Show Notes: This is an interview with music director and conductor Alexis Enyart who will be part of the chamber opera As One. As One runs for two performances at the Kahilu Theatre on Saturday, July 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 10 at 4 p.m. Purchase tickets at KahiluTheatre.org.
As One was created by Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell, and Kimberly Reed. Premiered in 2014, As One quickly became the most frequently performed American opera thanks to its lyricism and the universality and timeliness of its themes: authenticity, identity, compassion, and self-love.
Longtime HPAF favorite Beth Dunnington serves as the stage director for the production. “For me, one of the most significant things about being alive, being human on this planet, is being our authentic selves,” says Dunnington. “The story of a person discovering, acknowledging, and then becoming who they were meant to be – especially against all odds – is something we can all relate to. This is the story of As One.”
Alexandra Enyart (left) will make her Hawaii Performing Arts Festival debut as music director and conductor of this production. As a transgender conductor, Alexandra strives to create a more equitable and diverse musical world. “As One celebrates womanhood. Hannah overcomes. She is pressured, bullied, made to be perfect, harassed, and attacked, and she still overcomes. There are people who will say that this is not what As One is about because Hannah happens to be transgender, but Hannah’s journey to womanhood is every bit as true and relatable as any other girl, and that’s the true beauty of As One. This piece removes the illusion that people who are trans are separate or other,” comments Enyart.
“‘Transgender’ is just an adjective before the noun ‘woman,’ just like black woman, Muslim woman, Jewish woman, tall woman, small woman, blue-eyed woman. Women with different adjectives must now work together to change the narrative around our lives from victim to victory.”
As One runs for two performances at the Kahilu Theatre on Saturday, July 9 at 7 pm and Sunday, July 10 at 4 pm. The production features two casts, including Evan Bravos and Rahzé Cheatham (Hannah Before) and Ashley Armstrong and Amanda Staub (Hannah After). A special “Behind the Curtain” event will take place one hour before the Sunday matinee, beginning at 3 pm, in the Simperman Gallery. The team of As One will engage in intimate pre-show discussion surrounding the process of bringing Hannah to life. All ticket holders are invited to attend.
You can find Songs & Stories on all major podcast platforms, including Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Listen and download for free. The show also airs weekly on KONA 100.5 FM in Kailua, Kona.