Category: Stage

Rob Duval (pictured below) has been named artistic director at Manoa Valley Theatre, following the recent resignation of executive director Kip Wilborn.

The position is somewhat new to MVT, where Duval has been serving as production manager.

Attorney Jeff Portnoy, a veteran MVT board member and many times the group’s board chair, said, “For some time, Mānoa Valley Theatre has been considering the appointment of an artistic director. With the hiring of Rob Duval, that decision was easy. He brings decades of theater experience in this community, as an actor, director, teacher, administrator, and producer, and working hand in hand with our new executive director, Kathleen Young, this team is ready to take MVT to new heights.”

Duval is a veteran director and actor, with credits at MVT and Diamond Head Theatre. He helmed such MVT hits as “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “The 39 Steps” and “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.” At DHT, he directed “Guys and Dolls,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Noises Off,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “The Mousetrap.”

As an actor,  he starred in “To Kill a Mockingbird” at DHT, “The House of Blue Leaves” at Hawaii Pacific University, and “The Elephant Man” at MVT.

He’ll be seen as a Snobby Tourist in Disney+’s live action feature, “Lilo & Stitch,” based on the popular animated series.

He also has been a teacher at Iolani School. …

Readers Theatre nestles at TAG

The Windward Readers Theatre has found a comfy city home – TAG, aka The Actors group at Dole Cannery in Iwilei — for its ongoing series of shows.

Next up: “About Time,” a warm dissertation of aging between a couple struggling with life and love as they face mortality,  at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday (Nov. 27, 28, 29).

The piece, by Tom Cole, will be directed by stage veteran Vanita Rae Smith, who has tapped a pair of theatrical vets —  retirees Dwight Martin and Joyce Maltby (pictured here) –to portray the couple facing challenges of aging.

Performances are in the Brad Powell Theatre.

Tickets: $20, available at https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/tag/items/486451/calendar/2023/11/ …

On the road again…

Entrepreneur Jack Cione (pictured below) is on the road again. Well, on the high seas again.

He’s leaving today (Thursday, Nov. 2) on a 25-day Norwegian cruise, initially taking another ‘round the neighbor islands trek, with Tahiti and the South Seas as his final destination.

Cione, an Arcadia resident, will utilize the journey to tweak his script entitled, “Sweet Leilani,”

hoping to eventually find a venue for the show.

“I have to get away,” he said of his frequent ocean vacations, because he no longer can fly on long trips without a stopover.

He also has logged a string of staycations, monitoring Waikiki room rates. The last was at the Kahala Resort. …

Broadway grosses for week ending Oct. 22

It was pretty much a replay of last week: the leaders still lead. The lion still is king of the Broadway jungle, but the witchery of “Wicked” – celebrating its 20^th anniversary – could join the million dollar club next week.

The Top 10:

1 –“The Lion King,” $2,064 million.

2—“Wicked,” $1,922 million.

3—“Merrily, We Roll Along,” $1,840 million.

4—“Hamilton,” $1,767 million.

5—“Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1,583 million.

6—“MJ the Musical,” $1,579 million.

7—“Aladdin,” $1,264 million.

8—“Moulin Rouge: the Musical,” $1,118 million.

9—“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1,113 million.

10 –“Back to the Future the Musical,”$1,055 million.

The full list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

Kip Wilborn has announced his retirement as executive director at Manoa Valley Theatre, effective Nov. 6.

He will be succeeded by Kathleen Young, who has three decades of experience in New York and Hawaii. She has been serving as MVT’s director of development under Wilborn’s leadership.

Wilborn exits MVT on the heels of a successful box office hit, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which closed earlier this month as the theater group’s first production of the 2023-24 season.

Wilborn, pictured, is a seasoned performer-director, who was on the MVT board since 2012, taking over the reins in 2019, following the retirement of Dwight Martin. With the COVID 19 pandemic shutting down production on all theatrical fronts, Wilborn faced the financial challenges by pivoting to online programming and secured federal grants to stay afloat, maintaining staff employment, launching diversified programming, creating online digital and streaming content, and expanded collaborative partnerships, with the diversity still in place today. He worked with a nationally recognized arts marketing group to revamp their strategies for audience development and donor building strategies.

Thus, the MVT website is Honolulu’s liveliest, with a string of audience-friendly activities like open mic nights for comedians and singers, screening of films like “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and “Mission Monday” observances to support the performing arts.

“Kip Wilborn took on an almost impossible task and showed the world how to overcome and achieve,” said  Dave Kennedy, board chair. “The theatre is the beneficiary of his efforts, dedication, and leadership. Kip leaves a deep and broad legacy, and the theatre will benefit from his achievements for generations to come.”

Another board member indicated that one of the reasons Wilborn was retiring was personal — to tend to familial care and wellness needs.

Wilborn possesses a powerful baritone voice and has a stream of operatic credits here and abroad, and in local theater, he is remembered for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in the Ron Bright-directed “Les Miserables” musical.

Young, pictured, has made significant contributions to prestigious institutions like Blue Man Production and Playwrights Horizons in New York City. Since 2011, she’s been a community-oriented leader in Hawaii’s non-profit sector, with prior roles at Susan G Komen Hawaii and Honolulu Theatre for Youth. She is noted for her dedication to enrich her community through volunteer work and event curation.

Seems like MVT will be ready for the change…

An early Christmas

Christmas arrives early for romantic pianist  Jim Brickman, who has his share of diehard Hawaii fans. Chrissy Metz, from NBC’s “This Is Us,” will be a guest star on “A Joyful Christmas,” a a Facebook Life concert Thursday (Oct. 26) at 8 p.m. ET (2 p.m. Hawaii time) as part of his 50-city Christmas agenda.

Honolulu is not part of his winter tour.

Details at https://www.jimbrickman.com/livestream-registration/ …

A BRAVE night

One of Hawaii’s premier local bands, B.E.T. and a hot boy band Crossing Rain, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 28) at the Joseph Rider Farrington Auditorium on the Farrington campus.

The event is a fundraiser for Brave Hawaii, an organization combatting bullying, and is timed to the observation of National Anti-Bullying Month, in October.

Tickets: $30 VIP (includes meet-and-greet), $25 for lower level seating and $15 for upper level seating.

Comedian Augie T is a presenter and also will perform.

B.R.A.V.E., created by Mahealani Sims-Tulba (Augie’s daughter), stands for “Be Respectful and Value Everyone.”

Details:
https://augietllc.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=2939314&fbclid=IwAR2V-4Jf9NANzJOgM_n7XsO1BeGjvxkJdkc8wsm49E5eviEz26PV1bj6Ir8

Broadway grosses, for week ending Oct. 15

Not surprisingly, the long-running musicals dominate the Top 10. Only two new musicals from the fall season, “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Back to the Future: The Musical,” are among the charted leaders; and only one hit from last season, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” has earned a coveted slot.

The Top 10:

• “The Lion King,” $2,090 million.
• “Hamilton,” $1.931 million.
• “Wicked,” $1,906 million.
• “Sweeney Todd,” $1,739 million.
• “Merrily We Roll Along,” 1,706 million.
• MJ: the Musical,” $1,622 million.
• “Aladdin,” $1,348 million.
• “Moulin Rouge: the Musical,” $1,307 million.
• “Back to the Future,” $1,240 million.
• “Harry Pottter and the Cursed Child,” $1,198 million.

The full list, courtesy the Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. …

It’s a Rodgers & Hammerstein II weekend for the I’m A Bright Kid Foundation and Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College.

IABK is staging “An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein Classics,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Sept. 29) and Saturday (Sept. 30) with a 4 p.m. matinee Sunday (Oct. 1).

The program will showcase memorable melodies from the Big 5 of the R&H catalogue: “The King & I” (1951),“South Pacific” (1949) “Oklahoma” (1943),“Carousel” (1945) and “The Sound of Music” (1959).

The shows, and select titles from each, are some of the all-time favorites of the late Ron Bright, pictured left, the inspiration for the I’m A Bright Kid Foundation and its mission to perpetuate and preserve Mr. B’s legacy.

Clearly, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II “invented” the Broadway musical we’ve come to know and applaud. The duo’s fingerprints are evident, if you’ve been a fan over the decades.

This column is intended to shed some light and perhaps share some flashpoints in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s legacy. Note: some personal reflection appears here, along with data from Wikipedia.

Rodgers & Hammerstein, in a commemorative postage stamp.

The duo’s first stage musical, “Oklahoma!,” set the template for future shows to come; the show this year marked its incredible 80^th anniversary. The songs were composed with specific needs, with every aspect of the play—from the lyrics to the choreography, from the staging to the costuming — integrating key theatrical elements to propel the storytelling. Prior “musicals” featured actors who could sing but not necessarily dance, featured on tunes placed and paced without the innovative storytelling element.

R&H’s legacy include these elements:

• An overture, a sweeping panorama of the songs to come, prior to the show’s opening scene.
• A dream sequence, not in every show but launched in “Oklahoma!,” which featured a ballet-type dance moment with integral links to the storyline.
• Recordings of the entire score, providing a soundtrack for fans to listen at home. The first cast recording was for “Oklahoma!,” with  Decca Records issuing a keepsake that revolutionized the recording industry that provided a bundle of 78 rpm discs that sold for $5 back in the day, with “singles” (also on 78 rpm discs) retailing for 50 cents.

Some questions answered:

• Did Rodgers & Hammerstein write shows for film?  (“State Fair”)  And television (“Cinderella”).
• Has the duo won major awards? (Lots: 42 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards.)

———————————————————–

“An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein Classics”

A musical revue of Rodgers and Hammerstein evergreens, from “King & I,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel” and “Sound of Music,” reflecting the favorite titles of the late Ron Bright.

Where: Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday (Sept. 29) and Saturday (Sept. 30) and 4 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 1)

Tickets: Premium, $32; adult, $27; seniors 65+, students up to 13, military, $22’ children 6-12, $17; free, toddlers 2 to 5; babies under 2 not allowed; reservations at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/75827 …

Broadway grosses, week ending Sept. 24

With the closure of several shows over the past few weeks, the grosses on the Great White Way are somewhat static – oldies are goldies, with one exception – the arrival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” making its debut on the charts:

The week’s Top 10:

1 – “The Lion King,” $1.911 million.

2 –“Hamilton,” $1.744 million.’

3 – “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1.530 million.

4 – “MJ, the Musical,” $1.379 million.

5 – “Wicked,” $1.321 million.

6 –“Merrily, We Roll Along,” $1.304 million.

7 – “Aladdin,” $1.166 million.

8 – “Moulin Rouge,” $1.093 million.

9 – “Back to the Future, the Musical,” $1.036 million.

10 – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $936,561.

Here’s the complete list, courtesy The Broadway Guild:

And that’s Show Biz. …

With Halloween about a month away, I’ve been doing new lapel pins for the 2023 bewitching season.

Production started earlier this month, in-between at-home PT sessions, as I continue a rehab process after spending two weeks in the hospital in August. That said, the numbers may be fewer this year though the effort is in earnest.

A handful of pins are one-of-a-kind. The usual images of pumpkins, black cats, ghouls, witches and more returning.

Still in the midst of finishing a few more batches…but everything is “boo-tiful.”

Manoa Valley Theatre’s revival of “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” is stunning and seductive with a syncopation of elements that give it its specific pulse.

This becomes obvious, in the early moments of the production, when musical director Joe Pacheco’s nine-piece orchestra starts the rhythmic tones from an angular huddle on stage left, quickly joined by the splendid ensemble appearing in synch and unity of movements of James Wright’s expressive choreography on “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” a charismatic and expressive intro to theatrics to come.

Director Stephanie Conching has the skills of a maestro, moving her actors like notes in an aria, yielding visual soloists and ensemble choruses that clearly lighten and brighten this dark, sinister work by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and Hugh Wheeler (book), from an adaptation by Christopher Bond.

I’ve seen perhaps six or seven “Sweeney” productions over the decades, and each has its own  personality and pizzazz.

I recall the original, directed by Harold Prince, with Len Cariou as Todd and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett, in a mammoth staging with even a catwalk, and the less-is-more version when Patti LuPone sang and played the tuba. And yes, I took in the latest Broadway revival in July directed by  Thomas Kail, with Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford (with voices from heaven).

But worry not this one is as good as it gets. This cast is remarkable, rich in depth and definition, creating vivid characterizations.

Sally Swanson is Mrs. Lovett, Kyle Malis is Sweeney Todd.

Kyle Malis, with shiny bald pate, is a Todd with a huge baritone voice and is cut-throat spooky with a blade. Not to worry; no blood splashes since the red stuff are fabric which flows whenever there’s a victim in the barber’s chair.

Sally Swanson, as Mrs. Lovett, has a huge personality and projects power and assurance. But her bakery to peddle her meat pies made from victims of Todd’s barber shop upstairs, is mostly a tray and table with a meat grinder downstairs. She is a co-conspirator in the crimes.

Kenna Shafter is Johanna, Miguel Cadoy III is Anthony.

Miguel Cadoy III, as Anthony, the suitor infatuated with Johanna, possesses the show’s most romantic voice, singing “Johanna,” one of the repeating tunes in the score; Johanna, played by Kenna Shafter, is the daughter of Todd, has a sweet demeanor demonstrated on “Kiss Me,” a duet with Cadoy, as they plan to run away together.

Kimo Kaona, as Judge Turpin, is corrupt  as they come – manipulating and menacing as a dishonest father, lording over Johanna as his prisoner.

Buffy Kahalepuna-Wong, left, as the mysterious Beggar Woman, has threatening entrances and exits, so she brings bold presence to the crowd, an oracle not to be dismissed. And she possesses a secret identity.

Rocco Bechirian, as Tobias, renders an unexpected beaut of a tune, “Not While I’m Around” with Swanson.

Mira Fey’s set design is a two-level wonderment, with three staircases (the ork’s nestled ‘neath one) and barely enough space for Todd’s new barber chair, with the seat dropping corpses to the first floor. At MVT, real estate is limited, and Fey manages to compact doorways and corridors with efficiency, allowing a spacious central dance floor, if you will, for the large ensemble.

Costume designer Amber Lehua Baker showcases vintage styles to suit a range of body types, and Lisa Ponce de Leon’s hair and makeup live up to her usual magic. Willie Sabel’s scenic contributions are eye appealing.

 ——————————————-

Janine Myers’ lighting design and Hanale Ka‘anapu’s sound design are fitting for the needs, with two levels of consideration.

“Sweeney” is a box office hit, but here’s a tip: three more performances have just been added Oct. 6, 7 and 8. …

And that’s Show Biz. …

“Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

A musical by Stephen Sondheim, with book by Hugh Wheeler, from an adaptation by Christopher Bond

Where: Manoa Valley Theatre

When: Remaining shows, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 and 29,  3 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 and 30, and  3 p.m. Sept. 24; extension shows at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and 7, and 3 p.m. Oct. 8.

Tickets: $25 to $45, available at www.manoavalleytheatre.com or (808) 988-6131.