March 2015 Volume 100 • Issue 3
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March 2015 Volume 100 • Issue 3 Inside This Issue Destination: New York City 1 Executive Director’s Message 2 A White Christmas Retrospective 3 Our Theatre, 1966 to 1990 4 Directing To Kill A Mockingbird 6 Greg Zane’s King and I 7 Coming Soon Destination: New York City March 27 - April 12, 2015 Celebrating 10 Years, DHT’s Broadway Bound Tour Is Still a Hit his year marks the 10th up and out for a tour of Radio City Music anniversary of Diamond Head Hall. Then we went to a pre-theatre dinner TTheatre’s Broadway Bound Tour. at The Four Seasons, hustled to a show, Looking back, it makes me realize how and took a gang to the Blue Water Grill for much I’ve learned over the decade about jazz and post-theatre drinks. May 22 - June 7, 2015 people, about being a tour “escort”—and On Saturday, Joan took some of our about the dangers of overscheduling! patrons to the Greenmarket at Union It took me awhile to catch on, but I Square. We took others to MoMA. And realized after a few trips that what our then we were off again to a show and an travelers really wanted most was time. Time after-theatre cabaret. Sunday’s brunch at to explore New York City. That said, it was Tavern on the Green was just the first still hard for me to let go of packing things adventure of the day. And so it went. into the trip. We kept up this frenetic schedule for For example, in 2005, our first year, we the whole week. It was crazy. took our bleary-eyed travelers sightseeing Eventually we realized that everyone has July 17 - August 2, 2015 fresh off the red-eye from Honolulu. We his or her own “must do in New York” list. arranged dinners for that first night at Some people are passionate shoppers; some various upscale restaurants: Food writer are avid museumgoers; some want to see Joan Namkoong, who had accompanied as many shows as they can. So, as the years us, took a group to Café Boulud, and John went by, we gradually began to let them do Rampage took a group to the Russian their own thing. I smile when I look back For Tickets Firebird. The next day we had everyone at my 2005 tour calendar and subsequent Call 808.733.0274 or visit www.diamondheadtheatre.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 calendars. Each year we ended up peeling away an activity—NBC Studio tours, Top of the Rock, MoMA, Th e Met. All gone. Everyone still stays busy on the trips. But now they’re busy doing what they want to do. We did, however, hang onto a few Now, instead of booking events, hotel, Th e Warwick, where the key activities. We still do a fi rst-night we let folks choose their fun. We off er doormen wait every year for the no-host dinner at Remi, a restaurant favorite recommendations—one of “Hawaii group” to arrive. just a block from the hotel. With mine is the Christmas fair and ice- We’ve learned our patrons don’t reasonably priced Italian comfort food skating at Bryant Park. We tell them need us to micromanage their trip, and a 6 p.m. reservation, we’re still able about the museums and urge them thank you very much! But their lament to tuck ourselves into bed early. to take in the spectacular view from as they board the departure bus is still Th e next day, we do a private bus Top of the Rock. We direct them to the same: “We ran out of time!” tour. It’s quite relaxing to let someone the 9/11 Memorial (and suggest they Join us this fall on our next else navigate the busy NYC streets. We stop in at the Century 21 department Broadway Bound Tour. Dates are glide along looking out the windows store across the street). We advise on November 12−18, 2015. Six nights. and taking it all in, while our very other shows to supplement the ones we Th e price is the same as last year: funny tour guide, Zora, keeps us booked and walk them, if needed, to $2,725 plus airfare, and the nonstop laughing. We also still book three the TKTS Booth in Times Square to fl ight on United makes it almost an Broadway shows and one elegant get discounted tickets. easy ride. Call Mary at 733-0277 x308 dinner at Th e Four Seasons. But that’s It’s become the perfect formula, for more information. ~DD about it for scheduled activities. helped in part by our lovely boutique 2 Aloha from DHT’s pledge to be present as an audience Th at Sunday when I exited the member. Other art forms don’t give theatre, the world was in uproar about Executive Director you that. Th ey’re much more blended the game and how it ended. But for Recently I had to go into the theatre into real life. You me, I wasn’t ready to care about the on a Sunday. Super Bowl Sunday. And can half watch Super Bowl. I felt like I’d stepped out although I’m originally from Boston— television, for of a thought provoking, relaxing bubble and it was the New England Patriots instance, while and I wanted to savor the moments in playing (and what a game it was!)—the cycling through Maycomb, Alabama a little longer. minute the curtain went up, I forgot your Facebook I often suggest to patrons that they about football. or Twitter feed leave their troubles at the door when Th at’s the great thing about … books, too, they walk into our theatre, but maybe I live theatre. It demands your are picked up have it all wrong. Maybe you don’t even attention. As London journalist and and put down. have to work at it. Maybe your troubles critic Matt Trueman said recently in If you’re not in leave you! See you at the show. WhatsOnStage, “Th eatre forces you the right frame of mind, if you can’t to meet art head on, with no outside quite get into a story, it’s easy to loathe interferences.” something you might otherwise have Trueman goes on to observe that loved. With theatre, it’s just you and “there’s something ritualistic about the show—everything else is absent.” turning off your phone at the top of I love those thoughts and certainly a show. It’s an investment of sorts, a fi nd them true for myself. Encore! is published by Diamond Head Th eatre, 520 Makapuu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816. Our Mission Statement Phone (808)733-0277 Writers Mary Calantoc, Deena Dray, Established in 1915, Diamond Head Th eatre is Facsimile (808)735-1250 Kathryn Mariko Lee the Broadway of the Pacifi c, producing the best live B o x O ffi c e (808)733-0274 Editor Stacy Pope community theatre entertainment and advancing www.diamondheadtheatre.com Graphic Designer Bernie Kim the theatre arts through education in Hawai‘i. Coordinator Mary Calantoc that he could create a response. “I could change them,” he Dreaming of a White Christmas says. “Even at a young age, I loved it. I don’t think I ever became an actor. I think I’ve always been one.” Guest Artist Scott Sowinski Refl ects Th e audience members’ hearts aren’t the only ones on a Long-Wished-for Role aff ected by a show. Sowinski confesses that he almost hristmas 2014 brought guest artist Scott Sowinski from cried every night while performing the song “Count Your Cthe winter fl urries of Chicago to our balmy “paradise Blessings.” state” in search of snow—the snow of Irving Berlin’s White “Th e song ends and I hand Susan off to the general,” he Christmas, that is. With his beautiful voice and eff ortless explains. “It’s the fi rst moment in the whole show where charm, Sowinski did an excellent job playing Bob Wallace, you see only raw humanity, unguarded by song or pretense. the crooning army captain turned star showman. In fact, he Totally my favorite part.” tells us it was the fulfi llment of a lifelong dream. At the end of the day, the most fulfi lling part of “I’ve always wanted to do White Christmas,” he says. Sowinski’s White Christmas experience was working with the “As a child, it was my favorite fi lm and I was enamored people. “Getting to collaborate with and know extraordinary with the story and the simplicity of it all. I wanted to have people who love their art instilled the reminder of how I an opportunity at one of my dream roles. Diamond Head can better myself and my own personal approach to my Th eatre provided that and so much more.” craft,” he says of the cast and crew. “Th ose who were part Sowinski heard about our show from Diamond Head of the production onstage and off showed a genuine love Th eatre’s artistic director, John Rampage, who he was very for their craft. Too often, theater in all aspects is deemed a excited to work with. Sowinski says, “John’s one of the best, ‘job,’ whereas DHT tends to approach it as a labor of love. and we’ve developed a friendship in recent years that I hold It was fulfi lling to be among people who literally gave me in high esteem.