encore 2015-03 Final.indd

March 2015
Volume 100 • Issue 3
Inside This Issue
Destination: New York City
1
Executive Director’s Message 2
A White Christmas
Retrospective
3
Our Theatre, 1966 to 1990
4
Directing To Kill A
Mockingbird6
Greg Zane’s King and I7
Coming Soon
Destination: New York City
March 27 - April 12, 2015
Celebrating 10 Years, DHT’s Broadway Bound Tour Is Still a Hit
T
his year marks the 10th
anniversary of Diamond Head
Theatre’s Broadway Bound Tour.
Looking back, it makes me realize how
much I’ve learned over the decade about
people, about being a tour “escort”—and
about the dangers of overscheduling!
It took me awhile to catch on, but I
realized after a few trips that what our
travelers really wanted most was time. Time
to explore New York City. That said, it was
still hard for me to let go of packing things
into the trip.
For example, in 2005, our first year, we
took our bleary-eyed travelers sightseeing
fresh off the red-eye from Honolulu. We
arranged dinners for that first night at
various upscale restaurants: Food writer
Joan Namkoong, who had accompanied
us, took a group to Café Boulud, and John
Rampage took a group to the Russian
Firebird. The next day we had everyone
up and out for a tour of Radio City Music
Hall. Then we went to a pre-theatre dinner
at The Four Seasons, hustled to a show,
and took a gang to the Blue Water Grill for
jazz and post-theatre drinks.
On Saturday, Joan took some of our
patrons to the Greenmarket at Union
Square. We took others to MoMA. And
then we were off again to a show and an
after-theatre cabaret. Sunday’s brunch at
Tavern on the Green was just the first
adventure of the day. And so it went.
We kept up this frenetic schedule for
the whole week. It was crazy.
Eventually we realized that everyone has
his or her own “must do in New York” list.
Some people are passionate shoppers; some
are avid museumgoers; some want to see
as many shows as they can. So, as the years
went by, we gradually began to let them do
their own thing. I smile when I look back
at my 2005 tour calendar and subsequent
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
May 22 - June 7, 2015
July 17 - August 2, 2015
For Tickets
Call 808.733.0274 or visit
www.diamondheadtheatre.com
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
calendars. Each year we ended up
peeling away an activity—NBC Studio
tours, Top of the Rock, MoMA, The
Met. All gone.
Everyone still stays busy on the
trips. But now they’re busy doing what
they want to do.
We did, however, hang onto a few
key activities. We still do a first-night
no-host dinner at Remi, a restaurant
just a block from the hotel. With
reasonably priced Italian comfort food
and a 6 p.m. reservation, we’re still able
to tuck ourselves into bed early.
The next day, we do a private bus
tour. It’s quite relaxing to let someone
else navigate the busy NYC streets. We
glide along looking out the windows
and taking it all in, while our very
funny tour guide, Zora, keeps us
laughing. We also still book three
Broadway shows and one elegant
dinner at The Four Seasons. But that’s
about it for scheduled activities.
2
Aloha from DHT’s
Executive Director
Recently I had to go into the theatre
on a Sunday. Super Bowl Sunday. And
although I’m originally from Boston—
and it was the New England Patriots
playing (and what a game it was!)—the
minute the curtain went up, I forgot
about football. That’s the great thing about
live theatre. It demands your
attention. As London journalist and
critic Matt Trueman said recently in
WhatsOnStage, “Theatre forces you
to meet art head on, with no outside
interferences.” Trueman goes on to observe that
“there’s something ritualistic about
turning off your phone at the top of
a show. It’s an investment of sorts, a
Now, instead of booking events,
we let folks choose their fun. We offer
favorite recommendations—one of
mine is the Christmas fair and iceskating at Bryant Park. We tell them
about the museums and urge them
to take in the spectacular view from
Top of the Rock. We direct them to
the 9/11 Memorial (and suggest they
stop in at the Century 21 department
store across the street). We advise on
other shows to supplement the ones we
booked and walk them, if needed, to
the TKTS Booth in Times Square to
get discounted tickets.
It’s become the perfect formula,
helped in part by our lovely boutique
hotel, The Warwick, where the
doormen wait every year for the
“Hawaii group” to arrive.
We’ve learned our patrons don’t
need us to micromanage their trip,
thank you very much! But their lament
as they board the departure bus is still
the same: “We ran out of time!”
Join us this fall on our next
Broadway Bound Tour. Dates are
November 12−18, 2015. Six nights.
The price is the same as last year:
$2,725 plus airfare, and the nonstop
flight on United makes it almost an
easy ride. Call Mary at 733-0277 x308
for more information. ~DD
pledge to be present as an audience
member. Other art forms don’t give
you that. They’re much more blended
into real life. You
can half watch
television, for
instance, while
cycling through
your Facebook
or Twitter feed
… books, too,
are picked up
and put down.
If you’re not in
the right frame of mind, if you can’t
quite get into a story, it’s easy to loathe
something you might otherwise have
loved. With theatre, it’s just you and
the show—everything else is absent.”
I love those thoughts and certainly
find them true for myself. That Sunday when I exited the
theatre, the world was in uproar about
the game and how it ended. But for
me, I wasn’t ready to care about the
Super Bowl. I felt like I’d stepped out
of a thought provoking, relaxing bubble
and I wanted to savor the moments in
Maycomb, Alabama a little longer. I often suggest to patrons that they
leave their troubles at the door when
they walk into our theatre, but maybe I
have it all wrong. Maybe you don’t even
have to work at it. Maybe your troubles
leave you! See you at the show.
Encore! is published by Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816.
Phone
(808)733-0277
Facsimile
(808)735-1250
Box Office
(808)733-0274
www.diamondheadtheatre.com
Writers
Editor
Graphic Designer
Coordinator
Mary Calantoc, Deena Dray,
Kathryn Mariko Lee
Stacy Pope
Bernie Kim
Mary Calantoc
Our Mission Statement
Established in 1915, Diamond Head Theatre is
the Broadway of the Pacific, producing the best live
community theatre entertainment and advancing
the theatre arts through education in Hawai‘i.
Dreaming of a White Christmas
Guest Artist Scott Sowinski Reflects
on a Long-Wished-for Role
C
hristmas 2014 brought guest artist Scott Sowinski from
the winter flurries of Chicago to our balmy “paradise
state” in search of snow—the snow of Irving Berlin’s White
Christmas, that is. With his beautiful voice and effortless
charm, Sowinski did an excellent job playing Bob Wallace,
the crooning army captain turned star showman. In fact, he
tells us it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
“I’ve always wanted to do White Christmas,” he says.
“As a child, it was my favorite film and I was enamored
with the story and the simplicity of it all. I wanted to have
an opportunity at one of my dream roles. Diamond Head
Theatre provided that and so much more.”
Sowinski heard about our show from Diamond Head
Theatre’s artistic director, John Rampage, who he was very
excited to work with. Sowinski says, “John’s one of the best,
and we’ve developed a friendship in recent years that I hold
in high esteem. He’s a demanding and detailed director who
expects so much and does not settle for aspiration.”
“It was fulfilling to be part of a Christmas show,” he
continues. In fact, Christmas has much to do with why
Sowinski pursued acting in the first place. “I remember
being a shepherd in my church play,” he says. “Mrs. Sevik,
our pageant director, discovered me singing at the top of my
lungs at a church service and put me in the show. I had one
line: I screamed, ‘Look, a star to the east!’ I remember people
laughing, and I thought, ‘I did that.’”
Sowinski explains that he felt empowered by the thought
that he could create a response. “I could change them,” he
says. “Even at a young age, I loved it. I don’t think I ever
became an actor. I think I’ve always been one.”
The audience members’ hearts aren’t the only ones
affected by a show. Sowinski confesses that he almost
cried every night while performing the song “Count Your
Blessings.”
“The song ends and I hand Susan off to the general,” he
explains. “It’s the first moment in the whole show where
you see only raw humanity, unguarded by song or pretense.
Totally my favorite part.”
At the end of the day, the most fulfilling part of
Sowinski’s White Christmas experience was working with the
people. “Getting to collaborate with and know extraordinary
people who love their art instilled the reminder of how I
can better myself and my own personal approach to my
craft,” he says of the cast and crew. “Those who were part
of the production onstage and off showed a genuine love
for their craft. Too often, theater in all aspects is deemed a
‘job,’ whereas DHT tends to approach it as a labor of love.
It was fulfilling to be among people who literally gave me
Christmas.” ~KML
Kathryn Mariko
Lee and Scott
Sowinski, with
fellow co-stars
Tommy Olson
and Nicole
Sullivan
3
Hana Hou, Judy Haynes!
DHT Veteran Kathryn Mariko Lee’s
White Christmas Reprise Is a Natural Fit
W
hen I was a brand-new, shiny-eyed Shooting Star,
I dreamed of the day I would perform in my first
main-stage show at Diamond Head Theatre. Fifteen years
have passed since then, and I have the privilege of saying
I’ve been in 21 main-stage productions. Just as Diamond
Head Theatre kicked off its 100th anniversary celebration,
an especially exciting opportunity arose for me: the chance
to play Judy Haynes for a second time in DHT’s remount
of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, our winter hit from the
2009–2010 season.
Needless to say, I was ecstatic. In 2009, as a much
younger actor, I played Judy with fledgling skill and
confidence. I felt like a young girl slipping on her mother’s
robe in a moment of fancy and having much to grow into.
Now, the robe fit perfectly. I settled into Judy’s flirtatious
exuberance with a nuance of maturity that had never been
there before, relishing the fact that I could now bring five
more years’ worth of experience to a role that had been a
pivotal step in my growth.
I wasn’t the only one excited to be back. Nicole Sullivan,
who played Betty Haynes in the 2009 production, returned
to complete our sisterly duo once again, with Allen Cole and
Lisa Konove reprising their roles as General Waverly and
Martha Watson, the inn’s “concierge.” Under the outstanding
direction of John Rampage, we all seemed to click right
back into place as if we’d never taken a break from the show.
Imagine how delighted Nicole, Lisa and I were to find that
we could execute the difficult harmonies and synchronized
choreography of “Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun” with ease,
when five years ago it was a challenge.
Being so settled also helped us welcome brand-new
leading men to the show: guest artist Scott Sowinski and
former Shooting Star Thomas Olson playing Bob Wallace
and Phil Davis. They added a fun, fresh energy to a familiar
show and it was exhilarating playing across them onstage.
What will the next five years bring? Only time will tell.
But as for the last five years, they’ve brought me a chance to
build upon past achievements, with wonderful friends, both
old and new.
And, of course, a white Christmas. ~KML
Diamond Head Theatre Celebrates 100
Our Retrospective Continues with the Years 1966 - 1990
H
4
onolulu Community Theatre
(as Diamond Head Theatre
was once known) had been
housed at Fort Ruger Theatre for
almost 14 years when the title for the
building went up for public auction
in August 1966. Luckily for us, the
theatre secured the bid for the title for
the next 50 years—not only for the
theatre itself, but also for the parking
lot and land next to the building. With
that title came plans for new seats, new
air conditioning, a new stage and many
other improvements.
That same year HCT participated
in one of the most unique fundraisers
the Islands had ever seen. In 1966 the
Waikiki branch of First National Bank
(now First Hawaiian Bank) planned
to demolish their current building and
move into a brand-new building next
door. The original building contained
a 73-foot original fresco mural by
renowned painter Jean Charlot. Since
frescoes are painted directly onto a wall
surface and cannot easily be moved, the
bank decided to cut it into pieces and
auction it off on behalf of our theatre.
The benefit was called Frescoes
for Footlights (the original name of
HCT)—and that night 54 “Charlot
frescoes” were sold, raising more than
$26,000 for the theatre. HCT also
received five pieces of the fresco as a
gift. Unfortunately, they have since
been lost (or, should we say, not found
yet!).
The 1970s marked the final bow
for local actress Kinau Wilder, who
performed in her last HCT show,
Hello, Hello, Hello, in 1975. She had
The extension underway
been with the theatre for 51 years and
appeared in more than 30 productions.
She not only blessed the theatre with
her amazing talent and dedicated
work, but also left behind a fabulous
scrapbook in which she had kept every
playbill, article and photo from all the
shows she was in.
Kinau Wilder in her final production,
Hello, Hello, Hello
James McArthur and Kinau Wilder in the
dressing room
She had even written personal notes
throughout the scrapbook that detailed
backstage antics. When she was in
Hogan’s Goat in 1967, for example,
Wilder’s son Kimo McVay had a live
goat delivered to her dressing room
instead of traditional flowers or a card.
The critic who reviewed the show that
night even wrote about the goat, as he
had noticed it wandering outside the
theatre right before the show began.
This scrapbook has given the theatre a
priceless look into the life and work of
such a talented actress and has helped
supply many facts and photos for these
articles.
Wilder also had the opportunity
to work with another well-known
Hawaii resident at our theatre. James
McArthur (who also played Danno in
the original Hawaii Five-0 series) came
onboard to direct Front Page, which
was written by his father. Though the
show was met with mixed reviews,
the theatre made an impression on
McArthur, who joined the board of
directors in 1973. Another Five-0 face
would also grace the stage of Honolulu
Community Theatre: Al Eben, who
played Doc on the show and also
starred in many other shows in the
’70s, such as The Impossible Years and
View from a Bridge.
The year 1974 brought
transformation in the form of new
neighbors. Kapiolani Community
College had purchased part of old Fort
Ruger for their new location. Soon the
view from the theatre changed from
cannons facing Monsarrat Avenue to
the campus we all know and love today.
That same year the State Board of
Land and Natural Resources offered us
a brand-new lease. With this “new lease
on life,” the theatre was able to get back
to what it did best—producing quality
shows for the people of Oahu.
The following year, 1975, marked
the 60th anniversary for the theatre.
In celebration, it threw an anniversary
benefit. Proceeds helped fix the
auditorium seats, which were in much
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Are Dead (1971)
Oklahoma (1967)
need of repair. That same year HCT
staged The Music Man. This was the
second time the theatre had put on
the musical, and it brought back many
from the original cast. It also brought
in some new faces, including newbie
John Rampage, who played the role of
Tommy. Fellow actress Peggy Sherman
spoke enthusiastically about John,
saying “he should be on Broadway,
he’s that good.” She certainly couldn’t
guess that the very talented Rampage
would bring his prodigious talents to
Diamond Head Theatre permanently
as artistic director 20 years later!
In October 1982, the theatre
launched a campaign to raise funds
to build an extension to the existing
theatre building. As our building was
originally intended as a movie theatre,
it lacked many things needed by a
theatre company. The extension created
what is now our Rehearsal Hall, Green
Room, Scene Shop and Costume
Shop. Until it was completed, however,
the Costume Shop and Scene Shop
had to be housed across the street on
the quickly expanding college campus.
It’s hard to imagine now how HCT
managed to produce so many great
The Music Man (1988)
Annie (1984)
shows without these shops right on the
property.
From 1966 to 1990, Honolulu
Community Theatre accomplished
many things—including producing
more than 190 shows, extending the
theatre building and turning it into the
fully functioning, live-theatre venue
that we know today.
The end of this quarter also marked
a name change. In its 75th-anniversary
year, HCT’s board of directors decided
it was time to change the name of the
theatre to better reflect the company’s
professionalism, its place in the
community and its actual location.
They chose the name Diamond Head
Theatre. The new name was announced
to the public on April 27, 1990 at
the 75th Anniversary Gala. The first
production under the new moniker
was to be Kismet.
The stage was set for the next
evolution of HCT, now DHT. Tune in
for our final 25 years in the next issue!
~MC
John Rampage’s first foray across our stage
Oliver (1966)
5
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Kismet (1969)
Behind the Scenes at
To Kill A Mockingbird
First-Time Director Ahnya Chang
Takes on Her Favorite Novel
A
6
hnya Chang began her DHT
journey in 1996 when she was just
16 years old, landing a part in Annie
Get Your Gun alongside her mother
and two sisters. Since then, Chang
has graced our stage many times as an
accomplished singer and dancer.
When DHT’s 2014–2015 season
was announced, Chang, eager to
expand her theatrical repertoire, visited
Artistic Director John Rampage and
asked to direct To Kill A Mockingbird.
It would be her first directorial role—
and many were surprised that she had
requested to take on a play, since she’s
usually associated with musicals.
As it turns out, however, To Kill A
Mockingbird is Chang’s favorite novel.
The thought of being able to bring this
book she has loved for so long to life on
the DHT stage, where she feels most
at home, was too irresistible. Rampage
said yes, and the planning began.
Casting took place the same week
that the nation was gripped by protests
and news headlines surrounding the
Ferguson, Missouri case. Although
current events may show that To Kill
A Mockingbird is still relevant today,
Chang didn’t
want to “hit the
audience over
the head with it.”
She hoped that,
instead, each
patron would
find aspects of
the story that
applied to his
or her own
outlook on the
world. Fortunately, she felt she not only
collected an incredibly talented cast for
the show, but also the exact actors she’d
envisioned for the characters she has
known and loved since her childhood.
When asked what the most
challenging part of directing the show
was, she says it was the setting the
tone. She had decided that a musical
underscore would help set the mood
for each scene, so finding the right
pieces was very important. Before
rehearsals each day, Chang could be
found sitting with her headphones on,
listening to various pieces of music
while she watched the set go up.
In the end, Chang’s hope is that
patrons left the theatre at the end
of the show with the same kind of
connection to this story that she has.
Even if their vision doesn’t exactly
match hers, she hopes that they were
able to engage with it.
As far as what Chang takes away
from the experience, she says that it
confirmed for her that she would enjoy
directing. She’s also learned a lot about
building and designing a show from
start to finish. Chang credits much of
the production to her amazing team,
especially stage manager Mathias
Maas, whose artistic talent and
wonderful organizational skills were
invaluable.
Chang’s next move will be to test
the waters at other theatres. We’re
thrilled to see her spread her wings and
fly—as long as she always comes home
to DHT! ~MC
Ahnya Chang with the cast and crew of To Kill A Mockingbird
Stepping It Up
DHT’s Greg Zane Returns to Broadway as Associate
Choreographer of The King and I
R
espected Diamond Head Theatre guest choreographer
and director Greg Zane began his long journey with
The King And I as an original cast member of the 1996
Broadway revival, and has since choreographed numerous
versions of the show all over the United States. This year
Zane continues the legacy in a momentous return to
Broadway as associate choreographer of Lincoln Center’s
2015 The King And I, starring Ken Watanabe and Kelli
integral part of The King And I. It was choreographed for
the original 1951 production by the great Jerome Robbins
and is considered to be an iconic piece of musical theatre
choreography. During the ’96 revival, I had the privilege
of learning this ballet from Susan Kikuchi, whose mother,
Yuriko, was Eliza (the lead dancer in the ballet) in the
original 1951 production of The King And I. So my line of
The King And I comes directly from the Broadway version.
KML: How many King And I’s have you been involved with?
GZ: Lincoln Center will be my 11th The King And I.
After the revival closed, Susie took me on as her associate
choreographer for the West End/London (2000), the
7
Zane backstage in his costume from the 1996 Broadway revivial
O’Hara. I had the opportunity to sit down with “the King
And I guy” to discuss past performances and his aspirations
for the upcoming show.
KML: How did you get involved with your first King And I,
the 1996 Broadway revival?
GZ: I was dancing for the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet
when The King And I was auditioning for the Broadway
revival, and I auditioned when they came to LA. It was a case
of being in the right place at the right time: The production
creative team was looking for strong concert dancers, I was in
LA and the casting director knew me. Unlike some dancers
who had multiple callbacks, I was cast after one audition.
KML: What was it like being in that show?
GZ: Being part of that 1996 company was one of the high
points of my career in the arts. Not only was I able to watch
artists at the top of their game, but also the camaraderie
within the company was remarkable. I’m still friends with a
lot of the company. Experiencing the Tony Awards (we won
four Tonys), Broadway, opening night and a long two-year
run of more than 800 shows is something I never will forget.
The Broadway revival in ’96 was also the start of my
King And I education. The Act II ballet, “The Small House
of Uncle Thomas,” also known as the Robbins ballet, is an
Zane rehearsing the Robbins ballet
Papermill (2002), National Tour (2005) and Ogunquit
(2007) productions. Susie also gave approval for me to
be an official stager of this Robbins ballet. As such, I’ve
had the opportunity to stage the ballet myself all over the
United States. I feel blessed to be one of only four people
in the world approved by the Rodgers & Hammerstein
Organization to do that.
KML: You also choreographed The King And I for Diamond
Head Theatre.
GZ: Yes, twice, in 1999 and 2011. When I was doing the
’96 revival, DHT Artistic Director John Rampage said,
“Whenever the show closes, you should come to DHT and
direct and choreograph that version here.” I was happy to.
Those were my third and ninth The King And I productions.
KML: So how did you become associate choreographer of the
Lincoln Center production?
GZ: Ted Chapin, the president of R&H, let slip that they
were going to do the Lincoln Center version of The King And
I. Burt Fincke, an R&H representative, is a good friend of
mine, so I emailed him and said, “I know this is a long shot,
but how can I get involved?” He said to email Ted, and Ted
said to reach out to Chris Gattelli, the choreographer, who
I’ve known for years. So I did, and Chris said, “I’m so glad
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you contacted me. Yes, I want you to
work with me.”
KML: You’re the veteran.
GZ: Yeah. All those years, you know
what’s expected. What works and
doesn’t work, what the ballet specifically
needs and what to look for in casting.
Teaching the Robbins ballet means that
I have to know every single person’s
track in the piece, which amounts to a
total of 21 performers.
My knowledge goes beyond every
finger, every position, every jump,
every step that Jerome Robbins
choreographed. Once those dance steps
are taught, I can coach the dancers in
what they’re expressing through the
movement to tell the story.
But it’s not just the ballet. My
knowledge also extends to the
costumes, makeup, lighting and prop
requirements. The crew wants to know
how everything works as a whole. I’m
Greg Zane with Beverly Noa, opening night of
DHT’s The King And I
telling them stuff like, you have to have
a seatbelt at the top of the Buddha
ladder because you don’t want the kid
to fall off! Or that baby George, the
doll, his head has to be made with a
steel rod inside so that it doesn’t flop
around when Eliza hops across the
stage.
KML: I hear you have quite a few
DHT people in the Lincoln Center cast.
GZ: There are four DHT connections:
Autumn Ogawa and Cole Horibe in
the ensemble, and Ruthie Miles, who
was in Carousel when I directed it.
She was Cotton Candy Girl in that
production and now she’s playing
Lady Thiang. Paul Nakauchi, who was
our first King at DHT, is playing the
Kralahome and is Ken’s understudy.
Bart has ties to Hawaii too. His father
is from here, so we bonded over talking
about Hawaii.
KML: And of course, you’re local, too.
GZ: Yes. DHT and Hawaii are very
well represented. ~KML
Lincoln Center’s The King And I opens
on April 16, 2015.