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Introducing Adaptations

Alan Dwan, a great silent film director of the 1920s, said there's no such thing as an original story. Adaptations revisit iconic works, breathing new life into well-known stories. Over the next few weeks, versions of "Hamlet" and "Cinderella" will be told on high school stages, and you won't want to miss these renditions.Seabury Hall will present William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," starting Nov. 8. The Bard wrote his most produced play more than 400 years ago, but it is based on a Viking tale that was probably more than 350 years old when Shakespeare was born. Saxo Grammaticus, an advisor ...

Fantasies will be brought to life during multimedia show ‘Phantome’ at Iao Theater

There is never a shortage of Halloween happenings (or Halloween puns) on Maui. This year, with First Friday falling after All Hallows' Eve, the jubilant extravaganzas begin tomorrow and don't stop until Nov. 1.The Kit Kat Club Cabaret and Maui OnStage will present "Phantome," a multimedia, gothic fantasy show filled with adult, Halloween-themed song and dance acts. This eye-popping pageant of wanton witches, naughty nurses and racy wraiths promises to lure guests into their wildest and wackiest Halloween fantasies.The fully choreographed, original show features the sweethearts of Kit Kat ...

KKHS’ ‘Lady Dracula’ a fun haunt

If teenagers are having a blast onstage, can you really critique them?I always applaud the forward-thinking philosophy embraced by Chris Kepler's King Kekaulike High School drama program, and "Lady Dracula" is another daring choice that audiences will enjoy.This Dracula sequel begins with two students of Malice House, Willow (Dara Rickford) and Rosalie (Noelle Barber), offering a little exposition about the private school for brilliant students. Each student must choose a personal project to study over the course of the semester.They are soon joined by Robena (changed from Robert for the ...

‘Lady Dracula’

I tried to calculate the exact number of vampire entertainment incarnations over the past century but gave up when I got to "Blackula." There have been more than 170 stage, screen and television adaptations of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" alone, and more than double that when you include the entire vampire genre, dating all the way back to 1909.This weekend, the King Kekaulike Dramaaticans will present "Lady Dracula" by Tim Kelly. The late Kelly's self-described "mysteryfarce" is intended as a sequel to Stoker's classic "Dracula," but it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Kelly is thought to ...

Laughter makes ‘Triangle’ worth the trek

Something I've never witnessed before is happening in Kihei. I've overheard seniors protest on several occasions that a play is too sexual, usually involving content, brief nudity or a revealing costume. At the Friday opening of "Bermuda Avenue Triangle," it was the under-40 crowd who appeared shocked by the sexual nature of senior performers, but the seniors in the audience howled with laughter."Triangle" may not be for everyone (it's definitely not appropriate for children), but it is very funny. And it poses a fascinating question: Why should scantily clad older women using sexually ...

Love that Lasts

A lasting relationship in show business is a rarity, but that's not the case with Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The acting and writing couple celebrated 48 years of marriage this summer, and they continue to write and work together regularly.Taylor may be best known for her role as Fran Drescher's mother on "The Nanny," and Adam Sandler fans might recognize Bologna as Sandler's father in "Big Daddy." Aside from a long list of television and movie credits, the two have written several plays. Their most recent work, "Bermuda Avenue Triangle," opens at the ProArts Playhouse on Thursday ...