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The stage lights at the historic Hawaii Theatre Center are on again, with a full lineup of performances scheduled through the rest of this year into next.
Like other nonprofits and businesses, Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu’s arts district struggled through myriad closures and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning its curtains were drawn for nearly two years.
But the shows are in full swing again, along with the excitement and energy of live performances before live audiences.
Like many other performing arts groups on Oahu, the private nonprofit Hawaii Theatre is requiring patrons to wear masks, even though the state has dropped all pandemic-related restrictions. Unlike the other groups, however, Hawaii Theatre also is keeping vaccine-or-test requirements in place for now.
President and CEO Gregory Dunn said the policy aligns with that of the Broadway League, a consortium of 41 theaters in New York City keeping mask and vaccine requirements in place through the end of April.
“We recognize that when you put 1,400 people shoulder to shoulder in an enclosed space, it presents a very high-risk environment,” Dunn said. “We want to ensure people can still attend entertainment and live performances. We feel it’s important to do so safely.”
Hawaii Theatre offers patrons the option of showing a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to entry in lieu of proof of vaccination, while the Broadway League does not.
The measures are necessary, Dunn said, to prevent community spread and a possible return to restrictions, which cost the Hawaii Theatre more than $6 million in lost revenue over the past two years.
“We cannot afford to shut down again,” he said.
The entertainment sector was among the hardest-hit during the pandemic in Hawaii, according to a business survey in 2021. During its closure from March 2020 to November 2021, Hawaii Theatre laid off over 50 employees, leaving just three to continue operations.
To survive, the theater livestreamed programs on digital platforms for free while welcoming donations and hosting fundraisers as well as the virtual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards ceremony.
In addition to federal grants, a “Gift of Aloha” telethon helped raise funds to shore up its finances.
But ticket revenues are the bread and butter for covering operating expenses of about $1.5 million annually, and Dunn said he is relieved to have that back and hopes for consistency the rest of the year.
The number of employees is now at seven, but Dunn has been hesitant to restore the full workforce due to the uncertainty over the pandemic.
In recent weeks the historic theater welcomed packed audiences for concerts by the likes of Al Jardine of the Beach Boys and the Allman Betts Band.
Most patrons have been supportive of the extra safety measures, Dunn said, noting the state Department of Health still recommends people wear masks in large crowds and enclosed spaces.
He also is proud to say that no cases of community spread have been traced to events held at Hawaii Theatre so far.
Cases ticking up
On Wednesday, DOH reported 1,194 more COVID- 19 infections statewide than the previous week, bringing Hawaii’s total since the start of the pandemic to 241,972 cases. Three more deaths were reported for a total of 1,382.
The statewide average positivity rate has been ticking up and was at 4% Wednesday, up from 2.3% three weeks ago.
Dunn said he is watching trends on the mainland, where the omicron subvariant, BA.2, is driving up cases in the Northeast. Coronavirus cases spiked in New York City and Washington, D.C., in recent weeks, according to The New York Times, while the daily average of new cases in the nation ticked up 1% Friday. Hospitalizations and deaths nationwide, however, continue to decline.
Some Broadway shows were recently canceled or postponed due to cast members getting the coronavirus, including Daniel Craig, star of a new adaptation of “Macbeth.”
“I think that watching what the Broadway League does is a good indication for us of what we should also do,” Dunn said.
Hawaii Theatre’s upcoming lineup includes Reggie Watts, bandleader of CBS’ “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on Friday; the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra’s “HapaSymphony” concert April 22 featuring kumu Robert Cazimero; Grammy winner Kalani Pe‘a on May Day; and wellness guru Deepak Chopra on May 18.
For its concerts the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra requires proof of vaccination or a negative test for anyone age 5 and up, and masks.
A centennial celebration for Hawaii Theatre is scheduled for September.
Restrictions dropped
In early March both Honolulu and New York City dropped mandates that required proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or negative tests to enter venues like restaurants, bars and theaters.
Gov. David Ige dropped the state’s indoor mask mandate upon the expiration of his emergency proclamation March 25, but said private organizations and businesses could implement their own policies.
Hawaii was the last U.S. state to announce an end to its indoor mask mandate, doing so weeks after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled new guidance allowing Americans in low-risk communities to drop their masks.
At last check all major Hawaii counties were still at low community levels of risk.
DOH still says masks are strongly recommended for people over age 65, those with compromised immune systems and those not yet vaccinated against COVID- 19.
At Diamond Head Theatre, where “Jesus Christ Superstar” opened April 1, the proof-of-vaccination requirement has been dropped, but masks are still required for patrons, according to Executive Director Deena Dray.
“We feel very confident that people are being careful and that most of our patrons are probably adhering to a vaccination protocol,” Dray said. “We are still requiring masks as a nod to our population, which is a combination of families with children and seniors. We want to be safe.”
When vaccination or tests were required under Safe Access O‘ahu, there was little pushback at the community theater, she said. Many ticket subscribers are older and were fine with showing their vaccination cards at the door.
While its indoor venue was closed in 2020, Diamond Head Theatre pivoted to summer drive-in shows in its parking lot but could host only about 35 vehicles.
Eventually, it was able to put on shows again on a limited basis and brought “A Chorus Line” to the stage last summer. But as winter approached and omicron cases surged, the theater took a hit over the holidays.
Still in recovery, Diamond Head Theatre plans to launch a full season and open its new performance facility in 2023.
“It’s been a very rocky road for us,” Dray said. “We’ve been very lucky. People have been so supportive, donating tickets back, adding money to purchases. We’re a long way from where we were two years ago, financially, but we’re optimistic we’ll build back.”
Curtain raisers
Manoa Valley Theatre is also dropping vaccine requirements but keeping mask requirements in place. The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Kennedy Theatre is doing the same.
Christine Lamborn, operations coordinator for Kennedy, said all patrons age 5 and up are required to wear a mask in accordance with the campus policy for indoor spaces with large capacity. The theater no longer requires vaccine verification or temperature checks at the door.
For its first live, in-person production with a live audience since the start of the pandemic, Kennedy Theatre hosted the Jan. 28 debut of “Eddie Wen’ Go: The Story of the Upside-Down Canoe,” a large puppetry production for young audiences. Next up is “Ho‘oilina,” a Hawaiian-language and pidgin comedy written and directed by Akea Kahikina, which opens Friday.
“We’re very excited having live audiences back,” Lamborn said. “I feel anybody who’s in live entertainment can attest to that. We did what we could during the pandemic to be socially distanced but still try to get that connection. But having people in the audience — hearing those reactions and feeling the energy of the audience — it’s something that a screen can’t convey.”
She added, “And we’re so thankful people in Hawaii did their due diligence, that we worked together, got those numbers down and have the ability to get back to in-person gatherings and performances.”
Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College will requires audiences to wear masks for performances of Lee A. Tonouchi’s “Oriental Faddah and Son,” which opens April 21 — Paliku’s first live performance after a two-hear hiatus.
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