Damien online resources

There's a wealth of information on the internet about Saint Damien. Here are just a handful:

• The Diocese of Honolulu Website for Saint Damien of Molokai
  http://www.fatherdamien.com/
  
• Father Damien - Kalaupapa National Historical Park
  http://www.nps.gov/kala/historyculture/damien.htm
  
• Father Damien Virtual Tour
  http://www.vthawaii.com/MOLOKAI/2007/Kalaupapa.html
  
• Saint Damien for Kids
  http://www.cathedralofourladyofpeace.com/damienkids.htm 

The program guide for our presentation of "Damien" will include a wealth of information.  Join us on Saturday, July 28 at 7:30pm or Sunday, July 29 at 2:00pm at UHM Kennedy Theatre.

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: Dancing Princess Sandy

Name:  Dancing Princess Sandy

Name origin:  Surfer Dude, Kelli and Kaha’i

Occupation:  Dancer

Known relatives:  Sisters: Mandy, Candy, Brandi, Randi and Dawn. Cousins of Princess Lokelani and Prince Ikaika. Nieces of King Lolo and Queen Kaluna

Group affiliations:  Dance partners: Da Six Menehunes / Professional Shoemakers: Manuel and Son Shoe Repair

Education:  Fairy Tale University

Special powers or abilities:  Sparkly magic smartphones that give us powers to sing & dance!

Happily Eva Afta Actor: Jaydence Goya

What brought you to Ohia Productions?  I was asked to understudy a Dancing Princess role in Happily 2005 by the choreographer, Sonia Infante.

  

What do you enjoy the most about being in this production?  It gives me the wonderful opportunity to share the stage with some of Hawaii’s most talented performers, while being able to help bring Lisa’s work to life!

What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character?  I play the role of “Dancing Princess Sandy.” I would say that I do have a bit of Sandy’s fun and outgoing personality.

What's your favorite musical number in the show?  I enjoy dancing with the Menehunes in “Happy Birthday Lokelani!” but really LOVE the closing company number, “Magic of the Mind.”

Any fun behind the scenes trivia you'd like to share about the show?  There is a real family of 4 in the show. Can you guess who they are?

What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show?  I hope the take away is: We are so fortunate to live in a such a special place, and it’s so wonderful to be able to celebrate the people and culture around us. And, what better way to share this than through live musical theatre!

Are you a University of Hawaii alumnus?  If so, what was your major and fondest memory of UH?  YES! BBA in Marketing. Too many memories to count, but attending FROSH Camp as an incoming Freshman – through that, I received an introduction to the amazingly talented, Lisa Matsumoto! Was also a member of the UH Cheer Team – supporting UH Athletics.  

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: Surfer Dude

Name:  Surfer Dude

Name origin:  Well, I'm like a surfer. And I'm a dude. So like, Surfer Dude!

Occupation:  Like duh, I'm a surfer!

Known relatives:  Jeff Spicoli, Johnny Utah, and my aunt Gidget.

Group affiliations:  The Association of Surfing Professionals

Education:  UC, Santa Barbara

Special powers or abilities:  I'm pretty good at surfing.

Happily Eva Afta Actor: Daniel Kawamoto

What brought you to Ohia Productions?  I enjoy speaking in front of people, so being on stage has always been a "bucket list" type of experience for me. My friend, Nolan Hong (Prince Ikaika) had been in several Ohia Productions, and he invited me to try out!

  

What do you enjoy the most about being in this production?  The cast is absolutely fantastic. Not only is everyone amazingly talented, they're also hilarious. I didn't expect to laugh so much and to have as much fun as I'm having.

What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character?  I play the Surfer Dude. At first glance, it seems a far cry from the real me, but I think there are some similarities. We're both pretty laid back and don't take the world too seriously. And we both say "like" a lot.

What's your favorite musical number in the show?  Wow, this one changes from week to week. But I really enjoy Ikaika and Lokelani's duet.

Any fun behind the scenes trivia you'd like to share about the show?  I didn't have a surf board for rehearsals until the very end. So I used all sorts of objects as a stand in, including a broom, a traffic cone, and some kid's old science fair display.

What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show?  I hope the audience leaves with a great, big smile on their face.

Are you a University of Hawaii alumnus?  If so, what was your major and fondest memory of UH?  Not an alum, but I do have season tickets to UH football! Go Warriors! 

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: King Lolo

Name:  King Lolo

Name origin:  Uh...I dunno.

Occupation:  I'm the King of the forest but I not one lion.

Known relatives:  Uh...get my wife Queen Kaluna. Plus I get (counting on his hand) two kids Lokelani & Ikaikai. .

Group affiliations:  I get one Sears card.

Education:  Uh.......

Special powers or abilities:  I get the power to make promises then forget what I went promise.

Happily Eva Afta Actor: Daryl Bonilla

What brought you to Ohia Productions?  I went to see "Once Upon One Time" at Diamond Head Theatre in 1996 and immediately said "That's the type of show I want to do". However anytime they had auditions I usually was already in another show or didn't know when their auditions were. Finally got to be apart of Ohia's educational road shows then got to be apart of one of their mainstage productions in 2005 with "The Adventures of Gary & Harry".

  

What do you enjoy the most about being in this production? Not to sound cliche but when you are in an Ohia show it feels more like a family reunion than a production. Like wearing comfortable clothes, it just "fits". Always such a fun experience with nothing but laughs.

What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character?  I play King Lolo who like me is very easy going....and very handsome :) But unlike me he isn't too smart and his memory isn't too good. He tends to forget a lot.

What's your favorite musical number in the show? I have to say my favorite musical number in the show would have to be the very operatic "A Kiss Upon Those Lovely Lips".

What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show?  I hope like me it encourages aspiring young performers to keep theatre going and get their creative juices flowing. We can't do these shows forever so we gotta inspire the next generation to keep it going strong for years to come. These shows are both fun to be apart of and fun to watch.

Are you a University of Hawaii alumnus?  If so, what was your major and fondest memory of UH? I did a little theatre at UH. I was in the Cirque Du Soleil styled "The Comedy of Errors" which was a lot of fun.

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: The Wicked Queen

Name:  The Wicked Queen

Name origin:  Lisa Matsumoto's creative world.

Occupation:  Wreaking havoc on fairy tale characters, for the single goal of making sure she is the "baddest in all the land"!

Known relatives:  None known...

Group affiliations:  The Local Wicked Character's Association.

Education:  Masters' Degree in Poisoning Fruit, Magic Ukulele Communication, and Disguise.

Special powers or abilities:  Poisining Fruit, Magic Ukulele Communication, and Disguise.  Oh, having a very loud voice and being the "Baddest in all the Land"!  Muwahahahaha!!!

Happily Eva Afta Actors: Katherine Nakano

* What brought you to Ohia Productions? I was a sophomore in college, and I wanted to get involved with acting. I remember the audition notice went up and I thought to myself, "I could be in that!" I remember at the call backs, Tammy asked if I had any idea what it took to do a main stage production.  I said, "no, but I will do whatever it takes." I got the part of Red Rose Haku. It was an amazing first experience, and I have enjoyed being a part of Lisa's productions ever since.

* What do you enjoy the most about being in this production? As always, the company associated with doing it, and of course, the challenge of creating a new character. 

* What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character? I am honored to play the part of The Wicked Queen, Lisa's iconic role. My own personality?  Well, I guess....just a little.  I'm a mom, so I think I have come to hone some "Wicked Queen" traits.  There is definitely a bit of my own mother's quirky personality in her as well. 

* What's your favorite musical number in the show? "Magic of the Mind".  Hands down.  I associate that song with so many great memories.  Every time we sing it, I get chicken skin and tears in my eyes.

* What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show? A sore stomach from laughing so hard and a great big smile on their faces. 

* Any fun behind the scenes trivia you'd like to share about the show? I think a part of the reason these shows are always so good is because of the ensemble work and play that everyone does to work on scenes.  I always find it so interesting and wonderful when I see a scene being worked on, develop into something amazing. 

* Are you a University of Hawaii alumnus?  If so, what was your major and fondest memory of UH?  Yes, I am alumnus.  My major was Performing Arts and Business Management.  Fondest memory? The very first Lisa Matsumoto show I did, of course.  Once Upon One Time.  Rehearsals through performance.  The entire experience.  

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: Mandy

Name: Mandy
Name origin: Lisa Matsumoto's brilliant mind
Occupation: Dancing Princess
Known relatives: Five dancing princess sisters: Sandy, Candy, Brandi, Randi and Dawn
Group affiliations: Orange is the new red (OITNR), Save the earth and everything orange (STEAEO)
Education: Orange R Us High School, Dancing in the Forest University, Yojo dance company
Special powers or abilities: Texting 5000 words per minute on my orange diamond blinged cell phone

Happily Eva Afta Actors: Shelly Kawamoto

* What brought you to Ohia Productions? During my first year at the University of Hawaii at Manoa I joined the Atherton YMCA and became friends with people who were affiliated with Ohia Productions.  They encouraged me to audition for Once Upon One Time, the first part of the Happily Eva Afta trilogy, and I was lucky enough to be casted in the show!

* What do you enjoy the most about being in this production? The Ohia family is a melting pot of individuals who lead very different lives outside of the theatre.  What I enjoy most is that this production enables us to spend time together and build a fabulous show for all to enjoy. 

* What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character? In this show I play Mandy, one of the dancing princesses.  Compared to my own personality this character is more youthful and giddy, and she loves the color orange. 

* What's your favorite musical number in the show? My favorite musical number is the finale song "Magic of da Mind" because it is inspirational, sharing the message that you can do anything if you just believe.

* What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show? I hope that through our show, the audience is able to escape their lives for a few hours and enjoy being in our fantasy world, laughing and singing along with us!

* Any fun behind the scenes trivia you'd like to share about the show? The menehunes are each dressed in one color of the rainbow (ROYGBV).  The dancing princesses are dressed in the pastel color of their menehune counterpart.

* Are you a University of Hawaii alumnus?  If so, what was your major and fondest memory of UH? I graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with my Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene.  I truly enjoyed my time at UH Manoa and carry with me so many fond memories.

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: Miguel

Name: Miguel
Name origin: Spanish / Filipino
Occupation: Shoemaker
Known relatives: Manuel is my Father
Group affiliations: We fix everyone’s broken shoe
Education: Just moved from the Philippines, still in college
Special powers or abilities: none

Happily Eva Afta Actors: Gino Pascual

* What brought you to Ohia Productions? Lisa Matsumoto brought me to the Ohia family back in 1991.  Even though Ohia was not established yet, it was the beginning of many lasting friendships.  This crazy group of talented individuals welcomed me back to the stage after nearly 20 years of absence beginning with the 15th anniversary show which happened in 2010.

* What do you enjoy the most about being in this production? This production is new to me.  I have never done Happily Eva Afta. Although I have performed in the other two shows of the trilogy, this production is exciting because I’m unfamiliar with the story line and familiar with the characters that pop up in the show.

* What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character? The character I play in the show is “Miguel”.  He is the son of “Manuel” the Filipino Shoemaker.  “Miguel” was a difficult character to develop, even though I am of Filipino descent.  I am a second generation Filipino in Hawaii, and unlike my character who speaks with a heavy Filipino accent; my character is innocent and naive.

* What's your favorite musical number in the show? My favorite musical number is the song the Hagemogi Fairy sings.  It’s so dark it reminds me of “Ursula“(Little Mermaid) and “Scar” (Lion
King) put together.

* What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show? I hope the audience has fun laughing.  I hope they take away the creativeness of the writer of the show.  I hope adults get inspired to act like the character when reading and I hope the young get inspired to act in a show on stage.

* Are you a University of Hawaii alumnus?  If so, what was your major and fondest memory of UH?  I graduated with a Bachelor in Public Administration from the University of Hawaii West Oahu.  My fondest memory of UH is time spent at Kennedy Theater sleeping, studying, congregating under the stairwell on the couches waiting for class or rehearsals to begin.

Happily Eva Afta Character Profile: Ikaika Lolo

Name: Ikaika Lolo
Name origin: My mada and fada
Occupation: Prince
Known relatives: Sister Lokelani and cousins the dancing princesses
Group affiliations: Reptile club
Education: Honolulu Zoo Academy
Special powers or abilities: Can stick to walls and catch flies with my tongue.

Happily Eva Afta Actors: Nolan Hong

* What brought you to Ohia Productions? A friend of mine in the cast back in 2004 asked me to audition and at first I didn’t want to because I didn’t know much about it. I kept blowing it off until the last minute, but once I read the script at the audition for Once Upon One Time, I was hooked and wanted to be in the show so badly! Thankfully I got cast and it’s been on ever since.

* What do you enjoy the most about being in this production? I enjoy the people. The best group of people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. They are so fun, generous, amazing, and full of what the true spirit of Aloha really is. Being around them is what I enjoy the most and am so glad I have the chance to call them family.

* What character do you play and how much of your own personality is in that character? I play Ikaika, the prince who is turned into a gecko and is searching for a kiss from a princess to break the spell. I guess there is a part of my personality in this character in that he’s got a good sense of humor and optimistic (with a little encouragement from others).

* What's your favorite musical number in the show? The final song is without a doubt my favorite because of the emotion that it evokes from me. it represents the spirit of this whole show, where it encourages you to “believe in the magic of the mind”. It also has a huge emotional effect on me as well, as I know that this song will be the last song I sing with this group when we perform on the final performance. Even in rehearsal I get choked up practicing it because it makes me think of the fact that the show will eventually come to an end.

* What do you hope the audience will take with them after seeing the show? Pure Joy.

* Any fun behind the scenes trivia you'd like to share about the show?  It is widely accepted that I am the most talented cast member when it comes to the “cha cha” and “box step” dance maneuvers.