COURTESY OF HPU
Prince John (Derek Elder, left) and Prince Richard (James Locke) toast each other's future success in Hawaii Pacific University's "The Lion in Winter."
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Cast ably conveys English royal intrigue
The dysfunctional families who appear on low-brow talk shows have nothing on the family of Henry Plantagenet. Henry kept his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, imprisoned for years while she and their three surviving sons, and the King of France as well, plotted against him -- and sometimes against each other as well. One of the "pawns" in their intrigues was Alais (or Alys), Countess of the Vexin and half sister of King Philip II of France, who was betrothed to Henry's son, Richard, but became Henry's teenage mistress instead.
"THE LION IN WINTER"
Presented by Hawaii Pacific University:
Place: Paul and Vi Loo Theatre, 45-045 Kamehameha Hwy.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday to Dec. 10.
Tickets: $20 general (discounts are available)
Call: 375-1283
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That, in a nutshell, is the back-story for Hawaii Pacific University's production of James Goldman's historical drama, "The Lion in Winter," a fascinating, albeit fictionalized, tale of power politics in 12th-century Europe. With three members of the cast making Hawaii stage debuts, and a fourth taking on a major role for the first time, HPU's "Lion" is noteworthy. Each "newbie" makes important contributions to the production's success.
James Locke is a powerful and commanding presence as Richard (the Lion-Hearted), the oldest surviving son and a proven military commander, who resents Henry's announcement that he plans to leave the kingdom to youngest brother, John, instead. Locke seethes and blusters convincingly but delivers one of the most believable moments of vulnerability as well.
Derek Elder is excellent in playing John as a childish dolt easily manipulated by his brothers and mother. Kyle Goff portrays young King Philip as a royal with a chip on his shoulder, and who perhaps is not quite the callow lad Henry originally believes him to be.
Myra Beth Morrison (Alais) makes a memorable debut as Henry's mistress, touching the heart through every plot twist and turn. Her final scenes are the show's most poignant.
Local stage veteran Gene DeFrancis (Geoffrey) plays the passed-over but politically astute middle son as a volatile mix of anger and deceit. His is a winning performance as well.
Tom and Holly Holowach are perfectly matched as Henry and Eleanor. Tom has such a good time playing an all-powerful power broker that there are few hints of the king's amoral ruthlessness, but the story is written so that we'll forgive Henry almost anything. Holly's commanding treatment of the far more complicated role of Eleanor evokes fond comparisons to Jo Pruden. Eleanor is the type of pragmatic, tart-tongued character that Pruden excels at, and Holly's delivery and tone seem to match the veteran actress completely. Eleanor feigns a far broader range of emotions than Henry, and Holly succeeds in conveying Eleanor's pain while ensuring that we don't believe a word she says.
"Lion" holds the greatest entertainment value for people unacquainted with English history, but the HPU production is first-rate theater for all.