Everything’s coming up roses for actress Jacquelyn Holland-Wright.
Well, Mama Rose, anyway.
Holland-Wright — affectionately called Jac — is tackling the single-mother lead character in “Gypsy,” which opens a three-weekend run Aug. 8 at Paliku Theatre, Windward Community Theatre
Jac can relate to Mama Rose, a single mom who seeks a better life for herself, to provide for her two daughters, June and Louise, in their quest to entertain.
In Jac’s real-life scenario, she has a son, Parker, a drummer in high school, who may have a future in entertainment, like his mom. Or not.
“Gypsy” is a homecoming for Jac, who first performed Mama Rose at Castle High School in 1987. Appropriately, she is a bona fide Bright Kid, who gained her acting chops here and went abroad to shape her career as a professional actress, the essence of the kind of success story of The I’m A Bright Kid Foundation, the theater group presenting “Gypsy.” IABK is dedicated to the performing arts but specifically committed to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of long-time director-teacher Ronald E. Bright, or Mr. B, to his students.
Dr. Ligaya Stice, sister of Jade Stice and the executive director of the IABK Foundation, said,”When our team decided on producing ‘Gypsy‘ this year, we all had one actor in mind to play the part of Rose, and that person was Jac.”
“The role is demanding, in every way,” said Jac about Rose, whose ambitions and dreams parallel her personal goals as an entertainer who sings. “It’s all about survival.”
Jac, born and raised in Kailua and a Castle graduate, has sustained a 30-year career on the Las Vegas and Broadway stages.
Jac earlier played Mama Rose, so she has history with the story. “It’s a beautiful show,” she said. “I did the role 38 years ago with Jade Stice (as Louise, who evolves as Gypsy Rose Lee) and Mr. Bright directed.” The musical was one of many Mr. B. directed on the Windward Side, mentoring hundreds of youthful actors while at Castle High School, whose auditorium now bears his name, Ronald E. Bright Theatre. Bright also directed adult casts in musicals at Paliku Theatre before his death on Nov. 26, 2015.
As she assumes the role of Rose, she feels entrusted with the part, and she seeks to bring out her character’s colors and layers. “My goal is storytelling, and I want to lift everybody with the process (of acting),” she said.
Rose can be a tricky character, since she is selfish because of her situation, said Jac. “It’s easy to be angry with Rose. You can love her, but she’s kind of a late bloomer – born too soon, or started too late – and she forces her kids into show biz, fighting for what she wanted herself, and couldn’t get.” All this amid the heyday of vaudeville and burlesque .
Her big number is “Rose’s Turn,” when Rose takes a look in the mirror and finds self-realization.”It’s heartbreaking if you don’t tell the story the right way. It’s a tricky number,” said Jac.
The musical, with book by Arthur Laurents. music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, boasts many hit songs, including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Some People,” “Small World,” “You’ve Gotta Have a Gimmick,” and “Let Me Entertain You.” A Broadway revival is running through Aug. 17 at the Majestic Theatre, starring Audra McDonald.
Jac values what she learned from Mr. B.: “Believe in yourself.” That’s the path to your success, she said. And she adores Hawaii’s mixed plate casting, where Asians and Hawaiians and haole actors and other ethnicities can come together and do a show.
“That decade of shows with Mr. Bright was valuable experience for doing eight shows over six nights in Las Vegas,” she said of her agenda. Jac currently stars as Soap Star in “Menopause The Musical,” the longest-running musical on the Vegas strip.
“Menopause,” her hit Vegas musical, was a personal revelation 10 years ago. “When I started in the show, I didn’t realize that menopause hits between 45 and 55,” she said about that life-changing moment. “I was divorced, had a 5-year-old son, and realized I was living the show. I wondered why the rest of the women were not so energetic, since there’s a lot of uncertainty the body is going through physically and emotionally. I’m not afraid of talking about it. I’m honored to be the messenger of menopause.”
She also starred as Donna Sheridan in the Broadway musical, “Mamma Mia!” from 2005-2009, at the show’s residency at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and not surprisingly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2005 named her the “Most Talented Female Entertainer of Las Vegas”
Son Parker is a junior in high school now, “and has lots of time to decide on a career. And he’s home alone, fending for himself, while mom does a show in Hawaii. I’m certain he’ll enjoy his independence,” said Jac. Unlike Rose, however, she’s not nudging him into the business called show…
And that’s Show Biz…
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“Gypsy”
A Broadway musical with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; produced by the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation
What: A fable about an ambitious, determined stage mother, Rose, and her two daughters, June and Louise, who seek fame and fortune in the world of burlesque and vaudeville, in the early 20th Century
Where: Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College
When: At 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, Aug.8 through Aug. 24
Tickets: $34 to $44 for adults, $29 for students 12-18, military and seniors and $24 for children, plus fees; visit https://cur8.com/projects/24380 or imabrightkid.org/ticket
Creative team, cast list
Ahnya Chang is both director and choreographer of “Gypsy.”
The creative team also includes Clarke Bright (music director), Omnia Nova (costume designer), Janine Myers (lighting designer), and Deanne Kennedy (set designer).
Jacquelyn Holland-Wright leads the cast as Mama Rose, and other lead players include Tani Siu as Louise, Rockelle Kim as June, Swaine Kaui as Herbie, Drew Bright as Tulsa, Tom Holowach as Pop, Ligaya Stice as Tessie Tura, Faith Kawai as Mazeppa, Camille Michel as Electra, Katy Akitake and Chelsea Medeiros alternating as Baby June and Liliy Dayao and Hayden Lau alternating as Baby Louise.