‘Curtain up!’ in manoa

 
George Irion, left, vice president and director of corporate business development of AIG Hawaii, was congratulated by Manoa Valley Theater President Jeff Portnoy, MVT Producing Director Dwight T. Martin and emcee Keoki Kerr at "Curtain Up!" MVT's 2008 spring fundraiser, Sunday at the Hawaii Convention Center. A crowd of almost 500 attended the gala dinner honoring AIG President Robin Campaniano and AIG for supporting community theater in Hawaii. With Campaniano called away on company business in Latin America, Irion represented the company.

 
Bassist Dean Taba, left, conferred with pianist Dan Del Negro as the Alethea Train Quartet was setting up after dinner. Del Negro worked solo playing dinner music and then turned the stage over to Taba and the other members of Train's group. Emcee Keoki Kerr got the after-dinner show started with a spirited rendition of "Wilkommen" from "Cabaret."

 
Veteran stage actress Kirsten Dixon (audiences saw her as Little Becky Two-Shoes in MVT's 2006 production of "Urinetown") was joined by Greg Howell and MVT Associate Producer Bree Bumatai as she inspected items up for bid in the silent auction. Bidding for some items was so competitive that some bidders found it hard to relax until the auction closed.

 
MVT Development Director Jennifer Ungacta, right, chatted with Roberta and Howard Bishop as they waited for their table to be called for dinner. It was a longish wait, but the Bishops found a full selection of fresh, hot food ready for them when their turn came.

 
MVT board member Guy Merola, left, watched the show from the entertainers' table with Zenia and Scott Moura. Merola entertained the crowd with "New York, New York" from MVT's 2004 production of "My Way"; Scott Moura starred in a superb rendition of "Mr. Cellophane"; and Zenia Moura gave the audience a preview of MVT's 2008-2009 season with "Crazy," a number she will do in September as the star of "Always, Patsy Cline."