A Bright ‘Les Mis’ Paliku Production
Kim Anderson plays Cosette and Kip Wilborn portrays Jean Valjean in the Paliku Theatre fall production of 'Les Miserables.' Directed by Ron Bright, the musical opens Sept. 20. Photo from Tom Holowach.
Tickets are “flying off the wall” for Paliku Theatre’s fall production of Les Miserables, according to Mo Bright, wife of the director, “and we have been having some fabulous rehearsals.”
The award-winning Broadway musical is directed by Maunawili’s Ron Bright, 80, who calls it his all-time favorite – the one that he’s always wanted to do. And with the stellar, hand-picked cast intact, the outlook is anything but miserable.
* Kip Wilborn plays the lead of peasant Jean Valjean. He is a local and international opera singer and actor.
* Buzz Tennent, a local and national singer/actor, is police inspector Javert.
* Jana Anguay Alcain, a Castle High alumna, former CPAC trooper and cruise-ship singer, plays Valjean’s employee Fantine.
* Cliffton Hall, a Kalaheo graduate and CPAC alumnus, is Marius, co-leader of the insurrection. Hall is a Broadway veteran who also acted in Honolulu’s recent Wicked show.
* Shawna Masuda is reprising the role of Eponine, rival of Cosette, from her earlier Diamond Head Theatre performance.
* Michael Bright of Kailua, who toured nationally with Miss Saigon, is Marius’ student friend Enjolras. (In real life, of course, he won the role of Ron Bright’s younger son. Elder brother Clarke Bright, who is Royal Hawaiian Band bandmaster, will conduct the play’s orchestra.)
* Kim Anderson plays Fantine’s daughter Cosette. The local actress/singer played Maria in Paliku’s West Side Story and is in Manoa Valley Theatre’s summer show, Godspell.
* Scott and Zenia Moura, award-winning actors and a real-life married couple, play the sinister innkeepers Mr. and Mrs. Thenardier.
* Sharing the role of street urchin Gavroche are Oliver deClive-Lowe of Kaneohe and Mati Durkin; sharing the role of Little Cosette are two Kailua girls, Alyse Glaser and Camille Perry.
“Ron feels so blessed to be given the opportunity to direct this stellar and beautiful musical,” said Mo Bright of her spouse – who founded Castle Performing Arts Center and has the school’s theater named after him – “and he is elated beyond words.”
Tickets cost $49, $35 and $30. To order, call 235-7310 or visit etickethawaii.com. Sales began July 15 for the show, which runs from Sept. 20 to Oct. 20; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.
