As Tom Holowach, the face and force behind Windward Community College’s Paliku Theatre since its inception, prepares to retire at the end of this month, he promises it won’t be his final curtain call.
“I am taking my pension and leaving the University of Hawaii/state system … but I am not truly retiring,” he said. Few living in Hawaii can fully retire without some work to pay the mortgage.
So Holowach might be leaving the building, but not the theatrical community. “I’m trading on the fact that I don’t look like 68 (he doesn’t), so I hope to freelance again. Work in theater — in the entertainment biz.”
Holowach has been on payroll for 16 years at Paliku, and he even named the theater that has become a vital performing arts venue for the Windward side. Paliku, he said, means “steep upright cliffs … which surrounds us.”
He’s served as the theater’s manager, box-office manager, a frequent actor and overall troubleshooter.
“I never intended to stay (18 years, including the pre-opening two years) and while I enjoyed my years there, it’s been a constant struggle to get funding,” he said.
The bright spot, he said, was the arrival of Ron Bright, the late and great founder of the Castle Performing Arts Company anchored at Castle High School, whose post-retirement arena of choice became Paliku Theatre.
“Mr. B became my reason for being there, for staying on,” he revealed. “It was a cosmic experience, to work with him, because he had such a wonderful program and reputation.” Bright was a luminous and inspiring drama coach and teacher and when he died (in 2015), “it was clear that we had to keep the momentum going.”
Enter the I’m a Bright Kid Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which has now produced two shows, “The King and I” and “The Wiz,” which demonstrated it could take on the challenge and residency at Paliku with an organizational machine to keep Bright’s spirit and legacy alive while addressing paperwork, contracts and vendors, according to Holowach.
Ligaya Stice, executive director and vice president of the Bright Foundation, said, “We do intend to continue our working relationship with whomever is in the position of theater manager. And we are excited to announce our upcoming season of shows in the coming weeks, all of which will be produced at Paliku.”
The Kaneohe location housed Mr. B’s post-retirement tentpole shows, “Phantom of the Opera,” “Miss Saigon” and “Les Miserables,” galvanizing a producing partnership.
“One of the missions of our organization is to bring quality theater to the Windward community,” said Stice, a former student actress under Bright, who now is an anesthesiologist and an assistant clinical professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.
“We hope to continue (operations) at Paliku and WCC … for the same community Mr. Bright served for so many years,” she added. “Of course, we welcome audiences from across the island.”
Holowach takes pride in his leadership role at Paliku. “We built an organization that never existed,” he said. “It’s a top-notch facility, providing casts of adults, not only children, and (with the foundation’s residency) a home to Broadway musicals.” …
NOTEWORTHY
Robert Cazimero is angling to perform, despite earlier denials, in a Lei Day concert May 1 at Bishop Museum, but as a featured act, not a concert honcho this time out. Keauhou, Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning group appearing at last year’s May Day, is organizing this year’s celebration. Stay tuned for the formal revelation. …
Cazimero also makes a rare free concert appearance, from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at the relaunch of the remodeled Pearlridge Center Downtown complex (renamed Wai Makai). …
Jeff Apaka, performing son of legendary singer Alfred Apaka, didn’t have a commemorative ceremony for his dad this year, since he couldn’t secure a site. Apaka, still considered the best-ever singer of Hawaiian songs, was a young 40 years when he died on Jan. 30, 1960, while playing handball at the YMCA. “Don Ho was the one who told me, ‘You must put on a tribute each year,’ ” said Jeff. …
And that’s “Show Biz.”
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com.
