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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 8:22 p.m., Monday, July 28, 2008

Diamond Head, Manoa Valley theaters dominate Pookela Awards

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Diamond Head Theatre and Manoa Valley Theatre each were recognized with 25 awards to pace the Hawai'i State Theatre Council's Po'okela Awards, held Monday night at the Ko'olau Ballroom in Kane'ohe.

DHT's musical production of Mel Brooks' "The Producers" led the win column with 10 nods. Actors Dennis Proulx and Don Nahaku were both honored for their roles as bumbling Broadway producers conniving to dupe the public in the movie-turned-musical. John Rampage earned multiple laurels as both director and choreographer, and the show was one of four saluted as Best Overall Musical.

MVT's big winner was "The Rocky Horror Show," which picked up seven nods, including Best Overall Musical, and orchids for leading actor Tony Young.

In an evening heavy on multiple honorees — the Po'okela organization refrains from calling their awardees "winners" — costumer Karen G. Wolfe singly picked up the most — three — for her work in DHT's "The Wizard of Oz" (which collected seven prizes) and "Flower Drum Song" (which also earned seven) and MVT's "Rocky Horror Show."

A total of 83 honors were passed out, not counting special awards.

Besides "The Producers" and "Rocky," Overall Musical honors went to MVT's "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (which logged five spots) and DHT's "Flower Drum Song." Even the slight but witty "The Musical of Musicals: the Musical," an MVT hit, captured five slots.

In the drama column, the Overall Plays were topped by MVT's "Doubt," which was cited for five spots (including Leading Actress Jo Pruden and director Vanita Rae Smith), The Actors Group's "Fences" and "Merry Christmas Roberta" and Hawai'i Pacific University's "The Imaginary Invalid."

TAG collected 15 trophies, with Army Community Theatre and HPU garnering five. The Hawaii Shakespeare Festival and Paliku Theatre at Windward Community Theatre each earned four.

The complete list of Po'okela honorees:

Costume Design:

• Karen G. Wolfe, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• Karen G. Wolfe, "The Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

• Karen G. Wolfe, "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

Hair, Wig, Makeup Design:

• Jess Aki, "The Producers" (DHT)

• Jess Aki, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• Greg Howell, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (MVT)

• Greg Howell, "The Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

Lighting Design:

• Janine Myers, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (MVT)

• Dawn Oshima, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• Janine Myers, "Doubt" (MVT)

• Lloyd "Sandy" Riford, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (Paliku)

Set Design:

• Willie Sabel, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• MJ Matsushita, "The Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

• Willie Sabel, "Doubt" (MVT)

• Laurie Tanoura, "The Baltimore Waltz" (TAG)

• Willie Sabel, "The Producers" (DHT)

Sound Design:

• Richard Valase, "Mass Appeal" (TAG)

• Jason Taglianetti, "And Then There Were None" (MVT)

• Jason Taglianetti, "The Musical of Musicals: The Musical" (MVT)

Featured Male in a Play:

• Curtis Duncan, "Fences" (TAG)

• Sam Polson, "Shadowlands" (TAG)

• Philip Andrew Mancillas, "Mass Appeal" (TAG)

• Rob Duval, "The Constant Wife" (HPU)

• David Starr, "And Then There Were None" (MVT)

Leading Male in a Play:

• Mark Gilbert, "The Taming of the Shrew" (Shakespeare)

• Stephen Mead, "Titus Andronicus" (Shakespeare)

• Jim K. Aina, "Shadowlands" (TAG)

• Gary E. Morris, "Mass Appeal" (TAG)

• Peter Clark, "Reunion" (TAG)

Featured Female in a Play:

• Laurie Tanoura, "Merry Christmas Roberta" (TAG)

• Sylvia Hormann-Alper, "The Constant Wife" (HPU)

• Becky Maltby, "The Imaginary Invalid" (HPU)

• Lisa Konove, "Barefoot in the Park" (DHT)

Leading Female in a Play:

• Jo Pruden, "Doubt" (MVT)

• Bree Bumatai, "The Constant Wife" (HPU)

• Elizabeth Wolfe," "The Taming of the Shrew" (Shakespeare)

• Wendy Pearson, "Fences" (TAG)

• Hoku Gilbert, "A Kind of Alaska" (TAG)

Featured Male in a Musical:

• Justin Hashimoto, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• Paul Mitri, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• Wil Kahele, "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

• Daniel Kunkel, "The Producers" (DHT)

Leading Male in a Musical:

• Dennis Proulx, "The Producers" (DHT)

• Don Nahaku, "The Producers" (DHT)

• Lance Wheeler, "The Pajama Game" (Paliku)

• Tony Young, "The Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

• Dennis Proulx, "Fiddler on the Roof" (ACT)

Featured Female in a Musical:

• Pomai Lopez, "The Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

• Chelsea Lynn Michel, "Meet Me in St. Louis," (DHT)

• Tracy Yamamoto, "The Pajama Game" (Paliku)

• Cathy Foy Mahi, "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

Leading Female in a Musical:

• Shari Lynn, "Fiddler on the Roof" (ACT)

• Renee Garcia Hartenstein, "Once Upon A Mattress" (ACT)

• Autumn Ogawa, "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

• Shannon Calvin, "Aida" (ACT)

Ensemble:

• "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (MVT)

• "Plaid Tidings" (MVT)'

• "The Musical of Musicals: The Musical" (MVT)

Choreographer:

• Katherine Jones, "Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

• John Rampage, "The Producers" (DHT)

• Derrick Daniels, "Pajama Game" (Paliku)

• John Rampage, "The Wizard of Oz" (DHT)

• Jim Hutchison, "The Musical of Musicals: The Musical" (MVT)

Musical Director:

• Emmett Yoshioka, "The Producers" (DHT)

• Phil Hidalgo, "The Musical of Musicals: the Musical" (MVT)

• Judy Yoshioka, "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

Non-Resident Guest Artist:

• Dennis Hassan, set designer, "Once Upon A Mattress" (ACT)

• Greg Zane, director, "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

Director of a Musical:

• Linda Johnson, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (MVT)

• Jim Hutchison, "The Musical of Musicals: The Musical" (MVT)

• John Rampage, "The Producers" (DHT)

Director of a Play:

• Linda Johnson, "Taming of the Shrew" (Shakespeare)

• Brad Powell, "Baltimore Waltz" (TAG)

• Vanita Rae Smith, "Doubt" (MVT)

• Brad Powell, "Mass Appeal" (TAG)

Overall Musical:

• "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (MVT)

• "The Rocky Horror Show" (MVT)

• "Flower Drum Song" (DHT)

• "The Producers" (DHT)

Overall Play:

• "Fences" (TAG)

• "Merry Christmas Roberta" (TAG)

• "Doubt" (MVT)

• "The Imaginary Invalid" (HPU)

Pierre Bowman Award:

• Lisa Matsumoto, 'Ohia Productions

Excellence in Service Awards:

• Aloha Performing Arts Company, Sandra Burck

• Army Community Theatre, Gayle Harimoto

• Diamond Head Theatre, Frances Hisashima

• Hawai'i Pacific University, Julianna Bernath

• Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, Sandra Finney

• Manoa Valley Theatre, Barbara Nickerson

• Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts, Susan Buck

• Paliku Theatre, Karen Bauder

• The Actors Group, Laurie Tanoura, Carlynn Wolfe

• Waimea Community Theatre, Everett Knowles

Theater codes: DHT (Diamond Head Theatre), MVT (Manoa Valley Theatre), ACT (Army Community Theatre), TAG (The Actors Group), Paliku (Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College), HPU (Hawai'i Pacific University Theatre), Shakespeare (Hawaii Shakespeare Festival)

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.