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On The Scene
John Berger
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Joaquin De Luz (Count Albrecht), left, and Tiler Peck (Giselle), fourth from left, were guests of honor at the opening-night reception for Ballet Hawaii's summer production of "Giselle" Friday at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Peck was exquisite in the title role of an innocent peasant girl whose mysterious suitor, played by De Luz, is already engaged to another woman. De Luz was magnificent as the cad. Artistic Director Pamela Taylor-Tongg, her husband, Ronnie Tongg, and Executive Director John Parkinson congratulated them backstage.
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Ballet Hawaii Directors Jodi Leong and Jim Hutchison met at the box office. The only glitch on opening night had nothing to do with the show. There was no designated will-call window, so people picking up tickets were held up getting into the theater as they stood behind last-minute ticket buyers who were dealing with seating choices and credit-card problems.
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Ballet Hawaii supporters Carola and Hans Loffer chatted with Steve Knox, former executive director, and his bride, Lisa Knox, during intermission. Steve Knox said that he and Lisa got married on "Lucky Friday" -- 08-08-08 -- and decided they'd schedule their Hawaii honeymoon so they could see "Giselle" (Knox was on staff for Ballet Hawaii's last full-length production of "Giselle" in 1986).
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Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Hank Stackpole, left, and his wife, Vivian, talked backstage with local favorite John Selya. Selya was superb dancing the role of Hilarion, the jealous working-class hero who is rejected by Giselle -- first in life, and again after her death. The role was icing on the cake for Selya; he came to Hawaii several weeks early to teach and get in some surfing.
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WillieDean Ige, left, Ballet Hawaii President Susan Schull, Savannah Lowery (Myrtha), Jonathan Stafford, Emily Ellis, Mark Tucker and Christopher Weisler congregated near the buffet table. Stafford gave a show-stopping performance in the "Peasant Pas de Deux" in Act 1. Tucker, a local boy who recently graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts, joins the Eugene Ballet in September and will be off on a 60-city tour.
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