I saw a presentation two years ago of a company that's that company that did a 90 minute version of Fidelio and re-orchestrated it to a small chamber orchestra and brought it up into a contemporary way that was super powerful. And it's not trying to replace Fidelio or Carmen in the repertoire, but it's adding in something and allowing new audiences to experience things. One of the perceptions of opera is that it's long and boring, and we're trying very hard to push against that. And it's not, again, I want them to come to butterfly with just a three, three and a half hour opera, and they will love every second of it. But get them in the door with something that's short, in particular with COVID, avoiding intermissions for a while is probably not a bad thing, but it's really more about the power of this piece and the nonstop flow. You know, you look at people sit in 90 minutes for a movie easily, and so why not an opera? Give it a try. Sure. And we used to have intermissions at 15 minutes and not 30 minute shows. We kind of, you know, getting off that because we want to maintain the flow of the same thing. But the things you're saying, you know, suggest to me, Andrew, that opera is still and maybe increasingly so alive and in touch, because there are changes going on. There are young people getting involved. There are creative new ideas that are modifying the old forms. They're connecting with our world of today. As perhaps they didn't before when you and I were younger, but now they certainly are. I remember going to Bastille in Paris and the kids were coming down the aisles of this beautiful opera house in roller skates. And I said to myself, this is not, you know, for the old guys anymore. This is for the kids. They really care, and they're bringing their whole cultural world into the opera house now. What's the phrase? It's not your grandmother's opera anymore. Yeah. No, I think you're right. You know that opera is relevant to everyone today. The stories are timeless. The reason they've lasted so long is because they are timeless. But if you keep it in the trappings of the 18th or 19th century, you're going to lose people. And I think there's a place for that. I'm not saying to throw the baby out with the bath water, or like to say the bohem with the bathwater. And some stories really don't work if you try to modernize them. They really just don't make any sense. Like Mimi dying of consumption and bohem is kind of hard to see that as a 21st century issue. But there are ways to do it that are so respectful. Don't change the story because that's really my mandate with anything that's an updated telling is it can't change the story. But it could have a new lens on it, a framework, if you will, that engages a new audience and makes them want to come back. I want people to see the tragedy of Carmen and say, you know what? I love that. Let me try something else. It's getting the door open to people, getting their minds open that opera is a viable art form. I also think new opera is vitally important of operas that are written today and telling the stories that are pertinent to today. Again, they need to be timeless, but they still are telling relevant stories that are 21st century stories. And an opera is such a combination of disciplines that it can perhaps tell the modern story that today's story in a way that maybe the movies can't quite do. So there's a value there. I mean, even with our production of Men of a Butterfly this year, the director that we've chosen, her name is Arya Umazawa. She is a Japanese Canadian and she's bringing her own aesthetic to the production. It's going to be traditional. We're engaging Ann Namba, local fashion designer here to do the Japanese. Sure, that's fabulous. She's the greatest. And it's a beautiful set, but Arya's take on the story is to have it be done in flashback that Trouble, Butterfly's child who is taken away from her at the end of the opera, is actually come back to her house to the village as an adult to rediscover his Japanese roots because he was taken away to America by Pinkerton. And so the idea of seeing things through his lens, through his viewpoint of somebody coming back and trying to regain his heritage, it's very powerful to me. And also focusing on somebody that is a mixed race heritage, which is so important to the community here, such a large part of the population here in Hawaii. And will always be. Always. Yes, yes. It is at the heart of our Hawaii culture, that particular opera. So how does that, is that going to be the full stage production or is it going to be modified as in the case of the Carmen? No, no, it's full on three acts, all the beautiful music that you know and love from Puccini's masterpiece. So we'll be there. Oh, I'll be there. I'll see you. I'll be there and hopefully by then I can actually shake your hand in the lobby. I know, I know. I missed the physical touch. I'm in the lobby at all our concerts and giving shan shakes or hugs even. I'm a hugger, I'm afraid. And I've had to modify that during COVID. So I'm hoping we can get back to that. Oh gosh, you know, it's one good reason we should all work hard to get rid of COVID. Exactly. So I want to talk to you about the children, the kids, the students, you know, because part of the program here is we know that a lot of opera lovers are getting older and they're not going to be around that much longer and they, you know, they are an important part of the people who show up at the performances and who support the opera. But as they get older, you know, and they go through the pipeline, you have to fill the pipeline with younger people. That's the challenge, isn't it? And so one way to do that is make very sure that young people are being exposed to opera in every way possible. And I know Eric Haynes works on that. Yeah. And he has been on our shows a couple of times already to talk about what he does at the schools. But can you talk about what Hawaii Opera Theater is doing even at a time of COVID to try to expose kids and students and young people to the joy of opera? Yeah. I mean, education outreach is such an important part of our mission and what we do day to day. Our education program continued despite COVID, like everything else, it went virtual, although they started to get back into the schools towards the end of the school year last spring. You know, we have this amazing residency program where a teaching artist works with a class in any elementary school, but any subject level, subject matter. And the kids pick a topic for an opera that they want to write. They write the poetry with the teaching artists, the teaching artists sets it to music, a Carmen or an Aida, you know, familiar tunes. And then they put costumes together, they build sets, and they present this opera that they've written. And despite COVID, we were able to do three of those productions last spring. They became digital productions and were shot, a lot of it was shot one-on-one with just one student, and then we pull it all together digitally. But they were super powerful and telling stories that spoke to the kids, but with opera themes, opera music themes. We have a youth program, a young voices program, and they worked throughout the year digitally. They even put to their own production of Pirates of Penzance that was on our hot digital site. And then for getting out to the schools, normally we would tour a show, a 60-minute production of an opera. But this year we recorded one. We did the micado, and that was pushed out to schools digitally. Over a thousand students signed up to see it. We also normally bring in kids to one of the final dress rehearsals for each of our main stage productions. We call that opera for everyone. And so the Mozart, the Bastian and Bastian I mentioned earlier, that was pushed to schools as an opera for everyone digital version. And again, over a thousand students signed up for that to view that production. So we kept going. We definitely want to get back to live with all of our kids. Our Orvis programs are meeting now in person. Everyone vaccinated with masks on unless you're singing, maximum of 10 people in the space, mixture of people online, but we do have people live. And we're looking at residencies starting up again. We want to do pushing most of that to the spring, but some of it is starting up now. Certainly the planning is starting up now. We are hoping that the touring show, which is going to be aida this year, will be touring in the spring. And we'll just keep going. That's the name of the game, is keeping things moving. Because the arts are so critical to culture, to society, and to this island. Yeah. Well, we have to be a center of art. We have to be a center of opera too. One thing strikes me, you talk about the kids and all this, and I see the possibility. We live in times that are changing, sometimes very dramatically, sometimes very tragically. And it all speaks of powerful stories about our times now, not the 19th century, but now. And I'm hoping that these kids, having been exposed to opera, will actually create operas that tell those stories, the story of now, the story of the 21st century. I know there are operas like that already, but wouldn't it be wonderful if some of our kids could do that? I couldn't agree more. There is a place for everyone at opera, whether it's working backstage or being an audience member playing in the pit or writing an opera, a new opera. It is a vital art form that needs new blood, new imagination, new voices to be heard. You know, they say we need a diversifier economy, and everybody says we've got to do more than tourism and military and agriculture. We should bring it back. But you know, the arts, the arts could be a leg on that stool. The arts could be a meaningful sector of our diversified economy. Most definitely. It should be. We should have a place at the table in discussing revitalizing and diversifying the economy. Yeah, it's related to all other things, too, because it affects everybody. It is. And we employ a lot of people here on the island, between the symphony and Diamondhead Theater and all the arts that are happening here. The arts employ a lot of people here, and we can do more. Yeah. Well, on that same note, I hate to use musical terminology. On that same note, Andrew, can you talk about the company, the company at Hawaii Opera Theater? Because as everything, it's all about people. Can you talk about the people and how you organize them and motivate them and deploy them? Sure. We have an amazing staff. You know, we've, it's been a hard year and a half now for people being working remotely, staff meetings by Zoom, project work by Zoom, small groups getting together. But it's still, it's difficult, it's different. And through the hot digital season, we all had to wear different hats. People were learning how to edit audio, how to, you know, become certified in COVID safety protocols, and managing digital shoots. And it was just an amazing wealth of pivoting from every single person on the hot staff. And it was wonderful to see people diving into new challenges and new opportunities headfirst. It was a lot of fun, actually, to just learn new things and figure out ways to make it work. The adage of Tim Gunn, one of my favorite designers, make it work moment. But we did it. I was really pleased. We ended up not having to lay off any staff members during COVID. And that's really in large part thanks to the unusually large amount of government support that the arts received during this period with the COVID relief programs. You know, we were very blessed to have one of the few NEA COVID grants awarded last year. I think there was only eight in the state of Hawaii, and we got one of them. We received the payroll protection loans both times. And we got money through the shuttered venue operators grant through that. And also a couple of grants locally, the business pivot grants too. So, you know, that is how we were able to survive along with the amazing continued support of our donors. Our donor base was so generous throughout all of this, the understanding that we were doing important work, and we needed to be there when we're able to come out of COVID. So, the only way to be there is if we keep going. You know, describe that, and it reminds me that opera is global. And that in my observation, the people came from all over the world to perform here, and all over the country for sure. And the United States has a very deep pool of talent in opera. You know, people studying music and studying opera who are world-class. And that's a real benefit because you can bring them here. At the same time, you know, it's kind of a, it's a rotating door in the sense that you train these people that you're describing. They get very excited and talented and experienced. And then they have the possibility of going to any opera house on the mainland or in Europe. That may not be happening right now, but you know, as a matter of course, it will. And the same thing, you know, with performers, they come from everywhere. You can find some really good ones and hold on to them. Jamie often back is probably a good example of that. And now he's on your staff, so to speak. But the point is, there's an exchange that goes on both ways, coming and going. How does that affect you in COVID? And how do you want it to affect you going forward? Well, I mean, in face, in light of COVID, we really didn't bring any mainland artists to perform in our hot digital season. We cultivated and nurtured the talent that's here. And I want to continue that alongside bringing the youngest, brightest and upcoming talent that has been the history of HOT in presenting operas. You know, I don't think it's, there's no downside there to have amazing local talent and the bringing in other talent there. I also, you know, because of our geographic position, I feel it's really important for us to look at the broader Oceania region for who we are as a company so that we're diversifying in that way, looking to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and Asia for exciting new talent, both onstage and offstage of how we're cultivating and training that next generation from this region that really hasn't had a lot of support on that. So did that answer your question? Yeah, well, I mean, I think it's always going to be a global network. On the other hand, if we can preserve our special place, our special center of arts and opera, that's better. And I think we are, we have a reputation for that, don't we? We have some extraordinary people that are here and that have been here and will be here. So Hawaii is well respected in this, in the global opera community, isn't it? Oh, yeah. I mean, we've had some amazing talent over the years and we will have more coming. I'm really excited about the casting that we have this coming season. Some people that I knew through San Francisco Opera's Adler program, but other people, just amazing singers and directors and conductors to bring new life into as we come back out of the pandemic. But yes, we have a very good reputation of high artistic standards, doing very high quality productions with excellent singers, great orchestra. I can't tell you how much I enjoy working with Dave Moss and the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. They're wonderful partners to us in the community. And just being that beacon of light in the middle of Pacific Ocean. Yeah, yeah, we have to have, we have to, we need that. I have to have a place I can go to at least three times a year where I can cry. You know what I mean? Well, I promise we'll bring you some things that you will laugh at too. So it's not all good tears. It's important to love you the tears with some laughter. Andrew, wonderful to talk to you. I offer you this opportunity to leave a parting word with our audience. Tell them what you would like them to carry away from this discussion and into their lives. Well, I would say to everyone, the arts are vital to us as a culture, as a society, and we need your kakua to make that happen. So donate to us, donate to other organizations on the island, participate, subscribe, buy a ticket to something, go out and be there for us when we're coming back live and get vaccinated because that's really the only way we can come back strong and healthy and safe. I'll see you there, Andrew. I know I will. I will be there, I promise. And I will be in my regular seat that I have occupied for, I don't know, must be 30 years already in the second row center. I've been there every year. I think we're going to have to put bows in everybody's seats and make you take it off as they're present coming back. Thank you. Andrew Morgan, general director of Hawaii Opera Theater, one of the great institutions of our islands. Thank you so much, Andrew. Thanks, Jay. I appreciate it. Aloha.