It’s nice, and warm, to be home again, says Lorette Ables Sayre, who spent two months prepping for and performing in “Fiddler on the Roof in Concert,” in chilly climes in Michigan with the Ann Arbor Symphony, followed by a run in Pennsylvania, with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
“Froze my okole off!,” she said of portraying Golde, the spouse of Tevye, in the beloved musical with its splendid and soaring score. “I had a great time but it was hard, rewarding work, and a thrill of a show to do.”
The productions featured Broadway (some Tony nominees, like Ables Sayre herself) talent along with collegiate voices eager to join the cast of pros as part of the learning process.
One of the unexpected joys for Ables Sayre was the discovery of islanders in the cast. “Local kids will find you,” she said. “Asians/Filipinos who wanted to talk all things local – language, food, beaches, food, music, handouts, food.”
In a gesture of aloha and camaraderie, Ables Sayre made a huge pot of chicken adobo and rice shared during a rehearsal.
“I made mini-bentos to hand out to those kids and some of my castmates,” Ables Sayre said. “My kitchen was small in my hotel room but I was able to make a couple of batches of adobo, and they were thrilled.”
Of course, the aroma of home-made adobo danced in the hallways for days.
When you encounter someone from home, it’s always a delight to share tales and memories. For the performer, it was also a joy to learn there were classmates from Radford (her alma mater) who now live on the Mainland, who braved snowstorms after snowstorms (single digit highs some days) that plagued rehearsals and performers, so the warmth of the ex-Islanders was a gratifying surprise.
“Fiddler” turned out to be an emotional experience, too, because it deals with families forced out of their homes, and the theme resonated with the ongoing plight in Kyve and other Ukrainian cities, in the lingering war with Russia. “We all had to hold back tears when it came to those scenes because we were living out on stage what was happening in Ukraine in real time.”
“Fiddler” was the first musical she has done since the beginning of the pandemic, so everything considered, Ables Sayre said it was “an absolute thrill.”
Upon her return home, she had cataract surgery on both eyes, and is adjusting to a new normal: the ability to read her emails on a computer and read magazines and the paper without glasses, even reading spectacles, a feat impossible for the past two decades. …
Waikiki reawakening from pandemic
You know Waikiki is reawakening from the “drought” of the pandemic, when Hawaiian music returns to resorts, showcasing performances suitable for both locals and visitors.
For instance, the Ocean Kaowili Trio, with Ocean, Bryan Tolentino, and Danny Naipo, will perform with dancer Kanoe Miller, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday (April 15) at the Halekulani’s beachfront Hau Tree Terrace…
Amy Hanaiaii‘i takes the Halekulani’s ballroom stage on Mother’s Day, May 8, in the resort’s first-ever Mother’s Day special, with a special menu. Doors open at 10 a.m, with the show at 11 a.m.; amenities of a complimentary mimosa and a long-stemmed rose, await for moms and grandmoms attending. Tickets: $116 for adults, and $58 for keiki 5 through 12. Reservations: 808-518-2019. …
Frank DeLima’s comedic show will be staged at 1 p.m Mother’s Day, May 8, with doors opening at 11 a.m. for a noontime menu for moms, at Blue Note Hawaii at the Outrigger Waikiki resort. Tickets: $35 and $45, at www.bluenotehawaii.com or call 808-777-4980.
Sean Na‘auao & Friends will stage a one-nighter at 6:30 p.m. April 27 at the Plumeria Beach House of the Kahala Resort. Cover charge, $55; dinner service from 5:30 p.m. Reservations via Open Table, 808-739-8811. …
Cruise seeks Oahu performers
Vocalists and dancers, capable of performing in a Broadway-type musical production, are sought for a future Norwegian Cruise show at sea.
Creative Studios by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the in-house casting and producing wing of the cruise line, will hold auditions in a casting call set for April 28 in Kaneohe.
The site will be unveiled when you sign up for the tryouts, along with vocal styles, height, weight and other physical requirements.
Roles are available for males and females, of all ethnicities and skills in variety of dance and song styles are required, typified by material from such shows as “Jersey Boys,” “Footloose,” “Rock of Ages” and “Kinky Boots.” The resulting show may be staged at sea aboard Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas and/or Oceania Cruises.
Dancer sign-in begins at 9 a.m., with auditions from 9:30 a.m. Singer sign-in is at 1 p.m., with tryouts from 1:15 p.m.
Details: http://nclhcreativestudios.com/auditionpages/auditions2022/oahu_april2022.html
And that’s Show Biz. …
