Pidgin fairy tale classic playing ‘one noddah time’

Devon Nekoba wanted to do one of Lisa Matsumoto’s pidgin comedy musicals for several years before he got his chance. The first time he auditioned he didn’t get the role.

"Bryan Yamasaki and I both tried out for a role in (the original) ‘Once Upon One Noddah Time,’ and he got it ’cause he’s better-looking and sings better than me," Nekoba said, reminiscing. "He got the part of The Prince, so I thought, ‘Ah, shucks, I don’t know if I’m ever gonna get to do this.’"

But then time passed. Matsumoto announced auditions for a revival production of her third musical, "Happily Eva Afta." Nekoba tried again.

"I was in (the state Legislature) at the time, and Lisa said, ‘OK, Devon, you know this part’s gonna require you to dress in drag. Is that OK?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t care what part you have me do, I want to be in the show.’"

And so, Hawaii state Rep. Devon Nekoba (D, Maunawili-Kailua) made his debut as a female impersonator playing Cinderella’s nasty stepsister, Tantaran. He has been part of the ohana ever since and enjoyed playing a variety of characters.

Nekoba, who retired from politics in 1996 and is currently one-half of the "morning drive" team on 94.7 KUMU, will be one of the veterans on stage next week when he plays Keoni, the Narrator, in Manoa Valley Theatre’s revival production of "Once Upon One Noddah Time."

Almost every show is sold out through July 19 — and tickets for the rest of the run are certain to go fast — so if you were planning to buy tickets and haven’t done so yet, please stop reading and call the box office now. We’ll wait …

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Lisa Matsumoto wrote the first play in the series, "Once Upon One Time," for a UH playwriting class in 1991. She took standard European-American fairy tales; borrowed some ideas from MAD magazine, Rocky & Bullwinkle’s "Fractured Fairy Tales" and Kent "K.K. Ka‘umanua" Bowman; and then added the original show tunes of Roslyn Freitas (now Roslyn Catracchia) to create children’s musical theater in pidgin.

"Once Upon One Time" was followed by "Once Upon One Noddah Time" and "Happily Eva Afta" and several others.

Nekoba likes the pidgin element. "It’s been interesting in doing this show over the course of the years that there’s always that two, three, four people (in the cast) who’ve never spoken pidgin before. They’ve lived here their whole lives, but they’ve just never spoke pidgin before, so unless they’re (playing) a traditional character, you gotta teach ’em pidgin. You have to do it almost at a specific cadence in order for it to make sense and be funny."

Matsumoto’s collages of fairy tales "translated" into pidgin with all the standard local ethnic stereotypes, insults, putdowns and transvestite "boys will be girls" characters have entertained keiki for 24 years.

Kids who saw the premiere production of "Once Upon One Time" at Kennedy Theatre in 1991 may be bringing their children to Manoa Valley Theatre this summer.

Nekoba is doing a "hana hou" performance as Keoni, the show’s literary ringmaster who sometimes steps into the action to mediate when characters get out of hand.

Nekoba said it’s a role he enjoys. "I’m a good straight guy, apparently, and I get the best seat in the house to watch the show."

Nekoba says he’s looking forward to sharing Matsumoto’s legacy with a new generation of kids.

"It’s a fun, family show. There’s no swearing. It’s all about slapstick comedy and double-takes, and if you do it with the energy and the joy that (Matsumoto) kind of built into the script, people have a good time. I think that’s the best part of doing the show."