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Backstage

New season in full swing

As a new theater season begins on Broadway, it is apparent, due to the overwhelming success of little shows over the past two seasons ("A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," "Fun Home," "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"), that the trend is moving away from large, lavish musicals and toward intimate shows with small casts. Although a few big musicals are set to open, the 2015-16 season might end up being the year of the play.Revivals include "The Gin Game" starring James Earl Jones and Cicily Tyson; "Long Day's Journey Into Night" starring Gabriel Byrne and Jessica ...

Let the laughs flow

Comedy has been blossoming on Maui for the past two years, but with packed houses at nearly every comedy event in 2015, it is fair to suggest that it is now erupting in popularity. Over the next three months, Sinbad, Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho will be in performance and this week two of the stand-up world's hottest stars are coming to Maui. Chris D'Elia, formerly of Whitney Cummings' sitcom, "Whitney," and the current NBC sitcom "Undateable," will perform at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Friday and the self-described "fun size" Brad Williams will play Charley's Restaurant ...

‘Evita’ a remarkable community achievement

Stage Review Four years ago, I began writing Backstage offering a slightly controversial introduction: "My intention is to have an honest discussion with the Maui theater-loving community . . . Yes, Virginia, not every show on Maui is 'Great, you'll love it!' "A funny thing happens to me on the way to theater parking lots. Friends and actors will share their criticism of the show we just witnessed. However, most of those same individuals are prone to tell the casts and crews, "It's great, I loved it." There is a lot to love in MAPA LIVE!'s "Evita," and it is very good. Two years ago, ...

‘Evita’

"I will come again, and I will be millions."- Eva PeronIf you ask a stranger who Eva Peron is, you'll get three basic answers: "I don't know who that is," "Madonna played her" or "She was a hero to the poor and women everywhere."Maria Eva Duarte Peron was an illegitimate child who grew up in an Argentinean slum. As a teen, she pursued music, reciting and acting, eventually running off with a musician at the age of 15. The most polite way to describe her rise to greatness is to suggest that each new boyfriend was slightly more wealthy and powerful. Although she did appear in several ...

History on Hooves

Maui's newest ongoing production, "Na Lio" (The Horses), began its official run Monday, but on Friday night, members of the media, family and friends were invited to attend a gala opening. This equestrian theatrical performance that incorporates the art of riding and Hawaiian history through storytelling began with a ceremonial blessing and a complimentary paniolo-style meal provided by Iron Imu of Napili.The picturesque setting with breathtaking ocean views is located high atop Lahaina in the West Maui Mountains. "Na Lio" travels back in time as Derek Nakagawa and George Kahumoku Jr. ...

‘A life I wanted to live’

Patton Oswalt's humor may not be for everybody, but he is universally regarded by the comedy world as one of the best in the business. Last week, he was named Stand-up Comedian of the Year at Montreal's comedy festival, Just For Laughs, the largest comedy festival in the world. The Maui Comedy Festival is still in its infancy but has landed Oswalt for a show - postponed earlier this week from tonight's original slot to Oct. 29 due to Tropical Storm Guillermo - at Castle Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.Many will recognize Oswalt from the long-running sitcom "King of ...