Paliku Ends Its First Decade With A Bang
For its 10th anniversary, Paliku Theatre intends to top last year’s incredibly popular Phantom of the Opera with a show that brings together Broadway songs, 41 talented local and far-flung actors, and all the glitz and fanfare from a decade of bringing quality musicals to a Windward audience.
Running Sept. 28-Oct. 7 is Broadway @ Paliku: 10 Years of Bright Lights, with a cast that includes theater co-founder Tom Holowach himself and 27 numbers from past shows (or those on its wish list). The revue opens at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $26, $24 for seniors and military and $20 for students and keiki through age 25. For reservations, call 235-7310 or visit etickethawaii.com.
Windward Arts Council plans a gala, pre-show wine-and-cheese reception at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 as a benefit for its projects. A ticket for both the reception and show costs $30. (Call 254-4885 or email janekailua@hawaii.rr.com.)
Paliku has staged 16 musicals since it opened on the Windward Community College campus in April of 2002, and Holowach said it’s still going strong and living up to its name, which refers to “cliffs” and “strength.”
Holowach will open Act 1 with a selection from Cabaret followed by one from The Music Man. Closing Act 1 and opening Act 2 will be songs from Hairspray and Chicago by Marcelo Pacleb’s 24- VII Danceforce. Jade Stice, whose father taught at WCC, will perform songs from Evita and Gypsy. In high school, Stice was a student of Ron Bright, who has directed Paliku’s fall musicals for the past 10 years and will be directing this one as well — get it … 10 years of “Bright” Lights?
Stice performed in the original cast of New York’s Miss Saigon, toured with it and played a number of parts before starring in Paliku Theatre’s version of the musical. Another Bright student who had a role in Broadway’s Miss Saigon is Kimee Balmilero, who will sing and help
with choreography in the anniversary production. Balmilero also starred in a hit children’s show on Australian TV and toured with Miss Saigon when it came to Hawaii in 1997.
Sisters Jana (Anguay) Alcain and Tori Anguay are on board, too. “Tori was in our West Side Story as Anita and won a Po‘okela,” said Holowach. “She’s a terrific singer and dancer.” Ahuimanu’s Doug Scheer will perform with veteran Island enter- tainer Cathy Foy Mahi, who’s just back from a European tour playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific. Scheer was in Paliku’s Phantom and is a familiar face at Diamond Head Theatre.
Phantom cast member Madison Eror of Kailua will have a turn as well. “She’s starring right now in Honu By the Sea in Waikiki,” said Holowach.
“Speaking of future stars, we’ve got Liam deClive-Low, 13, of Kailua, who was the lead in our How I Became a Pirate last spring. He’s doing a number in this show where he tap dances.”
Bright’s son Michael will perform, and son Clarke, who directs the Royal Hawaiian Band, will lead the orchestra. Award- winning Sandy Riford III will manage lights and set — a role he’s played in Bright’s shows since CPAC days a quarter century ago.
