Diamond Head Theatre leads race for Po'okelas
| • | And the Po'okela awards nominees are ... |
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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| Jerold E. Solomon portrayed Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Diamond Head Theatre's production of "Ragtime: The Musical."
Advertiser library photo • Sept. 22, 2003 21ST ANNUAL PO'OKELA AWARDS A presentation by the Hawai'i State Theatre Council 6 p.m. July 19 Ko'olau Golf Club, 45-550 Kionaole Road, Kane'ohe $50 (includes dinner); $40 presale; $400 reserved table for eight Reservations: call Francie von Tempsky at (808) 244-8760, or send ticket order with Visa or MasterCard number or check payable to Hawai'i State Theatre Council to: HSTC Po'okelas, c/o Maui Academy of Performing Arts, 81 N. Church St., Wailuku, Hi 96793. |
"Ragtime" earned 10 nods, including best overall musical and guest artist mentions for its three leading actors, Mary Gutzi (who also directed), Jerold E. Solomon and Crystal Williams. It also earned recognition for featured male (Douglas S. Scheer), musical direction, costume design, lighting design, sound design and choreography.
Shari Lynni is nominated for leading female in the musical "Dolly!" The show is also up for best overall musical, leading male (Dennis Proulx), featured male (Christopher Obenchain), choreography, direction, musical direction, costume design and sound design.
"Oz," nominated for best overall musical, also earned nominations for leading female (Kim Anderson), two featured females (Julia Ogilvie and Kathleen Sulieman), musical direction, scenic design, costume design, lighting design and guest artist (director Jennifer Waldman).
Sponsored by the Hawai'i State Theatre Council, the Po'okela Awards were established two decades ago to honor achievement and excellence in local theaters, with adjudication conducted by a panel of judges, not peers or the public.
As many as three honorees may be selected in each category, somewhat diluting individual glory. That policy continually is a source of controversy in the theater community.
Further, two theater groups — Kumu Kahua, which specializes in local-themed, mostly original scripts, and the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, one of the nation's esteemed children's theater — have opted not to participate for several years.
Their pullout contributes to the fact that two of the 22 categories — original script and original musical score — have no nominees this year. Both groups regularly stage new works with Island themes and, occasionally, HTY hosts modest shows with new scores.
Some widely-praised performances — notably, Shari Lynn in "Gypsy" and Cathy Foy in "Kiss Me, Kate," both Army musicals — were not among the nominees.
ACT's inspirational "Man of La Mancha" pulled seven nominations, The Actors' Group's poignant "The Trip to Bountiful" received six, followed by Manoa Valley Theatre's dark musical, "Batboy: The Musical," and its political drama, "The Laramie Project," earning five apiece.
Also receiving five nominations: ACT's "Camelot," Hawai'i Pacific University's "All My Sons" and DHT's "Swing."
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.
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And the Po'okela awards nominees are ...
| • | Key to theaters:
ACT — Army Community Theatre DHT — Diamond Head Theatre HSF — Hawai'i Shakespeare Festival HPU — Hawai'i Pacific University MVT — Manoa Valley Theatre PAL — Paliku Theatre TAG — The Actors' Group UHM — University of Hawai'i-Manoa |
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Leading male in a play
- Eric Field, "All My Sons," HPU.
- Jared Jeffries, "Apartment 3A," MVT.
- Eric Nemoto, "The Guys," TAG.
- Paul D. Palmore, "Amadeus," DHT.
- Jim Tharp, "On Golden Pond," TAG.
Leading female in a play
- Jan McGrath, "On Golden Pond," TAG.
- Jo Pruden, "The Trip to Bountiful," TAG.
- Carla Rzeszewski, "All My Sons," HPU.
- Fan Xing, "Nozaki Village," UHM.
- Tara Ziegler, "Gunfighter," MVT.
Leading male in a musical
- Randl Ask, "Peter Pan," DHT.
- Bryan Bender, "Camelot," ACT.
- Shannon Kaleo Loo, "Bat Boy: The Musical," MVT.
- Dennis Proulx, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- Elitei Tatafu Jr., "Copacabana," MVT.
Leading female in a musical
- Kim Anderson, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
- Mary Chesnut Hicks, "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- Shari Lynn, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- Nicole Marie Sullivan, "Copacabana," MVT.
- Karin Valasek, "Bat Boy: The Musical," MVT.
Featured male in a play
- Moses Goods III, "Two Trains Running," TAG.
- Matthew Johnson, "The Laramie Project," MVT.
- Jeremy Pippin, "Henry IV, Part I," HSF.
- Jerry Tracy, "The Laramie Project," MVT.
- Brent Yoshikami, "Noises Off," PAL.
Featured female in a play
- Clara Ann Chorley, "Noises Off," PAL.
- Rasa Radha Fournier, "The Trip to Bountiful," TAG.
- Holly Holowach, "The Trip to Bountiful," TAG."
- Alexandra Horn, "The Laramie Project," MVT.
- Dorothy Stamp, "Ten Million Reawakenings," TAG.
Featured male in a musical:
- John Hunt, "Camelot," ACT.
- Scott Moura, "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- Christopher Obenchain, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- Dennis Proulx, "Jacques Brel is Alive & Well ...," HPU.
- Douglas S. Scheer, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
Featured female in a musical
- Elizabeth Harrison, "Swing," DHT.
- Tricia Marciel, "Kiss Me,Kate," ACT.
- Jakara Mato, "Gypsy," ACT.
- Julia Ogilvie, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
- Kathleen Sulieman, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
Choreography:
- Grace Bell Humerickhouse, "Gypsy," ACT.
- Katherine L. Jones, "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- John Rampage," "Copacabana," MVT.
- John Rampage, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- John Rampage, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
Director of a play
- Sharon Adair, "The Trip to Bountiful," TAG.
- Joyce Maltby, "All My Sons," HPU.
- Joyce Maltby, "Gunfighter," MVT.
- Bill Ogilvie, "Amadeus," DHT.
- Leonard Piggee, "Two Trains Running," TAG.
Director of a musical
- Glenn Cannon, "Gypsy," ACT.
- John Mount, "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- Eden Lee Murray, "Camelot," ACT.
- John Rampage, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- Scott Rogers, "Bat Boy: The Musical," MVT.
Musical director
- Roslyn Catracchia, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
- Lina Jeong Doo, "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- Melina Lillios, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- Alethea Train, "Swing," DHT.
- Donald Yap, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
Scenic design
- Sharon Adair, "The Trip to Bountiful," TAG.
- Tom Giza, "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- Patrick M. Kelly, "Amadeus," DHT.
- Patrick M. Kelly, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
- Lloyd S. Riford III, "Noises Off," PAL.
Costume design
- Sukey Dickinson, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- Athena Espania, "Bat Boy: The Musical," MVT.
- Linda McCarthy, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- Roxanne Vogelgesang, "All My Sons," HPU.
- Karen G. Wolfe, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
Lighting design:
- Cathie Anderson, "The Laramie Project," MVT.
- Stephen Clear, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- Dawn Oshima, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
- John Parkinson, "Camelot," ACT.
- Lloyd S. Riford III, "Bat Boy: The Musical," MVT.
Sound design
- Mikel Humerickhouse, "Amadeus," DHT.
- Mikel Humerickhouse, "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- Mikel Humerickhouse, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- Rick Jackson, "Camelot," ACT.
- Jason Taglianetti, "Copacabana," MVT.
Nonresident guest artist
- Mary Gutzi, drector-actor, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- Adealani Malia, director-choreographer, "Swing," DHT.
- Jerold E. Solomon, actor, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- Jennifer Waldman, director, "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
- Crystal Williams, actor, "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
Ensemble
- "Jacques Brel Is Alive & Well ... and Living in Paris," HPU.
- "The Laramie Project," MVT.
- "Noises Off," PAL.
- "Swing," DHT.
- "Two Trains Running," TAG.
Overall musical
- "Hello Dolly!," DHT.
- "Man of La Mancha," ACT.
- "Ragtime: The Musical," DHT.
- "Swing," DHT.
- "The Wizard of Oz," DHT.
Overall play
- "All My Sons," HPU.
- "Nozaki Village," UHM.
- "On Golden Pond," TAG.
- "The Trip to Bountiful," TAG.
- "Two Trains Running," TAG.
Pierre Bowman life achievement award
- Jo Diotalevi, who died recently on the Big Island
There were no nominees for two other categories — original script and original musical score.
