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Community Imua Does B Musical theater star and award-winning rhythm and blues singer Shoshana Bean brings Broadway brio to Maui when she headlines two April fundraisers for Imua Family Services. story by tom stevens

n Friday, April 3, Bean , Leader of the Pack and tops the bill at Imua’s other big musicals. Ofourth annual Fantasia Bean’s vocal skills and high- Ball, a snazzy dinner-dance at octane stage presence have also Kaanapali’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. served her well off Broadway. In Giving children On Saturday, April 4, she performs live appearances and numerous for the general video specials, she has shared the the tools for success public at the stage with superstars like Michael Seabury Hall Jackson, Whitney Houston, Luther Our mission is School in Vandross and Brian McKnight. Makawao. In recent years, Bean has also to provide necessary (For details made her mark as a singer-song- school supplies, of both events writer. Her award-winning 2008 see box at solo album Superhero reached the hygiene items, and shoes right.) top five on U.S. and British rhythm to children An Olympia, and blues charts. Her 2013 release Washington O’Farrell Street spun out several who need them. native with a strong dance hits, including a show-stopping voice and dance sassy, hip-shaking “Cold Turkey” The materials are moves to match, Bean first turned that can be seen on YouTube. She distributed on the spot heads with her breakout perform- also wrote music and lyrics for ance in the original New York cast her own 2011 show, Dear John by school counselors of . She also starred on Mayer. without shame Broadway and on tour as Elphaba As a Broadway star, Bean

in , and she has had leads in . should prove a fitting headliner or red tape.

Please visit our website About Imua Family Services keikicupboard.org The gag “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” applies equally to Broadway, where 2015 Fantasia Ball headliner Shoshana Bean made her bones. To reach either musical summit, to see how you one must “practice, practice, practice.” But you also need to be able to hear. can make a difference n Maui, would-be Broadway babes Grants and foundations fund 70 O(and other healthy infants) born at percent of Imua’s budget, but the other in the life of a child the Maui Memorial Medical Center have 30 percent derives from community their hearing tested by Imua Family Services. donations and fundraisers like the right here on Maui. The agency also screens on an outpatient Fantasia Ball. basis infants born elsewhere and at home. Reflecting on the 2015 ball’s New Or call Bonny Last year’s count: 1,600 babies. York associations, Imua executive Imua also serves families whose three- director Dean Wong quoted from the 808-280-1021 to five-year olds may be at risk for develop- city’s anthem, the line “If you can make mental delays. For that critical early child- it here, you can make it anywhere.” hood cohort, the agency offers screening, “New York is all about overcoming remediation and follow-up services beyond obstacles,” he said. “That’s what we do those the public school system provides. at Imua too.” n

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Broadway

for the showy Fantasia Ball, . What is known is that the . Ball goers planning to max . and blues credits attest, Bean which encourages Mauians to Hyatt Regency will lay on a out may want to rent special- can bring it with the best. dress formally, dance spiritedly, “chef crafted” multi-course rate rooms at the Hyatt. In- Whatever the venue, she can and see and be seen for a good dinner for 400, and Ocean stead of driving many miles dial up the whole bandwidth, cause. In addition to Bean’s set, Vodka will pour martinis for home, they can simply board from silky solo ballads to this year’s lineup includes a ball-goers browsing the silent a hotel elevator at 2 a.m., kick sizzling full-cast song and cello quartet, a live band, and a auction or posing for photos off their pumps, and rest up dance rave-ups. dance performance by David against iconic Fantasia back- to dance another day. As impresario Wong put Ward’s Seabury Hall troupe. drops. For some, that might be it: “We went with a New York Imua’s genial executive director Those not yet danced out Saturday. While Shoshana theme this year partly because Dean Wong emcees. when the main ballroom Bean’s April 4 Seabury Hall we were able to get this fantas- The “black and white” theme closes at 10 p.m. can venture performance is billed as a tic Broadway star.” n popular at last year’s event con- next door to an “after party” stage show, audiences might tinues this time, Wong says, but that pumps until 2 a.m. find it tough to stay in their beyond a passing reference to Themed after New York’s seats. As the foregoing rhythm New York, he was mum. “I work famed Studio 54, this event hard to make it very different includes deejay beats by Next As a Broadway star, Bean should prove a fitting every year so people won’t Level Entertainment and live headliner for the showy Fantasia Ball, which know what to expect when music by Kelly Covington and they come to Fantasia,” he ex- Friends. A separate $30 ticket encourages Mauians to dress formally, dance plained. “The uncertainty keeps admits after-partiers who spiritedly, and see and be seen for a good cause. them entertained.” didn’t attend the ball proper.

PRESENTING SHOSHANA BEAN! at FANTASIA BALL FRIDAY, APRIL 3 6:00 -10:00 PM Hyatt Regency Maui, Kaanapali FANTASIA AFTER DARK Return to Disco Studio 54 10:00 PM - 2:00 AM TICKETS 808.244.7467 or visit imuafamilyservices.org

SHOSHANA ON STAGE SATURDAY, APRIL 4 7:30 -10:30 PM SEABURY HALL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

TICKETS MARCH/APRIL 2015 808.244.7467 ON MAUI! 17