×

In the loop

NEW YORK – When actress and playwright Claudia Shear was first approached to turn a novel for young adults into a Broadway musical, she was slightly stunned.

“You want me for a children’s thing?” she asked the producers.

Shear, after all, often writes about fearless women making their way in an unforgiving world and isn’t frightened by suggestive situations or salty language. She agreed to the new project but didn’t change her style.

“I went at it without any concept of it being for children,” she said. “Truth is truth and humanity is humanity. That is the thing that supersedes any genre.”

The musical was “Tuck Everlasting,” Natalie Babbitt’s powerful story about a girl who stumbles onto a mysterious family that has discovered a fountain of eternal life. It opens on Broadway on Tuesday.

It will cap a remarkably rich few years for shows based on young adult fiction, including “Matilda the Musical,” “War Horse,” “Aladdin” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” All stubbornly refuse to talk down to kids.

“The only difference between them and us is that they’re smaller and they know a little bit less,” said playwright Dennis Kelly, who won a Tony Award for adapting “Matilda” from the children’s novel by Roald Dahl. “Their brains are just as good as ours and they know as much about the world as we do.”

It turns out that Shear was in good company: Musicals based on young adult books have recently attracted writers who usually deal with adult material and don’t want to coddle their younger audiences.

Kelly, like Shear, wasn’t someone you’d immediately associate with children’s literature. He writes caustic satires, including a play about how a climate of terror can lead neighbors to torture, and another about the evils of greed-is-good capitalism.

“When I was doing ‘Matilda,’ I didn’t think I was writing for kids. I was just having a really good time,” he said by phone from London. “I mean, clearly, there are some things you might well steer clear of, but you’ll find you’re naturally steering clear of it.”

Playwright Simon Stephens was similarly an interesting choice to adapt Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” about a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome. He writes gritty dramas that are often bleak, dark and violent.

“My imaginary world tends to be a dark old place populated by psychopaths and killers,” Stephens said. But it was precisely that dark quality that appealed to Haddon: Stephens wouldn’t be sentimental when it came to adapting his novel.

For “Tuck Everlasting,” the central character comes to learn that eternal life might be a curse and not a blessing. It explores living in the moment and the meaning of life and death. Shear was naturally attracted to it.

“Children’s’ literature is so potent,” she said. “All great children’s literature has death in it – Beth dies in ‘Little Women,’ the horse dies in ‘Black Beauty,’ ‘Bambi.’ Any great children’s book deals with things that are so profound. It isn’t just the pretty dress.”

She teamed up with Tim Federle – who has written a series of children’s books like “Better Nate Than Ever” and just published “The Great American Whatever,” his first young adult novel.

Federle said their object was to not just write a good show for children but one adults and children could love.

“Our goal is to always give them a sophisticated show that feels like it’s worth a Broadway ticket price but that evokes the magic of being young,” he said.

More family-friendly musicals are expected to land on Broadway in the next 18 months, including “Frozen” led by edgy director Alex Timbers, “Anastasia” with a book by Tony-winner Terrence McNally and another Dahl adaptation, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Kelly, who created a truly unforgettable villain in the terrifying headmistress Miss Trunchbull for “Matilda,” said his advice for any young adult adapters is always to focus on the story, not the audience.

“Kids, more than anything else, are responding to a story. They just want to be told a good story. And if you can’t do that, then you’ve got no chance with them,” he said. And, he advised: Don’t hold back: “We really do expect them to be stupid, but they’re big thinkers. They love a big old think.”

In the loop

For those of you making the arduous drive to Hana for the East Maui Taro Festival on April 30, you may want to come a day early to savor a cultural event of the Hawaiian kind.

You may join edible Hawaiian Islands, Hana Ranch and Travaasa Hana as they kick off the fest in their own way with a Poi Supper on Friday, April 29, at Hana Ranch in East Maui.

“The Poi Supper celebrates our cultural tradition of having a bowl of poi on your dinner table and your sharing food and knowledge with family and community,” says Dania Katz, the publisher of edible Hawaiian Islands and host of Poi Supper, held across the state (see related story).

“This event presents a special opportunity for the public to join us at our table, talk story and enjoy a meal while taking action and inspiring positive change.”

The Poi Supper includes pupu and Koloa Rum cocktails, the latter to be created by Matthew Biancaniello, a visiting cocktail chef from Los Angeles.

It will also include a Hana Ranch tour with farm manager Angie McGinness, a poi-pounding demonstration by Viliami Tukuafu of Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike and a four-course locally grown dinner prepared by Hana Ranch Chef Jon Watson and Travaasa Hana Chef Jay Johnson – all with an ocean view.

The Poi Supper at Hana Ranch will take place at 5670 Hana Highway past Hana town toward Hamoa Bay from 4 to 6 p.m. April 29.

“At Hana Ranch, we’re strong believers in leveraging the power of food to strengthen our island community,” says Watson of Hana Ranch.

“We’re excited to collaborate with edible Hawaiian Islands and Travaasa Hana on Poi Supper, an event that truly honors the relationship between culture, food and community, while raising funds for an important cause.”

All dinner proceeds will benefit the Hana Youth Center nonprofit organization that seeks to grow as well as support the next generation in Hana.

“Hana’s youth is Hana’s future, and the Hana Youth Center provides kids with a place to have fun and be safe in a positive environment,” says Travaasa Hana Chef Johnson. “We are honored to partner with Hana Youth Center and support them with the Poi Supper.”

The Hana Youth Center was established in 1986 as an after-school drop-in center for the youth of the town.

According to its literature, “The center prides itself in providing a setting that is fun and free from the influence of tobacco, drugs, and violence where Hawaiian values are promoted.

“Hana is one of Hawaii’s most isolated communities, and despite its postcard beauty, the town struggles with socioeconomic issues that can leave youth vulnerable to bad influences. The Hana Youth Center’s mission is to inspire youth to make positive decisions and impressions that last a lifetime.

Never working off a cocktail menu, Biancaniello visits five different local farmers markets a week to source ingredients, which inspire his imaginative drinks. For this Poi Supper, the chef will be foraging from the ranch to create cocktails with Koloa Rum Co.

Sip a drink and munch pupu of Hana Ranch skirt steak satay in peanut sauce; white beet and skewers with pea shoots and fennel; and wonton cup salad with bok choy, mac nuts and salanova lettuce.

Then the farm manager will lead a tour.

“Hana Ranch Farm produce is grown organically without the use of harmful synthetic chemicals or genetically modified seeds,” a press release states. “Caring for the land, it can deliver the best produce to its customers and strengthen the foundation of the island community.”

Then sit down to a dinner of Hana Ranch taro made into cakes with salad of mixed greens, tomato, Maui onion, pohole fern and a ginger soy dressing by Chef Johnson of Travaasa.

“The taro cake is almost au gratin and layered with fresh coconut,” says the chef, who is from the Big Island, where he formerly led the kitchen at the Volcano House.

Johnson will create a dessert of ginger-lemongrass and taro cobbler with coconut whipped cream.

Other courses by Hana Ranch chef Watson are laulau of fresh fish and Hana Ranch beef with sweet potato, cherry tomatoes and herbs.

Tickets are $95 and available at www.hanapoisupper.eventbrite.com.

Travaasa happenings

While Travaasa Hana is not officially part of the East Maui Taro Festival, it offers a cool and relaxing sit-down reprieve for those who want to stick around for dinner or live music after the fest is over.

Kamaaina may dine at the newly rebranded The Preserve Kitchen + Bar and receive 20 percent off the food bill with Hawaii ID.

“To honor the agriculture and community of Hana, we’re excited to increase our support of local ranchers, farmers and fishermen,” says David MacIlwraith, general manager of the iconic 70-room resort.

“Part of the magic of travel is to experience a destination authentically. Enjoying local cuisine is one of the best ways to do that.”

Several taro specials will be offered that weekend by Chef Johnson.

“We’ll do poisson cru with fresh Hana ono that you can dip taro chips into,” he says. “And we’ll do taro-chip-crusted Hana-caught ahi. With weather permitting, we get snappers in from onaga to opakapaka for our entrees.”

Many of you may remember Food & Beverage Director Sharon Jahns, who managed Joe’s in Wailea and before that Sam Choy’s in Lahaina. She and the chef work with local farmers utilizing watercress from Keanae and pohole ferns from Hana Herbs & Flowers and more in the dishes.

The hotel also completed an extensive $12 million guest room restoration project at the end of 2015.

“We’ve finished and we have relaunched the brand and it’s a nice and exciting product to sell,” says GM MacIlwraith. “And we are also increasing the experiential aspects with fire-by-friction classes, Hawaiian spear fishing, bamboo pole fishing, hula lessons, coconut husking, lei making, ukulele lessons, outrigger canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding and much more.”

Travaasa will extend special kamaaina rates throughout the taro fest weekend as it does throughout the year. But don’t try to book a stay at the Sea Ranch cottages. They have been rebranded as the Ocean Bungalows with new artwork and furniture.

On the culinary side, guests may take tours to Ono Farms in Kipahulu to listen to Chuck and Lily Boerner talk about their incredible organic edibles from rambutans to jackfruit to Meyer lemons to lychees.

Or sign up for the new Hana Gold Cacao Farm Tour and Tasting at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays each week. It’s the only farm-to-bar chocolate experience on Maui and all the rage with those who try it. The farm is located on Ulaino Road near the Kahanu Gardens.

“We have some chocolate bars here but we have to put them under lock and key,” says Travaasa’s Assistant General Manager Marni Aina.

“We moved them to Hubert’s office, I think,” MacIlwraith adds. “When we find them we eat them.”

Community minded

MacIlwraith was an Eagle Scout as a young man and went on to have a great love of the outdoors to run properties from the Grand Tetons to the Grand Canyon to Death Valley to the Volcano House in Volcanoes National Park.

“We’ve just launched the Learning for Life Explorer pilot program for boys 14 to 21 years of age,” he says. “It’s the first hospitality experience in Hawaii and the Western region of the United States.”

An open house for boys in this age bracket was held at the hotel recently and nine kids showed up.

“That’s a pretty good turnout because there are only 70 kids in the Hana school system,” says MacIlwraith, whose son is the lone Boy Scout in Hana town so far.

The pilot program interests the kids about possible jobs in the hospitality industry.

“Most of the kids are in the 9th and 10th grades and some of them have parents and even grandparents who have worked here at the hotel.”

In the pilot program, they learn how to apply for a job and take guest-service classes, dress in uniform and learn what each department does as they shadow workers.

“Each team is different and yet we all focus on the guests,” says Aina. “Even if they don’t end up working for us, they’ll have skills to get them ready for what goes on in the world outside of Hana.”

* Carla Tracy can be reached at carlatracy@mauinews.com.

In the loop

Women have always been an integral part of crafting culture, and now, with help from the Internet, they’re at the forefront of the current “maker” movement around the world.

Hobbies can become thriving sidelines or full-time livelihoods. At Etsy.com, a major online crafts marketplace that launched in Brooklyn in 2005, most of the sellers are women, says Heather Jassy, a senior vice president for the site. She says women make up 86 percent of the site’s sellers in America, 94 percent in Australia and 91 percent in Canada, for example.

“We hear from our sellers that they want to make a life, not just a living,” she says. “Starting a creative business gives many women the opportunity not just to follow their passion, but to retain their autonomy and build flexibility into their lives.”

Greta de Parry of Chicago grew up on her dad’s construction sites, poring over blueprints.

“I always knew I’d follow some kind of creative path,” she says. “I just didn’t know what.” In a first-year woodworking class at the Art Institute of Chicago, she fell in love with furniture making.

“It felt so natural to me, I didn’t think twice about it.”

She started her own line of custom pieces in 2009, and in 2014 opened an Etsy shop. Among her works are geometric stools, bar carts and bread boards made of hand-cast concrete, powder-coated steel and locally sourced hardwood. Last year, she won an award at Dwell on Design in Los Angeles for her Coleman steel stool. (www.etsy.com/shop/gretadeparrydesign)

Evan Gray Gregory of Seattle, who used to design displays at Macy’s, turned her interest in woodworking into a business when she came up with a clever fix for a common problem. She’d gotten a new cat, and decided that a standard, pet-store litter box wasn’t going to work.

“I couldn’t find anything out there to blend with our collection of midcentury modern pieces,” she said.

She designed and built a stylish litter box that drew raves from friends, and she opened Modernist Cat on Etsy in 2010. The line now includes walnut- and maple-finished crates, elevated bowls and consoles that combine a storage shelf with a scratching pad, all designed with a midcentury modern flair. (www.etsy.com/shop/modernistcat)

Amelia McDonell-Parry, Spin Media’s editor-at-large and an amateur weaver, says Instagram has become a powerful player.

“Over the last few years, a community of mostly female creators has exploded on the app, including both professional makers and on-the-side hobbyists, many of whom have seen sales grow along with their follower accounts,” she says.

She posts pictures of her textile pieces. “I’ve built up the majority of what following I have through Instagram, where makers are super-vocal about supporting each other’s work and celebrating each other’s achievements, whether it’s launching a collection with a cool local shop, or hitting a milestone in terms of followers or sales, or learning a new skill,” she says. (www.etsy.com/shop/ilLOOMiKNOTiweavings)

Home-decor trends favoring handmade and bespoke goods have helped turn furniture, woodwork, ceramics and fiber arts like macrame and weaving into some of the biggest growth areas on Etsy, says the site’s merchandising manager, Emily Bidwell.

In some countries, talented craftswomen are doing more than pursuing personal creative paths: They’re helping bring income to their communities.

Norlha Textiles, a textile-making atelier, is perched high on a Tibetan plateau. It was started by Kim Yechi, an American expatriate married to a Tibetan. Nomadic women design, produce and sell textiles made from khullu, the soft under-fur of the yak. The luxurious material, similar to cashmere, has been turned into runway collections at Lanvin and Balmain, and finished goods are also sold on the atelier’s website. (www.norlhatextiles.com)

And in the small Nicaraguan coastal town of El Cerro, the Oyanca collective of more than 25 women weave pine needles with threads and ribbons into colorful boxes, baskets and accessories. They’ve been aided by several international product designers who’ve helped them come up with items that will appeal to the contemporary craft market.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
     
Support Local Journalism on Maui

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today