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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 19, 2007

Island musical's creators chase dream

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

"On Dragonfly Wings," the Lisa Matsumoto musical fantasy inspired by the late Alana Dung, was last staged in Honolulu in 2003. The musical was chosen to be evaluated by a panel of musical theater professionals in Los Angeles for possible future production.

ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | 2003

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Alana Dung

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Roslyn Catracchia

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Lisa Matsumoto

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"On Dragonfly Wings," a locally written musical based on a book inspired by the real-life story of Alana Dung, the Island youngster who lost her battle with leu-kemia at age 3, has been selected for the 12th annual ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles.

The musical, last staged in 2003 in Honolulu, was one of four shows chosen from a field of 170 entries.

Its creators, playwright-actress Lisa Matsumoto and composer-actress Roslyn Catracchia, will fly to Los Angeles this month and next when the show is "workshopped," meaning explored and examined for potential development for eventual production.

"We are unsure of where this opportunity may lead," said Matsumoto, well known for her Island-style musicals inspired by classic fairy tales. "Our dream and hope would be to have 'On Dragonfly Wings' produced nationally, ideally on Broadway someday, definitely a lofty and ambitious goal, however. It doesn't hurt to dream."

The pair will get a chance to work with Stephen Schwartz, a noted songwriter for such Broadway successes as "Godspell," "Pippin" and the current Tony Award-winning "Wicked," as well as Disney's animated film musicals "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and DreamWorks' "Prince of Egypt." Schwartz is artistic director of the Disney workshop.

Participants will present selections from their works for professional critique from experts of musical theater, including producers, directors, performers, composers and critics. Past panelists have included Quincy Jones, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, David Zippel, Jason Alexander and Marilyn Bergman, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Matsumoto and Catracchia will attend the workshop, scheduled for Jan. 29-30 and Feb. 12, 13, 15, 20 and 22 at the Disney Studio Lot Commissary in Burbank, Calif.

"On Dragonfly Wings" was produced on stage here by 'Ohi'a Productions. It was adapted from "Wailana the Waterbug" by Gregg Barrett and Jane Hopkins with illustrations by Michael Furuya.

The musical focuses on Wendy, a cheerful young waterbug who realizes her dreams and purpose in life after transforming into a beautiful dragonfly, inspiring audiences to realize that the spirit lives on, portraying death as not being an end, but instead a new beginning.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.