Hawai‘i Opera Theatre’s Madame Butterfly, Honolulu

Hawaii Opera Theatre was established in 1960, but the islands' connection to opera dates back nearly a century earlier. In the 1850s, Queen Emma was said to have sung Verdi, while her husband King Kamehameha IV acted as a stage manager. More recently, Queen Liliuokalani may have composed an opera herself. Today, the nonprofit Hawaii Opera Theatre continues this rich musical tradition as the only professional opera company on the islands. Its productions—which have included La Bohéme, Romeo & Juliet, and Aida—feature local singers alongside international stars who have performed at major opera houses and in front of their own framed portraits of Pavarotti.