A&E Wrap-Up: 9-8-17

Shows &events

Ms. Aloha Nui Pageant, other Hawaii Island Festival events this weekend

The 2017 Hawaii Island Festival kicks off this evening with the annual Ms. Aloha Nui Pageant at the Waikoloa Marriot Resort &Spa in Waikoloa.

Doors open at 5:30 for the 6 p.m. event that celebrates women of great stature who embody the “Spirit of Aloha.” Held for the past two decades, pageant educates people about and honors o ka wa kahiko (days of old), which in the traditional sense, the grander size was a part of their overall beauty and charm.

Tickets are $15, which includes a commemorative ribbon, while supplies last.

From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Queens’ MarketPlace and Na Makua Designs will present an arts and craft fair, featuring live entertainment, at various sites at the marketplace.

On the Coronation Pavilion stage will be Kunia Galdeira (9 a.m.); Kainani Kahaunaele (10 a.m.); Halau O Poohala (11 a.m.); Darlene Ahuna (noon); Lito Arkangel (1 p.m.); Aloha Polynesian Dance (2 p.m.); and John Keawe (3 p.m.)

On the Island Gourmet Markets stage will be Halau Waiau (10 a.m.); Kuleana (11 a.m.); Ben Kaili (noon); Leo Ekolu (1 p.m.); Maluhia (2 p.m.)

This event is free.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday is the festival’s annual Poke Contest at also at the resort. The contest pits teams against each other to create the best taster featuring cube-sized fish (poke) and various ocean delicacies, such as tako, opihi and oli.

Tickets are $15, which includes a commemorative ribbon, while supplies last.

Later Saturday, at 6 p.m., is the Kindy Sproat Falsetto Contest, also being held at the resort. The event features men who come out to show their skills to throw their voice in higher registers. They also share the mana’o of their mele, the songwriter and the hidden meaning (kaona). The contest honor the late Uncle Kindy Sproat.

Tickets are $15, which includes a commemorative ribbon, while supplies last. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Next weekend is the Waimea Paniolo Parade at 10 a.m. on Sept. 16 followed by the annual Hoolaulea from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Church Row Park.

The festival’s royal court will make appearances during the 35th annual Kupuna Hula Festival, Sept. 13-16 at Sheraton Kona Resort.

Info: Visit www.hawaiiisland festival.org

Ensemble plans Kailua-Kona concert

The Royal Kona Harp Ensemble will offer a concert at the Pyramid House in Kailua-Kona.

The 6 p.m. Saturday performance, “Beyond the Gates of Heaves,” features three harps and woodwinds. Pupu and refreshments will be provided.

Tickets are $20.

Info: Email behealthy108@aol.com.

DMAC exhibit showcases traditional Japanese mokuhanga

Donkey Mill Art Center presents its newest exhibition, “Globalizing Mokuhanga,” which is open to the public through Oct. 14.

The exhibit is available to view during Donkey Mill’s open hours, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. An artists’ reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

This exhibition of traditional Japanese mokuhanga woodblock prints is held in conjunction with the Third Triennial International Mokuhanga Conference, this year being held for the first time outside mokuhanga’s home country of Japan. The sold-out conference drawing artists from around the world will be held in Honolulu Sept. 28-Oct. 1, with satellite events at Donkey Mill Art Center on Hawaii Island from Oct. 3-8.

“Globalizing Mokuhanga” provides the community and visitors an opportunity to learn and experience the beauty of this traditional art form through a selection of contemporary mokuhanga prints from the permanent collection of the Mokuhanga Innovation Lab Artist in Residence program in Japan.

This humbly-named printmaking style (“moku” means wood and “hanga” can be translated as printing) is a Japanese printing technique used for books and art with origins as early as the eighth century. Mokuhanga-style printing rose to fame in the West in the 18th century through the popularity of prints such as those by Hokusai and Hiroshige, and these images were at the heart of the West’s perception of Japanese art and culture.

Mokuhanga differs from western-style woodblock printing most notably in its use of water-based inks, allowing for a wide array of vivid colors, glazes, and transparencies that are remarkably different from the oil based inks used in the West. Contemporary artists have been drawn to the appeal of mokuhanga as a flexible, nontoxic, and mobile method of creative expression that captures a distinctive quality of light.

Mokuhanga traditions continue with contemporary programs both in Japan and beyond. The MI-LAB artist residency programs of Japan are designed to provide extensive knowledge of mokuhanga while preserving the art form and celebrating contemporary translations. In the past two decades alone, residencies in Japan have enabled more than 200 artists from around the world to study the art and traditions of mokuhanga. “Globalizing Mokuhanga” showcases the results of the MI-LAB residencies, with more than 30 prints by a diverse group of international artists.

The collection illustrates the diversity of mokuhanga expression and the beautiful results individual artists have achieved through combining this traditional art form with contemporary design and innovation. The exhibition includes works by both renowned and emerging artists from more than 25 countries

As an extension of the exhibition, Studio 7 Fine Arts Gallery in Holualoa Village will showcase the works of guest teaching artists Hidehiko Goto, April Vollmer and Keiko Hara.

Donkey Mill Art Center is the home of Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art education organization. Its mission is to provide a stimulating environment that helps individuals discover, develop and expand their artistic abilities.

Info: Visit www.donkeymillartcenter.org or call 322-3362.

Announcements

APAC selects cast for ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’

Aloha Performing Arts Company has selected a cast for its upcoming production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

Catherine Williams and Kerry Matsumoto head up the cast of the comic mystery “Arsenic and Old Lace.” They play Abby and Martha, two sweet, deranged old spinsters who enjoy helping lonely old men to their final resting places in the cellar. Their three nephews are Teddy, who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, Mortimer, who is a dramatic critic, and Jonathan, who has recently escaped from an institution for the criminally insane. They are played by Bob Haber, Robb Dahlke, and Rich Mears, respectively.

The Rev. Dr. Harper, a virtuous neighbor, is played by Dan Hoff, and his daughter, Elaine, who is Mortimer’s fiancee, is played by Havilah Pyrc. Mark Murdock portrays Dr. Einstein, Jonathan’s traveling companion and a besotted plastic surgeon. Playing members of the police force are: Stephen Alves as Officer Brophy, Rob Payesko as Officer Klein, John Holliday as Officer O’Hara, and Peter Anderegg as Lieutenant Rooney. Allen Eggleston plays Mr. Gibbs, who narrowly escapes the “charity” of the aunts, and Chazz Alley plays Mr. Witherspoon, who may be their final victim.

Alley is also the props master for the production. Other crew members include Jerry Tracy, director; Kira Kane, assistant director and stage manager; Barbara Masters, producer; Gerald Lucena, set designer; Anne Waugh, costume designer; Donna Choy, costume “lieutenant”; Ed Cochran and Victor Lugo, lead set builders; and Felicity Johnson, house manager. Support staff includes Melissa Geiger, managing director, Tiffany Kutsunai, operations coordinator, and Rich Bickel, technical director.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” was written in 1941 by Joseph Kesselring, and enjoyed a successful run on Broadway, featuring Boris Karloff as Jonathan. The show ran for 1,444 performances. The 1944 movie version featured Cary Grant as Mortimer. It is a madcap, slapstick farce set in Brooklyn just before the United States entered World War II.

APAC’s production of the show will run Oct. 6-22 at the Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu, with Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Show tickets, season tickets, and Flex Passes are available online at www.apachawaii.org, or by phone from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Info: Call 322-9924.

Waimea ceramic artist planning open studio

Zoe Johnson’s ceramic studio Porcelain Ocean presents Open Studio Days in conjunction with National Clay Week, taking place in her Waimea home studio, 65-1204 Kahawai St. on Oct. 14-15.

The event features Johnson’s ocean-themed ceramic art, as well as creations by Kailua-Kona ceramic artist Peri Enkin.

National Clay Week Open Studio, is a nationwide event that celebrates clay, community and creativity. Studios all over the

country are opening their doors for demonstrations, lectures and exhibitions. Johnson and Enkin will give pottery-making demonstrations, offer hands-on activities, talk about their careers in ceramics, and feature a wide selection of items available for sale.

This event is free for the public and appropriate for all ages. Hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 14 and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Info: Visit www.porcelainocean.com and www.perienkin.com.

APAC announces 2017-18 production season

Aloha Performing Arts Center has announced its new lineup of theatrical productions, to be presented at the historic Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu. Opening the 2017-18 mainstage season is the comic mystery “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joseph Kesselring. Bizarre hijinks, bodies in the cellar and lonely men getting poisoned by two sweet old ladies make this wacky farce a perfect way to get primed for Halloween. Production dates are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 6-22.

For Halloween, APAC will present a special limited engagement of Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show” on Oct. 27-31. On a dark and stormy night in the castle of Dr. Frank “N” Furter, Brad and Janet do the Time Warp again. For mature audiences only.

The holiday season brings “Miracle on 34th Street,” a moving, classic Christmas story that will win over the most hardened of hearts. The show is adapted by Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder, Will Severin, and John Vreeke, from the novel by Valentine Davies. Production dates are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 1 through 17.

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” will be APAC’s big winter musical, with book by Linda Woolverton, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. This tale as old as time will take the stage for five weekends, Feb. 9 through March 11.

May brings APAC audiences the Hawaii premiere of “Pruning the Family Tree,” by Dan Gordon. This dark comedy is filled with bright wit as we learn that Dad’s dead, Mom’s a wreck, and three sisters try to figure out what to do next. Production dates are May 4 through 20, 2018.

Closing the season is “Wonderland,” a brand new adaptation by Susie Burke, based on the books of Lewis Carroll. This show will feature child actors teamed up with adult mentors. Alice takes her strange journey June 22 through July 1, 2018.

Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Season tickets and Flex Passes are available online at AlohaTheatre.com, or by phone Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 322-9924.

Classes &workshops

Teen jewelry class Monday

North Kohala Public Library hosts a jewelry making class for teens, ages 13-19, from 6-8 p.m. on Monday at the Kapaau facility.

Jewelry artists Sid Nakamoto and Gail Ching-Lee will demonstrate a simple and beautiful jewelry design. Materials will be provided for participants to create their own jewelry piece.

Info: 889-6655.

Harmony workshop Sept. 17

Gary Garret and Anajalisa Aitken, of The Harmony People, will hold a harmony workshop at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the Society for Kona’s Education and Art in Honaunau.

In this workshop, participants will learn the basics of vocal harmony. It will cover exercises that demonstrate what harmony actually is; how different combinations of notes create different emotions; how to find and hold a part while blending with other voices; and a fun way to improvise.

This workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience.

Garrett and Aitken write, record and perform together as The Harmony People. They have been touring in Hawaii and the western US since 2014. More information on the duo is available at www.theharmonypeople.com.

Cost is $35.

Info/register: Contact Carol at 317-696-1016 or carol.williams819@gmail.com.