Kahilu Theatre Announces 38th Season of Events

Kahilu Theatre. Photo courtesy kahilutheatre.org.

Kahilu Theatre has announced a series of 52 performances, exhibits, musical theatre, classes and educational camps for 2018 and 2019. This year will be the 38th season for the Waimea-based theatre, which first opened in 1981 through support from Parker Ranch owner and renowned Broadway performer Richard Smart.

“Many patrons, some of whom have been in our audience since opening night, have said that Richard Smart could not have imagined the scope and impact of his original dream for Kahilu, and how proud he would be of what his Theatre has become,” said Artistic Director Chuck Gessert. “Our goal is to offer something for everyone and to celebrate the creative spirit.”

“I am delighted to be a part of another exciting year reflecting the community’s aloha for this special Theatre,” said Kahilu Theatre Board President Mimi Kerley. “Our organization has gone through profound change over the past five years, and I have great confidence we will continue to serve our community as a vibrant hale for the arts.”

Performances

South Pacific
Kahilu Theatre’s Artistic Director Chuck Gessert will bring to Waimea the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The show will feature a great mix of stage talent including Larry Adams as Emile De Becque, Makana as Lieutenant Joe Cable and a full pit orchestra.

• Friday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 2, 4 p.m.

Na Leo
Na Leo is the biggest selling Hawaiian female music group in the world. They have been writing, composing, and performing contemporary Hawaiian music since 1982 and have received over 20 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards included Group of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

• Saturday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m.

Zodiac Trio
The Zodiac Trio (Kliment Krylovskiy, clarinet; Vanessa Mollard, violin; Riko Higuma, piano) enjoys an international concert schedule that consistently spans three continents and is recognized by many to be one of the foremost ensembles of its kind performing today.

• Sunday, Sept. 30, 4 p.m.

Harold López-Nussa Trio
Harold Lopez-Nussa is a pianist and composer from Havana, Cuba. His music reflects the full range and richness of Cuban music, with a distinct combination of classical, folk and popular elements, as well as jazz improvisation and interaction.

• Saturday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Mark Salman
Mark Salman’s performance in the Kahilu Steinway Series was a highpoint of the 2016 and ’17 Season. The Seattle-based master artist will return to play Kahilu’s Model D concert grand for an outstanding solo piano event.

• Sunday, Oct. 21, 4 p.m.

Henry Kapono & Jerry Santos
Henry Kapono will host three concerts with contemporary legends performing songs and stories about music. The artists will play individual hits and collaboratively jam together. The opening concert will feature Jerry Santos. Best known for his work in the group Olomana, Jerry has been an influential presence in the Hawaiian music scene for four decades.

Churchill
Long before the film The Darkest Hour, actor Ron Keaton created a brilliant one-man show offering a glimpse into the character of this important world leader. Keaton’s Churchill ran for six months at New World Stages and enjoyed multiple extensions at the Greenhouse Theatre in Chicago

• Sunday, Oct. 28, 4 p.m.

Pink Martini
Pink Martini is a Portland-based group, rollicking their musical chops on yet another around-the-world adventure. A favorite of Kahilu audiences, Pink Martini is a returning Portland band. Tickets are expected to sell out for this anticipated performance.

• Wednesday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.

Leche de Tigre
Leche de Tigre is a Kailua-Kona based Latin Gypsy Funk band whose main focus is to make people dance. Leche blends Latin percussive rhythms with Funk bass and drums, as well as Spanish, Gypsy, and Rock-inspired vocal and guitar arrangements.

• Friday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.

Iggy Jang’s Tango Extravaganza 2018!
Iggy Jang, concertmaster for the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, will be joined by other world-class musicians as well as Argentinian tango dancers during this performance.

• Sunday, Nov. 4, 4 p.m.

ʻUkulele & Slack Key Guitar Fest
Our 16th annual legendary music event will include Jake Shimabukuro, Jeff Peterson, Sonny Lim, Led Kaʻapana, Nathan Aweau, Mike Kaʻawa and more. A festival like no other in the state, musicians play together to inspire the next generation of ‘ukulele and ki ho’alu performers.

• Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 17, 4 p.m.

Niall de Búrca
Niall de Búrca is one of Ireland’s finest traditional storytellers. Recognized for the diversity of his tales and talents he has a talent for reaching hearts and minds of all ages.

• Sunday, Nov. 18, 4 p.m.

Henry Kapono & Keola Beamer
The second installment of Henry Kapono sharing the stage with Keola Beamer to talk story and share their love of music. Beamer was one of the first to use Hawaiian Slack Key techniques to create contemporary music that is also at home on jazz or classical stages.

• Saturday, Nov. 24, 7 p.m.

Waimea Community Chorus: Holiday Concert
The International Carol Suits, I-V arranged by Mark Hayes originally premiered in November 2017 at Carnegie Hall in New York. Each suit features carols from a different part of the world. The International Carol Suite is accompanied by a chamber orchestra.

Alsarah & the Nubatones
Alsarah is a singer, songwriter, bandleader and ethnomusicologist. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, she relocated to Yemen with her family before abruptly moving to the U.S. and making a home in Brooklyn, NY where she has lived since 2004. She is a self-proclaimed practitioner of East-African Retro-Pop music. Working on various projects, she has toured both nationally and internationally.

• Friday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m.

Kalani eʻa Christmas Show
After last year’s Kahilu Theatre premiere and sold-out performance, Kalani eʻa returns with a new and festive Christmas Show steeped in Hawaiian tradition. His Christmas song, Kanakaloka, was recently nominated for a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Hawaiian Single of the Year.

• Saturday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m.

Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland
Award-winning dynamo Angela Ingersoll celebrates American icon Judy Garland, as seen on PBS. Through passionate storytelling and a natural humor, Angela captures Garland’s emotion and vocal power. Presented by Artist Lounge Live.

• Saturday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 13, 4 p.m.

Henry Kapono & Malani Bilyeu
The third and final performance of our three-part series hosted by Henry Kapono with Hawaiian music legend Malani Bilyeu. Malani was one of the founding members of the group Kalapana and has been an instrumental force in the Hawaiian music scene since the 1970’s.

• Saturday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m.

Giordano Dance Chicago
Giordano Dance Company is America’s original jazz dance company, captivating audiences worldwide with dynamic performances and the diversity and wide appeal of its repertoire.

• Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.

John Sebastian
Four decades of contributions by John Sebastian have become a permanent part of the American music legacy. His group, The Lovin’ Spoonfuls, played a major role in the mid-1960s rock revolution with songs like Do You Believe in Magic?, You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice, Daydream and Summer In The City.

• Tuesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m.

Derek Gripper
Derek Gripper is a solo classical guitarist from Cape Town, South Africa. Specializing in the kora music of Mali, his talent conveys a distant culture that fuses time and space.

• Friday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m.

Moore & Maroudas 2
The duo behind one of Kahilu’s most popular concerts last season return for an evening on two pianos. Cheryl “Quack” Moore and Anthony Maroudas will perform live renditions of Shostakovich, Mozart, Cui, Debussy-Ravel, Guastavino and a blockbuster finale: the Rachmaninoff 2nd Suite for two pianos, Op. 17.

• Sunday, Feb. 3, 4 p.m.

Tomas Kubinek: Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible
Tomas Kubinek is a collision of theatre and classic music-hall performance art. His exuberant one-man show is equal parts comic brilliance, virtuosic vaudeville and irresistible charm. This performance is not appropriate for small children.

• Wednesday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.

Chunhajeil Tal Gongiakso (a.k.a. The Greatest Masque)
Founded in 2006, the company’s work is rooted in the traditional Korean mask dance, Talchum. Their 2019 tour in the Hawaiian Islands will consist of various traditional Korean mask dances and music.

• Friday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Jacob Jonas: The Company
Led by 25-year-old namesake, Jacob Jonas, The Company is gaining an international profile for its honest storytelling, visceral performances and visual content creation. A mix of contemporary ballet and acrobatic movement guaranteed to honor and celebrate the art of dance.

• Tuesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.

Brother Noland
Brother Noland is an impact player. His first smash hit Coconut Girl gave Hawaiian music its own genre in the international music scene. Like any true innovator, Noland refuses to be easily defined. He excels in traditional Hawaiian music, slack key and Hawaiian swing.

• Saturday, March 9, 7 p.m.

Daniel Hsu
Twenty-year-old American pianist Daniel Hsu captured the bronze medal at the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2017. He is increasingly recognized for his virtuosity and bold musicianship.

• Sunday, March 10, 4 p.m.

L.A. Dance Project
L.A. Dance Project is a platform for the development, creation, support and presentation of world-class, contemporary dance in Los Angeles.

• Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m.

Ana Vidovic
A major force in the classical guitar world, Ana Vidovic has a finely honed technique and remarkable stylistic sensitivity that allows her to communicate eloquently. A child prodigy, she started playing guitar at the age of five in Croatia. Inspired by her brother Viktor, Ana began performing at the age of eight.

• Thursday, March 21, 7 p.m.

Zakir Hussain with Niladri Kumar
A master percussionist and classical Indian tabla virtuoso of the highest order, Zakir Hussain’s consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his own country, but have also earned him worldwide fame.

• Friday, March 22, 7 p.m.

Laurence Hobgood Trio
Grammy winner Laurence Hobgood is a contemporary jazz piano virtuoso, composer, arranger, producer, lyricist and educator. Perhaps best known for his twenty-year collaboration with vocalist Kurt Elling, Hobgood has enjoyed a varied and dynamic career.

• Sunday, April 7, 4 p.m.

Taimane: Elemental – a musical and theatrical odyssey
Taimane Gardner has been blowing away audiences for most of her 26 years. Her debut album Elemental is a musical and theatrical odyssey exploring the elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and related spheres through music, dance, narration and costume.

• Saturday, April 13, 7 p.m.

Robert Cazimero
In the 1970’s Robert Cazimero and his family were the driving force behind the Hawaiian renaissance of arts and culture. That resurgence launched his career in which, now, thirty years later, is stronger than ever. Musician, composer, kumu hula; his work in each of these areas is known throughout the world. No Kahilu Season would be complete without hosting the man whose voice in story or song makes us take flight.

• Saturday, May 11, 7 p.m.

Waimea Community Chorus
Waimea Community Chorus presents music recorded by Queen, ABBA, Jim Croce, Three Dog Night, Led Zeppelin, Carole King and more. Songs from musicals Evita, A Chorus Line, The Wiz, and Phantom of the Opera will round out the sounds of the 1970s.

• Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m.
• Sunday, May 26, 4 p.m.

West Side Story
Directed by Beth Dunnington and choreographed by Angel Prince, West Side Story will showcase Kahilu Theatre’s Youth Troupe. The production will extend the students’ singing, acting and dancing horizons in this musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

• Friday, June 21, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, June 22, 7 p.m.
• Sunday, June 23, 4 p.m.

Exhibits

The Leaping Place: Matt Shallenberger
The Leaping Place is a series of large-format landscape photographs meant to illustrate two stories: first, the artist’s family, who immigrated to Hawaiʻi from the Portuguese Azores in the 1880s, and second, the Kumulipo, the ancient Hawaiian creation chant. Named after the places from which departed souls begin their journeys to the underworld, the project aims to discover connections between different Hawaiʻi communities, exploring landscapes of their diverse pasts and shared present.

• Aug. 31 to Oct. 8, 2018

and the remaining ashes are facts: Amanda Lee
Amanda Lee is a multimedia artist and poetic printmaking activist who is fascinated with the possibilities that exist in the space that fills a pause, be it emotional or physical.

• Oct, 26 to Dec. 21, 2018

Voyager 2019
Held in conjunction with the Waimea Ocean Film Festival, this exhibition honors the Hawaiian sailing canoe Hokuleʻa and the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage completed in June 2017.

• Jan. 1 to Jan. 27, 2019

Hānauna Kapa (Kapa Generation), commemorating a new generation of practitioners: Roen Hufford and Students
Hānauna Kapa presents the growth and process of kapa making from its traditional roots to contemporary artists on Hawaiʻi Island who create kapa today. The discoveries and experiences of the community of kapa makers demonstrate how the creative spirit of the past is still alive in well in modern Hawaiian life.

• Jan. 31 to March 10, 2019

4th Annual Kahilu Juried Exhibition
The Fourth Annual Juried Exhibition will honor artists from across the state of Hawaiʻi. The 2019 juror and theme will be announced on Kahilu Theatre’s website and listed on Café in November 2018.

• March 14 to April 28, 2019

All Schools Exhibit
Curated in partnership with the Waimea Education Hui, the All Schools Exhibit showcases the artwork of students and faculty from schools throughout North Hawaiʻi.

• May 2 to June 9, 2019

UNEARTHED: Kamran Samimi
Kamran Samimi presents different ways to observe the world around us. While his materials and techniques vary, Kamran creates works of art which are both a tribute and a response to the rich landscapes found throughout Hawaiʻi. Through the use of dissection, repetition and abstraction, he seeks to uncover the essence in all things, ultimately encouraging mindful contemplation.

• June 13 to Aug. 11, 2019

smallclusters: Duncan Dempster
The current concern of Dempster’s work is the depiction of personally resonant geographic space and place through non-linear modes of representation in an attempt to balance literal perception with psychological responses to the landscape. For this body of work, he is focused on the experience of places in and around the Hamakua and Kohala districts of Hawaiʻi Island.

• June 13 to Aug. 11, 2019

Kahilu Theatre is a private, non-profit organization that has supported both professional and emerging artists for more than three decades offering arts, entertainment and education. Kahilu Theatre is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.kahilutheatre.org.