For three decades, director Ronald Bright has dreamed this dream.
Bright, the retired Castle High School drama teacher and mentor to a host of Hawaii alumni making it to Broadway, always has felt his teaching and director resume was incomplete. While he directed Paliku Theatre productions of"Miss Saigon" and "The Phantom of the Opera," "Les Miserables," has never crossed his path.
Now, finally, he’ll direct his dream show: "Les Mis" opens a five-weekend run Sept. 20.
"The three biggies in my directorial career are ‘Miss Saigon’ (we had a helicopter), ‘Phantom of the Opera’ (we had a chandelier) and now it’s ‘Les Mis’ (we will have a barricade)," said Bright. "My theater career might not have been complete had we not decided to include this show in our repertoire."
Tom Holowach, general manager of Paliku at Windward Community College, was the spark plug in completing the trifecta. "Les Miz," the Tony-winning musical, previously featured touring companies at Blaisdell Concert Hall and one other community endeavor at Diamond Head Theatre.
With the movie version of "Les Mis" winning Oscars this year, the effort to land the British musical at Paliku finally hit pay dirt when Holowach got word he had landed the rights from Music Theatre International after a prolonged snag based on contractual language was resolved.
"I’ve been sweating it out for two years," said Holowach.
Twitterville has been abuzz with "Les Mis" anticipation; auditions at 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Paliku should attract the crème de la crème of eager island actors. Castle grads-turned-Broadway-troupers are rumored to be interested in the stable of roles.
"I’ve wanted to do this musical ever since I saw it in London in 1993, sitting in the very last row of the balcony," said Bright. "I remember sitting there at the end of the performance, not being able to move after witnessing the power of the human heart and all it can endure. I also remember feeling guilty that all those whom I love weren’t there to experience what I just did."
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 20 through Oct. 20. Tickets won’t be available till late this summer, but prices are$45 for regular seats, $49 for prime center seats. …
ORDER IN THE COURT: Attorney Jeff Portnoy conducted his final (for now) ManoaValley Theatre board meeting earlier this month, though he’s not vanishing from the MVT scene.
The longtime MVT board president remains on the board, and he’ll be saluted from 5:30 to 8 p.m. July 15 in a mock parole hearing/roast benefit at the theater. Tickets are $75; call 988-6131. After wine and pupu, Avi Soifer, Jackson Wheeler, Riley Wallace, Rick Fried, Dwight Martin, Don Robbs and Mark Platte — colleagues and clients in Portnoy’s career as lawyer, theater advocate and basketball commentator/blogger — will roast him.
Portnoy has been MVT president since 1979 (with Jim Myers doing a brief run as honcho) and figures he’s called to order more than 400 meetings over the decades. He was a bit teary-eyed at his last call-to-order. Mike Rosenberg, president; Matt Pennaz, vice president;Neil Field, secretary; and Dick Morris, treasurer, will carry on. …
WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Blue Man Group, the techno-rock, do-everything, nonspeaking-but-visually-eloquent trio of dudes, is staging its signature awesomeness at 1 and 6:30 p.m. today at Blaisdell Concert Hall. Go see what the cheers are about — and party hearty at the finale, when huge balls, streamers and wind pump up the fervor. …
Singer Jordan Segundo joins the "Aloha Live" cast at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel’s pool deck, performing Fridays and Saturdays from July 12 through Aug. 10. This is the show with Cirque-type balancing acts, aerialists, contortionists and jugglers.Showtime is 7 p.m. Call 931-3328. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
