"He had just left on Friday for a job in L.A. and was expecting to return in April to Honolulu," said Deena Dray, DHT executive director. His Hawai'i cast got word of his death prior to Saturday's matinee.

"They were devastated and it was a very hard few hours with lots of weeping and hugging," said Dray. "The little ones in the cast took it especially hard as he had been wonderful with them."

The evening performance was dedicated to Albrecht.

Albrecht previously choreographed DHT's "Seussical" and choreographed and directed "The Full Monty" in 2005, for which he won a Po'okela Award. He quickly embraced the Island lifestyle, taking hula lessons, learning to play the 'ukulele and apparently hoping to purchase an apartment here, said Dray.

"He was very proud of the Po'okela," said Greg Zane, a Honolulan who guest-directed "Cinderella." He said Albrecht, a colleague from New York, "was not only my collaborator in the theater but also in life. He was the light in the darkness of the world for me. I can't count how many times he made me laugh so hard on all our adventures in NYC and in Honolulu. I will miss my best friend's compassion, passion, intelligence, humor and laughter."

Zane said he and Albrecht often engaged in a game, "Use (blank) in a sentence."

He concluded: "So here's our last one: 'Hey, kumu, use brilliant mastermind in a sentence.' And the answer is: 'My best friend Tim Albrecht.'"

Albrecht grew up in Great Falls, Mont., and moved to New York in 1988. His Broadway credits included "Show Boat" and "Company" (at Kennedy Center). He also was a choreographer for the ABC talk show "The View" and was principal choreographer for "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

The Dec. 18 funeral and a Jan. 8 memorial and lu'au will be held in New York. A Honolulu service is pending at Diamond Head Theatre.