ARMY COMMUNITY THEATRE

Shelton takes
star stage turn

When it comes to acting talent, Honolulu's television newscasters have plenty of it. There's Joe Moore, who has distinguished himself in recent years as an actor, playwright and producer of shows benefiting various arts groups. There's Jodi Leong, Keoki Kerr and Kirk Matthews, and there's Tina Shelton, who's starring opposite Ray Bumatai in Army Community Theatre's latest revival of "The King & I."

"The King & I" Presented by Army Community Theatre Where: Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Dec. 3 and 4 Tickets: $14 to $17 (children $8 to $10) Call: 438-4480

It's Shelton's second ACT show of the year -- not that she expected to be doing two shows this close together.

"It's all about the singing. I can't help but be happy when I'm singing, but it isn't about me wanting to be an entertainer," Shelton said recently, in explaining why she chooses to make the extensive time commitment associated with community theater. She had been planning to try out for another show next year, but didn't want to pass up a role in "The King & I" and wait another five or six years until ACT or Diamond Head Theatre decide to stage it again.

"I remember seeing it on television when I was a kid, and for some reason the whistle song stood out for me -- maybe because I like to whistle -- but I've always loved the music in this show."

And so Shelton is starring in the great role of Anna Leonowens, the English governess who went to Thailand in 1862 at the invitation of Thai monarch Rama IV Phra Chom Klao "Mongkut," made famous by Yul Brynner, the charismatic actor who defined the role on Broadway in 1951 and in the 1956 film.

Ray Bumatai shares billing as the king. ACT director/choreographer Jim Hutchison also cast Elitei Tatafu Jr. and Sherry Chock Wong as ill-fated lovers Lun Tha and Tuptim, with John Tolentino as the Kralahome and Cheryl Toma Sanders as Lady Thiang.

The story is set during an important period in Thai history. The Thais were attempting to defend their nation from the English, who were approaching through neighboring Burma and Malaya, and also from the French, who were subjugating Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia with equal ruthlessness. The king wanted Thailand to be recognized as a modern "civilized" country, rather than a potential colony to be conquered and exploited, so he invited the English to send a governess to teach his numerous wives and children.

SHELTON, WHO WAS pre-cast as Guinevere in ACT's spring production of "Camelot," loves "The King & I" so much that she got the lead role the old-fashioned way this time -- she auditioned for it.

"I was a little nervous (about auditioning), but when I got to the auditions and saw all these kids -- 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds (auditioning to play the king's children) -- get up there and say their names and that they were going to sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,' and then go forward, I thought, so much for (me) being nervous!"

Shelton auditioned for her first show, "My Fair Lady," also at ACT, "on a lark because I'd always loved to sing."

Starring as Liza Doolittle opposite Gary L. Anderson (Henry Higgins), S. Kalani Brady (Freddy Eynsford-Hill) and David Kleist (Alfred P. Doolittle), she remembers it was an "exhausting" experience. She waited several years before returning to ACT for "A Grand Night For Singing," a musical revue that didn't require dancing or characterization.

This year, she's found the whole process "invigorating."

"During 'Camelot' I found that I was getting more energy (as we rehearsed). It's like that vicious cycle of feeling that you're too tired to work out, but if you don't work out, you're gonna stay tired."

Another enjoyable part of the experience is "learning something brand new."

"(Television news) is so intense and so clock-driven all day long that if you take 30 seconds to do something (that's not work-related), you could miss your deadline. That's all you can focus on all day long. When I get to the theater, it requires focus but it's such a different focus. It's like going back to school, and that's very challenging.

"Community theater is by definition theater by people who have real jobs, so the rehearsal time is about the only time that you can give to learning all this new material."

Despite her stage successes to date, Shelton says she never dreamed about being an entertainer. She enjoyed singing in church and hitting "a note or two on the piano" but didn't study acting or music in school.

She considered becoming an attorney until Watergate happened and decided she no longer wanted to be involved in law or politics. She turned out to be a successful television newscaster who nevertheless has time to indulge her favorite hobby.

"When I did 'My Fair Lady' 10 years ago, it was the first time I had ever been on the stage, and it was an outlet for singing. This will be my fourth show total, and what a marvelous experience it is to be playing a woman who teaches English, and to be around the 30 gorgeous children who are in this play."