Hawai'i Opera Theatre Has Three Operas in Joy-Themed 2022-2023 Season

Summary: Hawai'i Opera Theatre stages three operas in its joy-themed 2022-2023 season: The Secret Garden, The Elixir of Life and Gianni Schicchi.

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett's same-named classic operatized by Nolan Gasser, opens Hawai'i Opera Theatre's 2022-2023 season: Hawaii Opera Theatre, via Facebook Aug. 19, 2022

Honolulu's Hawai'i Opera Theatre stages three operas in its joy-themed 2022-2023 season as a celebration of light and life through The Secret Garden, The Elixir of Love and Gianni Schicchi.

Hawai'i Opera Theatre (HOT) offers two new operas and one previously performed opera in the opera company's 2022-2023 season. Gianni Schicchi and The Secret Garden make their HOT debuts. The Elixir of Love returns after a 46-year absence from HOT's seasonal performance roster. The Secret Garden, The Elixir of Love and Gianni Schicchi are offered separately as autumn, winter and spring performances, respectively.

The Secret Garden receives two performances for the opera's HOT debut. Opening night is set for Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. The second, closing performance is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16, as a matinee at 4:00 p.m.

The Secret Garden is based upon the same-named classic of English children's literature published in 1911 by Anglo-American novelist and playwright Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (Nov. 24, 1849-Oct. 29, 1924). The San Francisco Opera commissioned the family-friendly opera from American composer and musicologist Nolan Ira Gasser (born Nov. 10, 1964) and English dramatist and novelist Carey Harrison (born Feb. 19, 1944), son of English actor Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (March 5, 1908-June 2, 1990) and his second wife, German actress Lili Palmer (Lilli Marie Peiser; May 24, 1914-Jan. 27, 1986). The opera's premiere took place Friday, March 1, 2013, at Zellerbach Hall on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley; UCB).

The English-language opera is sung in English in both HOT performances. English supertitles will be displayed.

The Elixir of Love is staged as the 2022-2023 HOT season's second opera. The comic opera receives two performances this season. Opening night is slated for Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The second, closing performance is set for Sunday, Feb. 19, as a matinee at 4:00 p.m.

Hawai'i Opera Theatre's debut of The Elixir of Love took place over four and one-half decades ago, in the 1975-1976 season. The opera received three performances in its debut season. HOT's Elixir of Love opened Friday, Jan. 30, played Sunday, Feb. 1, and closed Tuesday, Feb. 3.

The Elixir of Love remained unperformed until the 2022-2023 season. This season's two performances of The Elixir of Love increase the opera's HOT performance tally from three to five.

The Elixir of Love is an English-language version of L’Elisir d’Amore by Italian composer Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848). Donizetti's Italian-language original libretto was written by Italian librettist and poet Felice Romani (Jan. 31, 1788-Jan. 28, 1865). L'Elisir d'Amore's premiere was held Wednesday, June 15, 1831, at Théâtre de L’Académie Royale de Musique, now known as Opéra National de Paris (National Opera of Paris).

Hawai'i Opera Theatre's two February 2023 performances will be sung in English. Also, English supertitles will be displayed.

Gianni Schicchi places as the third and last of the 2022-2023 HOT season's three opera. The farcical slapstick opera receives two end-of-season performances. Opening night is planned for Friday, April 28, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The second, closing performance is timetabled for Sunday, April 30, as a matinee at 4:00 p.m.

Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) composed Gianni Schicchi (pronounce: jahn-nee skee-kee) as the third installment of Il Trittico (The Triptych), a collection of three one-act operas. The Italian libretto, written by Italian librettist and playwright Giovacchino Forzano (Nov. 19, 1884-Oct. 28, 1970), originates in an episode in Canto XXX of the first cantica, Inferno, of Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) by medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri (May/June 1265-Sept. 14, 1321). Il Trittico premiered Saturday, Dec. 14, 1918, at the Metropolitan Opera.

The two HOT performances in April 2023 was be sung in Italian. English supertitles will be displayed.

All three operas will be presented at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall. Hawai'i Opera Theatre's performance venue is located in the Neal S. Blaisdell Center at 777 Ward Avenue, in downtown Honolulu's south shore Kaka'ako neighborhood.

The multi-purpose complex's original name, Honolulu International Center, had been determined by a City Council resolution adopted Tuesday, Sep. 24, 1963, according to land use consultant and planner John T. Young in "War Memorial Municipal Auditorium," posted Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015, to his blog, To Take Responsibility. The center received its current name from the City Council Wednesday, Jan. 14, 1976, to honor Neal Shaw Blaisdell (Nov. 6, 1902-Nov. 5, 1975). Honolulu's eighth mayor (1955-1969) had presided over the center's dedication Saturday, Sep. 12, 1964.

Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall serves as the performance venue for Hawai'i Opera Theatre's lineup of Gasser's The Secret Garden, Donizetti's The Elixir of Love and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi in the opera company's 2022-2023 season: Robert.Allen, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett's same-named classic operatized by Nolan Gasser, opens Hawai'i Opera Theatre's 2022-2023 season: Hawaii Opera Theatre, via Facebook Aug. 19, 2022, @ https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiOpera/posts/pfbid02DPcunAVkfrwNsuY6445r72hJ1NsGcx46xJQ4E6r2Vy8XgUb5zV7ArmfRnF6pX89Jl

Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall serves as the performance venue for Hawai'i Opera Theatre's lineup of Gasser's The Secret Garden, Donizetti's The Elixir of Love and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi in the opera company's 2022-2023 season: Robert.Allen, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blaisdell_Concert_Hall_-_Honolulu_10-Feb-2010.jpg

For further information:

Hawaii Opera Theatre. "A ticket giveaway contest is right around the corner! #giveaway #contest #staytuned #thiscouldbeyours #operalover #Bookclub #theatre #thisfall #October #thesecretgarden #HOTsecretgarden #HOTopera." Facebook. Aug. 19, 2022.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiOpera/posts/pfbid02DPcunAVkfrwNsuY6445r72hJ1NsGcx46xJQ4E6r2Vy8XgUb5zV7ArmfRnF6pX89Jl

Hawaii Opera Theatre. "Tickets Hot Off the Printer! Rivers and Lore, our incredible box office team, are getting your tickets ready! We are so stoked to open our season in October with The Secret Garden. #tickets #boxoffice #HOTOpera #The SecretGarden #HOT #October #Live #Blaisdell #thingstodo #theatre #event #Honolulu #aloha #hawaii #oahu #hawaiilife #hilife." Facebook. Aug. 25, 2022.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiOpera/posts/pfbid0QfTmXzdi6AkeypXBQ1aKkTXrgvdDJdhTshUiD6wa38oxSEhm2wjiHBr8JHbqc4M2l

Hawai'i Opera Theatre. "3 Productions You Don't Want to Miss: Introducing Our 2022-2023 Season." Hawai'i Opera Theatre > What's New.
Available @ https://www.hawaiiopera.org/3-productions-you-dont-want-to-miss-introducing-our-2022-2023-season/

Hawai'i Opera Theatre. "1976: The Elixir of Love January 30; February 1, 3." Hawai'i Opera Theatre > Shows > Past Productions.
Available @ https://www.hawaiiopera.org/shows/past-productions/

Hawai'i Opera Theatre. "2023 HOT Opera Season." Hawai'i Opera Theatre > 2023 HOT Opera Season.
Available @ https://www.hawaiiopera.org/2023-hot-opera-season/

Hawai'i Opera Theatre. "The Elixir of Love: Learn More." Hawai'i Opera Theatre > 2023 HOT Opera Season.
Available @ https://www.hawaiiopera.org/2023-hot-opera-season/the-elixir-of-love-live-at-the-blaisdell/

Hawai'i Opera Theatre. "Gianni Schicchi: Learn More." Hawai'i Opera Theatre > 2023 HOT Opera Season.
Available @ https://www.hawaiiopera.org/2023-hot-opera-season/gianni-schicchi-live-at-the-blaisdell/

Hawai'i Opera Theatre. "The Secret Garden: Learn More." Hawai'i Opera Theatre > 2023 HOT Opera Season.
Available @ https://www.hawaiiopera.org/2023-hot-opera-season/the-secret-garden-live-at-the-blaisdell/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Florence Easton, Puccini’s Lauretta Creator, Died Aug. 13, 1955." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 12, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/florence-easton-puccinis-lauretta.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Il Trittico Is the Dec. 8, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Dec. 3, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/12/il-trittico-is-dec-8-2018-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Kathleen Howard Created Zita in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 12, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/07/kathleen-howard-created-zita-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Kathleen Howard Honed Zita With One Gianni Schicchi and Nine Laurettas." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 19, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/07/kathleen-howard-honed-zita-with-one.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Quinn Kelsey Has Tallied Nine Met Roles, Seven Operas, 90 Performances." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sep. 26, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/quinn-kelsey-has-tallied-nine-met-roles.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Quinn Kelsey Sings Amonasro, Marcello, Rigoletto at Met in 2022-2023." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sep. 19, 2022.
Young, Peter T. "War Memorial Municipal Auditorium." To Take Responsibility. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015.
Available @ https://totakeresponsibility.blogspot.com/2015/10/war-memorial-municipal-auditorium.html