“A Chorus Line,” the backstage musical beloved throughout four decades of theatrical relevance, is back and buoyant in its second revival at the Diamond Head Theatre.
It’s aglow with a young new cast, strutting like peacocks for a new generation of fans, with fabled director-choreographer Greg Zane, putting his imprint on the musical that launched his career three decades ago.
Zane played Paul San Marco on the same stage, where he was mentored by the late Tommy Aguilar, so there’s an unstated passing-of-the-torch tradition, with Dwayne Sakaguchi in his career-charismatic turn as the same emotional and conflicted wannabe Paul. Oh, this version must be blessed from heaven.
At age 46 (“A Chorus Line” — which originally ran for 6,137 performances from April 16, 1975 to April 28, 1990 at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway — may seem dated but it joyously captures the angst of line dancers aching to land a role, in Michael Bennett’s incredulous homage to stage gypsies. “ACL” had a first revival Broadway reboot in 2006 and again in 2008. So in stage annals, she’s sort of a senior citizen, earning Tonys and even a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and in its time frame, was the longest running American musical.
Ageism doesn’t exist in this show, which still has legs and heart and emotions and regrets – stuff from real life – and it’s only “dated” because it has a proud history and a spirit that doesn’t quit. First time or fifth time, “A Chorus Line” offers a genuine flavor of what it feels like trying out for a show.
The chorus line in “A Chorus Line,” now playing at Diamond Head Theatre. NOTE: 7:30p.m. performance Aug.5 just added — only show with available tickets. Book ASAP before all sold.
The production boasts resources unseen (creator Bennett’s genius, music by Marvin Hamlisch, and a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, with lyrics by Edward Kleban) and rituals perpetuated because of the Aguilar/Zane/Sakaguchi connections.
Aguilar, who died of AIDS, has endured as an unofficial local because of his love and the imprint he left on Hawaii actors and dancers. His aura clearly exists in this mounting, though he doesn’t have credit in the online playbill for “inspiration,” which matters very much.
With musical direction by Melina Lillios, encircling the rigorous process of actors auditioning for a show, “ACL” is rich and pure – a metaphor for life – yet simple and satisfying with notions and niceties about their lives and aspiration.
A director Zach (Norm Dabalos, commanding but sometimes threatening, presumably inspired by Bennett’s ways and means) is seeking four guys and four gals from a field of gypsies, who roam from one tryout to another, no matter what.
The process is everything here. Well, prowess, too.
Cassie (Kira Mahealani Stone) becomes a focus of friction; she has had a relationship with Zach, who thinks she can do better than becoming a chorus girl, but, well, she needs a job, something, anything, because role-hunting is in her DNA, and with certainty, she is one of the community of ensemble actors seeking parts in a show we won’t see. She might be exceptional (Stone is riveting, transforming and persuasive in her big solo, “The Music and the Mirror,” but is struggling to be equal and ordinary, like her peers). For the record, no one has dared to do a sequel – “Two”? – because the one-ness is at the core of this show, punctuated by the show-closing “One,” the singularly sensational finale formation that is the trademark of “ACL”.
When Diana (Emily North, supposedly Puerto Rican and brutally honest) sings “Nothing” and feels nothing; she is reacting to moments foreign in her life, like swooshing through snow in her improv moment. Her truths bloom later when she belts out a heart-wrenching “What I Did for Love,” the anthem of theater folks who truly spend a lot of time for the love of the job, with very little regret.
The tapestry of hopefuls and dreamers include hilarious morsels, punctuated with authenticity in numbers like “I Hope I Get It,” “I Can Do That,” with singularly sensuous confessions from the sexy and aggressive Sheila (Lauren Teruya, gorgeous and effusive), the Hollywood wannabe Bobby (Marcus Stanger, hilariously confident), the tormented Val (Jody Bill, whose T&A lament is a showstopper), and the supportive couple Kristine and Al (Alexandra Zinov and Jared Paakaula, proud and bound by obvious love).
Imperfect bodies, broken relationships, perseverance and personal revelations are part of the chemistry here. The expressions are pieces of this theatrical puzzle, collected by creator Bennett when he interviewed and taped actual actors spewing out their inner feelings about life and auditions.
Costume designer Karen G. Wolfe has cherry-picked audition garb with a keen eye, and reflection works wonderfully – she includes a tkts T-shirt for Al, a multi-hued top for Diana, and that red hoodie for Paul, signatures from the original show.
Sakaguchi’s monologue, recapping his sexuality and his relationship with his parents, is the exclamation point of the evening, rich in detail, honest in delivery, and fueled with passionate emotions. If you don’t get watery eyes, you must be dead.
And yes, the “One” finale, where all the dancers line up in glittering gold-and-white costumes capped with the iconic top hats, is deliverance with dedication — with riveting precision, visible professionalism and sums up the essence of the show. They can do it; chorus liners are stars, too.
In the tradition of “A Chorus Line,” there is no intermission and no curtain call. Thus, no opportunity for spectators to render that standing ovation.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, extended through Aug. 8 Sold out. Note: 7:30 p.m. performance Thursday Aug. 5 just added; only show with ticket availability, but buy ASAP, or will be sold out, too.
When the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards are staged Sept. 19 on CBS, the competition will feel like a Tony Awards evening because of a range Broadway stars dominating the list of nominees. A few already have claimed a Tony.
“Hamilton,” the mega-hit musical on the Great White Way, nabbed 12 nominations for the widely applauded televised reboot of a filmed performance streamed on Disney+ earlier this year.
Notable previous Tony winners are among the top nominees, as the taped movie of a stage production has been deemed worthy of consideration in the limited or anthology series or movies.
Thus, key “Hamilton” talent, most of them original cast members of the Broadway hit, are vying for Emmys:
Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of “Hamilton,” was the titular star on Broadway and on film.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in Anthology or Movie: Renee Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in Anthology or Movie: Daveed Diggs,Jonathan Groff and Anthony Ramos.
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded): “Hamilton” and “David Byrne’s American Utopia” (released on HBO/HBO Max
Among other Broadway troupers in contention:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Billy Porter in “Pose.”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama: Mj Rodriguez in “Pose.” (The first trans woman nominated).
Outstanding Drama Series: “Pose.”
Guest Appearance in a Series: Bernadette Peters, on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology: Cynthia Erivo, for “Genius,” portraying Aretha Franklin.
Uzo Abuda, “In Treatment.”
Allison Janney, in “Mom.”
John Lithgow, in “Perry Mason.”
William H. Macy, in “Shame.”
Ewan McGreggor, in “Halston.”
Phyllicia Rashad, in “This Is Us.”
Josh O’Conner, in “The Crown.”
Ashley Park, in “Emily in Paris.”
“Tina,” HBO’s documentary, with clips from the Broadway musical on Tina Turner’s life, for Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special.
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, for Original Music and Lyrics for “WandaVision.”
David Rockwell, for Outstanding Production for a Variety Special, for his work on the televised 2020 Academy Awards.
Numerous Broadway talent also performed on “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square,” vying for Outstanding Television Movie. And Marc Shaiman provided an original song in “Soundtrack of Our Lives.” …
To reiterate, this is not a full compilation of nominees; the focus here is on the community of Broadway troupers in contention for Emmys; if some or many win, Tony wins, too. …
Make your own ‘A Chorus Line’ playbill
If you’re attending the opening performance of “A Chorus Line,” or any of the shows through Aug. 8 at Diamond Head Theatre, I suggest you make your own playbill and bring it with you.
Download and make your own playbill.
The pandemic has eliminated hand-out playbills that list songs, production credits, and cast list with photos to help identify the performers and backstage artists.
I know, DHT should have published the usual program as a salute to its cast and an amenity to its playgoers, but throughout this coronavirus cloud, we’ve all have had to do what we need to do to enjoy the disruptions and challenges of getting through this malady.
How to create your own playbill? Go to the DHT website; if you ordered tickets, you should have received a note about downloading the credits. Do so; print out the pages, then assemble in the sequence required. I stapled the pages and cut off unwanted borders, and covered the stapled edge with washi tape (Scotch tape will do), mostly to avoid knicks from the pointy metallic staples on the spine, Voila, you’ll have a playbill to peruse.
You’ll likely have the urge to peek to see who’s who and when; you’ll sure to be curious about an actor, singer, or dancer.
Additional advice: “A Chorus Line” runs 2 hours, without an intermission (the show is programmed that way) so do your bathroom before curtain or afterwards. Social distancing protocols are in place, mandating seats and empty spaces. But for all practical purposes, each show will be “sold out.”
To director-choreographer Greg Zane and his cast, “break a leg!”…
Greg Zane, director-choreographer of “A Chorus Line,” center, is flanked by Dwayne Sakamoto (Paul) and Kira Stone (Cassie), right, in the Diamond Head Theatre musical opening July 16 at Diamond Head Theatre.
KiraStone, who considers herself a dancer first and foremost, makes no bones about portraying Cassie, in the Diamond Head Theatre revival beginning Friday (July 16).
“John (Rampage,DHT’s artistic director) contacted me, while I was in school at New York University,” said Stone, 20, who called Cassie “the dream role for a triple threat.”
She has island roots and had been studying acting at Tisch School of The Arts in the Big Apple, but the opportunity to embrace this bountiful role — as dancer, singer and actor – hit a nerve.
She was at NYU when rehearsals started here, back in early June, so it wasn’t till June 12 when she returned to Hawaii to join her cohorts in the flesh. “I’ve been dancing since I was 2 and doing the role (rehearsing) in a 5-foot space in my apartment was challenging, since dancing drives this show,” said Stone. “But I also was still finishing a prior project at school, so viewing the footage was exciting.”
Early provisions were made locally to tape rehearsal footage, which she would watch late at night, and try to do some of the routines.
With two more years of academic training remaining at NYU, enacting the Cassie part provides her practical life lessons to tap her triple-threat skills.
“Honestly, a lot of the feeling of the music is in the body, and it’s what I love about dance,” she continued. “We move to the music, and I love the freedom inside. The movement is in touch with the body, expressed by what you feel.”
Because she was invited to play Cassie, rather then going through the anticipatory wishes of “I need this job, I hope I get it,” as expressed by the ensemble of the performers in “A Chorus Life.”
She realizes she’s building up to the point of her solo whirls and twirls in front of the show’s iconic mylar backdrop, that multiplies her movements as she prances from one end of the stage and back, reflections of which she experiences and relayed to the watchful audiences. At 9, she played Marta in DHT’s “The Sound of Music.” Among her unique credits here:she was a back-up singer for Broadway musical star Matthew Morrison, who staged a concert in 2020 at the Hawaii Theatre, before the lockdown due to the pandemic.
Besides dancing, she is a pop songwriter and has staged performances at the New York Muiscal Festival, 54 Below and other venues. She enjoys the process of creating and composing music and lyrics which lead to tunes/stories for vocalists. Her first Spotify single, “Peter Pan,” drew more than a half-million plays when first released on iTunes.
At Tisch, she is seeking a well-rounded academic portfolio. “It’s about acting, voice, movie work,” she said. “Even clown improv, and voice lessons, and academic theater. Last Semester, I studied playwriting. I want the full experience.”
Though she has family in the islands, the ohana is making a move to Washington state, since her brother has graduated from high school. “At home, I do cardio, running, some time at the beach,” said Stone. But with a move imminent, and her singular plans to head back to NYU, “I’ll be bi-coastal,” she said.
“A Chorus Line” begins Friday (July 16) at Diamond Head Theatre. It’s a defining musical about chorus line hopefuls, who yearn to land a role in an upcoming show. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, extended through Aug. 8. Social distancing protocols in place. Greg Zane directs and choreographs. Details: www.diamondheadtheatre.com
Earlier: an interview with Greg Zane, director-choreographer of “A Chorus Line.”
The famous line-up, in “A Chorus Line,” which runs Jul;y 16 through Aug.8, in what looms like a sellout.
Dwayne Sakaguchi auditioned for the role of Mike in “A Chorus Line,” because he previously did the part in an earlier local production. History didn’t repeat, in this case.
Greg Zane, the director-choreographer in Diamond Head Theatre’s latest revival, asked Sakaguchi, 27, to read instead for the part of Paul San Marco. It was the dream role that put Zane on the theater radar when he earlier portrayed Paul at DHT, and he sensed Sakaguchi just might be the lightning rod for the latest reboot opening Friday (July 16) and extended through Aug. 8.
“It’s the opposite end of the spectrum from the character I auditioned for,” said Sakaguchi, who now is charged to deliver an emotional and defining 11-minute monologue which characterizes the Paul character, with layers and levels of conflicts that commonly evokes tears not just from spectators, but also produces uncontrollable weeping from the performer himself.
Director-choreographer Greg Zane, center, is flanked by Dwayne Sakaguchi (Paul) and Kira Stone (Cassie).
“It’s a work in progress, learning all about the character,” Sakaguchi said recently. “Each time I get to practice, I’m getting better at knowing him.”
Yes, he sometimes gets emotional. “Just a few lines really affected me,” he revealed. “I feel sad for the character and now that I’m working through it, I’m discovering that he’s a lot stronger than I thought. He’s more an advocate for himself; he knows who he is.”
To navigate the text, as well as comb through the inherent textures of the role, Sakaguchi said he dissected his lines to better know who and what he was dealing with, to understand the threads of the dude.
“Peeling back those layers resulted in a greater realization of Paul and who he is, a vulnerable person,” said Sakaguchi.
Of course, he was ecstatic to be selected to be Paul, but yes, there was pressure since he’s known Zane for 16 years, “which is nice, since he’s seen me go from being a kid to this dancer trying to get into the comfort zone.”
He said he was “95 per cent there,” in conquering the role at the time of this interview two weeks ago.
Still, he’s familiar with the history of the show and the cast. He realizes islander Jason Tam played Paul in the last Broadway revival of “A Chorus Line” in 2006, but he didn’t see that production — but was drawn to and impressed by the show’s making-of-a-classic DVD documentary, entitled “Every Little Step,” in which Tam nailed it by bringing tears to the audition crew members who ultimately tapped him to do Paul in the revival.
Previously, when Sakamoto was 16, he tackled the Mike role in an Army Community Theatre production.
“He was such a darling,” said Vanita Rae Smith, who was the honcho at ACT before the Army shut down the facility. “I knew he’d continue to grow.”
Sakamoto said “A Chorus Line” is a realistic and teaching moment for anyone seeking a role on Broadway, a goal that’s become a common one for locals.
“In 2018, I went to New York City and saw 13 shows, and was totally inspired,” he recalled. “You don’t realize until you’ve been to Broadway and seen the shows, and what it takes to get there (cast in a production). In Hawaii, opportunities are so limited; it kinda lit the fire for me to work harder and to show audiences there that even if we don’t have the opportunity do the range of shows, we have the capability to do shows like ‘A Chorus Line’ to let people know we can do it, too.”
He considers himself a dancer first, then a singer, then an actor. And doing Paul, “who’s at the tip of the wedge, enables me to step out of my comfort zone and do this job, which comes from learning what I know from Greg.”
He’s also wading through the notion of the good cry – an option, not a requirement – in becoming Paul. “You do have option to cry, if it fits the moment,” he said. “But you don’t have to feel you have to cry. But once tears roll out, it’s appropriate and even critical, if you’re engrossed in the storytelling. That critical moment is when Paul talks about seeing his parents, when he’s in (a drag) show, and they walk away…it was a disappointment, and the silence just breaks my heart.”
That soliloquy, and that moment, happens late in the show, after Paul is injured – then has to dash and prep for that grand “One (Singular Emotion)” dance-in-unison finale.
Sakaguchi has been living a fulfilling musical life right now. Besides rehearsing for “ACL” at night, and the upcoming schedule of performances at Diamond Head Theatre, he’s teaching high school youths at an Applause Academy program, then dashing for his nocturnal stage commitments.
“I’m working myself up the ladder,” he said of his consuming regimen.
His interest in the stage began when he was a seventh grader at Washington Middle School, where he took drama classes and was required to participate in shows at Kaimuki High School.
His first audition was for “The Wiz,” and he earned a role “and as cheesy as it sounds, I got the theater bug, which became a hobby, then a passion.”
He has become a veteran in local theater, being a former Shooting Stars performer at DHT, where a role in “Newsies” earned him a Po‘okela Award in 2018. He has been teaching at Applause Performance Academy, Punahou Dance School, and has choregraphed locally-produced musicals including the Kaimuki Performing Arts Center at Kaimuki High. He has a degree in communications from the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
But reality bites. “At one time, it used to be my dream to make it on Broadway. My real career now is with the Department of Education; I teach at McKinley High School. I considered the stage and conservatories for more learning, but I didn’t want to put myself in debt; as an actor who performs, you have to make ends meet. So I’m making choices wisely and conspicuously, but living with no regrets now.”
The line formation — a hallmark of “A Chorus Line.”
“A Chorus Line” begins Friday (July 16) at Diamond Head Theatre. It’s a defining musical about chorus line hopefuls, who yearn to land a role in an upcoming show. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, extended through Aug. 8. Social distancing protocols in place. Greg Zane directs and choreographs. Details: www.diamondheadtheatre.com
Earlier: an interview with Greg Zane, director-choreographer of “A Chorus Line.”
Greg Zane, who is helming Diamond Head Theatre’s reboot of the Michael Bennett-directed and choreographed (with Michael Avian) “A Chorus Line,” is forever grateful of the mentorship of his stage idol, the late Tommy Aguilar .“Tommy has been my inspiration,” said Zane, about the boy wonder back in the day, who launched the role of Paul San Marco in “ACL,” in its London premiere in 1976, and then surfaced in Hawaii to perform the Paul role in the island debut at then-Honolulu International Center (now Blaisdell Concert Hall).
Dwayne Sakaguchi, left, will play Paul San Marco, in Diamond Head Theatre’s “A Chorus Line.” Greg Zane, right, showing the fabled gold top once worn and owned by Tommy Aguilar, who played Paul in New York and in London, and remains an inspiration for many locals, including Zane, who played Paul under Aguilar’s direction.
“He made such an impact on me,” recalled Zane. “I was in the ninth or tenth grade in high school and had no expectations to see the show. But when I left, I was transformed. I knew what I wanted to do. This man on stage – and his character – resonated with me. I wasn’t a dancer, I had no acting or voice classes, so I didn’t know how to do it. But I had to learn.”
Learn he did, so much so that his “ACL” journey continues, while his admiration and appreciation of ties and grows, with the shoe on another foot. Aguilar died at age 41 in Honolulu in 1993 from complications of AIDS, but his presence and support of island troupers remain a fixture on the theatrical front.
The revival of the musical at DHT, beginning Friday (July 16) amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic, thus ends Zane’s hiatus as a Broadway luminary.
He went “home” to New York, to get immersed in the Broadway circuit and restore his energy in rebuilding “A Chorus Line” for its Hawaii run, now extended through Aug. 8. So he’s back in the saddle as opening night looms. The show will intersect with his past and his present and likely will become a foundation for future revivals of the award-winning show, which made its Broadway debut in 1975.
Tommy Aguilar as Paul San Marco
‘A CHORUS LINE’ CAST LIST
Don……………………………..Chase Bridgman
Maggie …………………………..Marisa Noelle
Mike………………………………………. Luke Ellis
Connie……………………………… Kayla Uchida
Gregory …………………. Gabriel Ryan-Kerns
Cassie …………………………………. Kira Stone
Bobby …………………………..Marcus Stanger
Sheila ……………………………..Lauren Teruya
Bebe ………………………………… Miya Heulitt
Judy……………………….Seanalei Nakamura
Richie …………………………..David Robinson
Al …………………………………. Jared Paakaula
Kristine …………………………Alexandria Zinov
Val ……………………………………………Jody Bill
Mark ………………………………..Michael Hicks
Paul …………………………… Dwayne Sakaguchi
Diana …………………………………… Emily North
Zach …………………………………. Norm Dabalos
Larry …………………………………… Levi Oliveira
Tricia ……………………..Ayzhia- Marie Tadeo
Frank ………………………………..Brandon Yim
Roy …………………………… Jackson Saunders
Zane had been sidelined like the rest of the theater world, here and abroad, when the coronavirus pandemic virtually shut down everything. Prior to COVID, Zane had been toiling behind the scenes as assistant choreographer of Lincoln Center’s “The King and I,” in New York and in London.
“I’m getting my integrity back, after 18 months (of the lockdown), and working with Dwayne Sakaguchi (portraying Paul) has been interesting,” said Zane. “I’m discovering something new every day (at rehearsals) and I guess I better understand the role now; I get it now.”
He said Aguilar “made such an impact on me – this man on stage, his character and his performance – transformed me. I didn’t know how to do it, since I had no dance, no acting, no voice classes, and this man – Tommy – sparked this passion.
“When I went on my first trip to New York, ‘A Chorus Line’ was playing at Shubert Theatre, and Tommy was doing Paul. After the show, I went to the stage door, and Tommy walked out. I didn’t approach him – he said ‘good night’ at the door, as actors commonly do – and I just had to see him out of the theater. I didn’t even try to get an autograph.”
When DHT was one of the first community theaters to stage “ACL,” Aguilar was directing. “I gotta try audition, I thought; it was the dream role, and I was flattered that he thought I could fill his shoes,” said Zane. “He was really intense; sometimes I didn’t want to rehearse that monologue, but to get his take on the role since I’m the only one to do it with him, it’s a pleasure. And to now transform that knowledge and pass on to Dwayne, it’s a full cycle.”
Zane said working with his mentor was incredible. “He helped me get my foot in the door, and for that I am forever grateful,” he said. “He was giving me this gift of ‘A Chorus Line.’ It’s like working with Baryshnikov, when you meet the man who inspired you and you learned from.”
Zane knew Sakaguchi, through Charlys Ing and Hawaii Ballet Theatre. He was in the ensemble there, “but just like Tommy, I knew he has the vulnerability to do the role. His dance technique is incredible; he can tell a story, and Paul has a story. One story leads to the next and the next, building the character and his challenges. Paul brings all of that to role and has been open to direction.”
Greg Zane, center, is director-choreographer of “A Chorus Line,” flanked by Dwayne Sakamoto (Paul), at left, and Kira Stone (Cassie), at right. The musical opens July 16 for performances through Aug. 8.
As a director, Zane said he tries to guide his actors “but I find myself navigating and I hear Tommy saying ‘don’t be tragic, don’t be sad, have empathy for the role.’”
Paul’s monologue, running about 11 minutes toward the end of the production, is highly emotional, and Zane is concerned that the actor has to find his way through the experience.
“When I did the role, sometimes I cried, and Tommy told me ‘you don’t have to cry; you don’t have to force the tears.’ But it’s so emotional, and you cannot help it. I tell Dwayne that he needn’t cry for me, but if the moment calls for the tears, well, you know when you get to that point.”
Cassie, the female lead role, will be portrayed by Kira Stone, and island trouper now a theater major at New York University. She had a role in the DHT’s “The Sound of Music” in 2009, playing Marta Von Trapp. When Zane returned to New York several months ago, he hooked up with her and they made arrangements for a video/viral rehearsal in the early stages of the mounting of “ACL.” “She’s a triple threat,” he said of singing, dancing and acting prowess.
“And all grown up now” and ready for her ‘Music and the Mirror’ vocal and dance solo sequence in the show.”
So why do audiences – and even performers — still relate to “A Chorus Line”?
“I think on the surface, being a dancing audition for a show, it’s a metaphor for life,” said Zane.“Everyone has applied for a job, everyone has a dream to pursue, and for dancers and actors, it I think on the surface, it’s a dancing audition for a show, but underneath it’s a metaphor for life. Everyone has applied for job — and it’s getting a second chance, to find your identity and prove yourself about getting back into life. The show is about real people with real concerns, and the challenges of proving yourself.”
“A Chorus Line” begins Friday (July 16) at Diamond Head Theatre. It’s a defining musical about chorus line hopefuls, who yearn to land a role in an upcoming show. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, extended through Aug. 8. Social distancing protocols in place. Greg Zane directs and choreographs. Details: www.diamondheadtheatre.com
Earlier: an interview with Greg Zane, director-choreographer of “A Chorus Line.”
Greg Zane, who is helming Diamond Head Theatre’s reboot of the Michael Bennett-directed and choreographed (with Bob Avian) “A Chorus Line,” is forever grateful of the mentorship of his stage idol, the late Tommy Aguilar .“Tommy has been my inspiration,” said Zane, about the boy wonder back in the day, who launched the role of Paul San Marco in “ACL,” in its London premiere in 1976, and then surfaced in Hawaii to perform the Paul role in the island debut at then-Honolulu International Center (now Blaisdell Concert Hall).
Dwayne Sakaguchi, left, will play Paul San Marco, in Diamond Head Theatre’s “A Chorus Line.” Greg Zane, right, showing the fabled gold top once worn and owned by Tommy Aguilar, who played Paul in New York and in London, and remains an inspiration for many locals, including Zane, who played Paul under Aguilar’s direction.
“He made such an impact on me,” recalled Zane. “I was in the ninth or tenth grade in high school and had no expectations to see the show. But when I left, I was transformed. I knew what I wanted to do. This man on stage – and his character – resonated with me. I wasn’t a dancer, I had no acting or voice classes, so I didn’t know how to do it. But I had to learn.”
Learn he did, so much so that his “ACL” journey continues, while his admiration and appreciation of ties and grows, with the shoe on another foot. Aguilar died at age 41 in Honolulu in 1993 from complications of AIDS, but his presence and support of island troupers remain a fixture on the theatrical front.
The revival of the musical at DHT, beginning Friday (July 16) amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic, thus ends Zane’s hiatus as a Broadway luminary.
He went “home” to New York, to get immersed in the Broadway circuit and restore his energy in rebuilding “A Chorus Line” for its Hawaii run, now extended through Aug. 8. So he’s back in the saddle as opening night looms. The show will intersect with his past and his present and likely will become a foundation for future revivals of the award-winning show, which made its Broadway debut in 1975.
Tommy Aguilar as Paul San Marco
‘A CHORUS LINE’ CAST LIST
Don……………………………..Chase Bridgman
Maggie …………………………..Marisa Noelle
Mike………………………………………. Luke Ellis
Connie……………………………… Kayla Uchida
Gregory …………………. Gabriel Ryan-Kerns
Cassie …………………………………. Kira Stone
Bobby …………………………..Marcus Stanger
Sheila ……………………………..Lauren Teruya
Bebe ………………………………… Miya Heulitt
Judy……………………….Seanalei Nakamura
Richie …………………………..David Robinson
Al …………………………………. Jared Paakaula
Kristine …………………………Alexandria Zinov
Val ……………………………………………Jody Bill
Mark ………………………………..Michael Hicks
Paul …………………………… Dwayne Sakaguchi
Diana …………………………………… Emily North
Zach …………………………………. Norm Dabalos
Larry …………………………………… Levi Oliveira
Tricia ……………………..Ayzhia- Marie Tadeo
Frank ………………………………..Brandon Yim
Roy …………………………… Jackson Saunders
Zane had been sidelined like the rest of the theater world, here and abroad, when the coronavirus pandemic virtually shut down everything. Prior to COVID, Zane had been toiling behind the scenes as assistant choreographer of Lincoln Center’s “The King and I,” in New York and in London.
“I’m getting my integrity back, after 18 months (of the lockdown), and working with Dwayne Sakaguchi (portraying Paul) has been interesting,” said Zane. “I’m discovering something new every day (at rehearsals) and I guess I better understand the role now; I get it now.”
He said Aguilar “made such an impact on me – this man on stage, his character and his performance – transformed me. I didn’t know how to do it, since I had no dance, no acting, no voice classes, and this man – Tommy – sparked this passion.
“When I went on my first trip to New York, ‘A Chorus Line’ was playing at Shubert Theatre, and Tommy was doing Paul. After the show, I went to the stage door, and Tommy walked out. I didn’t approach him – he said ‘good night’ at the door, as actors commonly do – and I just had to see him out of the theater. I didn’t even try to get an autograph.”
When DHT was one of the first community theaters to stage “ACL,” Aguilar was directing. “I gotta try audition, I thought; it was the dream role, and I was flattered that he thought I could fill his shoes,” said Zane. “He was really intense; sometimes I didn’t want to rehearse that monologue, but to get his take on the role since I’m the only one to do it with him, it’s a pleasure. And to now transform that knowledge and pass on to Dwayne, it’s a full cycle.”
Zane said working with his mentor was incredible. “He helped me get my foot in the door, and for that I am forever grateful,” he said. “He was giving me this gift of ‘A Chorus Line.’ It’s like working with Baryshnikov, when you meet the man who inspired you and you learned from.”
Zane knew Sakaguchi, through Charlys Ing and Hawaii Ballet Theatre. He was in the ensemble there, “but just like Tommy, I knew he has the vulnerability to do the role. His dance technique is incredible; he can tell a story, and Paul has a story. One story leads to the next and the next, building the character and his challenges. Paul brings all of that to role and has been open to direction.”
As a director, Zane said he tries to guide his actors “but I find myself navigating and I hear Tommy saying ‘don’t be tragic, don’t be sad, have empathy for the role.’”
Paul’s monologue, running about 11 minutes toward the end of the production, is highly emotional, and Zane is concerned that the actor has to find his way through the experience.
“When I did the role, sometimes I cried, and Tommy told me ‘you don’t have to cry; you don’t have to force the tears.’ But it’s so emotional, and you cannot help it. I tell Dwayne that he needn’t cry for me, but if the moment calls for the tears, well, you know when you get to that point.”
Cassie, the female lead role, will be portrayed by Kira Stone, and island trouper now a theater major at New York University. She had a role in the DHT’s “The Sound of Music” in 2009, playing Marta Von Trapp. When Zane returned to New York several months ago, he hooked up with her and they made arrangements for a video/viral rehearsal in the early stages of the mounting of “ACL.” “She’s a triple threat,” he said of singing, dancing and acting prowess.
“And all grown up now” and ready for her ‘Music and the Mirror’ vocal and dance solo sequence in the show.”
So why do audiences – and even performers — still relate to “A Chorus Line”?
“I think on the surface, being a dancing audition for a show, it’s a metaphor for life,” said Zane.“Everyone has applied for a job, everyone has a dream to pursue, and for dancers and actors, it I think on the surface, it’s a dancing audition for a show, but underneath it’s a cmetaphor for life. Everyone has applied for job — and it’s getting a second chance, to find your identity and prove yourself about getting back into life. The show is about real people with real concerns, and the challenges of proving yourself.”
“A Chorus Line” begins Friday (July 16) at Diamond Head Theatre. It’s a defining musical about chorus line hopefuls, who yearn to land a role in an upcoming show. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, at 3 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, extended through Aug. 8. Social distancing protocols in place. Greg Zane directs and choreographs. Details: www.diamondheadtheatre.com
Coming up soon: Interviews with Paul (Dwayne Sakakuchi) and Cassie (Kira Stone).
