Manoa leads drama nominations

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By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

The nominations are out, and Manoa Valley Theatre has a pace-setting 31 nominations in 17 out of 21 categories, as Hawaii's theater community starts the count down to the 19th annual Po'okela Banquet & Awards Ceremony next month.

Keoki Kerr and Jodi Leong will preside at the show and celebration, where the Hawaii State Theatre Council honors excellence in local theater with awards in performance and production categories.

The judges also may present up to two awards for contributions towards excellence in local theater that don't fit any of the established categories, the HSTC Board of Directors will bestow its Pierre Bowman Award, and each participating theater group will honor its volunteer of the year.

MVT's 31 Po'okela nominations are spread among its productions of "Smokey Joe's Cafe," "The Wash," "Over the River and Through the Woods" and "Wit." Diamond Head Theatre is second with 25 nominations spread among "Jekyll & Hyde," "Blithe Spirit," "Mame" and "Titanic."

Productions by 10 local theater companies have been nominated in at least one category.

Two of Hawaii's major local theater groups, Honolulu Theatre for Youth and Kumu Kahua, chose not to participate. That denies a significant number of talented local performers and playwrights the opportunity to be acknowledged and also leaves the judges with very slim pickings each year in the "Original Script" category.

Po'okela banquet Where: Ko'olau Golf Club When: 6 p.m. July 22 Tickets: $50 ($35 for Hawaii State Theatre Council members); VIP tables are $400 for eight and $500 for 10 Call: 261-3475

The nominees reflect the arrival of several fresh new talents in local theater. Perennial nominees John Rampage, Joyce Maltby, Becky Maltby and Shari Lynn are back as finalists, but so are talented first-timers including Frankie Enos ("Rain"), Brent Yoshikami ("Wit"), Marika Dillard ("Smokey Joe's Cafe"), and costume designer Athena Espania ("Song of Singapore").

First-time nominee Kanoa Goo, who appeared as young Patrick Dennis in DHT's "Mame," is a finalist for Featured Male in a Musical along with Cori Vas, who played Dennis as an adult. Vas' nomination, however, is for his performance as Frederick Barrett in DHT's epic musical "Titanic." DHT's "Titanic" also produced a nomination for Douglas S. Scheer, who portrayed shipbuilder Thomas Andrews.

A selection from "Titanic" will be performed on Po'okela night in keeping with the tradition of showcasing each of the nominated shows in the Overall Musical category.

Other finalists in the category are "Mame" (DHT), "On Dragonfly Wings" (Ohia Productions), "Song of Singapore" (MVT) and Hawaii Pacific University's odd production of "James Joyce's The Dead."

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2002 PO'OKELA NOMINEES

Theater group abbreviations:
ACT: Army Community Theatre
DHT: Diamond Head Theatre
HPU: Hawaii Pacific University
KAPA: Kona Association for the Performing Arts
LCC: Leeward Community College
MVT: Manoa Valley Theatre
OHIA: Ohia Productions
PUN: Punahou
TAG: The Actors Group
UH: UH Manoa

Leading Male in a Play
Joe Abraham, "Over the River and Through the Woods," MVT
Noah Johnson, "Equus," TAG
Eric Nemoto, "Equus," TAG
Allen Y. Okubo, "The Wash," MVT
Jim Tharp, "You Can't Take It With You," HPU

Leading Female in a Play
Betty Burdick, "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds," TAG
Betty Burdick, "Wit," MVT
Florence Chang, "The Wash," MVT
Kathy Cullis, "The Night of the Iguana," KAPA
Jan McGrath, "The Insanity Case of Mrs. A. Lincoln," TAG

Leading Male in a Musical
Dion Donahue, "Oliver!" ACT
Josh Harris, "Annie," DHT
Laurence Paxton, "Jekyll & Hyde," DHT
Dennis Proulx, "My Fair Lady," ACT
Kevin Yamada, "Flower Drum Song," ACT

Leading Female in a Musical
Paige Finch, "Annie," DHT
Kaitlin Kiyan, "Oliver!" ACT
Shari Lynn, "Mame," DHT
Stefanie Okuda, "Flower Drum Song," ACT
Janel Parrish, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA

Featured Male in a Play
John C. D'Auria, "Over the River and Through the Woods," MVT
John Hunt, "You Can't Take It With You," HPU
Dann Seki, "The Wash," MVT
Hayden De M. Yates, "Equus," TAG
Brent Yoshikami, "Wit," MVT

Featured Female in a Play
Sharon Adair, "Over the River and Through the Woods," MVT
Christine Berwin, "Eco-Circus," UH
Frankie Enos, "Rain," TAG
Becky Maltby, "You Can't Take It With You," HPU
Lei Spadaccini, "Wit," MVT

Featured Male in a Musical
Dion Donahue, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
Kanoa Goo, "Mame," DHT
Greg Howell, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Douglas S. Scheer, "Titanic," DHT
Cori Vas, "Titanic," DHT

Featured Female in a Musical
Mary Chesnut Hicks, "Titanic," DHT
Marika Dillard, "Smokey Joe's Cafe," MVT
Wisa D'Orso, "Mame," DHT
Katie Leiva, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Eden-Lee Murray, "James Joyce's The Dead," HPU

Choreography
Cathy Foy, "Song of Singapore," MVT
John Rampage, "Mame," DHT
Andrew Sakaguchi, "Smokey Joe's Cafe," MVT
Andrew Sakaguchi & Ka'ohi Yojo, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA

Director of A Play
Lyn Kajiwara Ackerman, "The Wash," MVT
Roger Long, "Wit," MVT
Joyce Maltby, "You Can't Take It With You," HPU
Brad Powell, "Equus," TAG

Director of A Musical
Karen Bumatai, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Joyce Maltby, "James Joyce's the Dead," HPU
Lisa Matsumoto, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
John Rampage, "Mame," DHT
Andrew Sakaguchi, "Smokey Joe's Cafe," MVT

Musical Director
Roslyn Catracchia, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
Lina Jeong Doo, "Flower Drum Song," ACT
Melina Lillios, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Melina Lillios, "Titanic," DHT
Emmett Yoshioka, "Annie," DHT

Set Design
Joseph Dodd, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
Joseph D. Dodd, "Wit," MVT
Tom Giza, "Oliver!" ACT
Patrick M. Kelly, "Blithe Spirit," DHT
Patrick M. Kelly, "Titanic," DHT

Costume design
Sukey Dickinson, "Titanic," DHT
Athena Espania, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Sandra Finney, "Much Ado About Nothing," UH
Vickie Van Wagner, "Trudi and the Minstrel," PUN
Karen G. Wolfe & John Rampage, "Mame," DHT

Lighting design
Cathie Anderson, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Stephen Clear, "Jekyll & Hyde," DHT
Stephen Clear, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
Ed James, "Wit," MVT

Sound design
Roslyn Catracchia, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
Jason Taglianetti, "Song of Singapore," MVT
Jason Taglianetti, "Wit," MVT
Kurt Yamasaki, "Titanic," DHT

Non-resident guest artist
Isabelle Decauwert, "Jekyll & Hyde" (actor), DHT
Hugh Hanson, "On Dragonfly Wings" (costumes), OHIA
Jade Stice, "Jekyll & Hyde" (director and choreographer), DHT
Jennifer Waldman, "Titanic" (director and choreographer), DHT

Ensemble
"James Joyce's The Dead," HPU
"Smokey Joe's Cafe," MVT
"Song of Singapore," MVT
"Titanic," DHT
"World Blend," LCC

Original Script
Karen Yamamoto Hackler, "Eco-Circus," UH
Lisa Matsumoto and Roslyn Catracchia, "On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
Garrick Paikai, Phillip Bullington and Michael Jerome Mariani II, "World Blend," LCC

Overall Musical
"James Joyce's the Dead," HPU
"Mame," DHT
"On Dragonfly Wings," OHIA
"Song of Singapore," MVT
"Titanic," DHT

Overall Play
"Equus," TAG
"Over the River and Through the Woods," MVT
"The Wash," MVT
"Wit," MVT
"You Can't Take It With You," HPU

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