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At home in theater

Although there are nearly a dozen youth theater and dance programs on Maui, options are limited for west side kids, unless a parent is willing to drive them to Wailuku several times a week. The Lahaina-based Theatre Theatre Maui has been filling that void every summer since 1991 with the primary mission to bring the performing arts to adults and children of the west side community. Actress, director and lifelong lover of the performing arts Angela Thompson has served as the executive director of TTM since 2013. We corresponded last week about her life in the theater and her passion for ...

Uplifting moves

Maui Backstage regulars are well-aware by now that I also work in theater, and every year I take on one big project. This summer, that project is directing "The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy." My musical skill is amateurish at best, only eclipsed by two left feet. Luckily, Erin Kowalick came to the rescue to choreograph "The Addams Family."Kowalick has choreographed some of Maui OnStage's biggest hits in recent years, essentially all the shows that sold out, including "The Wizard of Oz," "Legally Blonde" and "Elf." In addition, she choreographed the Kamehameha Schools Maui ...

‘TIKI TIME’

Occasionally, someone will tell me that there is nothing to do on Maui. Perhaps tastes differ, but when it comes to the performing arts there are always two or three shows happening every weekend.The 2014-15 theater season is winding down, but there is still a variety of summer shows coming to Maui over the next two months. With concerts alone, a veritable who's who of 1960s and 70s recording stars will be visiting this summer including the two upcoming performances by the iconic Diana Ross. A generation prior, Hawaiian artists began to make their mark in the music and dance world, and ...

‘Cinderella’ en pointe

Last week, I talked about the rarity of ballet conquering Broadway. The man that brought "An American in Paris" to the Broadway stage, the youthful Christopher Wheeldon, established himself with a groundbreaking production of Sergei Prokofiev's "Cinderella" two years ago. Wheeldon's update of the old-fashioned ballet was so successful for the San Francisco Ballet that the New York City Ballet invited the entire company to perform at its spring gala. After the success of "Cinderella" in New York, Wheeldon's vision for "An American in Paris" emerged, and he may just capture Best ...

Pulliam’s picks

The 2014-15 Broadway season was a year of surprises. Uber-hyped shows like Sting's "The Last Ship," "Finding Neverland" and "On the 20th Century" did not flop, but unlikely late openers such as "The Elephant Man," "Fun Home," "The Visit," "Something Rotten!" and "An American in Paris" have become the hottest tickets in town. This emerging trend in box-office sales and critical praise seems to imply that Broadway may be shifting toward the more dramatic and artistic."An American in Paris" is in many ways a ballet that somehow found a place in the musical world. "The Visit," an original ...

Reliably funny Brian Regan

Consistency in comedy requires hard work. Many a standup has had a timely TV special that led to a movie or sitcom career, but the comics that remain on top of their craft decade after decade continue to perform live regularly. Certainly comics like Margaret Cho, Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld do not have to tour, but it is that live element of their art that makes them consistently funny. Brian Regan is one of those comics, and he is regarded by his peers as one of the funniest comedians in the world.Seinfeld calls him "one of my favorite, favorite stand-up comedians." "Brian Regan's the ...