Hawaii
IS there a local angle, you ask? But of course. As mentioned here earlier, one of the show's producers is young Kevin McCollum, son of late Hawaii writer Sue McCollum. His stepfather for a time was Janos Gereben, former Star-Bulletin music critic, and I'd love to hear what he has to say about "Rent." The ages of the entire cast of the show range from 21 to 34. And one cast member is 28-year-old Aiko Nakasone, who grew up in Honolulu where she specialized in Okinawan dance. In that mad mix of types making up the cast, she should fit in well ...
MOVING right along from music to bagpipes - just kidding, all you pipers out there - if you didn't get enough of them on Paddy's Day, there're more to come. The Scottish Highlanders will perform at the Hawaiian Scottish Festival March 30-31, and word is they'll be playing "The Yellow Rose of Texas." That reminds me of the marvelous cartoon by Interlandi, who attended the University of Iowa, as I did. While there, he published a book of cartoons, and on the back was my favorite. The Iowa all-girl bagpipe band, also called the Scottish Highlanders, was marching in a wavy line off the football field after a performance and one piper says to another, "I was playing 'The Yellow Rose of Texas.' What were you playing?" ...
Jim BeckerMY former columnar colleague Jim Becker, now retired, is back from Chicago where he took in his 52nd Wagnerian "Ring Cycle." He describes the experience as monumental - so what else is new? - and he was surprised and pleased to find himself at a press dinner seated at a table with August Everding, who directed the weeklong epic. Everding, discovering Becker was a Wagnerite from Hawaii, had a few private words with him. He told him that he was producing Wagner's "Tristan" in Munich in May and famous conductor Loren Maazel was insistent that he dispose of the original tenor and sign the one who sang "Tannhauser" in Honolulu in January. Becker, who gives talks explaining productions of the Hawaii Opera Theatre, told Everding that the tenor was Jon Frederic West, and that he was indeed an excellent Wagnerian singer. "I gave him a good review," reports Becker, adding that the German director seemed relieved to hear it ...
Jo Pruden
MORE on the performing arts. Manoa Valley Theatre has cast Jo Pruden, Patrice Scott and Kristine Altwies as the "Three Tall Women" in the 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Edward Albee, opening April 17 ...