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Eighty years ago, the Historic Iao Theater was the epicenter of variety entertainment on Maui. A weekend's worth of shows might include a theatrical performance by the Little Maui Theater (a local actor's troupe which began performing at the Iao in 1928), concert performances that ranged from Hawaiian music to chamber orchestra, plus hula performances happened almost every weekend before the screening of the latest hit film.Additional novelties included 10-cent raffle tickets that could win you a four-piece place setting of dinnerware. The creator of these novelty nights was William ...

West Side Stories

On Dec. 8, 1901, Pioneer Inn opened for business. At the time, it was only one of two modern hotels on Maui's west side. It was and still is where the history of old Hawaii met the oncoming 20th century. Over the past 111 years, it has hosted some of the most famous pop culture icons in American history. Chronologically, they are Mark Twain, Jack London, Frank Sinatra, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Peter Lawford and Jackie Kennedy. Even Queen Lili'uokalani visited the illustrious hotel.Last week, I enjoyed a 24-hour staycation on the west side and chatted with fellow journalist, ...

Steven Dascoulis

A little over five years ago, I made a very foolish assumption. I first met Steven Dascoulias while performing in the Maui Academy of Performing Arts production of "The Music Man." He was working as a stage hand, and I assumed that was his forte. We all know what happens when we assume.Three months later, our roles were reversed as I watched him portray King Mongkut in Maui OnStage's "The King and I." It was then that I realized he was perhaps the most talented performer on Maui. Since that time, I have worked with Dascoulias on more projects than I can count, a favorite being opposite ...

Saintly Ambitions

Although the story may be repeated again and again in Hawaii, it will never lose its importance. In many corners of the globe, Molokai is known because of its world famous saints, Damien and Marianne.Maui actor Vinnie Linares has been playing the former Father Damien since October 2000. Now close to 13 years later, he will bring this moving drama to Kalaupapa for the first time, where he will perform on the same hallowed ground where two saints walked in life. Linares was invited by the National Parks Service to perform for the residents of Kalaupapa, so this will be a private ...

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

We all have pet peeves. What makes them fall into that category is that nine out of every 10 people will say, "that's not a big deal, get over it."Mel Edison, also known as "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," has several peeves. One of them is that he can hear his neighbor playing "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" at 2:30 in the morning. His wife, Edna Edison, can't hear it unless she presses her ear against the wall, "Now I hear it," she admits when asked.The latest offering from Kihei's ProArts, Neil Simon's play, "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," is a wonderful comedy. The opening night ...

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

After a week of directing, it's a bit of a relief to be back in the audience again, and a big mahalo to Sarah Ruppenthal for her coverage of "Hollywood Arms."This week, Maui theatergoers will have quite the trio of rich and profoundly funny productions to choose from, and it is conceivably possible to see all three this weekend before they close.The latest offering from ProArts, and opening this weekend, is Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue." Although a little lesser known than Simon's other works, "Prisoner" is one of his most critically acclaimed plays. Originally produced in ...