FOR GREG ZANE, THE TOMMY LINK LIVES

First of two articles

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).

“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.

‘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).