New York

I think Gabe will be going to New York on Thursday.  Audition Saturday for singer/dancer on Norwegian Cruise Line Pride of America (the one that does the Hawaii inter island cruise).  If he gets it the contract is for Aug. 18 - March 26.  Minimum pay is $900 a week.

Many pros are encouraging him to go for it.

I have an award ticket on hold for him.  Gotta decide by tomorrow.  And find him a place to stay...

Proud

Yesterday a group came to do a presentation at Michelle's summer program.
 The presentation was on underage drinking.

Michelle asked her aide if she could go up and tell the everyone that she has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

She did.

She got up front and said

"I have fetal alcohol syndrome.

My birth mother drank alcohol when I was in her tummy.

Alcohol hurt my brain.

But my brain is getting better now."

They all clapped!

What More Can I Say?

HONK! Got extended.

I feel like we added 2 more kids to our family - as Gabe's friends Lakona and Jacob H. sleep over almost nightly.  Luckily, they are good "boys".

Jacob (ours) is doing fine in Missouri.

Susan comes back from Catalina soon.

I am still swimming 45 minutes a day 5 days per week.

And Gene put in a a new shower!

One More HONK

From Honolulu Arts Beat:

Manoa Valley Theater (MVT) brings this charming adaption of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” into the 21st Century with cell phones and prime-time TV News. Add a socially-relevant layer that dramatizes the important contemporary issues of bullying and tolerance for diversity and we have a hit. HONK! has received, among many accolades, the 2000 Lawrence Olivier Award for “Best New Musical”.

HONK! is a reprise offering following MVT's original staging in 2002.

This dynamic, melodic and inventive production is artfully directed by award-winning Guest Director Karen Meyer. The characters in this daffy duckyard are animated by a perky, quirky score led by another award-winning and Guest Musical Director, Kala’i Stern and is sung by a cast of impressive vocal talents.

Choreographer Katherine L. Jones has won three Po’okela awards. HONK! Is full of exciting dance with a cast including young children and teens whose characters are rich with animal gestures, fish & fowl, feline and frog.

Solo and ensemble dance numbers are inventive, energetic and tremendously entertaining. Costumes by Dusty Behner dazzle the eye and heart with the bright and sunny palette of a happy fantasy. Sets are also full of imagination in modest circumstances with rotating vignettes and good use of props.

MVT gives us a lively production full of puns, jokes, and lots of clever “fowl” word play (“I admire you for your pluck!”... “We're off on a wild goose chase!”).

HONK! musically reminds us that being “...Different Isn’t Bad”, that life would be boring if we were all the same. It brings us to the present as Ugly’s siblings bully him, make fun of him and reject him for being different. Gerald Mandac’s engaging performance as Ugly shows a wide range of emotions as he struggles to find his true self and place in the world.

Suzanne Green’s beautiful voice and strong performance as mamma duck Ida provides Ugly with unconditional love and contains the endearing messages to “hold your head up high” and “keep paddling” because someone out there will love you ... “warts and all”.

A wide range of expressive skills are displayed vividly by Gabriel Wright as Cat. He is both friend and foe to Ugly as he contemplates the delicious prospect of having Ugly … for lunch! As a first time performer at MVT, Wright plays the role with good voice and energetic body language.

Come join the talented cast of HONK as they all try, like the rest of us, just to get along.

Stiil HONKing - Another Review

Honk! – Family Friendly Musical Production

July 3, 2012

Posted by Staff Reviewer under Staff Reviews

No Comments

Manoa Valley Theatre is currently presenting Honk!, a charming musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling.  It was a delight to attend a well-done play that entertains children and adults.  Even though the original play was penned in 1843, there is an important message about bullying that is very much in the news today.

As the play opens, Ida, the long-suffering mother duck, is not so patiently awaiting for her eggs to hatch.  Suzanne Green was magnificent as Ida.  Always an outstanding actress, her face clearly showed the range of emotions of her character.  She was often exasperated with her under-achieving husband, Drake, played by Miguel Pa‘ekukui.  She was proud of her four ducklings.  As like most mothers, she was very defensive when the residents of the duck yard called her baby ugly.

Gerald Mandac, Ugly, the title character, was perfectly cast.  When first hatched and with his first exposure to water, he displayed a wide-eyed innocence.  This quickly changed when he was being bullied and called Ugly by his siblings and the other duckyard characters.  The audience could see the hurt on his face and in his actions.

David Kila, Maria Denzer, Kaiki Delos Santos, and Tani Siu were adorable as the ducklings.  They charmed the audience. One of the most notable characters was the Cat, portrayed by Gabriel Wright.  The  conniving cat hungry for an Ugly-stew, was easily distracted by the wiles of a seductive female cat, played by Camila Harris.   This was Wright’s first performance with MVT; hopefully it will not be his last.

One of the highlights of the second act was the song “Warts And All.”  Larry Bialock as the bullfrog brought a comic relief to the serious subject of being different.

Bravo to director, Karen Meyer, for an outstanding job in bringing Honk! to life.  Kudos to M. J. Matsushita for a beautiful set and to the remaining behind-the-scenes production staff for a job well done.  The band under the direction of Kala‘i Stern was outstanding.  The “country” costumes worn by the band members were a nice touch.

The play is a bit long, but held the interest of the children and adults in the audience.

Honk! runs until July 15.  There is room for an extension to the run and, most likely, this wonderful play will be extended.

HONK! Gabe's GREAT Review

This appeared in Mid-week Newspaper this morning:

Ducks, geese, a chicken and, of course swans, populate Honk!, a musical tale based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. The latest from Manoa Valley Theatre isn’t all fluff. Gabriel Wright as a deliciously wicked cat injects it with plenty of fang and claw. This road journey has Ugly (Gerald Mandac) wandering from home, getting lost and encountering an assortment of squawky creatures. Besides the traditional pariah theme, Honk! is also a cautionary tale in which the bogeyman is always lurking, ready to pounce on the unwary chick.

For this heartwarming (but excitingly conflict-ridden) little production, allow me to wax poetic. Honk!, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: I love the music, directed by Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning artist Kala’i Stern, with its wind chimes, whistles, bird chirps, flute song and clickety-clackety farmland rambunctiousness. I love the thoughtful touch in having the band and ushers all in plaid and denim. I love the stage with its summer-bright red barn and crisp golden wheat. The costumes are adorable, suggesting ducks, chickens, cats, frogs and more without being corny. The fowl jokes pile up, a plumage of innuendo and double entendre, which makes the show great for kids and appealing to adults too. Oh, and did I mention that bad, bad kitty? His female counterpart (Camila Harris) is pretty cute too, and Suzanne Green shoots off some wry one-liners as the long-suffering mama duck.

The show runs Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee showings Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. through July 15. Tickets cost $20-$35. For reservations or more information, call 988-6131.