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‘Angels in America’
The winners By John Berger
takes wing at
Po‘okela Awards
Special to the Star-BulletinIt was almost exactly a year ago that Po'okela Award-winner Martha Walstrum asked those attending the 1999 Po'okela Awards to not overlook Manoa Valley Theatre's production of "Angels In America: Perestroika" (Playwright Tony Kushner's controversial look at the AIDS holocaust was part of MVT's 1998-99 play schedule but considered part of the 1999-2000 season for Po'okela adjudication).
Walstrum's fears were finally laid to rest when "Angels" received five awards, including Best Overall Play, as the Hawaii State Theatre Council presented the 17th Annual Po'okela Awards at the Ko'olau Country Club last night.
"Angels" came out the top award-winning show of the night. Wins by MVT's productions of "Of Mice And Men" and "Forever Plaid" added five more for a total of 10 new "Pokies" for MVT. "
Diamond Head Theatre was again the top recipient overall with a total of 11 awards including two for DHT Artistic Director John Rampage; four of the 11 went to "Phantom." Hawaii Pacific University scored six awards, Army Community Theatre earned three for "Big River," and the UH-Manoa Kennedy Theatre program received one award each for its superb productions of "The Snow Queen and the Goblin" and "The Summer Festival: A Mirror Of Osaka."
Beyond the business at hand the evening had a fresh ambience. The HSTC had moved the show from Waikiki to Windward Oahu and the event was sold out. HSTC President Stephanie Curtis Conching and committee chairman Chuck Anctil presided over a smoothly produced social event.Socializing aside, the actual awards ceremony started more than 30 minutes late and the last recipients didn't receive their awards until after 11. Veteran co-hosts Jodi Leong and Keoki Kerr did what they could to speed things up in the final hour. Gemini Burke, Joseph Morales, John Rampage, and DHT Managing Director Deena Dray were among the recipients who kept their remarks concise and to the point.
Credit the Plaids -- Terry Howell, Andrew Meader, Michael Pa'ekukui and Andrew Sakaguchi reprising their roles in MVT's production of "Forever Plaid" -- with adding a welcome and invigorating burst of comic energy to the final hour of the proceedings. The quartet rocked the house when it needed to be rocked!
It was a bittersweet night for Melissa Short, who was nominated twice in the "Leading Female (Musical)" category for her work in "Cinderella" and "Phantom." She won for "Phantom" and told the crowd that her gown was one of her costumes from the show and that the win entitled her to keep it! When she sang a selection from "Cinderella" later in the evening it was her last public performance in Hawaii. She is already en route to New York.
Duets by Laurence Paxton and Mike Galizia, and Joseph Morales and Gemini Burke, and an ensemble number by cast members from HPU's "Tintypes," recreated highlights from three of the year's other popular musicals.
Here are the 1999-2000 Po'okela winners:
Leading male in a play:
Dan Hale, "Of Mice and Men," Manoa Valley Theatre
Leading female in a play:
Leading male in a musical:
Leading female in a musical:
Featured male in a play:
Featured female in a play:
Featured male in a musical:
Featured female in a musical:
Choreography:
Director of a play:
Director of a musical:
Musical director:
Set design:
Costume design:
Lighting design:
Sound design:
Non-resident guest artist:
Ensemble:
Original script:
Overall musical:
Overall play:
Special excellence award:
Excellence in Service award:
Pierre Bowman Award
ACT: Army Community Theatre
DHT: Diamond Head Theatre
HOT: Hawaii Opera Theatre
HPU: Hawaii Pacific University Theatre
LLC: Leeward Community College Theatre
MVT: Manoa Valley Theatre
TAG: The Actors' Group
UH: University of Hawaii -- Manoa Kennedy Theatre
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