Updated at 9:00 p.m., Monday, July 23, 2007
Pookela Awards announced at 'Stars' Night Out'
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
Manoa Valley Theatre earned 30 Po'okela Awards in the Hawaii State Theatre Council's "Stars' Night Out" evening of 2006-'07 theater achievement tonight at the Ko'olau Ballrooms in Kane'ohe.
MVT — considered to be Honolulu's off-Broadway house — earned the most orchids with two productions. Its manic British murder mystery, "Over My Dead Body," accounted for the most laurels with 10, including best overall play, one of five honored. Its musical, "Working," about the foibles of working class folks, garnered eight slots, including best overall musical, one of four cited.
Diamond Head Theatre — the community's dominant theater organization — amassed a total of 24 prizes, good for second place, fueled by its "Lend Me a Tenor" comedy capturing six and three musicals — "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Gigi," and "Sweet Charity" — gaining five honors apiece. "Tenor" was one of the overall play victors and "Millie" was one of the favored overall musicals.
"Sweeney Todd," an Army Community Theatre musical about a London barber who slays customers to provide a pie-maker with ingredients, logged nine slots, second only to "Over My Dead Body." ACT was third in the final count with a total of 11 wins.
The Hawaii State Theatre Council prefers to applaud honorees rather than winners, and each of its categories may boast multiple honorees.
The complete list of honorees:
Overall Play
"Over My Dead Body," MVT.
"The Cherry Orchard," HPU.
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.
"Jitney," TAG.
"Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.
Overall Musical
"Working," MVT.
"Oklahoma!," Paliku.
"Sweeney Todd," ACT.
"Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.
Director (Play)
Joyce Maltby, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU>
Glenn Cannon, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.
Betty Burdick, "Fully Committed," MVT.
Rob Duval, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.
Derrick Brown, "Jitney," TAG.
Director (Musical)
Brad Powell, "Working," MVT.
Stephanie Conching, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Andrew Sakaguchi, "Sweet Charity," DHT.
Vanita Rae Smith, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," ACT.
Leading Male in a Play
Paul T. Mitri, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.
Tom Holowach, "The Lion in Winter," HPU.
Greg Howell, "Fully Committed," MVT.
Jim Andrews, "Jitney," TAG.
Featured Male in a Play
Gerald Altwies, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Elitei Tatafu Jr., "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Stephen Mead, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Derrick Brown, "Jitney," TAG.
F. Quenton Collins, "Jitney," TAG.
Gerald Altwies, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.
Leading Female in a Play
Karen Bumatai, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.
Eden-Lee Murray, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.
Elizabeth Wolfe, "Antigone," TAG.
Jo Pruden, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Becky Maltby, "Sylvia," TAG.
Featured Female in a Play
Melinda Maltby, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.
Genny Wilson, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," MVT.
Frankie Enos, "Our Town," TAG.
Euphrosyne V.E. Rushforth, "Sylvia," TAG.
Leading Male in a Musical
Leonard Piggee, "Annie," ACT.
Laurence Paxton, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Scott Wallace, "Gigi," DHT.
Featured Male in a Musical
Scott Moura, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Omar Williams, "Working," MVT.
Matthew Pennaz, "Urinetown," MVT.
Steve Wagenseller, "Oklahoma!," Paliku.
Scott Wallace, "Sweet Charity," DHT.
Gary Morris, "Gigi," DHT.
Leading Female in a Musical
Pomai Lopez, "You Somebody," DHT.
Stefanie Smart, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Loretta Ables Sayre, "You Somebody," DHT.
Kristin Ing, "Sweet Charity," DHT.
Featured Female in a Musical
Danel Verdugo, "Urinetown," MVT.
Tracy Yamamoto, "Oklahoma!," Paliku.
Angela Morales, "You Somebody," DHT.
Cathy Foy, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.
Ensemble
Cast of "Working," MVT.
Cast of "Our Town," TAG.
Cast of "A Christmas Gift of Aloha," 'Ohia.
Choreographer
Ahnya Chang, "Urinetown," MVT.
John Rampage, "She Loves Me," MVT.
Brad Powell, "Working," MVT.
Andrew Sakaguchi, "Sweet Charity," DHT.
Grace Bell Humerickhouse, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," ACT.
Musical Director
Laurence Paxton, "Gigi," DHT.
Ernest Taniguchi, "Working," MVT.
Emmett Yoshioka, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.
Alethea Train, "Sweet Charity," DHT.
Lorna Mount, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," ACT.
Costume Design
Peggy Krock, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.
Lorena Jones, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Evette Tanouye, "Oklahoma!," Paliku.
Karen G. Wolfe, "Gigi," DHT.
Karen G. Wolfe, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.
Hair, Wig, Makeup Design
Jess Aki, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.
Jess Aki, "Gigi," DHT.
Greg Howell, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Lighting Design
Janine Myers, "The Lion in Winter," HPU.
Daniel Anteau, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Derron Peterson, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Set Design
Karen Archibald, "The Cherry Orchard," HPU.
M.J. Matsushida, "Working," MVT.
Willie Sabel, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.
Dennis Hassan, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
David Minkoff, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Sound Design
Mathias Maas, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Mikel J. Humerickhouse, "Lend Me a Tenor," DHT.
BullDog, "Fully Committed," MVT.
Jason Taglianetti, "Sweeney Todd," ACT.
Jason Taglianetti, "Working," MVT.
Non-Resident Guest Artist
Lolly Susi, director, "Over My Dead Body," MVT.
Darren Lee, director, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," DHT.
Other Honorees (not included in tally)
Pierre Bowman Award for lifetime achievement: Jo Pruden.
Gift of aloha to Hawai'i's children" 'Ohia Productions.
Innovative use of puppets in "James and the Giant Peach:" Kat Peviak, Paliku
Special effects in "Over My Dead Body:" Shell Dalzell, MVT.
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8067.
KEY TO THEATERS:
ACT — Army Community Theatre
DHT — Diamond Head Theatre
HPU — Hawaii Pacific University
MVT — Manoa Valley Theatre
Paliku — Paliku Theatre
TAG — The Actors' Group
'Ohia — 'Ohi'a Productions
(Note: Other Honolulu theater groups elect not to participate in the adjudication process)
PO'OKELA AWARDS
BY THE NUMBERS
30 — Total awards to Manoa Valley Theatre
24 — Total awards to Diamond Head Theatre
10 — Number of honors for "Over My Dead Body"
8 — Number of honors for "Working"
3 — Number of individuals who earned two slots in the same categories: Karen G. Wolfe (costume design), Jess Aki (hair, wig, makeup design), Jason Taglianetti (sound design)
3 — Number of adjudicators who vote for honorees
Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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