Previews: REGIONAL FALL THEATRE PREVIEW ROUNDUP
See the new lineup of can’t-miss shows for autumn, separated by island and listed by opening date.
By: F.H. Kekoa Aug. 26, 2024
As we head into the final home stretch of 2024, the kids are back in school, rainy season looms ahead, and theaters across the islands are gearing up to offer some wonderful entertainment! We’ve highlighted a few can’t-miss shows for autumn, separated by island and listed by opening date.
HAWAI’I ISLAND
Men on Boats
September 27-October 6
Aloha Theater
An all-female cast tells the story of Major John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition to chart the Colorado and Green Rivers, on which he and his crew became the first white men to raft through the Grand Canyon. Much of the show is taken directly from Powell’s journals, providing a fascinating look into the great Western expansion and raising questions about the nature of exploring and colonialism.
Rocky Horror Show
October 30-November 2
Aloha Theater
Dive headfirst into spooky season with this very special Halloween production! Come hang out with Brad, Janet, Rocky, Doctor Frank-n-furter, and the gang as you indulge in an evening “complete with sass from the audience...this deliberately kitschy rock ‘n’ roll sci-fi gothic musical is more fun than ever.”
O’AHU
Lend Me a Soprano
September 12-29
Manoa Valley Theatre
Ken Ludwig’s hilarious and madcap farce Lend Me a Tenor gets new life breathed into it with a gender-swapped cast and brand-new backstage shenanigans! This play had its world premier in 2022 at the Alley Theater in Houston, and now makes its Hawai’i debut at MVT as the 2024-2025 season opener.
Honeymoon in Vegas
September 20-October 12
Diamond Head Theatre
DHT’s season kicks off with this fun musical comedy featuring a score by Tony award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown. Based on the 1992 film that starred James Caan, Nicholas Cage, and Sarah Jessica Parker, the show careens from NYC to Vegas to Hawai’i, complete with a cadre of dancing Elvis impersonators for good measure.
Kimo the Waiter
Kumu Kahua Theatre
November 7-December 8
Kumu Kahua follows up the 1970s-set Lovey Lee with Kimo the Waiter, set in Honolulu in the 1980s. Written by Maui’s own Lee Cataluna, Kimo follows a young Hawaiian actor coming up against the eternal struggle of being “castable” and breaking free of stereotypes in television. This family-friendly show will include a talkback session on November 15th.
MAUI
Snow Angel
September 27-October 6
Maui OnStage, Iao Theatre
Presented by Maui OnStage’s Education and Youth program, Snow Angel is a “funny and eerie tale of teen angst, discovery, and the power of believing.” This family-friendly production is written by David Lindsay-Abaire, the Tony-winning writer of Kimberly Akimbo, Fuddy Meers, and Shrek the Musical, and the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Rabbit Hole, among others.
Art
ProParts Playhouse
October 11-20
Directed by Brian Connolly of the “Two Coffees Please” production company, Yasmina Reza’s script (translated by Christopher Hampton) brilliantly and often comically explores the intricacies and meaning of both art and friendship, with a completely white painting at its center. The original Broadway cast starred Alan Alda, Victor Garbo, and Alfred Molina, and garnered multiple Tony and Oliver awards.
Murder on the Orient Express
November 8-24
Maui OnStage, Iao Theatre
Agatha Christie’s masterpiece mystery thriller, adapted for the stage by American playwright Ken Ludwig, is full of plot twists, intrigue, and a bombshell finale. This show is directed by Kalani Whitford, who is no stranger to fast-paced plots and spooky aesthetics, having previously directed Clue and multiple productions of Rocky Horror Show.
MOLOKA’I & LANA’I
Jane and the Giant Peach
Hokulani Children’s Theatre of Moloka’i
September 27- 28 at Home Pumehana Main Hall (Kaunakakai, Molokai’i)
October 12th at Lanai High School (Lana’i City, Lana’i)
Hokulani Children's Theatre of Molokai’i is a recent addition to the Hawai’i theatre scene, having only been founded in January 2023. Primarily serving the keiki of Molokai’i, they have teamed up with artists from LAPA on their sister island of Lana’i to present an adaption of Roald Dahl’s beloved book James and the Giant Peach, with three performances on Moloka’i and one on Lana’i. HCTOM is truly embodying the spirit of lokahi with this unification of two of our beautiful outer islands.
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