'A Little Night Music'

July 21 2016 Your weekend guide to East Hawaii Out of this world Beneﬁ t show HawaiiCon returns, p2 Brian Unger, p4

‘A Little Night Music’

INSIDE • p6 6-7 Thursday, July 21, 2016 Hawaii Tribune-Herald A tangled web it weaves ‘A Little Night Music’ has it all — wit, pathos, irony, mischief and naivete wrapped in a love triangle

By KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA Special to the Tribune-Herald

ho doesn’t love a good love triangle? The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival explores such a tale in Stephen Sondheim’s 1973 musical “A Little Night Music” at 7:30 p.m. July 29 at the Palace Theater in Hilo and 2 p.m. July 31 at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea. WConsidered one of Sondheim’s greatest works, “A Little Night Music” is set at the turn of the last century and is a tale about cou- pling and uncoupling — a tangled web of former and current lovers. Lawyer Fredrik Egerman recently wed young virgin Anne, with whom his son, Henrik, also fell madly in love. Fredrik reunites with a former flame and the situation grows more complicated when her Amelia Atkinson, left, rehearses as Beth Dunnington looks on. jealous (and married) lover, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, hears about their meeting. Final HPAF performances “We chose ‘A Little Night Music’ due in part to our success with last year’s Sondheim piece, ‘Into the Woods,’” says HPAF executive “Great Performances” director Genette Freeman. “Most everyone knows the name Stephen • 7 p.m. Saturday (July 23), Davies Chapel, Hawaii Preparatory Sondheim. It’s the kind of piece that will showcase the talents of Academy campus, Waimea our performers, and it’s an accessible, yet serious piece of musical theater.” Jennifer McGregor, a London-based longtime HPAF faculty Courtesy photos “The Child & the Magic Spells” • 7 p.m. today and Friday (July 21-22), Davies Chapel, HPA campus, member, serves as director for this production. McGregor is a gradu- Waimea ate of the Sydney Conservatorium Opera School, with numerous musical theater credits and operatic accolades. Cast members of “A Little Night Music” gather for a read through. • 4 p.m. Sunday (July 24), Sheraton Keauhou, Kona “We’re all going to have a lot of fun because it’s Sondheim,” says “A Little Night Music” McGregor, who also has an extensive concert repertoire. “The wonderful thing about ‘A Little Night Music’ is you have to be able to • 7:30 p.m. July 29, Palace Theater, Hilo • 2 p.m. July 31, Kahilu Theatre, Waimea (tickets: Kahilu Theatre box See MUSIC Page A9 office, 885-6868)

For tickets, visit www.HawaiiPerformingArtsFestival.org or call 333-7378. 6-7 Thursday, July 21, 2016 Hawaii Tribune-Herald A tangled web it weaves ‘A Little Night Music’ has it all — wit, pathos, irony, mischief and naivete wrapped in a love triangle

By KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA Special to the Tribune-Herald

For tickets, visit www.HawaiiPerformingArtsFestival.org or call 333-7378. Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, July 21, 2016 9

MUSIC From page 7 sing, but it also requires was a huge success, so very good acting as well. I’m really pleased we’re Sondheim is one of those doing another Sondheim composers who is very production this year,” she clear as to what he wants says. “If anyone attend- in the production, so this ed ‘Into the Woods’ last one will be very tradi- year, they should come tional.” to ‘A Little Night Music’ McGregor says because they’ll really watching a Sondheim love it as well.” production is like drink- Tickets for the Palace ing a glass of cham- Theater show are $10 pagne. presale and $15 the day “I’m happy to direct of the show, are available this show, which I’ve at the HPAF website, loved all my life,” she www.hawaiiperforming- says. artsfestival.org, at the “This musical has all Palace box office or by these elements about calling 934-7010. it. It’s very witty, it has Tickets for the Kah- pathos, it has irony, it ilu Theatre perfor- has mischief, naivete … mance range from $10 but in the end, every- Courtesy photos to $40. Call the theater body really gets what Jason Gamer, musical director of “A Little Night box office at 885-8688 they want. And best of Music.” or visit www.kahiluthe- all is the music!” atre.org. Well-known compo- Rodgers and Leonard “A Little Night Lexi Poindexter rehearses her role of Fredrika. Bernstein, “and a host of Music” features a cast Email Katie Young sitions from this musi- instructor at OCU, Wil- her. In the end, I think Yamanka at BIVHawaii@ cal include “A Weekend musical theater luminar- of 18 individual play- gmail.com ies,” she says. ers backed by an orches- liam Christensen. Anne realizes what she in the Country,” “A Lit- “I’ve never been to hadn’t known throughout tle Night Music” over- “He wrote ‘A Little tra of approximately 17 Night Music” in 1973 musicians. Hawaii before, so I’m the show, and she is able ture and “Send in the excited to come and and in 2009, the piece “With the orches- to find true love.” Clowns.” work with new peo- McGregor advis- “I’m one of the mil- was revived on Broad- tra, Sondheim wanted ple and be in ‘A Little way, starring Catherine to be close to an oper- es that because of the lions of people who Night Music,’” she says. show’s content, the pro- can’t listen to ‘Send in Zeta Jones and Angela etta sound, so his choice Fri, Sat, Mon & Tues “This is my first Sond- duction is suited for the Clowns’ without Lansbury.” of instruments is specif- July 22, 23, 25 & 26 at 7pm heim musical. I love the adults only. shedding a few tears,” McGregor won’t ic,” McGregor says. “It’s Sun - July 24 at 2:30pm & 7pm story and the charac- “Last year’s produc- Freeman admits. “That have long to get the cast orchestrated in a classi- ters. The script is incred- tion of ‘Into the Woods’ THE MUSIC OF plaintive, evocative song ready, but she’s used to cal style with a combina- ibly well-written, and is an example of the best working under pressure. tion of woodwind, brass, the songs and script real- STRANGERS: of Stephen Sondheim, “In my career, I’ve string and percussion, ly work well together to YO-YO MA AND THE SILK who is now 86 years often had to rehearse a but it’s very much about showcase each charac- ROAD ENSEMBLE (PG13) old.” show in a week,” she the strings.” ter.” “‘Send in the Clowns’ says. “At HPAF, I have McGregor adds that Ballish says she has been sung by so to rehearse two or three each year, she’s in awe thinks the audience will many wonderful singers casts in a 10-day peri- of the talent that comes really be able to relate since it was written, and od. Everybody arrives from around the world to to the “journey of love I think it strikes a chord knowing their work, so be immersed in the expe- and the mishaps that can with many people,” when you start rehears- rience of HPAF. happen along the way. McGregor adds. “It has al, all you have to do Leading the cast, por- It’s definitely comedic.” a very human kind of is think about how you traying Anne, is 21-year- Ballish is looking Documentary quality. It’s very touch- want to place everybody, old Oklahoma City Uni- beyond the seeming- Starring: Yo-Yo Ma, ing. It speaks of human how you want the scene versity senior Audrey Cristina Pato, Kinan Azmeh ly material vices of her Directed by: Morgan Neville emotion and what we all to work and the music to Ballish. character to explore her This energetic movie tells the extraordinary experience, really.” work. My challenge is to Ballish, a vocal per- inner motivations. story of this musical collective. Freeman notes that in help the actors in their formance and music the- “I wanted to find her The New York Times: “While this his long musical career, relationships with their ater major, joins HPAF true motivation,” she documentary is lovely to watch, itʼs even more beautiful to hear.” Sondheim has been asso- characters and to help for the first time this says. $8 Gen. - $7 Student/Senior ciated with Oscar Ham- the actors make it real year thanks to encour- “I want the audience 38 Haili St. • 934-7777 merstein II, Richard for the audience.” agement from her vocal to understand and like www.hilopalace.com