Snow White and Da Mean Mongoose back at it

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Colleen and Patrick Fujioka reprise their roles as Snow White and Da Mean Mongoose for Lisa Matsumoto's "Once Upon One Kapakahi Time" at the Hawai'i Theatre. The pair got to know each other while acting in a previous Matsumoto play and married three years ago. Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser 'Once Upon One Kapakahi Time' A musical by Lisa Matsumoto, with songs by Roslyn; additional tunes by Matsumoto and Paul Palmore; produced by 'Ohi'a Productions Premieres at 8 p.m. today; repeats at 8 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. Aug. 2; 4 and 8 p.m. Aug. 3; and noon and 4 p.m. Aug. 4 Hawai'i Theatre $15, $25, $30, $35 528-0506

They also have a keiki.

It's happened, in kind of a storybook romance, once upon one noddah time three years ago, when Patrick Fujioka (the mongoose) and Colleen Sullivan (Ms. White) got very close after working together in Lisa Matsumoto's pidgin English musicals.

Now, they're reprising their original roles, in Matsumoto's and 'Ohi'a Productions' "Once Upon One Kapakahi Time," premiering tonight at the Hawai'i Theatre. Thus, there are new twists and turns in the revisit to the pidgin trilogy.

"We've enjoyed doing Lisa's shows," said Fujioka, 39, who has been in all three earlier installments of the Matsumoto capers featuring songs by Roslyn Catracchia. "She invited us, so we're back."

He now teaches drama at Kamehameha Schools. She teaches special ed at Kipapa Elementary, but is on extended maternity leave.

He got smitten with Sullivan, 27, who joined the theatrical 'ohana "when Lisa was looking for haole-type performers," said Fujioka.

"We knew each other from Hope Chapel, but I brought her to auditions. We got married three years ago and now we have a little girl, 4 months old."

"I love performing and being on stage," said Sullivan Fujioka. "There's a real sense of 'ohana with Lisa's cast. We become family. Spend time together. Get close to each other."

In another pairing, Julie Onishi and Chad Okamura, who met in 1997's "Once Upon One Noddah Time," married recently; they're sitting out this edition of the fun.

"They get to watch instead," said Matsumoto. But they've provided backstage and moral support.

"I would say 90 to 95 percent of the people in the show return," Matsumoto said of her cast. "We have a couple of new people, and a number of folks who retired earlier have decided to come back. But we're getting a next-generation interest, too."

Matsumoto is reviving Da Wicked Queen role that has inhabited all of her fairy tales.

"She has to do her evil deeds," she chuckled.

Because "Kapakahi" collates highlights from "Once Upon One Time," "Once Upon One Noddah Time" and "Happily Eva Afta," as well as a character or two from "The Princess and the Iso Peanut," most of the characters appear in equal cameos. "We normally have a cast of between 30 to 40 but for 'Kapakahi,' we have 62. And a lot of people play multiple roles. So many stories to tell!"

Roslyn also has composed some new music for "Kapakahi," so there's more at play than retreads.

Lisa Matsumoto resurrects the character of Da Wicked Queen for "Once Upon One Kapakahi Time." The musical continues Matsumoto's pidgin trilogy of "Once Upon One Time," "Once Upon One Noddah Time," and "Happily Eva Afta" and features cameos by actors from her "The Princess and the Iso Peanut."

"We share laughter, excitement and, of course, memories," she said. "And renew old ties. Neal Furukawa is here from Oregon to once again play one of the menehune."

For the Fujiokas, rehearsals include daughter Kimie. "She has a lot of aunties and uncles who help watch her," said mom. "We're hoping for more marriages and more babies, so Kimie can have some friends."

Fujioka said the mongoose role has trailed him in his off-stage life. "I get recognized a lot, at Foodland, like that. It's quite exciting that people remember."

But, he said, this probably will be his last return.

"This reunion is fun, but we're all getting a little old. Most of us were in our 20s when we started, and it was questionable whether we'd be aboard now. It's time for new blood."

And one noddah mongoose.