What do you take with you when you're forced to leave your home for good? That's the premise of "An American Dream," a Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre production that opens Friday.
Set during World War II, it follows the lives of two women: a Japanese American incarcerated with her family and a German Jewish immigrant with family still in Europe.
It was inspired by true stories from residents in Puget Sound, Washington.
"It's about human connections and it's about how the war touched so many people," said HOT conductor Lance Inouye. "When you see it from all perspectives, it's a heartbreaking story, but it really shows this atrocity and this tragedy from so many different perspectives."
The one-act opera was written by composer Jack Perla from a libretto by Jessica Murphy Moo for the Seattle Opera in 2015.
"The music is beautiful. It's really moving and it has its own unique musical language," he said. "It really takes you on an emotional journey. There are elements of lush, romantic era harmony, there's elements of jazz harmony, there's elements of maybe minimalist music. So with all this combination, Jack Perla really creates this incredibly emotional, engaging, beautiful piece of music."
"An American Dream" is showing Oct. 13-15 at Moanalua High School’s Performing Arts Center and will include a panel discussion between the Japanese and the Jewish communities. It then moves to Leeward Community College Theatre on Oct. 20 and Castle High School's Performing Arts Center on Oct. 22.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 11, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
