Area Musicals, Drama Win Pookela Nods

The “Stars’ Night Out” dinner and show Aug. 12 at Koolau Golf Club brought recognition to several Oahu theater groups, including Hawaii Pacific University and Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College.

The gala was a backdrop for the 2013 Po’okela Awards, which honor excellence – as much of it as possible – among the talented, hard-working troupes that deliver emotional highs and lows, as well as a lot of fun, to stagestruck audiences across the island. Three adjudicators each pick a maximum of two honorees per category without telling each other, thus ensuring from two to six honorees in each category. * Victoria Gail-White was recognized for her work as a featured female in HPU’s Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, performed at Paul and Vi Loo Theatre on the Hawaii Loa campus. The college’s The Good Doctor by Neil Simon also earned a Po’okela for Michael Bargielski’s hair, makeup and wig design. * Paliku Theatre’s ensemble won two Po’okelas for performance in a musical: one for Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale, and one for Broadway @ Paliku: 10 Years of Bright Lights. Peggy Krock also earned a Po’okela for costume design in Rapunzel! Rapunzel!

Both Windward troupes are actively preparing for their fall productions as well: HPU will do the comedy Tartuffe Nov. 8-Dec. 8, and Paliku Theatre’s Les Miserables is set to run Sept. 20-Oct. 20.