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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 29, 2010

Hot ticket sales greet DHT's 'Joy Luck Club'


ByDave Dondoneau
TGIF Editor

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Standing, left to right: Kathryn Mariko Lee, Aya Ohara, Jennifer Yee and Julia Nakamoto as the daughters in Diamond Head Theatre's production of Amy Tan's best-seller "The Joy Luck Club." Seated, left to right: Elissa Dulce, Denise Aiko Chinen, Karen Kuioka Hironaga and Blossom Lam Hoffman, playing the roles of the mothers. The play opens tonight, but demand has been so strong that an extra performance has been added for Wednesday.

Brad Goda

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'THE JOY LUCK CLUB'

Diamond Head Theatre

Tonight through Feb. 14

8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, 3 p.m. Feb. 6 and 13

$12-$42

733-0274, www.diamondheadtheatre.com

8 p.m. performance has been added for Wednesday

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Diamond Head Theatre has a hit on its hands, and it hasn't even started yet.

Deena Dray, DHT's executive director, said ticket demand for "The Joy Luck Club," opening tonight and running through Feb. 14, is unprecedented. To that end, DHT added an extra performance for 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"Ticket sales for this show have absolutely astounded us," Dray said. "We rarely, if ever, add extra performances to our one drama, so this is extraordinary."

The Wednesday performance will be the only extension due to the quick turnaround for DHT's next show, "Shout!" opening March 19, Dray said.

Limited seating remains for the regularly scheduled performances, but ample seating remains for Wednesday's show.

"The Joy Luck Club" is based on the 1989 bestselling novel by Amy Tan. The allure of this production is the subject matter: It tells the story of four Chinese-American women and their complex relationships with their four American-born daughters.

The play moves between China in the early 1900s to San Francisco in the 1980s, following the eight women as they struggle to mesh culture and generation gaps.

Unlike many productions, "The Joy Luck Club" will have no set changes. Audience members will be able to tell the time period through the acting, costumes and props.

Diamond Head Theatre's production is directed by Reiko Ho, who recently directed "Voices from Okinawa" for Kumu Kahua Theatre, and written by Susan Kim.