This past March, during spring break, The Shooting Stars Take Manhattan! Inside This Issue. Now Playing. Coming Soon

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1 July 2018 Volume 103 Issue 3 The Shooting Stars Take Manhattan! Inside This Issue Shooting Stars Take Manhattan! 1 Nine Characters; One Actor 2 Aloha from Deena 2 Donor Spotlight 6 "Tech-ing" a Show 7 The Glue That Holds a Show Together 8 Now Playing July 13 - Aug. 5, 2018 DHT s Stars explore the Big Apple on the trip of a lifetime This past March, during spring break, a gang of almost 60 eager travelers (27 Shooting Stars, 26 family members and 3 DHT staffers) headed to New York City for 6 days packed with Broadway shows, workshops, great food, a snow storm, and a whole lot of fun! We left Honolulu on a red-eye on March 17th, landing in New York at a bright and early 6:30 a.m. After a small rest at the hotel, we hit the ground running with our first workshop with Lindsay Roberts, who played the role of Sarah in DHT s September production of Ragtime. Lindsay shared her insights with the Stars about her life as a performer on Broadway. She gave our Stars a real look at what it takes to make it as a performer, as well as providing them with a few tips of the trade! It was the perfect introduction to a week filled with the wonders of Broadway. During the trip, the Stars participated in 6 different workshops. In addition to their workshop with Lindsay, there was a vocal workshop with Musical Director Michael Rafter, best known for his work with Broadway actress Sutton Foster, a musical theatre workshop with one of the dancers from Broadway s Aladdin, a jazz dance workshop with Tammy Colucci (the director of DHT s Disney s Newsies), an audition workshop with a cast member of the Broadway production of Wicked, and a dance workshop with the dance captain from SpongeBob SquarePants. Whew! We were busy! CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Coming Soon Sept Oct. 14, 2018 Nov Dec. 23, 2018 For Tickets Call or visit

2 Nine Characters; One Actor Garrett Hols takes on the D Ysquiths Many people would consider playing just one character on stage a huge challenge. Imagine having to play nine different characters! Garret Hols did just such a thing for our recent production of A Gentleman s Guide to Love and Murder. Garrett had never heard of the show before it was announced in 2017, but once he heard the music, he fell in love with the show s humor, wit and charm. Then, he found out that the D Ysquith family were all played by ONE SINGLE actor! Now that was something he really wanted to do! And he did a terrific job. Garrett first moved to Hawaii in 2008 from Virginia for work. His day job is as the Assistant Development Manager for Lendlease. His first audition at DHT was for Showboat in He was cast as Steven Baker and from then, he was hooked. Garret has performed in five other DHT productions, ranging from the ridiculous Lord Farquad in Shrek, the Musical to the more serious and stern Father in Ragtime, but Gentleman s Guide show was different---if he got the role, this would be first time he would need to play nine completely different characters! When asked how he prepared for the audition, Garrett says he started his groundwork very early. June 2017 as a matter of fact! I started preparing by just listening to the music he said. As auditions drew closer, he started vocalizing different British accents, and he used cartoons like Family Guy and Futurama for reference. He then started creating separate physical characteristics for each character. He explained: Junior is upright but oily, Henry has a whimsical flamboyancy, Adalbert is kind of mix of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons and Robert Preston's 'Harold Hill', 2 Aloha from DHT s Executive Director Happy Summer! As you all know, we are in the midst of Disney s Newsies, but something happened regarding our last show, Gentleman s Guide to Love and Murder, that left me feeling proud as punch (is that even an expression anymore?!) Here s the story: Music Theatre International (MTI) is a worldwide licensing company. John and I visit them, armed with Big Island Candies, in NYC every November, to cajole them into giving us early releases to the big Broadway shows. One such success story was Gentleman s Guide. We were the first community theatre to mount the show, and it was a terrific success. A week or so ago, I got an from MTI. It said: We're coming up on our A Gentleman s Guide to Love and Murder release and I'm looking for photography to use in conjunction with our web and social media announcements next week. Would we be able to use photos from your production in this way? Our photos! From our little theatre in the middle of the Pacific! Of course, we said yes, and when we got the e- announcement and then saw the news on MTI s Facebook page, we spotted our show photos from Diamond Head Theatre. There are literally thousands of regional and community theaters across the country, so to have our DHT production spotlighted...well, let s just say, we were honored and delighted, as were our actors, set designers and costumers! Patrons who go to see shows on Broadway often tell us how wonderful our shows are at DHT. And John and I truly feel our production values hold their own (albeit on a smaller scale and budget) in comparison, but let s face it, we work here, and our patrons love us, so we are wellaware of some partiality. This random stamp of approval was unexpected. Applause from afar, so to speak. It felt nice.

3 etc. Obviously, Garrett s long prep and hard work paid off. After auditions concluded, the role (or should we say roles?!) was his! Once into rehearsal, Garrett found there were three main challenges: developing distinct voices for each character (all in a very specific type of British accent), the physicality of the roles, and the mental challenge of being 9 different people at each performance. Plus, there was the sheer hard work. I think I drank four gallons of water throughout the day and during the show just to stay hydrated, he said. Mentally, he also had to stretch his limits. During rehearsals I tried to be a little scatter-brained and eccentric all the time, both to help me stay in character, and to be able to easily switch gears between characters, Garrett says. I m pretty sure I annoyed my fellow cast members with my shtick from time to time! he added. Yet another challenge were the very fast costume changes. One costume change was literally a matter of seconds. Garrett gives high praise to the team of DHT costumers and dressers, saying, the dressers had the system down, prepping facial hair pieces, setting props, turning out clothing, even toweling me off everything! They were absolutely amazing. Garrett really enjoyed the variety of the characters saying, They are each so different, it was almost as if I was in nine different mini-plays each night! Though he loved playing each character, his favorite was Lord Adalbert ( Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun ). Garrett explained, Lord Adalbert is a jerk and a more than a bit insane, but he gets away with it because of his wealth and title; playing him I got to be an outrageous ham! When asked if he ever accidentally slipped into the wrong character at the wrong time, Garrett said, Thankfully no. Between scenes I usually had a moment to remind myself of the next character s lines, and the costumes really helped remind me which character I needed to play. A truly remarkable tour de force for an actor. Bravo, Garrett! 3 Encore! is published by Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Avenue, Honolulu, HI Phone (808) Box Office (808) Writers Graphic Designer Coordinator Mary Calantoc and Deena Dray Bernie Kim Mary Calantoc Our Mission Statement Established in 1915, Diamond Head Theatre is the Broadway of the Pacific, producing the best live community theatre entertainment and advancing the theatre arts through education in Hawaii.

4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Each workshop was different, challenging, and most importantly, fun! The students had a blast learning from Broadway performers, and the instructors seemed to have just as much fun. Andrew Cao, the instructor for our Aladdin workshop loved working with our kids and commented that we were the most enjoyable group of students he had ever worked with. Thank you, Andrew! In addition to the workshops, we also attended 3 Broadway shows, School of Rock, Dear Evan Hansen, the 2017 Tony Award Winning Best Musical, which was an emotional experience for all and last, but not least, SpongeBob SquarePants, the Musical. This was the show that many in the group weren t sure about seeing (a show based on a cartoon?!), but it ended up being one of the most fun and fantastic shows that many of us had ever seen! After each show, the Stars were given the option to go to the Stage Door to see the actors from the shows, and each night we were not disappointed. The kids were able to get autographs and take photos with actors at all three shows. The trip wasn t all shows and workshops, though, and we got to see some of the sights New York City has to offer. In true New Yorker fashion, we did a lot of walking. There was a walking tour of Columbus Circle up to Lincoln Center, a tour of Central Park, and a walk around Times Square and 5th Avenue. One big highlight was a tour of Radio City Music Hall, where we were given a backstage look of the iconic hall, as well as the chance to meet and talk with a Radio City Rockette. One of the highpoints of the trip was something not even planned. A snowstorm! Midway through our visit, New 4

5 York City was hit by a good-sized snow storm. We awoke on Wednesday morning to huge, fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky. It was beautiful, and it didn t stop for the entire day! The kids were thrilled. Truth be told, even the parents and DHT staff were excited! None of the Stars had seen snow actually falling before; they had so much fun just standing on the sidewalk, trying to catch snowflakes with their tongues. We were not about to let a snowstorm stop us, so we embarked on a quick subway ride to the financial district and enjoyed a very snowy walking tour of the 9/11 Memorial, Trinity Church, the Charging Bull statue, and Wall Street. Getting SIXTY people on and off the subway, together, was one memorable experience! Later in the afternoon, one group of Stars and some DHT staff decided to take full advantage of the winter wonderland and go ice skating at Rockefeller Center. We had the best time ice skating in the snow and for a while we were the only people on the rink, which made the experience even more unforgettable. The trip went incredibly fast and at the end, the entire group was exhausted, but incredibly happy. The Shooting Stars left New York with a ton of experience, lots of hilarious stories, and newly deepened bonds with each other. The skills gained, and information gathered in such a short amount of time were really remarkable. A trip, sure to be remembered for very long time! 5

6 Donor Spotlight Bob Todd 30 Years and Counting! A rms waving, gravelly voice calling, Bob Todd was a visible force here at Diamond Head Theatre for almost 30 years. As our former House Manager, there was not a single show that did not feature, as its opening act, our Bob, hustling people into the theatre before the curtain went up! Now retired as HM, Bob attends as a patron and donor, still by force of habit, keeping an eye on things on opening nights. 6 Bob came to Hawaii from Pennsylvania while serving in the Army. While stationed at Schofield, Bob saw a sign on a door at Army Community Theatre (ACT), saying Singers Wanted. He signed up, and from that moment started his theatre career on Oahu. Bob became ACT s musical director and did that job for 10 years, music directing over 30 musicals at Schofield Barracks. While he was involved with ACT, he got to know many theatres, including Diamond Head Theatre, then known as Honolulu Community Theatre and that led him to our door. Bob started volunteering for DHT in In his years with DHT, Bob worked in a variety of volunteer positions---deck crew; he helped with costumes and set; he ran the light board, and even stage-managed show, Oklahoma in Settling in, to what was then called the night manager job, is where Bob found his true calling. He excelled at making sure everything ran smoothly for the audience, the ushers and other volunteers. Bob became a well-known face to our audience members and is still recognized today when he attends shows. He still volunteers from time to time, and always looks forward to the volunteer picnic, which he says is his favorite annual DHT tradition. Bob made the decision to become a donor to DHT because he truly believes in the power of theatre to enrich lives. As Bob says, Theatre makes people happy. He also loves that the theatre gives people a purpose, something to do. Having been a volunteer himself and then during his time as HM, Bob knows firsthand the joy that comes from volunteering at DHT. It s something to look forward to, he says, and all our volunteers take their responsibilities very seriously and can t wait for their night at the theatre. Bob (center) in Camelot with ACT in 1970 Looking to the future, Bob is excited about the new building and is thrilled to be a supporter of that venture. I have loved watching the growth of DHT over the years, he said, this theatre has always done amazing things with what we have. It will be great to see what we can do in the future with a new facility! Bob with Vanita Rae Smith of ACT and DHT Musical Director Emmett Yoshioka

7 Tech-ing a Show How the DHT team gets a show ready for opening night As most of our readers know, the time and effort that go into creating one of our productions is enormous. From designs to rehearsals to costumes to building sets, there are countless moving pieces that all go into one of our shows. But, how do the cast, crew, and artisans put it all together? All of the planning for a show comes together at what is known as our tech rehearsals. These rehearsals take place the weekend before a show opens and they are when all the technical elements of a show are put into place. to be there as well, so they can stand on stage to demonstrate where they will be in each scene and how they will move. It is like a quiet, carefully choregraphed dance, and each part must be practiced over and over, so it all works together. Some may not realize how carefully shows are put together, perhaps thinking it all comes together sort of organically. Nothing could be further from the truth. The hours put into tech-ing a show prove that. Watching an all-day tech rehearsal may not seem like the most exciting way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it is truly amazing to see the care that goes into our wonderful productions at DHT. Watch carefully at your next show. You may get a peek at the graceful behind-the-scenes ballet that ends up, if done correctly, mostly invisible. 7 "Tech-ing a show, in theatre-speak, can take hours to complete, but it is hours well spent for both the cast and crew. Essentially, at a tech rehearsal, there is a run-through of the entire show s technical elements. This allows the lighting designer and director to see what each lighting cue will look like, the spotlight operators to get an idea of which actors need to be spotlighted in each scene, the deck crew to understand the logistics of each scene change, i.e., where the scenery will be placed and ultimately live, and the sound designer and stage manager to see everyone through each and every step. The actors need

8 520 Makapuu Avenue Honolulu, HI NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HONOLULU, HAWAII PERMIT NO The Glue that Holds the Show Together Workshop demonstrates the ins and outs of stage management It s a big job! And not only a big job, but a serious commitment. The Stage Manager comes for the first audition and they are there through closing night. In addition, they recruit the crew people, create and distribute rehearsal schedules, communicate almost daily with the director and the entire cast, call cues for each performance, etc. The Stage Manager is really the glue that holds an entire show together. It takes a very special person to take on such a job, and at DHT we are incredibly lucky to have had many amazing Stage Managers throughout the years. As we are always looking for new people to take on this role, we held a free workshop in May, to let people know what it takes to be a Stage Manager. Year round, Diamond Head Theatre actively seeks volunteers and show-by-show contract workers to mount and maintain our wonderful shows. One such contracted position is the Stage Manager, who is a critical piece of the puzzle to assure a smooth and successful running show. Not many people realize that on opening night, the show director turns the show over to the Stage Manager. At that point, the show is considered frozen with no additions or subtractions allowed to the physical production itself. The Stage Manager is then charged with maintaining the quality and integrity of the show over 16 or more performances. The workshop attendance was good, 25 eager individuals, all ready to learn more about Stage Management. The workshop was run by veteran Stage Manager, Theresa Riedman, who walked participants through the skills needed and expectations involved for being a successful Stage Manager. DHT Artistic Director John Rampage was also on hand and spoke about what he looks for in the ideal Stage Manager. Big thanks to both these individuals (and Education Director, Mary Calantoc) for their work in creating this special workshop. We hope this will be the first of many free workshops hosted at DHT to offer theatrical training to our community! If you, or someone you know, has any interest in learning more about working as a Stage Manager or any of our backstage positions, please call us at x302.