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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, March 4, 2005

'Aida' cast takes its cues

Deborah Booker •The Honolulu Advertiser

The "Aida" dress rehearsal helped work out details of the Broadway rock opera being staged in Honolulu with local teens (including a TV series cast member) and a visiting professional actor who grew up in Waimanalo. The show will also tour to a theater festival in Scotland.


 •  Two Islanders share Broadway savvy with young performers
 •  Dancer turned in Broadway life for family life
 •  A weekend full of stage events for every interest

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Mahi'ai Kekumu, who has been in the Broadway ensemble, is Radames, and Leihoku Pedersen Ellsworth is Aida.

Deborah Booker •The Honolulu Advertiser


'AIDA'

Produced by the Saint Louis Center for the Arts

Premieres with a benefit at 7:30 p.m. today (5:30 p.m. reception); repeats at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday; and at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and March 11-12, and 4 p.m. March 13

Mamiya Theatre, Saint Louis School

Benefit: $100; 739-4862

Regular tickets: $22 general, $18 military, seniors and students

HonoluluBoxOffice.com, 550-8457

Radames and Aida embrace and steal a kiss.

Mereb quietly walks into that intimate moment.

"When you enter, step back from something that is taboo!" the director shouts at Mereb.

It's an afternoon rehearsal for the Broadway musical "Aida" at Mamiya Theatre, where director Kyle Kakuno is working with his cast for the Hawai'i premiere tonight. It's still rough, as ensemble members, appearing as buyers and sellers in an Egyptian marketplace, make their entrances.

The Saint Louis Center for the Arts made history when it landed the Tony Award-winning show, the first for a high-school troupe. And one of the leads was actually part of the Broadway production for nearly two years: Mahi'ai Kekumu, who has taken on the role of Radames and also is an assistant director and choreographer for the production.

As the scene unfolds, it's clear Kekumu's wearing several hats.

"Where do you want to pick up from?" Kekumu pauses to ask director Kakuno, who's seated in the first row at the theater.

The scene involves Leihoku Pedersen Ellsworth, 17, as Aida, a Nubian princess; Kekumu, 25, as Radames, an Egyptian commander; and Adam Cho, 17, as Mereb, his young slave.

Ellsworth, in a flowing purple gown, has a fresh, eye-catching coiffure, her hair braided in cornrows for the role. Kekumu and Cho are in partial costume, the former in a black rehearsal jacket, the latter in rustic, tattered brown gear. The scene is not yet gussied up with all the props and set dressing; it leads into one of the tunes in the Elton John-Tim Rice score, "Elaborate Lies."

Theatrical life, indeed, is elaborate and even expansive on the Wai'alae Avenue slopes.

"Doing 'Aida' in New York was such a blessing," said Kekumu, who was in the Broadway ensemble and understudied the Mereb role. "I worked alongside so many amazing people; I was trained as a dancer, and my voice got better doing this show. I felt, after a year and 10 months with 'Aida,' there was something else I needed to do, besides singing."

It turned out to be sharing.

Sharing stagecraft

With his firsthand knowledge and insights from the Broadway original, Kekumu had some notions on how a particular scene could be shaped.

And memories of his own high school shows (he starred as the king in Castle Performing Arts Center's "The King and I" in his senior year) rippled through his experience with this student cast.

"Saint Louis is a different school, of course," said Kekumu. "The kids are talented; they have potential. Me coming in has been somewhat exciting for the cast but, clearly, I'm just Mahi from Waimanalo, coming back home. I can understand why it's a big deal, about someone from here returning home after working on Broadway. It says something about being born and raised here, making something of yourself. There are many who have done this; me, I'm just a little peon."

Theater and tackles

Director Kakuno said most of the Saint Louis actors in his cast are jocks. That's simply the nature of the campus population.

"Since 80 percent of the students at Saint Louis play sports, the actors in the cast often surprise the audience," said Kakuno.

"Teachers often tell me, 'I had no idea that kid had that in him,' " Kakuno said. "Acting helps develop confidence. Many of our ensemble members play football, some play baseball. Adam is a paddler, though John is mostly academic."

John is John Long, 17, a Saint Louis senior cast as Zoser, the father of Radames. The production also features a budding TV star: Sacred Hearts Academy junior Tani Lynn Fujimoto (of "29 Down," a still-in-production Discovery Kids series), 17, is playing Amneris, the princess of Egypt.

The girls come from sister schools or the community at large.

Ellsworth, a senior at Mid-Pacific Institute, has appeared in MPI musicals, including "Oliver" and "The Wizard of Oz." With a grand experience in Saint Louis' "Chicago" last year, she was determined to try again — this time, landing a leading role.

"I find Aida very strong, humble and courageous," Ellsworth said of the princess. "She is perceived as brave, but she experiences a different kind of love that betrays her people. I love the music, and I love Elton John."

Cho, a senior at Saint Louis who was in "Choices," which played to grade-school children in January, said Kekumu's presence was initially "somewhat intimidating." He's settling into the Mereb role with more confidence. "I feel the energy on stage."

As Zoser, father of Radames, Long is supposed to be older than Kekumu on stage. "I'm his daddy," Long chuckled, eyeballing Kekumu, "but when you get into character, you forget about age. But having Mahi here ... it's wonderful; he forces the cast to go up a notch; we're no longer just a high school production, so there's a bit of pressure to do better. I feel very alive; I think ... (the role) brings out my darker side — like an Egyptian Darth Vader."

'Great expectations'

Critic's choice
Mini stage review

"Eddie Would Go" and "Queen of Makaha (Rell Sunn)": Two one-acts on Hawai'i surfing legends Eddie Aikau and Rell Sunn give some glimpses into a local subculture. Inventive staging makes for fast-moving dramatics. Repeats at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, through March 27, Kumu Kahua Theatre; for those 9 and older. Tickets are $16 general, $13 seniors, $10 students. 536-4441.Ï

— Joseph T. Rozmiarek

At the rehearsal, there was a bit of a snag with a wedding gown Fujimoto steps into as Amneris. It was a matter of how attendants held it, how she'd put one foot into the garment, then the other. The problem was resolved in minutes.

"It's been quite busy," Fujimoto said once her scene was over. She still flits from "29 Down" to "Aida," depending on her TV call.

Kekumu said this show is his first brush with nonequity actors since his Broadway debut.

"All these kids are great, they have potential," said Kekumu, who was contacted by Kakuno to get involved during a visit home last Christmas. From a behind-the-scenes role, he morphed into an onstage lead player, since the youth originally cast as Radames dropped out and an audition failed to attract a suitable replacement.

Kekumu said "Aida" offered "great expectations, high expectations." He noted, "I had to cut myself into three people, getting my lines down pat and all."

Scotland in summer

Kakuno, who has been drama director at St. Louis for five years, said the "Aida" production will visit Edinburgh, Scotland, in August to participate in the prestigious Fringe Festival as part of the American High School Theatre Festival contingent. Saint Louis won the right — one of 50 schools selected to export its production to a global audience — based on the quality of its "Chicago" musical last season.

Kekumu had to get special dispensation to appear in the Fringe Festival in what primarily is a high school activity. He plans to return to New York earlier in the summer to jump-start his stage career.

"Rehearsals start up again in July, then we tour," he said. "But I do want to go back to New York, get my things out of storage, and check out the crazy scene there."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, 525-8067 or fax 525-8055.

• • • 

Two Islanders share Broadway savvy with young performers

Mahi'ai Kekumu and Christine Yasunaga are Hawai'i natives who braved the cattle-call auditions of Broadway and survived. They wound up in separate hit musicals by Elton John and Tim Rice.

They're sharing their experiences with high school students in two separate productions on a weekend crowded with shows.

Kekumu, a 1998 Castle High School alumnus, is assistant director and choreographer and plays Radames in the rock opera "Aida," which Saint Louis School premieres tonight at Mamiya Theatre. On Broadway, Kekumu — Mahi to his peers — wound up in the ensemble of "Aida," a contemporary update on the Verdi opera, involving a love triangle set in ancient Egypt. Kekumu joined the musical in January 2003 and remained through its closing last September; he also understudied the role of Mereb.

Yasunaga, a 1989 graduate of Iolani School, is choreographing the Rodgers and Hammerstein evergreen "South Pacific," which Iolani premiered last night at the Hawai'i Theatre. She was an original cast member in another John/Rice musical, "The Lion King," in which she was a member of the dance ensemble for 5-1/2 years.

• • •

Dancer turned in Broadway life for family life

Jakara Mato plays nurse Nellie Forbush, and Emmanuel Zibakalam is the wealthy French planter Emile de Becque, in "South Pacific," presented by Iolani School at the Hawai'i Theatre.

'SOUTH PACIFIC'

A Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, produced by Iolani School

7 p.m. today and Saturday

Hawai'i Theatre

$10

528-0506 (box office),

943-2244 (Iolani)

Featuring: Jakara Mato as Nellie Forbush, Emmanuel Zibakalam as Emile de Becque, Dillon Powers as Lt. Joe Cable and Tatiana Wilson as Bloody Mary

Christine Yasunaga gave up her life on Broadway — and a good stint in the still-running Disney hit, "The Lion King" — for two reasons.

She fell in love and got married. And it was time to settle down and raise a family.

Not that she's inactive.

Yasunaga, 33, has taken her Broadway training and experience to the next level and is imparting that knowledge and skills to her young dancers at Iolani School, where she teaches in the after-school dance program. She is choreographer for Iolani's revival of the classic "South Pacific," which continues through Saturday at the downtown Hawai'i Theatre.

"A lot of these kids haven't danced before," said Yasunaga. "So there are levels of proficiency. But it's great to be around family and home — a different lifestyle, in general, from New York."

She left "The Lion King" four years ago and most recently was part of the "Flower Drum Song" revival starring Lea Salonga in the pre-Broadway run in Los Angeles. She didn't move on to the Big Apple, where the show had a brief run.

Working with a high school cast is a first for her, "but I don't treat the kids as if I were a diva," she said. "They know I've been on Broadway, so they listen to me. I think it raises the bar somewhat; but I keep it light and fun. I don't want to turn the students off to musicals."

For much of her run with "The Lion King," Yasunaga was the lone Asian in an otherwise all-Native American cast. She met her husband, Darryl Pellegrini, who was a drummer in the orchestra pit. "I had my eye on him first," she said. They were married in Honolulu and have a 2-year-old daughter, Myla.

While the couple live in Hawai'i now, Pellegrini is on tour with Salonga.

When asked for advice from teens who contemplate a livelihood in theater, Yasunaga tells them: "You have to be a very strong person. Be able to take rejection. Not take things personally. It's not always about talent."

Glenn Cannon, the 72-year-old theater and drama veteran, is guest-directing the musical, his first with a teenage cast and his first at the Hawai'i Theatre.

"I never envisioned myself doing this, and sometimes it's been difficult, because of the levels of motivation and commitment," said Cannon, a drama professor at the University of Hawai'i and a seasoned actor-director in more than 130 community productions. "You have to constantly remember that this is a high school production."

He is amazed at the growth of Jakara Mato, an Iolani junior whom he directed in "Gypsy" at Army Community Theatre, who plays Nellie Forbush, the nurse, in "South Pacific." "Her consistency and progress have been incredible," said Cannon.

Of Yasunaga, who is sharing the motivational responsibility, Cannon said: "She is terrific to work with; she's very creative and open to my ideas."

Working with amateurs and striving to build their confidence has been a particular challenge.

"Now I know how Ron Bright feels," he said of the Castle High School mentor whose former students have peopled numerous Broadway musicals. "You get a little frustrated at first, then you hope and wait for that ethereal moment — and wonder how the heck it happened."

— Wayne Harada, Advertiser entertainment writer

• • •

A weekend full of stage events for every interest

It's a busy weekend on O'ahu's stages, with a community-theater offering ("Cabaret"), an adult-oriented late-night event ("The Captive") and drama and much to sing about at the high schools.

There's nothing quite like live theater, so take your pick:

'Cabaret'

"Cabaret," a Manoa Valley Theatre production, brings the decadent nightlife of 1920s Berlin back to entertain modern audiences.

Brad Goda

The Manoa Valley Theatre will be transformed into a seedy German cabaret for the theater group's presentation of the celebrated musical. The time is 1929, and a young American writer has come to Berlin. He meets the English expat Sally Bowles, who headlines the Kit Kat Klub, a center of indulgence and moral ambiguity.

Drinks and food will be available in the theater, befitting a cabaret. The MVT production is guest-directed by John Rampage.

"Cabaret" premieres at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, repeating at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 4 p.m. Sundays, through March 27. Tickets are $30 general; $25 for seniors and military; $15 for those 25 and younger. 988-6131, manoavalleytheatre.com.

'The Captive'

From left, Nina Buck and Ryan Burbank star in Late Night Theatre's "The Captive" at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre.

Nicole Tessier

A drama that evokes the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib is directed by University of Hawai'i-Manoa graduate student Frank Episale as a Late Night Theatre offering. The 19th-century gothic play, by Matthew G. Lewis, is about a woman in an insane asylum whose guards torture and humiliate her. "The Captive" is suggested for mature audiences because of scenes of graphic violence.

Show times are 11 p.m. Saturday and March 11-12, and 8 p.m. Sunday at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. A discussion with the cast and creative team takes place after the March 11 performance. Tickets are $8 general, $7 non-UHM students, seniors, military, UH faculty/staff, $3 UHM students; available an hour before each show. 956-7655.

'Beauty and the Beast'

From left, Tali Ulufale, Nikita Mendonca and Ilikea Avilez rehearse a scene from "Beauty and the Beast" at Nanakuli High School.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The 1991 Disney film comes to life as the Nanakuli High and Intermediate School Arts and Communication Learning Center presents the Hawai'i premiere of the long-running Broadway musical. Students from the Nanakuli schools, and Kapolei and Wai'anae high schools will tell the tale of Belle, the Beast, Gaston, Lumiere and other beloved characters.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and March 11-12 at the Nanakuli High and Intermediate School multipurpose cafeteria. Tickets are $8 general, $5 students, $3 kids younger than 12. 668-5823, ext. 351.

'The Girls of the Garden Club'

The Sacred Hearts Thespian Troupe offers a comedy by John Patrick, author of "Teahouse of the August Moon" and "The Hasty Heart." It's the tale of woman who is obsessed with becoming the president of her garden club. The play is directed by Lloyd and Margaret-Helen Wood.

Shows are 8 p.m. today and Saturday at the Sacred Hearts Academy auditorium. Tickets are $3 at the door. 373-2586.

'A Grand Night for Singing: The Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein'

Ronald E. Bright directs a cast of students who will sing and dance the night away to favorite Broadway musicals.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Ronald E. Bright Theatre, Castle High School. Tickets are $12 general, $8 students, seniors, military. 233-5626.

'Hansel and Gretel'

From left, Grant Uchida and Mai Tanh Bui star in "Hansel and Gretel" at the Kaimuki High School Theatre.
An original script that tells the real story of the fairytale siblings was created by Peggy Anne Siegmund and the Kaimuki High School Advanced Acting Class. The program is targeted for kids in preschool through the fourth grade, but is likely to be enjoyed by all ages. Costumed characters will greet the audience in the lobby after the shows.

Show times are 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Kaimuki High School Theatre. Admission is $8 general, $5 children, high school students with ID and those older than 65, free for preschoolers; available an hour before the show. 733-4913.

'The Laramie Project'

The play focusing on the beating death of gay college student Matthew Shepard is presented by the Punahou School Theatre Department. Created by Moises Kaufman and his colleagues at the Tectonic Theater Project, this drama tells of the community's grief and identity crisis through interviews of the residents of Laramie, Wyo.

"Laramie" is recommended for 10th-graders to adults; parental guidance suggested.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and March 11, and 2 p.m. March 13 at Dillingham Hall on the Punahou campus. Tickets are $10 general, $5 seniors and students; available an hour before each performance. 943-3673.

— Advertiser staff