Cheyne Nomura

It’s been a while since I’ve written a review for a local production, and what a treat it is to do so for Diamond Head Theatre’s Waitress. Once intended for 2020 and then indefinitely delayed due to Covid-19, ‘The Broadway of the Pacific’ was finally given its chance to mount this Hawaii premiere, and I personally appreciated my viewing of this performance, because it leaves room for discussion in terms of its strengths and what could, perhaps, see its improvements in. 

It feels like it was just last week that I was at Diamond Head Theatre (DHT), experiencing the joyous all-female cast of Shout! and now, I got to experience more joy from DHT, except through an all-male cast in its energetic production of Forever Plaid. As remained the case with Shout!, Forever Plaid was certainly a welcome and impressive addition to the repertoire of amidst-Covid-mounted productions at the Broadway of the Pacific.

Many of us, including myself, have missed the theatre, the place where audiences are imbued with a jubilant escape, which unfortunately hasn't been able to happen for the past year, as the island of Oahu reaches its one-year mark of having officially being put on lockdown due to the Coronavirus. Though, with Oahu finally easing up on restrictions due to Covid, Diamond Head Theatre (DHT) was finally able to mount its first musical since The Sound of Music in 2019. And, while 2020 was definitely not one for the books, it was an utter delight to finally be able to book tickets for Shout! at DHT, where the staff has set and maintained strict social-distancing protocols, with a mask mandate, subsequently providing spectators with more peace of mind. One can only imagine how tricky it might be to stage a full 90-minute musical with actors on stage, lots of movement and choreography, and the potential risk of cross contamination due to the consistent mask-less singing. However, director-choreographer John Rampage and the cast of five talented ladies superbly pull it off!

In this time of uncertainty, the best one can do---and hopefully you've been doing so!---is to stay indoors and quarantine. While it's no news that many businesses and industries have been affected by the virus, an industry that has largely been impacted is certainly the arts. With cinemas and theatres temporarily closed, communities are unfortunately unable to attend the venues they frequent in order to be immersed in stories that help them escape reality for two hours. So, through the inability to review shows, I reached out to a friend of mind and collaborator, Alex Munro, whom I worked with on in #MeToo Monologues: Stories for Healing (2019) and the halted Where Words Once Were (2020), to not only do a spotlight but to also get some thoughts on what folks can do in order to help specifically theatres sustain themselves throughout these alarming, volatile times.

Upon waiting to greet Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo, one of the cast members of Palikū Theatre's Songs for a New World, the first remark out of my mouth was, 'Everyone should see this show'. Now, when it comes to theatre, making recommendations, and especially reviewing shows, that's not a statement to be taken lightly. However, that is the case with this particular show---one imbued with a stalwart cast, passionate vocals, and adept direction.

Coming all the way from the 'Great White Way' to the island of Oahu is the remarkable, magical spectacle The Illusionists Live From Broadway. Comprised of six performers---'The Unusualist' (Raymond Crowe); 'The Trickster' (Paul Dabek); 'The Daredevil' (Jonathan Goodwin); 'The Manipulator' (An Ha Lim); 'The Delusionist' (Stuart MacLeod); 'The Sorceress' (Sabine Van Diemen)---all of whom form the titular 'The Illusionists', each performer has two to three segments on stage to dazzle the audience. Spanning over approximately two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission, the overall performances combined measure up to create an absolutely immersive, scintillating time at the theatre.

'Our world needs more love.' Spoken during the after-show 'Talk-Back Sunday' session by Kwame Michael Remy, his statement resounds, especially through the themes and performances in Diamond Head Theatre's (DHT) Kinky Boots. A superb show imbued with stellar lead performances, dazzling choreography, and impressive production elements, this show is certainly one that is a welcome addition to the gamut of DHT masterpieces.

Rounding out Diamond Head Theatre's 104th season is the always anticipated, larger scale summer production, and this year, is it Matilda, based on the Roald Dahl's beloved children's story. What is destined to become a local crowd-pleaser, the show primarily boasts a fantastic cast but slightly falters in other minor aspects of its ambitious production.

A 'musical': this canonical term within the world of theatre sets the foundation for-yes, a musical-Something Rotten! Extremely meta-theatrical, self-aware, and imbued with satire, Diamond Head Theatre's (DHT) latest production of the Broadway hit finds itself galvanizing its audience with uproarious laughter due to its talented cast and witty plot and dialogue, in addition to its other praise-worthy features including its choreography, hair and makeup design, costumes, and musical direction.

Jazzing up central Oahu at the Dr. Richard T. Mamiya theatre is the 'junior' production of esteemed Broadway magnate Bob Fosse's Chicago. A glitzy musical filled with deceit, manipulation, and murder, Saint Louis Center for the Arts's production is an enjoyable time at the theatre.

As it's been practically an annual tradition of mine over the last some six years, I always look forward to Ballet Hawaii's presentation of The Nutcracker, for it truly doesn't feel like Christmas without this heartwarming experience. From the familiar, charming score of renowned Tchaikovsky, to the antediluvian, spellbinding costumes, to the prestigious dancing, this particular ballet remains a formula for ultimate holiday and theatre-going success. The story follows as such: a young girl by the name of Clara attends a Christmas party, wherein she meets many denizens of her community but later receives a largesse in the form of a nutcracker. In her sleep that night, she dreams of a battle that ensues between a life-sized nutcracker and the Rat King, in which, after the battle, the prince leads Clara to watch a gamut of ballet dances. Overall, The Nutcracker is a generally enjoyable spectacle.

Every season, Diamond Head Theatre (DHT)---known as the 'Broadway of the Pacific'---mounts a Christmas-themed production to bring holiday cheer to the patrons of its theatre-going community. Recent years have included the likes of A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, White Christmas, and Little Women; however, this season's particular holiday show, Holiday Inn, based on the 1942 film musical starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, doesn't just revolve around Christmas: it celebrates nearly all holidays in the annual canon. Ranging from Thanksgiving, to Valentine's Day, to Easter, to even the Fourth of July, and, of course, Christmas, Holiday Inn, finds the perfect amount of cheer and nostalgia that caters to almost everyone's favorite---you guessed it---holiday. Supported by a stellar cast, choreography, costuming, and set, Holiday Inn is surely a musical to check in to.

Although there's been a lack of tradewinds on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii, a perfect amount of winds---from the east, maybe?---has brought the arrival of Mary Poppins Jr. to the Mamiya Theatre at Chaminade University. Stalwart with a strong cast, vocal abilities, and technical aspects, the sweeping show is practically perfect in every way.

A new community theatre gracing the east side of Oahu, Kailua Onstage Arts makes its debut with The Wolves, a 2017 Pulitzer finalist for Drama. The play follows the story of teenage girls, all part of a volatile soccer team, who basically want to win a game and become recognized, not only by college scouts, but each other as well. Themes of loss, liberty, puberty, and sisterhood are all explored, creating a stunning portrait of adolescents all in hopes of understanding themselves and each other, while simultaneously attempting to forge their own paths and futures.

Every now and then, a show comes along which displays the mass talent of the community's younger generation. Such can be said with the recently closed Newsies in Honolulu, Hawaii's Diamond Head Theatre (DHT), commonly referred to as "The Broadway of the Pacific." While many spectacular features comprise this marvelous musical, what truly stands out is its impressive cast, elevated by its lead performances, choreography, and musical direction.