Category: Stage

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A DECLARATION OF INCANDESCENCE

“This Is Me,” an I’m a Bright Kid Foundation (IABKF) youth-centric  musical, is a declaration of incandescence, featuring teens who spent several weeks learning the essence of the theatrical experience.

Playing four times only – Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening, and at 2 p.m. Sunday (July 30) at the Paliku Theatre at the Windward Community College —  “This Is Me” is profoundly and personally a reflection of growing up, mixing appropriate tunes mirroring  each kid’s take on the why’s and how’s of crossing the bridge from kid to teens, while simultaneously shaping a live show in a legitimate performance space.

Mentored by a dedicate corps of teachers, the kids express their “me” in the mentoring process, singing, dancing, and enacting what ultimately is a memorable shared experience in the making of a show.

The I’m a Bright Kid Foundation’s youthful cast : all shapes and sizes.

Oh, what charm and fun. There is no single star in this shimmering galaxy; all lads and lasses are equals and bring singular bursts of joy in declaring their individual “me.” The 40-plus in the ensemble come in all ages and sizes, with varying degrees of experience on stage, and it’s exhilarating when the entire troupers are whirling, kicking, dancing with cyclonic strength, bodies moving in circles of energy.

Diversity is an undercurrent, with a mixed plate of voices and faces – white, black, Asian and surely hapa-this or that —  which distinguishes the show’s sheen and style.

Led by artistic director Jade Stice, herself an accomplished stage professional and  backed by a team of musical (David James Boyd), vocal (Moku Durant, Sarahlea Kekuna) and choreographic (Lisa Herlinger-Thompson, Annie Yoshida) adult directors, the show is an IABKF trademark.

Youthful participants in grades 3 to 12 interpret a number of known and not-so-famous tunes with kaleidoscopic vigor,  yielding a genuine, heart-tugging reflection of growing up amid the angst and aspirations of finding their place in life’s journey.

Some kids are terrific singers, others not so accomplished, but certainly eager to share and  try, best exhibited in Colbie Callait’s “Try,” fueled with wistful wonderment. The tone is try, but don’t overdo the effort; do the best you can.

“Landslide,” the Fleetwood Mac entry, features a trio of older girls (Faith Morrow, Zoe Naso, Moana Simmons) taking turns with a trio of younger girls (Alana French, Aria Kuboyama,  Kamren Neste) synchronizing voices and perspectives about girlhood.

“I’ll Stand by You,” a song by The Pretenders, is a joyous buddy number, delivered with powerful sense of loyalty, by Ezekiel Kekuna and Ezra Kekuna, with Oziah Wurlitzer on keyboard.

One of the hysterically funny numbers is a rap/hip-hop take on Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” with Noe Kaimu loa, the Kekuna brothers, Damian Mendez and keyboarder Wurlitzer gyrating with obvious joy and intensity.

Similarly, the kids are in vogue with a mashup of “Express Yourself” and “Born This Way,” putting their youthful harmonies and movements to the Madonna and Lady Gaga signatures.

“Me” matters in “This Is Me.” This is a rehearsal shot. (Courtesy IABKF)

A series of “I Am” monologues interspersed within the larger production numbers, with single or group revelations about hope, fear, loves, hates and other challenging idiosyncrasies of teenhood.

The show’s  title tune – the soul-moving, self-assuring song popularized by local girl Keala Settle in the Hugh Jackson musical film, “The Greatest Show,” is the perfect vehicle to bring out the best of the cast. Every “me” matters.
The concept of the summer musical is the seventh in the IABKF series, led by Allan Lau, a dedicated fulltime teacher and the theater group’s current  president. David James Boyd, the morning program director, helped shape the daytime sessions with the youngsters that evolved into the cast now doing the show. Ligaya Stice, sister of Jade, is the IABKF executive director, who continues to run the office and makes certain the spirit and inspiration of the late Ron Bright continue to be the lightning rod for developing future theater talent ….

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘This is Me’

A presentation of the I’m A Bright Kid Foundation, to perpetuate the legacy of the beloved teacher-director, Ron Bright

When: final performance at 2 p.m. today (July 30)

Where: Paliku Theatre, at the Windward Community College

Tickets:  $13 to $28, at https://www.showtix4u.com/events/24380/?event=75386&date=200187

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RIVETING ‘CHINESE LADY,’ A CULTURAL ODDITY

“The Chinese Lady,” now at the Manoa Valley Theatre, is a revealing and riveting drama about a 14-year-old Chinese native girl exhibited to New Yorkers in 1834…as if she were a sideshow oddity.

For the next five decades, this girl becoming a woman is exhibited as a curiosity from the Orient whose manners and lifestyle can be observed by Americans, who paid admission to gawk and inspect.

From one viewpoint, you may think this is racism of the worse kind: exhibiting a foreigner simply because she is different. On the other hand, this is somewhat of a history lesson – in a staged theatrical setting –that requires the viewers to focus and concentrate and learn from Afong Moy (alternately portrayed by Jennifer Yee Stierli and Diana Wan) about the idiosyncrasies of humankind.

Diana Wan is Afong May, Alvin Chan is Atung, in MVT’s “The Chinese Lady.”

Which of the actress enacting the part was not identified nor announced at a performance I attended, but she was steadfast and compelling as a non-American telling an immigrant’s story of acceptance despite widely different roots.

The play, by Lloyd Suh, is based on real-life experiences, and is directed by Reiko Ho, with requisite respect and affection, polishing an imaginative mirror that reflects generational strife and challenges of being different in America. The play was to close July 30, but has been extended for three additional performances, at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 and 5, and at 3 p.m. Aug. 6.

Chinese playgoers might be particularly interested to see and hear the experiences of a person from the past and the challenges of being Asian in an American realm. Could their ancestors be part of this element?

The character supposedly is a goodwill ambassador from Guangdong Province, sold by her father to promoters for promotional purposes to build potential trade with China. But the positioning of her uniqueness, in this case an apt pagoda-style single set adorned with the feel and accoutrements of a Chinese home (shelving, tea pot and cup), makes her somewhat of circus act to gaze at, like a sideshow bearded lady, rather than a human as part of the puzzle that is  mankind.  

It’s not the kind of Ellis or Angel Island welcome, where immigrants can plant American roots for a possible future in the land of hope and opportunity.

That said, Afong Moy is delighted in staging her recurring and episodic duties, drinking tea, having dinner, talking about and showing her bound feet (a Chinese tradition among women), and dancing around her seat for exercise. She intermittently chats with Atung (Alvin Chan), a collaborator who is translator and kind shoulder to lean on, who attends to her needs and opens and closes a curtain on the set.

“My entire life is a performance,” Afong says at one point. That’s because she doesn’t know another life outside the globe of scrutiny.

There’s delicate chemistry between the two roles, two souls caught in the web of loneliness, together but yet far apart.  There are a few comedic moments, necessary in the otherwise static journey though time.

For MVT, the show is a modest milestone, with an all-Chinese acting and directing team.

The artisans do good work here; sets by Michelle A. Bisbee, lighting by Janine Myers, sound design by Mattea Mazzella, costumes by Maile Speetjens, hair and makeup by Ho and Speetjens, props by La Tanya Fasmausili-Siliato, and scenic artistry by Willie Sabel are superb, visually stunning and properly easy on the ears.

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘The Chinese Lady’

A drama by Lloyd Suh, directed by Reiko Ho

Where: Manoa Valley Theatre

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, held over Aug. 3 to 8.

Tickets: $25 to $42 at  www.manoavalleytheatre.com  or (808) 988-6131

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DHT FINALLY MOUNTS A ‘BEAUTY’

Finally, there’s an appealing and sensational on-stage attraction befitting the new theater.

This outing – DHT’s season-closing endeavor – finally hits all the right notes after the largely lackluster “Cinderella” and “The Bodyguard,” the two attractions preceding “Beauty.”

On every front, this one’s a wonderment, with the essential experience and aura of a magical kingdom, a title that Disney now owns outright.

The musical, based on Disney’s 1991 hit animated film, features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton.

At its core, this is a love story waiting to bloom; a prince becomes a beast-like figure when he falls under a spell from an enchantress; the only way he can undo the spell is to fall in love with Belle, whose father gets trapped in the lair of the beast, and she is held hostage.

Thus, the moral is to chill and learn to love, and the curse will end if Belle, a book-loving woman, sees beyond his mean demeanor and animal-like physique, and kisses him, and, yes, they’ll live happily ever after. In other words, don’t judge a book by its cover.

Director David Spangenthal (inventive, daring, spirited, pictured above) is a triple-threat in this “tale as old as time,” appearing as the Beast/Prince and also credited with the stunning choreography, making each task look easy. Clearly, he’s a singer, dancer, and a theatrical wizard – his Beast is a powerhouse of emotions on “If I Can’t Love Her.”

Spangenthal’s casting is remarkable. Beauty is a beauty (Emily North, pictured above, right, with a voice of an angel and alternately feisty and Disney princess-like, graceful, and wistful on “Home”), supplemented by brilliant choices for the humans-caught-in-the-spell:  Garrett Hols (Gaston, aptly boorish, pompous, and self-loving on “Me” and “Gaston”), Samuel Budd (Lefou, Gaston’s punchy sidekick, delightfully impish), Kyle Malis (Cogsworth, tick-tocking timely advice), David Sheftell (as Lumiere, the candelabra with a beaut of a voice, and hands of candles, warmly welcoming on “Be Our Guest” ), Cathy Foy (as Mrs. Pott, the teapot, with pipes that deliver the show’s signature title song), and Julie Okamura (Madame de la Grande Bousch, a walking wardrobe chest of drawers with functioning doors and drawers).

Samuel Budd( Lefou) and Garrett Hols (Gaston), in “Beauty and the Beast.”

These fairy tale characters would not be effective were it not for the magic of new resident costumer Emily Lane, whose creations run the gamut from traditional gowns to the Beast (as a monster, as a Prince), plus specialty garb like the uncustomary costumes including a spout-arm for Mrs. Potts, and fantasy finery for Lumiere, Cogsworth and Madame de la Grand Bousch. That’s sew biz!

Cathy Foy, center, as Mrs. Potts, the teapot, in “Beauty and the Beast.”

There’s also the kitchen implements bearing larger-than-life fork, spoon, and knife, and a brigade of tools like a handmixer, a corkscrew, and a brush.

Kudos, too, to set and lighting designer Dawn Oshima, who finally converts the DHT space into a palate befitting a fairy tale:  a range of scenic background slide projections (the village, the Beast’s lair, scenic skies and mountains and gigantic full moon), platforms and stairways that are utilized in different positioning. The visuals enhance the acting/dancing, elements that have been lacking earlier even with fly space. In one scene, the Beast reveals a surprise for book-loving Belle, three airy book-filled shelves comprising a library, floating beautifully.

Belle’s home is a bright yellow with red door and windows, spartan but suitable for a storybook set, and an oversized plate is an unexpected eye-filler in one scene, which reflects a huge budget for scenery and props.

Spangenthal’s choreography on “The Mob Song,” featuring Hols’ Gaston, earns the largest applause of the evening, for the well-executed mob dancing while clinking flagons, an apparatus-version of the slap dance. Great timing, grand sequence. And Spangenthal repeatedly displays a knack of movement/dancing on entrances and exits with ease and aplomb.

Chip (Mrs. Potts’ son), is cute and effective, with beaming face from a large teacup with a chip, with his body concealed in a cabinet (the role is double-cast, with Tobias Ng-Osorio and Philex Kepa). Giddy but hilarious are the trio of Silly Girls (Lana Differt, Kira Mahealani Stone and Christine Kluvo. Alexandria Zinov (Babette) and Maurice “Mo” Radke (Maurice, Belle’s father) have their moments, too.

Also watch for the somersaulting carpet (uncredited) in several scenes – a rare but stunning contribution.

The orchestra, unseen in the pit, is co-conducted by Roslyn Catracchia and Jenny Shiroma, and provides breathless sweeps and dramatic zest – a remarkable triumph since there are only 10 musicians sounding like 20.

Historically, “Beauty and the Beast” was the first Disney entry as a Broadway player, a feat viewed as a domestic response to the bounty of British-produced successes arriving from the West End. The prevailing climate among Broadway vets was indifference toward a theatrical film organization entering the market, but Mickey Mouse prevailed. Disney also launched an aggressive merchandise tactic (think tee-shirts, coffee mugs, and fake roses that light up) to cater to patrons, with a brilliant idea to direct exiting theater-goers through the souvenir shop, a move incredibly productive especially with “The Lion King,” early in that show’s run. And today, “The Lion King” is the king of The Great White Way, ranking No. 1 in grosses (more than $2 million weekly). …

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘Beauty and the Beast’

What: A musical based on the Disney animated film, “Beauty and the Beast,” with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton.

Where: Diamond Head Theatre.

When:  Opened July 21, running through Aug. 20. The show’s original playdates are sold out:  seats for performances Aug. 17 through 20 are available.

Tickets: $37 to $62, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com or (808) 733-0274.

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IATSE STRIKE WOULD DIM BROADWAY

Uh oh. The lights on Broadway could be turned off as early as Friday (July 21) since IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union , has called for a strike authorization vote.

Negotiations with The Broadway League and Disney Theatrical have not been successful, and if a shutdown is called, even touring Broadway shows will halt.

The deadline for members to vote is 2 a.m. ET Friday, which means a strike would begin Friday, according to Playbill.com.

However, the strike could be averted if The Broadway League and Disney reps return to the bargaining table before Friday.

The strike would affect about 1,500 union members employed via IATSE’s so-called Pink Contract,  which covers stagehands, hair and make-up artists, wardrobe personnel, and others employed directly by productions. The contract covers 28 of 30 currently-running productions.

If the shutdown takes place, IATSE would be the third major entertainment union to go on strike, following the strikes in the film and television industries where union members of SAG-AFTRA and WGA have halted production. It would be particularly devastating within the Broadway fan base, which buys tickets in advance for the live productions on Broadway, if a strike occurs.

The last IATSE strike, the first in union history, was in 2007, and lasted 19 days. …

‘Beauty & the Beast’ at DHT

The enchantment of Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast” will unfold Friday night  (July 21) at Diamond Head Theatre. The show, Disney’s first entry to the Broadway world in 1994, is based on Disney’s 1991 animated film, and features music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Time Rice, with a book by Linda Woolvertin.

Emily North will appear as Belle, the Beauty, and David Spangenthal (pictured) will be the prince, or the Beast, who’s caught in a spell,  in the fabled “tale as old as time.”

The Beast has to be kissed by Belle to undo the spell, which would trigger a happy ending.

Spangenthal is multi-tasking in this one; he’s also directing and choreographing the show. But he also took on the same responsibilities in DHT’s 2005 production. Clearly, he’s found his true love in the play and in his life. In his director’s notes in the show’s playbill, he notes, “So much has changed in my life. I now have two children, and have grown so much as a person since. I have the opportunity to re-tell this story (with its true love theme) and share the stage with my daughter Lanah (Differt) What a blessing.” (Lanah, Kira Stone and Christine Kluvo appear as The Three Silly Girls).

With his husband Timothy, he is happy to be in a two-daddy family. And his triple-threat roles for “Beauty & the Beast.”

In Disney’s retelling of the story, animated characters emerge, such as the teapot Mrs. Potts, played by Cathy Foy, and the candelabra Lumiere, portrayed by David Sheftell.

Other players include Kyle Malis (Cogsworth), Samuel Budd (Lefou), Maurice “Mo” Radke (Maurice), Alexandria Zion (Babette) and Philex Kepa and Tobias Ng-Osario (alternating as Chip), Azaliah Kekuna (Enchantress) and Joshua-Dwayne Figueroa (Young Prince)

Roslyn Catracchia and Jenny Shiroma are co-musical directors.

“Beauty and the Beast” will run through Aug. 20; some performances are already sold out. Tickets: $37 to $62, at www.diamondheadtheatre.com or (808) 733-027

‘Magnum’ set for an Oct. 4 NBC airing

NBC’s peacock feathers are  fluttering.

 The good news: NBC has reversed its decision to drop “Magnum P.I.” after airing half the season, and now will resume airing the series at 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on the Mainland) on Wednesdays, beginning Oct. 4. The program was previously seen on Sundays.

“Magnum,” starring Jay Hernandez (Thomas Magnum, pictured left) and Perdita Weeks (Juliet Higgins), have a romance going and logically is continuing; the new time slot follows episodes of  “Quantum Leap,” formerly in a Tuesday time slot.

The bad news: NBC is pushing back its legacy shows like the trio of  “Chicago” procedurals, along with two “Law and Order” series, until 2024, the delay obviously triggered by the ongoing strike by the WGA, SAG and AFTRA, which has shut down productions of all fall shows.

Since the strike, NBC has decided to push back “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.,” a blow to fans, plus “Law and Order” and “Law and Order SVU,” the latter an indefatigable and enduring brand led by Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson, pictured right), also tabled for now.

NBC will have to fill prime time with reruns, even movies, since all series are shuttered.

“Magnum’s” second half of the fifth season will be the last, because the sixth season still is canceled. Because there are new episodes in the vault,  the Hawaii-filmed show – without a specific timetable – has earned a fall kick-off.  After that, it’s aloha – a fond farewell – for Magnum and his colleagues…

‘Grace and Glorie’

“Grace and Glorie,” a play by Tom Ziegler, will be the next presentation of The Windward Readers Theatre at The Actors Group in Iwilei.

Jo Pruden and Shari Lynn, pictured below, are veteran stage actors and life-long friends, who are regulars in Readers Theatre shows, will be featured, with Marjorie DeSantis as the Narrator. Vanita Rae Smith will direct.

Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the tale focuses on Grace (Pruden), a feisty 90-year-old cancer victim who has checked herself out of a hospital to return to her beloved cottage, where she wants to die alone. Glorie (Shari) is a hospice worker with baggage – guilt-ridden, due to  the loss of her daughter – whose life is transformed  with new perspectives.

Performance dates are at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 8 and 9 at TAG. Tickets: $20 at taghawaii.net…

And that’s Show Biz. …

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BELATED CHEERS FOR JACKMAN IN ‘OKLAHOMA’

They’ve opened the vaults on a fabulous filmed version of Hugh Jackman, singing and portraying Curly in the Rodgers and Hammerstein evergreen, “Oklahoma.” Oh, what a beautiful musical!

I took in a matinee screening of this cinematic treat at the Kahala Theatres, where the classic will be shown one more time, at 7 p.m. Wednesday (July 19). It’s part of a national celebration to herald Rodgers and Hammerstein’s very first musical, “Oklahoma,” conceived 80 years ago, which was superstar’s Jackman first stage production in London 30 years ago.

Of course, Jackman also starred in two Broadway shows since, winning a Tony for portraying Peter Allen in “The Boy From Oz” in 2004, and setting box office records, grossing $3 million-plus  a week last year, starring as Prof. Harold Hill in “The Music Man.”

But trust me, make time to go see Jackson in this special revival marking the milestone. What a revelation!

Hugh Jackman as Curly in “Oklahoma’: Oh what a beautiful voice.

Youthful and handsome, effusive and expressive, he is amazing and alluring as a cowboy in this frontier musical, taped in 1998 in the West End, with an unheralded DVD released some years back. What a find!

 From the moment his voice is heard on the show’s first tune, “Oh, What Beautiful Mornin’,” the sunny mood of the production brightens the stage. So animated and immersed in his role, Jackson’s solos and duets (“The Surrey With the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re in Love” with Josefia Gabrielle as Laurie) are compelling and flawless, clearly demonstrating he would become a major musical star. Curly was his groundbreaking role, decades ago, that portended his later performances in filmed musicals such as “Les Miserables” and “The Greatest Showman.”

Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller, with Jackman in “Oklahoma.”

With nostalgia as part of a selling point now, “Oklahoma” is like meeting a friend you wish you met years ago. An obscure discovery now, it’s fitting and proper to watch it on a big screen, with lounge seats, of course. This would have been a buried treasure were it not brought to our attention now.

It’s delightful to discover the supporting cast, too, performers genuinely ingrained in the roles they play. Maureen Lipman is precious as the salty but in-command Aunt Eller, leading the singing and dancing ensemble’s animated and storied “The Farmer and the Cowman,” a battle cry with a theme of territoriality that evolves in a call for unity, solidarity and togetherness. She’s also kind of a helicopter aunt to Curly and Laurie, protective and there when they need her. Hers is the voice of wisdom here, never tolerating foolishness.

Vicki Simon as Ado Annie is irresistibly romantic but adorably confused, and likely an audience favorite with her giddy and fluctuating heart, which puts Jimmy Johnston as her beau, Will Parker, reeling. Then there’s Shuler Hensley as Jud Fry, the misinterpreted wave of darkness who lives in a smokehouse, and  Peter Polycarpou as the comedic traveling Persian salesman Ali Hakim, who also is a likeable conman infatuated with Ado Annie.

Josephia Gabrielle, as Laurie, with Jackman in “Oklahoma.”

Remember, this is a staged production, with action within the proscenium of the theater, yet director Trevor Nunn (“Cats”) gives the production grandness with minimal sets, but supported by a huge and versatile revolving turntable stage.

The singing and dancing ensemble in “Oklahoma’: A dream cast.

R&H shows always include a mid-way dream sequence, to sort out conflicting issues and choices, so the Agnes DeMille’s choreography of this phase is stunning with wavering moods. The legendary Susan Stroman (“Crazy for You”) updated the choreography,  including cowboy-type leaps and twirls, aptly tuned in to the countrified storyline.

One of the quizzical elements of the movie is the lack of audience response (applause after each tune, as in an actual stage performance), so sometimes the quiet seems eerie. Those in the theater also were calm and quiet, till the film was over, then offering a few hoots and some clapping.

Further, since this production was a stage effort, it’s amazing that you don’t see body mikes on the actors. Also, the movie runs nearly three hours, so a stage-type intermission is part of the experience.

A film with an intermission: When’s the last time you’ve seen this?

I was so enraptured with this film, I ordered a DVD of the show at Amazon.com yesterday.

In retrospect, this is truly a unified theatrical vision, sewn together like a colorful quilt, seamlessly fusing music with dialogue, story with dance.

And in another 20 years, when “Oklahoma” logs its milestone 100th anniversary, perhaps there will then be a star of the future starring in this proven hit to evolve as his generation’s Jackman. …

And that’s Show Biz. …