A year ago, the theater company was in rehearsal when it got the message: Their beloved mentor, Ron Bright, longtime drama teacher and artistic director, had died.

John-Paul “J.P.” Tai, who worked with Bright on many shows, broke the news to his young cast.

“I said, ‘We’re in the best place right now. We’re in the theater. We’re going to cry, and then we’re going to suck it up and run the second act.’ So we did. We said a prayer and we ran the second act. Afterwards, we stood in a circle and held hands and cried a lot.”

A year later, the summer program founded by Tai and blessed by Bright is back in the theater, and Ron Bright’s presence is felt almost as strongly as if he were directing the show. Members are performing “The Wiz” at the Hawaii Theatre for two weekends with a huge cast (75 performers, mostly kids, some as young as 5). The story has moments where they feel Bright is speaking to them.

“Mr. Bright’s trademark song was ‘If You Believe,’” Tai said. The song comes in the second act when Glinda tells Dorothy that she should search her own heart for the magic to go home. Bright was like that. He saw the potential in people and often believed in them before they ever believed in themselves.

Bright’s students and the students of his students are in the show. His work ethic is followed like gospel. And his granddaughter is playing the lead.

Nineteen-year-old Caity Bright was born into a theater dynasty. Her parents, Michael Bright and Jade Anguay, took her on the road when she was just a toddler while they performed with the National Touring Co. production of “Miss Saigon.” She spent much of her childhood watching her grandfather’s rehearsals.

“She was a little kid and she was so observant,” Tai said. “She and her cousin could tell if you missed your blocking.”

But when it came to starring as Dorothy in this production of “The Wiz,” Caity had to audition.

“She walked in the door with the Bright name but she had to work for it,” Tai said. “Mr. B never was fond of pre-casting. He let everyone get their shot at a role.”

Though Caity grew up in theater, she only started acting when she got into high school. “I never felt any pressure from any side to pursue theater, and that has made all the difference,” she said.

“She chose it for herself,” Tai said.

She was in just one show directed by her grandfather. It was in the fall of 2014, when Bright directed “Hairspray” at Paliku Theatre. It was to be his last show as director.

Tai performed in shows Bright directed for the Castle Performing Arts Center though he attended Kamehameha. He stayed close to Bright, learning from the master over the years. When Paliku Theatre opened at Windward Community College, Tai wanted to offer a summer musical theater program for kids.

He took his idea to Bright, who said, “This is going to be huge.”

He was right. The Paliku Academy of Performing Arts took 52 students the first year. That was 10 years ago.

“I remember sitting with Mr. Bright at Starbucks in Windward City telling him about our plans. He went over all our written material and fliers. He was the consummate English teacher. He caught everything. I remember him saying, ‘It’s a bottle of water or bottled water, not a bottled water,’” Tai said.

This summer’s show, “The Wiz,” is a more modern, urban version of L. Frank Baum’s classic story, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” This Dorothy is more concerned with taking care of her friends than she is about getting home. There’s also a subtle, hopeful message as Dorothy leaves Oz — she is told that she can come back.

As the group comes back to Hawaii Theatre a year later, they are often reminded of what Ron Bright taught them: Believe, work hard, take care of one another. It’s all there in this show. Caity thinks of her grandfather every moment she’s on stage.

“It’s amazing and difficult for the same reasons,” she said.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.