Alice G. Collins

OPERA KANIKAPILA in Hawaii at Hawaii Opera Theatre 2021

By Alice G. Collins 1 year ago
This year has been a challenging one to say the least; particularly in the arts. Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, like other performing arts organi-ations, has been facing a changing landscape, not only due to the pandemic (which forced HOT to postpone the 20-21 season) but also in the way people consume entertainment. Fortunately, HOT had already been moving towards a new model; one where they could ‘opera different’ and appeal to a broader base.

One of the aforementioned new concepts is HOT Digital, offering completely original content created in Honolulu, utilizing local talent in a mix of pay-per-view and free offerings. Shared through a virtual concert hall experience online, this unique content can be accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world.

One of HOT Digital’s offerings is a multi-year project called Hapa Opera, which will explore how opera and local cultures can intersect. One of the many programs under Hapa Opera

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Sundance Awards: ‘CODA’ Wins Grand Jury Prize

By Alice G. Collins 1 year ago


6:29 PM PST 2/2/2021

by


Mia Galuppo

Top doc honors went to ‘Summer of Soul’ from director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who accepted his award from inside a car on his “way to work” in New York City at ‘The Tonight Show.’

CODA has won the top award at the Sundance Film Festival, taking this year’s U.S. Grand Jury prize. The title, which made headlines earlier in the fest for its record-breaking $25 million sale to Apple, also took the dramatic audience award, while director Sian Heder was honored with the directing award for U.S. dramatic competition.

“I hope that this opened the door to people getting that audiences want to see these kinds of stories,” said Heder of the movie, which centers on a hearing teenage girl that is a child of deaf adults. “I hope that this means that more stories that center on deaf characters and characters with

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Nipsey Hussle’s ‘The Marathon’ Visual Album Streams Live This Friday

By Alice G. Collins 1 year ago

This Friday on Youtube, Nipsey Hussle fans will be able to catch a “visual album experience” titled The Marathon live at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET. The video was teased by Nipsey’s Instagram, the Marathon Clothing account, and by animation studio Oki Doki, who apparently handled the rendering on the visuals. Oki Doki’s account describes the stream as “Celebrating the life of an incredible human, the Marathon mixtape, and the first week of #BlackHistoryYear.”

From what little we’ve seen, the experience appears to be a stunning visual tribute to the late, great Nipsey Hussle, as well as his beloved Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles. Nipsey’s estate first teased the project in December of 2020, writing, “In commemoration of this anniversary we’re proud to announce our collaborative effort with @okidoki to bring to life an interactive live visual album experience coming in 2021. The experience will give viewers

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Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul’ Takes Top Documentary Prizes at Sundance

By Alice G. Collins 1 year ago

“Summer of Soul” took both the audience prize & grand jury prize in the U.S. documentary section.

CODA has won the top award at the Sundance Film Festival, taking this year’s U.S. Grand Jury prize, while Questlove’s Summer of Soul won both the audience and grand jury prize in the U.S. documentary section.

CODA, which made headlines earlier in the fest for its record-breaking $25 million sale to Apple, took the dramatic audience award with Sian Heder taking the directing award for U.S. dramatic competition. “I hope that this opened the door to people getting that audiences want to see these kinds of stories,” said Heder of the title, which centers on a hearing teenage girl that is a child of deaf adults. “I hope that this means that more stories that center on deaf characters and characters with disability get put front and center.”

“I really wish there

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