December 2013 - Diamond Head Theatre

December 2013
Volume 99 • Issue 1
Inside This Issue
Deeply Rooted at DHT
1
A Look Back in Time
2
Executive Director’s Message 2
‘Ilima Awards
4
Dress to Impress!
6
In the Spotlight
7
Tinsel ’n Tickets
8
Now Playing
December 6-29, 2013
Coming Soon
Shari Lynn in DHT’s
Funny Girl, playing the
role of Fanny’s mother,
Rose Brice
Deeply Rooted at DHT
Meet the Talented Shari Lynn, Who
Performed as Fraulein Schneider in
Cabaret
S
hari Lynn has dazzled audiences
in Hawaii for more than 35 years.
She has starred in concerts with the
Honolulu Symphony, performed in every
major showroom across the Islands and
worked alongside entertainers like The
Brothers Cazimero in their Royal Hawaiian
Monarch Room debut.
“Before I moved to Hawaii, I’d been
touring 28 states coast to coast with my
band, playing everything from jazz to show
tunes,” says Shari. “But with traveling so
much, I missed my husband, and I wanted
to live in a place where I could pursue my
career and still be able to come home at
night.”
That’s about the time when Shari became
a big winner on “Name that Tune,” the
NBC television game show that put two
contestants against each other to test their
knowledge of songs. “NBC aired my episode
as the season finale. I won two cars, cash and
a trip to Hawaii. That’s when my husband
and I packed up and moved.”
Shari has deep roots here at DHT. She
began in the box office and later took over
as the volunteer coordinator, which at the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
January 31 - Feb. 16, 2014
March 28 - April 13
For Tickets
Call 808.733.0274 or visit
www.diamondheadtheatre.com
South Pacific (1955)
A Look Back in Time
The First 50 Years: 1915-1965
I
2
n November 1964, our then-historian Mr. Norman
Wright wrote an article looking back at Diamond Head
Theatre’s (at the time known as Honolulu Community
Theatre) top hits for its first 50 years.
Mr. Wright posed the question: How does a theater go
about choosing its top hits? Simply looking at the figures,
how can one decide a community’s favorite plays, past and
future? He goes on to observe that since people’s tastes vary
widely, it’s virtually impossible to please ALL of the people
ALL of the time.
“Does one select top hits by reason of the largest
attendance and grosses? Does one use number of
performances as a criterion?” asks Mr. Wright. “During the
war years, some HCT plays ran as long as six months, but
most of these performances were given free at service camps
Aloha from DHT’s
Executive Director
I
just arrived back in Honolulu
after attending an arts marketing
conference in San Francisco. My
attendance at these conferences keeps
DHT at the forefront of national
arts trends, and I’m chockfull of BIG
ideas upon my return. Brimming
with enthusiasm, I arrive at each
department’s door with my “list” of new
things I want us to try.
A few days go by, I come back down
to earth and we sit together to work on
what’s realistically implementable in the
short-term. After we’ve sifted through
ideas and worked out a game plan,
the gang breathes a sigh of relief—but
they know it’s short-lived, as I’m only
temporarily shelving the rest of those
“big ideas!”
We have successfully implemented
several past conference ideas. One
example is our subscriber sneak
peek, which is held every March and
throughout the Islands and reflected honor and stamina rather
than revenues for HCT.
“The only clear way to select the hits from a commercial
viewpoint is by reason of their net profits after expenses
and overhead. But even this method has its inequities,” he
continues. “Traditionally, musicals attract the largest audiences,
with the results that plays must meet tough competition at the
box office in order to make the list. By the same token, today’s
musicals with full orchestras must compete expense-wise with
HCT’s earlier musicals performed with two pianos.”
These are all good points that remain relevant today. The
following is Mr. Wright’s tabulation of HCT’s “Golden Dozen,”
leading to the top hit:
12. Kiss and Tell (1943)
11. Harp in the Willows (1947)
10. H.M.S. Pinafore (1945)
9. West Side Story (1962)
8. The Play’s the Thing (1944)
7. World of Suzy Wong (1962)
6. South Pacific (1955)
5. Oklahoma (1954)
4. Flower Drum Song (1960)
3. Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1954)
2. Teahouse of the August Moon (1954)
1. The Sound of Music (1961)
As DHT begins planning for our 100th anniversary, we’ll
begin compiling our list of the last 50 years of hits. And one
of those listed above will be a repeat, albeit a later production.
Can you guess which one? Visit the back page to find out!
has grown significantly over its five
years. This event is the result of a
conference at which the buzzword was
“engagement”—
i.e., let your
patrons in on
what’s going on.
The sneak peek
does that with
an exclusive
subscriber event
and is the only
preview of our
season.
So what were the most recent
buzzwords? Well, social media, of
course. For those on Facebook (the
average user’s age is now 41 years old),
you’ll see some new and fun promos
being posted on Diamond Head
Theatre’s Facebook page. We have
almost 3,000 likes (aka fans)!
Loyalty programs are another
new notion. I fly with DHT’s airline
sponsor, United, because all my charge
cards get points for their mileage
program. I bet most of you have loyalty
cards for supermarkets, restaurants and
hotels. It’ll be interesting to see how the
arts world develops this concept.
What else? Attracting a younger
audience was a big topic. All arts
organizations grapple with that
conundrum, but in my mind, I’m not
convinced of it being a penultimate
goal. Don’t our audiences just replenish
themselves when they get to a time
and place in their lives (empty-nesters,
for example) where they can enjoy the
arts? That said, we’re planning a survey
to determine our demographics and
subsequently monitor them, and will
continue to study the younger cohort
and look for ways to engage them.
Lots to think about—feel free
to chime in! You can reach me at
ddray@diamondheadtheatre.com.
Happy Holidays!
Shari Lynn starring in DHT’s Hello Dolly
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
time also oversaw DHT’s education
program. “I was singing at a nightclub
and became great friends with a
marvelous man named John Rampage.
He was the very first teacher I hired.”
Shari lights up when she talks about
John. “I’ve always said John is a genius,”
she notes. “I know that word is used
a lot, but I don’t use it often, and it
always applies where John is concerned.
John gives 150 percent to everything he
does.”
Shari has been in many shows at
DHT over the years, most recently
gracing the stage as Fraulein Schneider,
a German who has given up love for
survival in our production of Cabaret.
“Fraulein Schneider is the voice
of one German person in that point
in history,” says Shari. “There were
Germans who weren’t scared of giving
up their own lives to protect others,
but many went into survival mode. My
character’s mantra is ‘I will survive
this. I will survive without love. I have
done this all my life and that’s the way
it is going to be.’”
In addition to bringing her
wonderful voice to Diamond Head
Theatre’s stage, Shari cultivates other
Shari Lynn in Cabaret, as German boarding
house owner Fraulein Schneider
Encore! is published by Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816.
Phone(808)733-0277
Facsimile (808)735-1250
Box Office (808)733-0274
www.diamondheadtheatre.com
voices as the director of music at La
Pietra. She is also a nine-time Po‘okela
Award winner for musicals such as
Funny Girl, Mame and Gypsy. “I want
to leave some legacy behind,” Shari
continues, “and I hope to never stop
learning.”
WritersDeena Dray and Marissa Pamatigan
Editor Stacy Pope
Graphic Designer Bernie Kim
Coordinator
Lauren Lee
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 Hawai‘i.
3
DHT’s 2013 Honolulu Star-Advertiser ‘Ilima Awards
H
awaii’s best-loved restaurants
met Broadway at the 18th
Annual Honolulu StarAdvertiser ‘Ilima Awards, which was a
sellout and a success once again, raising
more than $200,000 to support our
operating costs here at Diamond Head
Theatre.
Under the direction of Diamond
Head Theatre’s award-winning Artistic
Director John Rampage, the awards
show started the evening with a bang,
pulling out all the stops with originally
composed parodies of the restaurants
and production numbers that got the
chefs dancing along with the wonderful
cast.
After the restaurants received
their awards onstage, more than 500
event patrons spilled onto the DHT
grounds, which had been transformed
into a glittering outdoor ballroom
overflowing with fine wines, ice-cold
martinis and micro-brewed beers.
Guests walked beneath the stars as
they sampled dishes from this year’s
remarkable lineup of award-winning
restaurants, including Baci Bistro,
Michel’s, Le Bistro and Arancino at
The Kahala.
Dennis Francis (at center), DHT board member and publisher of the
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, celebrates another successful ‘Ilima event.
Several Shooting Stars performers
joined the crowds, providing guests
with raffle tickets and a chance to
win three exciting and sought-after
travel packages from Alaska Airlines,
Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines and
Sheraton hotels in Chicago, Seattle and
New York City.
Congratulations to our hardworking committee on the best ‘Ilima
Awards thus far, and thank you to
all who attended. We truly value the
wonderful support of our community.
Please join us again for the next ‘Ilima
Awards on October 13, 2014!
Bev Noa, Jeanette Magoon and Maggie Walker
4
John Rampage and Joan Bellinger
Jim Nabors and Loretta Ables Sayre
Emma Wo, Steven Ai and Pam Kimura
Holiday Stars
N
ovember and December are always filled with
holiday performances for DHT’s Shooting
Stars! They’ll be spreading Christmas cheer at several
functions, including Neiman Marcus performances,
the C.S. Wo performance and the Chaine Christmas
Holiday Show at Halekulani. Shooting Stars have
also been asked to perform for the Hawaii Pops
Christmas Concert. Thank you to local businesses
and organizations for your continued support of our
Shooting Stars and education programs.
Partygoers join Board Members David Oifer (center
left) and Christine Camp (center right)
Award-winning chef Chai Chaowasaree
mingles with guests
5
‘Ilima Awards Chair Kathy Sulieman (center right) enjoys the evening with friends.
Ronnie Cantor, Rick Piper and Laurence Paxton
Dress to
D
6
Impress!
Play the Role of Your Dreams Any Time of Year
with a Little Help from Our Costume Shop
iamond Head Theatre’s
Costume Shop staff has hung
jewels on kings, draped minks
on cabaret singers and placed glass
slippers on servant girls. Isn’t it time to
let them dress you too? For all of your
costume parties and events, do it right!
A professional-quality costume allows
you to “play” whatever role you desire
and have even more fun.
Enter our Costume Shop and
you’ll see thousands of costumes and
props filling the aisles from ceiling to
floor. “DHT has the largest costume
collection in the state, holding almost
100 years of costumes and props,” says
Costume Director Karen G. Wolfe. “At
Halloween, we have 500 to 600 outfits
available,” she adds, “with a costume
character list that ranges from Billy
Idol and The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy
to Surfer Santa.”
Although Halloween is when most
people think of costumes, DHT’s
Costumes are on display to help customers find
treasure in a classic pirate costume or make a splash in
a mermaid costume.
KHON News Anchor Jai Cunningham (center)
dresses up with DHT staff and volunteers.
Costume Shop also has personal
costume stylists available year-round,
ready to help customers navigate the
vast and eclectic rental collection.
And, the costumes are quality
pieces. “These costumes were made for
the stage with fabrics, tailoring and
embellished with accessories,” adds
Costume Assistant Brenda Chee.
For your next event, party in style!
Costumes are available all year and
priced right. For more information,
visit www.diamondheadtheatre.com or
call 733-0277 ext. 2.
Karen Wolfe
In the
Spotlight
Meet Our Staff
In past newsletters we’ve profiled our wonderful
Board of Directors. Now we’d like to shine the
spotlight on a few of our hard-working staff
members as well.
Sabrina Mau
Costume Mistress
When Did You Join
DHT’s Family
In its 29th season
First Job
Teacher’s Aide in
Dance at Punahou,
under Josephine
Flanders
Last Book Read
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Favorite Travel Destination
Las Vegas
Favorite DHT Moment
Some of my favorite moments at DHT
include dancing with my dad in Music
Man (1975); watching my daughter
perform here for the first time in
Aladdin Jr., for which I was honored
with a Po‘okela in Costume Design; and
working with the dance ensemble in
Pippin (1979).
Development Manager
When Did You Join
DHT’s Family
3 years ago
First Job
Seasonal gift wrapper
at Executive Chef at
Ward Warehouse
Last Book Read
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Favorite Travel Destination
Japan
Favorite DHT Moment
Watching Crazy for You. It was my first
week of work, which also happened to
be opening week—not only of the show,
but also of the season. There was a lot
of buzz and scurrying about that week,
and although I felt like a deer caught
in headlights, it was exciting for me
to experience this crunch time. Every
day the set became progressively more
intricate, and watching the show on a
Tuesday dress rehearsal allowed me a
sneak peak of the behind-the-scenes
of what I felt was a perfectly polished
show. To this day, Crazy for You is
still my number-one favorite DHT
production.
Andrea Lopes
Costume Assistant, Box
Office Assistant and
Volunteer Coordinator
When Did You Join
DHT’s Family
17 years ago as
a Shooting Star,
performer and
employee
First Job
Lifeguard at Hawaiian Waters
Adventure Park
Last Book Read
Elf script book
Favorite Travel Destination
Maui
Favorite DHT Moment
The opportunity to learn about every
aspect of the theatre, from behind the
scenes to the front of the house, has
been such an honor. I’ve held positions
as spotlight operator, stage manager,
deck crew and ticket sales. One of my
favorite moments at DHT was being
on stage for Titanic: the Musical. Being
a part of such a beautiful show (and
“dying” on stage every night) was truly
memorable.
7
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
520 Makapuu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
HONOLULU, HAWAII
PERMIT NO. 260
8
Tinsel ’n Tickets
Easy to Give, Wonderful to Receive!
Y
ou’ve had so many good times with so many memorable moments at Diamond Head Theatre.
This holiday season, share that tradition by giving the perfect gift. Tinsel ’n Tickets packages
offer great value and make gift-giving easy—we even mail the gift for you!
A Tinsel ’n Tickets package includes 2 tickets each to 3 of the shows below:
January 31-February 16
March 28-April 13
May 23-June 8
That’s 6 tickets for only $117!
On sale now through December 24, while supplies last. Get your gift early!
To purchase, call 733-0274, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Answer to “A Look Back in Time” Question on Page 2: The Sound of Music
July 18-August 3